Cooper extraordinary final series.

Before we start, if you're doing something.

What's that.

View of the final?

View of the viewers have spoken?

Mate for the final, for the final, sh there we go.

It always happened.

Your headline and every other show like Ray Hadley's face to face here on this you got your own show.

I just thought a little bit of love him double Duty.

John's the Grand Final?

Yeah mate, what a what a final series.

But it has been Actually, I think about some of the moments that we just play.

Its like it comes down to Grand Final week and the moment, and you can slice it and dice as much as you want.

There's only one way you want to finish Grand Final Week.

There is only one way you want to win it, and you want to have the party of your life.

The game, Coop.

And we had Hutch and Young on the show last night and I spoke to him about this half after the show.

I said, the.

Game at the moment, Coop, I've never seen better.

I've never the players are remarked what they're doing.

I don't think we always look previous eras through rose colored glasses, the romanticism.

I don't think there is any era in the game that even comes close to what is happening right now.

And I think it's just so imperative for the game because the game's going that way.

That Perth and P and G are successful, it's a really big moment.

If we can nail those two expansion ventures, then the game will continue to grab exponentially.

I think one thing that is consistent in the game right now is it's in a good spot, but our best players are playing well.

I think that magnifies our game.

When the best players are fit and healthy and dominating.

Like the game yesterday it was basically Cleary Verse Wall incredible and the other night was monster, it was Harry Grant played well.

Our best players are living up to the expectation of the moment.

But just a great time of the year.

Isn't like Grand Final week.

You get there and the weather's warmer birds are nesting.

As a play cook this week?

Is there anything like what's the memory that comes back to you in your leading up to your numerous Grand Finals?

I think the one thing you can never let go of and want to relive every time it's Grand Final week is the moment you leave from the hotel you have a team meeting, and normally because you're into state team and you stay at a hotel somewhere so it's close by the amount of fans that flock the foyer of your hotel with all the colors.

They have to arrive a path that zigzags through the hotel outside to the bus and it's almost like rockstar reception.

There is thousands of people and your adrenaline is pumping as soon as you get out.

It's epic.

I've never relived it any other way, but I think the fans make that experience and the build up, the intensity that you can feel when you arrive at the bottom of the stadium.

You can feel the chairs banging and the intensity outside.

Beat to make the Grand Final.

We beat in North Sydney on the on the Saturday, and then the next day we went into the pool a bit of a recovery session.

But the first time we sort of went and had a training session at our training venue where fans could turn up, was on the Monday.

Five thousand people turned up and we went okay for something some special.

Billy and I remember our coach malcolmbe really got us in and he said, right, he said, this is what's going to happen all week.

He said, we can do this one or two ways.

We can actually try to escape from it or embrace it and enjoy it.

He goes, I'm not telling you both what to do, but I think the second one it's going to be a lot more enjoyable.

And he said, and I think the first one will drain us more.

So I agree with that because my first one I didn't enjoy.

I think the dally amzare on, you had the civic reception, you had all these different events in the build up, and it was like, oh, geez.

I don't want to be here.

I don't really want to be yeah, and then you lose that game and go, you know what, I need to change.

My attitude for the next ones.

The ones I won, it was definitely they were enjoyable parts to be a part of.

If there was one thing I could bottle about Grand finals is the adrenaline rush before you run out onto the field, Like there is nothing that makes you feel like a road league player than that moment.

What are your Grand Finals?

So was there was there anything that happened in the game that really sticks out to you during the game.

I think the dogs twenty twelve Grand Final.

Billy scored a try that was a set play where he competed with little hanging piece capton from a right to the left.

And we've been practicing all week because we knew that Josh Reynolds likes to come out of line and try and smash the back roll.

And it was a tight contest and we had all this possession and Billy was trying to call that play from the first minute and I was going no, no, let's wait, let's wait.

We got the penalty and I said no, and Ryan Hoffman said, mate, do it.

He's been smashing me all afternoon.

Mm hmm, he said to do it.

That gave me the confidence that he was going to get taken out of place.

So we just set it up two plays to the right hand side it.

And I've been a pretty big player moments.

Seeing at the sixty out of me is a little bit of a jeers if only the week the week before the beat North Sydney, Joey went off with the with the punch at lung and so I keep the field goal to get us through.

It was a wonderful kicking.

I'm sure it was amazing.

I watched it most nights.

Oh not this again, it's on your phone.

It is.

It is absolutely But what happened Coop?

Leaning into the next week?

Yeah, we did all the media stuff and Ray Martin.

Channel nine.

You know, I kind of strained television.

He interviewed me and he said, right, let's let's go.

Let's talk about this week.

Let's imagine same score sixteen or same field position.

Do you call the ball and do you make it?

And I say, yeah I do and yes I do.

Well, you wouldn't believe it, Coop sixteen.

All in the Grand Final, similar field position happened again.

And I hit it and I can hit the post now.

I don't like to This is a kid's pre like to use the word coops.

Okay.

Our Final Show Awards, our Player of the Year guld Sylvan Bronze.

In third place for me Yep Tarpani.

I think he'd been a clossest through the middle, outstanding for Canberra number two Isaiah Carteer.

I think he just might dominate the competition for the next ten years.

I think you exactly.

And I think James Tedesco is a lock for the Dalim.

You cannot go past what he did for the Roosters this year.

He was the most consistent player, he was their best player and he will win.

I think he's second l Am and he deserves it from where he came from.

What a couple of years ago, under pressure, lost the captain c of New South Wales and Australia.

He is back to his best.

I've gone I've gone Bronze, I've gone James Tedesco, Silver, Harry Grant and gold.

I've gone paying has has has had an incredible season.

Battle he's had a back injury, but he's just keeps turning up, turning up, and he was incredible yesterday.

Talk about Coach of the Year.

I've gone.

Look at I've gone Madge.

You know, we've just what he's.

Had to deal with a lot, and like Ricky, my temptation is say Ricky's going to win it.

But I just look at Madge and he's had to deal with a lot of criticism.

He's had pressure from the ex players, all that sort of stuff, but he's got them through.

I say, Ricky does.

I think they were the best team throughout the year.

Fell over at the back end, but they were good.

They lit up our screen every weekend the way they play.

I think honorable mention he's going to Ivan Cleary if he had have got to the Grand Final, was after twelve rounds last and didn't even look like the penrith of old.

Whatever he and that leadership group did to get back to seventh spot, ultimately win a couple of finals and go within a whisker of another Grand Final, I deserve I think he deserves a big ovation, definitely.

I'll tell you what, jeez, it was all class after the game.

I thought yesterday he was and I mean there's one four in a row.

I understand it, but very classical.

I like when the question came, was it feel like the dynasty ome and he said, it's not over what you're talking about.

So with that one comment, I'm like, they're going to be back, no doubt, no doubt.

My rookie the years, like Ahalla Seema, I thought.

He mark no longer there to ask it for me.

Like from where he was to what he did at the back end of the year.

He became a score tryscorer machine and some of you could put probably two or three of his tries this year is up for try the year, like the athleticism and the high end skill to finish triers brilliantly.

And I think there's talk that we won't select him now because in twelve months time he's getting go.

You select him.

He deserves to go.

And I see what you just spoke about the best players lighting up the finals.

Get your best players available, and you.

Know he's a beacon for other union players to look and go, jeez, look, god, it's done for this Blake's profile.

He's been a success story.

I might just give this credit.

Because you pick him now because he deserves to be.

If he wants to go play for the Wallabies, go on, but he will come back because of the.

Experience, a lot of water, past st If you don't pick.

Him now and those things, he will go.

Well.

You know what what a game yesterday?

What a game?

Fourteen mil down?

Did you see the Broncos coming back?

I didn't see them coming back.

I saw them winning before the game.

But then the Penrith machine so lean into the game.

I thought it was all.

About can the Penrith defense stop the edge attack of the prison Broncos, And for the first forty minutes they did, like that right side shut down.

Rees and Shibasaki a couple of occasions and on the flip side, the right edge attack of Penrith just dismantled Brisbane mate.

They were ala modi two tries and it was pretty straightforward attack.

It wasn't a special play.

It was just ke on ballplane from Nathan Cleary and that right side connected the.

Way they can condense to get up.

So atteen I thought this is they get to the front.

They lead.

There was a set in the first couple of minutes straight after second half they score.

I think Penrith go.

On funny and they had numerous opportunities there toist the game this long way.

But if they go twin mil up, I think that breaks the spirit of Broncos and they go.

And the Broncos did a tremendous job.

Playing on the Sunday afternoon at sun called was a big part of their fight back.

They had that crowd rocking from where it go and from a pure like loved it, enjoyed it.

I think it's put up upon the mantle pieces advertisement our game.

But if you look at it through like a footy lens, the three tries the Bronco scored was it's more luck than than craft and set up right so they did a really good job.

But I'm worried about that.

This weekend for them, like they didn't like Reese.

Walsh was good, but he didn't finish off the line break.

He threw that pass over the top from married It was a bit lucky, but Nathan Cleary in the sixtieth minute knocked back a penalty shot.

In hindsight, tick over that scoreboard, get the ball back.

But there was a hell of a game.

Great game, just speed and intensity of the second half.

There was the moment I think was sort of examples of how tired these blakes were.

Liam Martin went into attempt to tackle and he came out of it and I said to the boys in the green room, I said, Mayde, he's cancusting himself because he's wobbling.

And then he went, now it's fatigue.

He was just he could barely move and he was literally he was like he was concust and Zavia Willison similar not long before he scored that important try.

He got up, he could barely get to his feet.

He played the ball and he actually turned to the.

Sideline as if to say, match, get me off mate.

I thought he was really good.

Well, it's true.

What about.

Paying Hass's second half?

His second stint was out of this world.

Like his carries, he was the only real four that was causing issues for the Panthers defense, like every carry post contact meters.

Fast play the ball.

And then there was a couple of moments he dived a loose ball that could have been a triscrew an opportunity in the end goal.

And then he was the one that went out and put pressure on Nathan clear of the two point field goal, like he is a machine?

What about that?

What about the drama that with Nathan running backwards.

It's just some amazing moments.

I mate reythe Walsh pretty boy.

Yes, a bit lair in him, yes, tough, yes, yes, yes, tought like yesterday in the game, taken two carries in a set of six, but the other one in the first in the first he.

Was a reason Scott Sorenson didn't come back, not because he made contact, because how aggressively he.

Ran and broke through Sorence's tackle.

Basically rating like that that you know that great test of testing the toughness of the opposition if you run to let people know when if you and I are defending here and a guy, you know, Recee Walsh sprints him between us.

Okay, it's it's testing our ability to put our heads there because you know, like you saw Scottie Sirenson, there's a fair chance if you don't get it right, you're going to get concussed.

You're going to clash here.

If you run harder than I'm willing to tackle you, you're every chance of getting through.

The other side.

And like you talk about getting through tackles in between defenders, he did that for the Mariner try.

They gave Adam Reynolds the opportunity go.

Watch your back.

Reese Walsh just shot out of a gun, just says, try and stop me.

All the Panther's defenders sort of latched onto him and fell over, and he had enough strength to get the ball over the top.

Like Karapani and Mariner, they're unsung heroes.

They barely get messed yesterday.

They in their second half, they really took some pressure.

Off the moments.

They're all about taking control and not hesitating.

Mariner had an opportunity.

He had a decision to make when he got that ball.

It was either do I try and finesse this with a couple of foot, right footstep, beat back inside and he had a split second decide.

He went nut, putting the hammer down.

Lindsay Smith Brighton to or and Dylan Edwards came across and he just went for it.

I thought, I thought both those boys were tremendous.

I want to give Adam Reynolds a big rap up.

Oh so he didn't take the kick because obviously.

The hamstring preserving the hamstring when that ball gets put on the mound, he goes back.

He's kicking for, in my opinion, his legacy at the.

Broncos, potential legacy.

Potentially, I think he has to win.

Yes, for him to sit alongside Alan Langer at the next celebration, he needs to win.

That was incredible kick.

My guts was rumbling for you.

You talk about you in ninety seven, right, Adam Reynolds.

So in the COVID year, had the opportunity from the other sideline on the field against Penrith and missed.

And he hasn't kicked.

He's got his hamstring injury for what five six weeks, probably hasn't done a lot of goal kicking in that time.

And Reese Walsh missed that conversion with a few minutes to go, and I would love to see the camera shot of how that ball got transitioned.

From Reynolds to Walsh.

Did Walsh go, mate, please do it?

Or did Reynolds go giving me the ball?

I got a film the ladder give me the ball?

And he did not like I was trying to as I watched him walk in.

He wasn't blinking, he wasn't looking up and down.

He was dialed in.

And isn't that like so good to see that he was hard at wearing the seven jersey and watching him yesterday like he was rusty.

You could say that he was rusty, but we're in that seven means that you are exposed to look really high pressure moments and they're the ones you're going to know.

Well it ends.

And to explain a little bit of why Penrith lost the game in the second half, like the fatigue, the ball in play, the emotion of it all.

This team has been trying to get back to Everest since round twelve and did it kick in at the sixty fifth minute mark when they just didn't need it to They were out on their feet.

There was a moment they they're ahead and they cut up to the box and it's probably the most animated I've seen Ivan.

Ivan you could see was sensing Wesley.

Push his hair back.

Yeah, was agitated.

Yeah, And every time they were trying to get out of their own end there was an error.

There was just not the dynamic movements that they needed to and I feel like it was just it all crept up when they didn't need it.

There's season out of ten.

It's hard to gauge because it's such an unprecedented season.

I so want to give them like a nine, Yeah, like I do, but it probably drops back to an eight because of the way they started the.

First half of the year.

One.

Yeah.

After the year ten, h.

Sharks Storm look.

For mine in a nutshell, Storm won it on the back of their discipline, which they're renowned for.

Spot I thought that.

I thought, I just thought the Sharks they gave away so many soft off side penalties.

There was one early in the game.

It was about four minutes in and they've got Melbourne trapped in the corner pocket and mate, it was just such a.

Soft offside penalty.

And then the Storm gate down the other end of the score.

I thought, I thought the Storm spine have been waiting a long time for this moment.

They just It's almost like, yes they had a game plan, yes they wanted to do this, but that.

Was second in their mindset.

Mindset one was going to run the ball and be the dominant player on the field.

When Harry Grant ran, Munster ran, and then the bravery and the strength of mine for Jerome to do what he did.

Not enough has been made of it, I'm.

Telling you, Like I thought there was a moment there early in the game for Neil Blake was being lined up on him and he ran it inside Ellie Cart.

He needed to isolate Hughes to see if he was capable of defending.

But then Hughes got that ball, that right foot that left fan typicals.

Hughes try and he doesn't often layer up Hughes, but when he celebrated that, he knew he was back.

I thought it was a strong performance from the spine.

Like in two thousand Shane Wegg he went down in folklore.

He played with the broken oar in the Grand Final off five weeks.

Jerome twenty two.

Days from a broken arm and back playing and it was the star of the game.

Monster.

In my opinion, he was the best player in the field.

Just his running game so strong.

Yeah, we talk about the game plan and we've said this about Monthster all the time.

He did it in Game two for Queensland.

In big games, he runs a ball like halves have this ratio of possessions to runs and normally, just generally, a half back might touch the ball fifty times and they might run the ball five or six times.

In big games, Monster goes the other way.

Like he touches the ball, let's call it thirty five times, he's running the ball fifteen twenty times.

He is one of the greatest ever big game plays.

I think the Broncos need to stop that, Like if he's running the ball, they're no chance.

But the one thing I will say about the Sharks, the Storm's best players played well, and I thought the Shark's best players were quite.

They weren't bad, but in a prelim final you need to be better than quite.

Like I thought for Noil Blake was quiet.

You know they're back three that had been good all final series were quiet.

And Nico Hines and Trindle Brayley, he was quiet.

He was he was a Stefana I thought two coming Commo off the bench was mighty.

I thought it was his best game of the season, and Stefano was a powerhouse.

He smashed Billy Burns in a carry and I thought, Wow, that's the type of impact you want from your front row.

And then he provided the off load for Hughes.

But if that was his best game of his career, Stefano Jeseu's gonna have to double down on that this weekend.

Well, he came out fig and today what do you say?

He said he doesn't like a lot of some of the Broncos players.

They're stuck up.

I don't know if that's a good thing.

There's going to be more barbs coming out of the way, like res Wells has a man.

I don't think they can hold back.

But that's not something that Craig Belly would want.

His play Storm Broncos two thousand and six Grand Final.

Keep you to the memories of that game.

Let's say, sorry, mate, but you won't enough of them.

It's okay, But like.

We just touched on both games, there is no comparison the speed and the intensity in the heat of the Broncos Panthers versus the stop start nature of the Storm and the Sharks.

Look, Madges came out today and said it's rubbish.

Don't worry about the extra two days.

But the bottom line is mate, it is a monumental advantage two days of extra cover on top of the nature of the two contests.

It is advantage Melbourne.

Firstly, it is exactly the right thing for Michael McGuire to say that you cannot get into a press conference after that Prism Finals that yes, it's a disadvantage of advantage.

You can't say that, So he's saying everything he needs to to put belief into his team.

On the flip side, it is an advantage like to have two days prior the Friday night game penalty stop start on a Friday night in Melbourne, up against ball in play, long time Sunday afternoon, fast paced, distinct advantage at at the back end of the year.

Absolutely storm spine, Bronco spine does maam start No.

Look, he was good, he was good, but I don't think he should.

He went after Nathan Cleary and that probably should have been a penalty.

But that was a bit of a lightning rod moment for the Broncos.

Like you took on the best player, smash him.

Up a little bit and the Broncos went on to win.

That.

I loved Lily's response.

Yeah, I said as well.

In a weekend right every time in rounds one to twenty seven, what Ezram did to clear it is a penalty and then there was a scuffle and things like that.

Whatever.

But at the end of the day, I think Ezra Maam starts off the bench.

I like what Ben Hunt and Adam Reynolds does early on.

Corey Pakes is okay at number nine.

Then ben Hunt goes to nine and he's got confidence.

He went for that forty twenty.

They went within a whisker.

He threw the big dummy that got Willison that try.

So I think you got to keep Ezra man fresh, bring his running game on, and I like Ben Hunt's confidence in the nine jersey.

One thing about Melbourne Storm the left side defense is a bit bit of a concern that the first try that the Sharks scored uniformly, they all just rushed sort of blindly and a little tunnel ball through to Katoa, and then the second try was the reverse.

It was a bit of a lack of.

Communication and you'd see Monster backing off a little bit shortball and Billy Burns went through.

Yeah.

So last year's Grand Final it was Leam Martin that scored a try just on the stroke of halftime, caught Jack Howarth outer position and Jack Cawth got spotted up again against the Cronella Sharks.

So forward looking, that's exactly where the Brisbane Broncos will look to get to.

That Munster and Howth combination on that left edge on the flip side, well, the Brisbane Broncos left edge for the first forty minutes didn't even look like stopping a try.

Nathan Edwards were going down there.

Alamodi scored a couple of tries.

So I think the key to in Melbourne Storm is two things.

I think Elie Cartower potentially could have a Clive Churchill medal.

I think he could be the.

Best player on the great season because he's an aerial threat on the kicks.

His combination with Jerome Hughes is senting me to perfect and if Jerome can get that combination going on the left edge, I think that's a good spot.

Well, lets Stuart who wins.

Who's clob Churchill medalist?

Melbourne Storm win?

For me, I think it's a dominant victory for Melbourne.

I think win.

Let's call it twenty eight ten or something.

I think Elie Cartel.

For me, I've gone Storm, I've gone Storm by four and I've gone Clive Churchill me, I've gone Ryan Pappenhausen.

Second game back from a spell.

Well, why haven't we chosen the superstars of that game?

Why haven't we chosen Ris Walsh, Adam Reild's Munster, Harry Grant for Clive Churchill.

For me, just got feel he's one one before papping out.

There was a few things in that game with perhaps that I went Okay, Like you see, he's about to explode.

He hasn't played a lot of football this year.

It was his first game back from a stint on the sidelines, and I thought he showed up.

I think this is going to be a big game for him, I think, and another one too.

Coops is playing against the middle a Broncos middle defense who will fatigue yesterday.

I think the advantage for Melbourne Storm is through the kicking game.

I think Mariner and Cara Pinni look vulnerable under the high ball, and I think William Warbrick and Xavier Coats have a point of difference.

There, real coops.

Well, hey guys, that's our final show for the is listen.

We really appreciate by the way, there you go.

Yes, that's right.

Well we'll adjust that for next year.

Don't worry.

I know the letters that complain are going to come in, but I am able.

Thanks for viewership through the years and supporting the show, and you might suit us out and out and about around Christmas time.

Feel free to come up and shout next year, John, you guys.

M