Coops.

There's he will relinquish the coaching position at the end of the year.

Josh and A comes in.

He had much to do with Josh.

No played against him.

He's involved in the Queensland origin sign and Billy's got big raps.

Like publicly he has stated, but even behind closed doors says that Josh Hannay is a big part of what he's been able to do on the Queensland team.

Like if you Josh is the defensive coach for the Queensland team, and if you look at Game three and what happened to Queensland, how they won.

They designed a defensive sort of system that spooks Nathan Clear in a big game like they were coming forward coming back.

So and that's got credit to do with him.

And he cut his teeth at host Plus Cup.

South Slogan's for a couple of South Logan for a couple of years, did everything that coaching needed to there.

So you talk about apprenticeship, he's done it.

He's been exposed at interim coaching level for a little bit.

So this isn't a hail Mary pass.

I think this guy's ready.

We're about to find out.

Well, the Frazult family of course who only Titans.

You know, they know how important this next appointment is and the parently they've been very thorough that they reached out to Billy, And my understanding was just as you said, Billy had enormous raps recommend.

I agree with it.

They have to get this right.

It's a big one coast times.

They have to get some success there.

They need to get a consistent team that plays finals, because we've always said this, they're a talented team that list has enough talent that should be playing finals.

And maybe Joshana is the guy.

Last Friday was saying that this Friday night football coming up, and oftentimes it doesn't live it up to the billing, but it did that.

I haven't seen a better finish to a rugby league game than that first game was victory.

The only one that sort of matches it in recent memory in terms of delivering on the occasion was Rooster's Tigers two ten finals series.

I remember that with Braith kicking the field goal and can out.

But what happened in Mudgie one top of the ladder first team five Physically they were into each other to start with, and it was just moments of brilliance throughout.

It, like it was Jeeuz Strange in weeks what they did.

Like Nathan Cleary absolutely smokes this kick and it hits the upright and Stewart doesn't get enough raps for what he does here.

A lot of players would just sit and watch, and the two dangerous people on the plat Park for the Raiders got the ball when the game was on the line.

Ethan Stranger's ability to run and break tackles and then weeks to cover like that, it was.

It was the best thing I've been a.

Part of and coops and we say this oftentime in this podcast.

What is really crucial in big moments is the most basic fundamental And when Ethan Strange went in there, what he did at the very end simple two on one and executed it, you know, and he had come across said it was it was a bit of a tricky past, but he executed.

Now, as you watched the Weekend with the Night the last two weeks, I reckon that they've bombed half a dozen opportunities on two and one.

Yeah.

I think the other thing too is the try to go to Golden Point.

Oh yeah, Like that's a set.

Play done in the video analysis room and Ricky and the coach of stuff.

You know, we've got this little idea.

What do you think And with a couple of minutes ago on the clock, Jamel Foggi delivers the knockout blow for him.

There was moments in that game where so the Raiders have been so good all year.

They've got Tarpani and Papoali in Hawsbro, they've got Strange Weeks, tymical the outside backs.

But I think off the back of that game, I think Jamel Foggety is the key to Canberra success.

Like his King game is rock solid.

He can turn a okay set into a really good one.

But his key part, and he needs to get this right through September, is knowing when to pass the ball and who to pass it with.

I thought he played too many short passes.

This one here Hudson Young like he may have been setting up the game.

But when you've got this, see he get.

The ball to Strange, so strange they put his hands, get.

The ball out because he is dynamic, and he gets it to him this part here short pass, but he then gets the ball when the game's on the line, who does he go to he goes to Strange, sets up a try here, get the ball to Strange, not every time in Weeks.

I'm just saying his decisions in September are going to be the key to whether the Raiders lift the trophy.

And you get it.

We oftentimes go back to our playing days and I listen, I.

Remember Alan Bell.

He came up with the blocks, the block for the block that was his play, and he said, what's really important, he said, on a sweep block play sweep option, he said, the guy at the back has got to let the got to help the ball player.

So he'd be like, if you're sweeping behind, he said, help your ballplayer.

If all of a sudden you see them start to jam outside in he's to say, yell, play demand it, and that helps you helps the ball player.

And I'm not saying he has to pass the ball to Weeks and Strange every time, but you can play to your back roller and set the game up for the back end of the game.

But through September, the decision making of Fogty for me, becomes absolutely key.

If he gets it right, gets the ball the stranger Weeks at the right time, typical, and that will score.

If he plays too many short passes.

They probably missed their chance.

Be right cooping it like you've got k Weeksky Weeks, You've got Ethan Strange.

But the steady man is the most important.

He's the steering one.

They're running a similar system to Penrith.

You've got Strange on the left, Weeks on the right, and Jamal is doing the guy that.

Plays both sides of the rock.

So his decision making of when to pass and when not to is the key.

Great performance and Raiders on the perspective that the way that the Panthers built they've built their game beautifully, like lots of inside balls, wearing out the middle, and I thought where they're really doing a job on the young Raiders yere but the Raiders stamina and the.

Belief the Panthers were in the sweet spot.

They were playing the game when Martin scored just in the second half, they would dominating field position, defending really well, and the Raiders just grinded away at them.

They got a couple of penalties and a bit of field position.

But when the game was on the line, normally NA think Clear is the guy that stood up.

But there is two superstars emerging our competition.

Their names Ethan Strange and Kyle Wicks.

They were tremendous in the moments.

It was watching Penrith.

It was interesting seeing seeing guys make errors the last couple of which it is unusual for them, like Dylan Emwood's come up with a couple of care eras, which is unlike Dylan, He's usually like Sounders pound And it was funny watching in one essence of their game Penrith, they was so disciplined, so good defensively, they defend their line so well, but then they they get bought, they get possession back and they just make it.

A costly error.

Where do you think they sit in relation to the other top teams.

I think Penrith deserve a There's a lot of credit for where they were to where they got to the last two losses.

Have I think they've missed the chance of fishing the top four.

Have they used all their energy up in trying to get their season back to a level two golden point games.

I still think they're a dangerous team.

I don't see them winning the comp this year, but they are a dangerous football team and it's a bit alarming.

Not alarm, he could be easily fixed.

But the Dylan Edwards error Leam Martin not tackling Judge Stewart.

There's a couple of moments that their senior guys would like to have back.

You can't have that in September.

Do you see when guys make errors like that?

Do you see that as fatigue again?

To start the year?

They had an amazing run through the middle of the season.

We said, the drama with the slow start is you can spend your pennies get into the fight again.

And I feel like that'll be their storyline.

They'll they'll get to week one, maybe maybe fall over week two.

But this isn't young guys that you would be worried about.

This is rep players have done it.

So it's probably a conversation that I have and clearly goes, hey, hey, Dylan, we need to get back to being the best fullback and holding on that football.

Before we talking about the dog storm.

Isn't it funny this time of the year, Coop, get up this morning, come home this morning, come.

Home this morning.

A little bit after okay, just after half past as as my saying, Cooper is leaving together of work, I'm coming home.

Trish goes great example, but it's.

Time of the year.

You know, you get there and you just that warmth in the air, like it just feels when you're a player.

It just feels different, doesn't It's exciting.

And it does.

I think there's a lot of energy.

We talk about energy and momentum, and the teams that have momentum, like whether it's placebo or real, like, it does lift you through September.

The birds are chirping, the sun's out, the weather's better, and if you have confidence in your footy team, you can ride that all away to Grand Final.

That Dogs going into the game.

What's funny here going into that game the other night, those sixty to one to win the comp six dollars fifty, they've got that to nines.

I totally disagree with that.

I actually really liked what I saw in the Dog's performance from what they found in the second half their second half coop.

They found their formula.

They had far less.

Emphasis on trying to force the football and force their attack, and they just poured their energy into their defense and I thought they looked very, very good.

They're unlucky not to pinch it.

I think the Dogs are still a threat.

I agree with you.

On their day they can get it done.

But over the last month, I think there's a key part of the game that's becoming obvious.

That the Dogs do it well, and they win this area, they'll win.

If they lose it, they'll lose.

It's rock speed.

Their smaller middle forwards are their strength and their weakness.

If they get slow play the ball Kurt Man Hayward current, they're going to struggle running into paying hass mostly over the rooster's back right.

But if they get ruck speed with Ford momentum, the way they shift the ball in their footwork will put those bigger forward backs under threat.

So I feel like I've learned a lot about the Dogs if they win the ruck more than note, I think they can win the camp if they play off for slow play the ball.

I don't know their smaller bodies can get the Ford momentum that their spine are going to need to make good decisions.

Watching them defend in the second half, it was a rushing, swarming defense.

He reminded me of so much of you, Blakes, And there's two thousand and six, seven eight those years and the fact that you didn't have as big a pack as a lot of the other sides.

But you you were like the pack was like Hyena's defended likenas a lot of people and tackled.

And the second half that's how the Dogs defended.

It was almost like seraldo give them a rocket and said, we're not doing the bulldog style football.

Go out there and defend and defensively.

Their leg speed is a good thing because they can move fast across the field better than most.

But when they want to score, got to win that.

I got to win the ruck.

They need to find a way to have faster to play the ball.

Speed thought.

I thought Galvin was very, very good, and people go, I'm not a Galvin.

You've got to talk about him.

He's the seven.

I thought that.

I thought his ability to sort of break out of the structure a little bit.

I like the way he ran the football.

He was constant danger, sort of poking his nose through.

I will say this, Coup, I still maintain I don't see Locky.

I don't see him as a seven.

I don't think, to me, Locky is that roaming skillful Thirteen's that's how I see.

You know, at the moment, we're seeing Dewey in the seven before he got injured in the weekend, and he's playing for me do he will evolve into that thirteen sort of role.

And that's how I look Galvin.

I'll tell you what if he put on size and went down that thirteen path.

Look, jeez, a bit very smart thirteen.

There's one thing that I think thirteen's don't do.

Isaah is the pinnacle, rightans don't kick.

Imagine if you had a ball playing thirteen who could kick as well.

Galvin's got that in his well.

There's some positions that continually evolve and thirteen to one.

You know, thirteen.

Traditionally was a thirteen.

Traditionally, you know, through the seventies and the eighties was a short was almost a short side playmaker.

He was like the second six, and then all of a sudden, through Bradley Clyde, he became a meta reader.

And then all of a sudden, because we class him as the middle, now they become tamalolo and whatnot.

And now what we're starting to see is going, Okay, we've got to score points to win and to start to become more of that skillful player.

I think I think Galvin could be a seven and I think he can be a very very good seven.

He's got to improve in a couple of areas, like his king game needs to evolve, but that will come with time.

Like we always judge our young players the thirty year old version of themselves.

Right in three years time, I think.

This guy can be a dominant seven in the comp But right now he's got some areas to improve.

And if you can get that done, there's no doubt that there're.

A threat, a little bit of a trainspot, a thing that we like to do.

And let's have a look what he does.

He does little drop off play.

There's not a lot on here, and so what he does he decides to burn a play.

Okay, we just stop it there now.

If you're going to burn a if you're going to burn a play, I think you've got to burn you got to You've got to get something out of the play.

And how you do that is you burn a play and an opposition middle And you see Penrith do it a lot.

They always when they do an inside ball, Penrith are always sending the ball back to the post.

If this was Penrith, h'it hit on the outside there?

Because you want to make the opposition middles make more and more you try, you want to burn out their engine, and that that's just it's only a tiny little one there, But that's if I was a coach, that's advice i'd do to Lockeye.

I'd say, if you're going to burn a play, burn the play toward the middle, toward the posts.

It's funny like we always go through this argument around versus ad lib, right, and anyone who thinks they play eyes up six tackles in a.

Row, they're off their head.

Yeah, you can't.

You need to reset the field position at some stage.

But the way you reset can be pedestrian or it can be dynamic, and you'd lean towards dynamic, because the more you can create chaos in the defensive line, the more opportunity you'll get the ball to the threat.

Where it needs to.

You don't burn a play just for the safe.

Back in the day, it was always come on, let's just take a settler and let's reset.

But unfortunately, if the if the kettle's boiling, and then all of a sudden, you go, okay, let's just reset to give ourselves more thinkings on Essentially, all you do is resetting the defense.

Well, one example would be if you're doing a reset play, have support players running with that person taking the hit up because that might take one person out of the tackle, and therefore you're only going against two, So always have a support player.

Yeah, something like that.

First off you said about winning the ruck.

I'm sorry, Melbourne just destroyed the Dogs in the first half on the tackles one, two, three.

Their outside back just punched holes.

In these clips here have just bodies pushing straight through and that's probably why Sirealdo came out with a completely different defensive team the second half because at stages the Dogs weren't swarming.

They were getting beaten inside shoulder.

That's an outside back through the heart of the two front rowers, find in their front and then take one next play through.

That's right, And in the second half they really addressed it.

The second half they.

Were able to shut the plate play one, play two down.

And this is the thing, you know, was playmakers all of a sudden, If if they're not getting forward on play one and two, your outside backs, then all of a sudden in all you're thinking about that set of six is like, come on, boys, just get me forward.

And we're going to kick long.

If all of a sudden they start punching holes in early, you start getting on the front foot and you get interested.

And this is where our game can be a bit scientific.

So the dogs, for example, we're being blown through the ruck.

Too many spaces in their shoulders, so camera Serrealdo would have said, get our shoulders tied it together and don't let that space.

But then the Melbourne Storm have the ability to go around you.

So if you go too tight, then you've got the ability to go around.

So that's where the science of our game plays.

Who was good till he entrepreneur?

Yeah, Oh my god, he was sensational.

It's come back.

He had a stint out injured, no coincidence when he was missing out of the side that fell into that patch of inconsistency.

But I thought he was powerful.

He's got that physicality, but the leg speed, like he goes from zero toe hundred pretty quick and it's almost like every carry is like you're gonna have to hit me with everything you got when he gets it right.

Yeah, he's a dangerous player.

Just the little one again with Tyren Wisher has been fantastic.

What I really like about Tyron Wishart is that he's taken his skill set to the Jersey.

When we say this quite a bit.

He doesn't let the number on his back dictate how he plays.

And there was a good play the other night he set out the first try and he used what we call split play and it's a great play for running seven because because it's a running play, it gives you the option to run with the football, gives you an extra second of sight time and for running players it's gold.

I think it's it's good that when you get a new or an inexperienced seven coming in to have an attacking system that is familiar and reliable, because if you've got the right people in the right places all the time, Tyron can back his running game.

If he's got people not in the right space, Matt Burton doesn't turn out bronze and Cherry doesn't look to the outside.

So you've got to put people in and around and experience seven as opposed to there's the Keys to the Ferrari takers.

For a ride.

Yeah, what about Tyn wish Up Does he play seven or nine this week?

So no, Harry Grant.

Did you keep him at seven?

Orould you move in a nine and bring Peasant in.

I think Past will go to I reckon he'll go to seven.

I reckon Tyrant will go to nine.

I think that's where it all because thinking about Tyrone again, you can get the same value out he probably more value at nine, and I think coming into the side is shown he can handle that role.

So that's where I go.

Do you think, yeah, yeah, I think Tyrone's got a like a better defensive game than Persant and can defend in the middle and the Ruster's packs pretty physical.

This competition has just fallen perfectly, and these last rounds have just it's amazing when you talk about firstly, you know who's going to finish in a first second or that's that's locked in.

It's just a matter of who's going to get the Mind Premiership.

But let's focus on the top four and then later on the top eight.

Oh man, So I mean, she's a massive game come up on Thursday night, the Dogs and the Panthers, and there's important games like Storm Roosters and whatnot.

But who is your firstly, who's your top four?

Who do you see getting in there?

Yeah?

I think Raiders and Storm locked in.

I think it's hard to predict where they all finish because at the end of the last round there's going to be teams that can't move, and then those teams will rest, and then they're going to be playing against teams that need to win.

It's hard to move the jigsaw around.

But I think, for example, the Raiders in the Storm, they'll win enough games so they'll probably potentially rest last week so they won't move.

But then the Dogs could finish as low as fifth, and the Broncos could finish as high as third, depending on how it all works.

But for the way that they're playing, I think the Dogs finish third, and I think looking at the drawer, I think the Sharks get in there.

I think the Sharks might.

Jump up into Haven't they been a sleeper?

They're just the Warriors will determine that because the Warriors will play this weekend and they've got their Eels.

The Eels are playing.

Pretty well, and the Warriors play Manly in the last game of the year, which Manly might have to win that as well, So I think the Sharks might slip in the fourth.

You got we've got dogs sitting there at the third.

They've got Panthers and Sharks.

I reckon I Edgemo bestically, I think they win one of those games, take them to thirty eight.

That locks them in in third.

The Wires have got Paramatta and Manly.

I see him winning.

It's mainly a way to trigger game.

I see him winning of them.

They thirty six, I go thirty six.

They get that spot.

So that's that's the top four.

But what's as we start to go down.

What's what's interesting is if we talk about who gets into eight eighth spot.

So you've got the Roosters there and they're plus seventy two one points differential, which is going to be really really important.

They got the storm and then they got South's in the last round, which could determine.

The Eels might have just cost the Roosters.

Yeah, yeah, that's that was a poor performance.

The season was right there for them to grab a hold of.

Yeah, they come off the Dogs performance, which was arguably their best, and they turn in arguably their worst.

So now they have to win every game to solidify.

And the Roosters, they're acutely aware of what role they're going to play in the Rooster's destiny.

There's talk that ker Murray will be back.

That will play Latrell returning, Cody Fitt, Johnston Johnson trying to break imagine with Alex if he scores two, I would like to see.

And you'll imagine I would like this man.

So and this is interesting with the Dolphins.

So the Dolphins got slightly better points differential plus eighty one, but they're two points drift mainly mainly a plus four.

I can't see.

No, I don't mainly need to rack up cricket scores against.

The Dragons Warriors, that's right, and the Titans.

You look at the Dolphins play the Titans.

Right, Let's say the Roosters win one.

Of those games.

Stormburm's sound given one win, right, that jumps to thirty points the Dolphins.

That means they need to be both teams.

They're playing the Titans and the Raiders.

And both both I mean Raiders obviously, but.

Raiders might be rested.

This is the thing, right, So they win against the Titans, the Dolphins and the Raiders go, you know what, We've got a minded premiership sew up.

We're going to rest a couple of our players.

And the Dolphins go down there and get the victory.

Titans can slip into eighth.

Titans is going to be tough, Titans.

Titans are playing for a new coach.

Yeah, there's still coaching, true, but Hanna is in the stands down has cast and I over all.

So then go all the way to the bottom of the ladder.

The Titans playing for their new coach, the net Castle Knights.

They're two points ahead of the Titans.

The Knights don't pick up a game, They're just allowing the door to be open for the Titans to win one of those and go pass one points differentially.

So okay, so let's say the Dolphins beat the Titans and we get and yeah, the Raiders are pretty much going to be lean.

Locked into a top two position home final.

Since round fifteen, the.

Raiders have had three buys.

Do you still rest in that last round of your Ricky?

Do you still rest players or do you think they need to coop playing?

I think they need to keep playing.

There's something about that youth that says, if you give them the weekend.

Off, then they might just oh, that's cool, we'll just bring week one right.

Ye, Ricky knows them better than me, But yeah, I think they might.

Yeah, they might be.

Playing Beam, he'll rest, He'll rest them.

How important you see, does Craige your submit within the mind Premiership?

I think he respects it.

I think he would love to do it.

But I just get this feeling about Melbourne, one having been there and two just watching from the outside that what happened to them last year on Grand Final Day is just burning inside and that's the only thing that truly matters.

Like they just want to get back to September and they want an opportunity for redemption, and I think it's going to drive them all the way to it.

So Dolphins Rusters, who finishes eighth?

I think I think it's Roosters purely on the fact that the Dolphins make just the amount of injuries, and like, if you think at the moment the Manly game the other day, it says a lot about where they're at at the moment physically and probably mentally as well.

To concede fifty eight points given the importance of that game, says a lot.

Just Mitch Moses, where's he at as far as the game's best players now, influencial players.

He's in the conversation, He's in.

I think Nathan and a few others are still there in terms of best halfbacks.

But when he puts it together, he's a very influential player.

I can give Jason Rowle's a huge credit here.

I think that's his greatest coaching performance.

Like he had that team dialed in and we spoke to Mitchell after the game.

He said, well, why would we take the Russes on through the middle so they.

Move the ball to go through them.

Yeah.

And the way that Dylan Walker and Mitchell Moses combined, they were playing a different speed, but they were moving the ball left and right with freedom and scored thirty points.

But they scored thirty points six tries, semi linebreaks.

You're man.

Full, donut none none, that's how they scored tries from kicks, an intercept.

But their play was so good, like it just moved the Bruce's defense around.

Very synchronized in their attack, Very very very good and says a lot about Jason Ryles and Dylan Walker.

Had some terrific years, good years at the House, had some great years at Manly, had some really solid years of the Warriors.

I think he's played his best football this year.

I think this is his best for end and Josh Hadaka made the Fox.

I think this is I said this on the show last night.

I think this is his best season, say far, not based on scoring tries and all that sort of stuff, but his leadership.

If there's any young young winger out there wanting to know how to defend as a winger, go watch the try that he took the intercept on James Tedesco.

He was under immense pressure and gave the indication he was going to back off, and that made Tedesco throw the ball, and he just plucked out.

Of the good good stuff like rollye coops, I'm gonna get some breasts.

You look good.

Mm hmmmmmmm