On the bench with Mick and Mardi 25.05.24
ON The Bench headed north for the second time this season this week, with the segment again shot at the Port Macquarie News office.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 Good afternoon and welcome to this week's edition of On The Bench, another milestone
00:06 edition for this segment.
00:07 We're in Port Macquarie for the second time and Marty Borg, the Port Macquarie sports
00:13 scribe is taking Bridges place.
00:15 Bridges is not allowed to come this far north, so Marty steps in and will be speaking today
00:19 for the first time.
00:20 Port Macquarie coach Tim Donovan, how are you Tim?
00:23 Good thanks.
00:24 Good to have you here mate.
00:25 Yes so far, it's not ideal with not so many wins just yet, but we're still hunting for
00:32 that first win.
00:33 Right and of course today's segment as ever is sponsored by Classic Design Jewels and
00:37 of course we also don't have a many hotel play over the week because we only had the
00:41 two catch up games last week.
00:43 Games this weekend, we see tomorrow.
00:45 Port Preggers playing Port Sharks, obviously at Port Macquarie.
00:47 Wingham heads to Warhol to play the Warhol Blues and on Sunday, Taree City hosts Baclo
00:52 Valley and the Elba Porres head out to Foster Tuncurry to play the Foster Tuncurry Hawks.
00:58 Big game tomorrow for you guys.
00:59 Tim, you about to say a pretty bad start or an ordinary start?
01:02 I wouldn't say a bad start.
01:04 There's been a lot of, we've had redevelopment going on over the off season, so we're pretty
01:10 excited about playing, I guess one of the benchmark teams, the Sharks for this season.
01:17 So we're just happy to see how we go tomorrow, just to see where we're at.
01:23 It'll be either a grounding experience for us, but at the same time an opportunity for
01:27 the young guys we've got coming through.
01:29 And is it the young side this year?
01:31 It's the younger side this year, yeah.
01:33 We've just looked at local talent, which is something that the club's focused on.
01:37 So we just thought it was time for a change.
01:41 We've lost seven players from last year's starting side, so we thought well we could
01:46 either buy external and bring guys in, or with a reserve great side that went undefeated,
01:53 look at the internal talent and grow that.
01:54 Of course you had a very good under 18 side last year, beating the grand final, there's
01:59 some real talent there.
02:00 Yeah, they were pretty handy with that, and we've got some guys already started and started
02:04 to blood those young people, which is really good.
02:07 Given just a few injuries have come in, so it was come upon sooner than we thought, or
02:13 we hoped for, but at the same time they're grabbing it with both hands and they're really
02:17 keen.
02:18 How do you look to mix that sprinkling of experienced players and junior players, how
02:24 do you make sure that they're blending and the combinations are right with that?
02:28 It comes down to the club culture, so we all train together, and then what we have is everybody
02:35 works together in going through it.
02:37 So if I bring up, like this weekend, I bring up a young winger, a young guy, Bailey Kelsey,
02:42 so he then gets mentored by the older guys that are there.
02:46 So it's not just throw him out the wing and let him go, we've got a plan in place to go,
02:50 well you spend time with an older person that can offer you some advice on how to play your
02:54 game.
02:55 And the players you did lose, they'll know an experienced core, won't they, like Richard
02:59 Robertson, those sort of folks, they were the mainstays of the club for many years.
03:03 Yeah, they were.
03:04 You can't replace that, can you?
03:05 No, you can't, but you've got to have a plan in place to do that.
03:11 And we've lost, as you know, Richie, Tyler, and then a few key backs as well.
03:18 But we've got the young guys coming through, and it's just going to, every club sort of
03:22 goes through that period, I think, but they have to have a development sort of year, and
03:27 that's what we're doing this year.
03:28 Of course the club's been a powerhouse in Group 3 basically since 2007 when they made
03:32 the grand final for the first time.
03:33 I don't think they've had a lean year since then.
03:34 So have you felt any bit of pressure, either externally or internally, to make sure they
03:40 perform?
03:41 No, no pressure, because we had a pretty extensive off-season and pre-season, so it
03:48 was all pretty good.
03:49 I'm just really keen to see how that all comes together with the talent that's there.
03:53 The talent's there, it's just giving them the opportunity at the right time.
03:57 Yeah, it's been wet the course of last month.
04:00 Has that disrupted your training program too much?
04:02 Yeah, a little.
04:03 Just trying to find a bit of grass to run on at the moment.
04:07 It's been quite difficult in Port Macquarie.
04:10 But I'm not alone.
04:11 We tried the netball courts and they filled up pretty quick.
04:15 We did find some time on the new PCYC building just around the corner here, which was great,
04:19 and we did as best we could indoors.
04:21 Yeah, of course all clubs bar Foster Tunkurri are in the same boat.
04:25 There's a Tommy Wiggum's home ground at Wiggum's Sporting Complex, which is like a rice paddy
04:30 at the moment.
04:31 They had a game this weekend, I was talking to Mitch Collins during the week, he said
04:34 they wouldn't be playing that weekend.
04:35 They'd be lucky they've got a couple of weeks on their own.
04:38 So there's a long, long dry out there.
04:40 Tara, who played their home ground game against Albert Bart last week, wasn't too bad.
04:44 But again, it's starting to dry out, so hopefully things will get back to something like normal
04:50 soon.
04:51 Yeah, we did, well as you know, we played William first and we found the warm-up field
04:55 was more firm than the actual playing ground.
04:58 That's where they've been training.
05:00 It was pretty funny that that occurred, because the guys were, it caught them off guard how
05:04 heavy the track was.
05:05 Yeah, I didn't realise, I spoke to you after the game and Mitch Collins, and I walked on
05:10 the field to speak to Mitch, I couldn't believe how wet it was.
05:13 But anyway, can't do much about the weather.
05:17 Big game tomorrow of course, against the Sharks, a lot of rivalry there between the clubs.
05:21 Yeah, there is a local rivalry there, so it'll be pretty interesting to see how it goes to
05:27 say the least.
05:28 But as I said, they're coming from the grand finals last year, and they had a really, I
05:33 would say, it looked like a successful year last year if you look at how they started
05:37 the year.
05:38 So they're a benchmark team that we've got to really be wary of, but at the same time,
05:45 regardless of the result, it's early days and we're just still working on our new combinations.
05:49 There's a few younger guys trying different positions, so we're trying to grow that and
05:53 look for the future of how we can help the club.
05:56 Is there anyone that's sort of impressed you so far?
05:59 Yeah, Cody Robbins.
06:00 He's normally our fullback, he's moved into the 5'8" role, so he's going really well there.
06:08 Another person that we're bringing up from the juniors is Sam Watts.
06:12 He's getting his shot in the centre, and he's earned that, so I think it's a good time for
06:16 him to come along.
06:17 His attitude at training has been pretty positive, and he wants to play first-rate.
06:24 You've played up, I'm sorry, Wigan first as you said, and were in the game until half
06:27 time and fell away with the second half.
06:29 Then Warhope.
06:30 Warhope's been a bit of a surprise back, haven't they?
06:32 Yes, they were.
06:33 Again, we expected that as well.
06:36 There's a little bit of a rivalry there with Warhope, just a little.
06:40 We expected a big game in the weather.
06:43 They really played to the weather conditions there, which is a full credit to them.
06:47 We bluddered two young people that game as well, so it's just going to take time for
06:52 us.
06:53 They started the season really good, and you can tell with Warhope, the camaraderie's there.
06:58 It seemed like a different team than last year's.
07:01 You have seen a play-off against Marty Evans at Warhope?
07:03 Yes, and I spoke to them in the pre-season, and one of the two key things that they wanted
07:08 was one, to put pride back in the jersey.
07:10 They felt that that was lost a little bit, and the other was to reconnect with the community
07:14 and to build that culture that Warhope's such a strong community, so that was their main
07:19 thing.
07:20 It seems that it's bleeding into the field as well, the results are going their way,
07:25 which is very good.
07:26 Yes, well, they've had a good win over Macleay in their last game, which I think surprised
07:31 most people.
07:32 It's probably a good testament to see where they're at.
07:35 This clash will also be really interesting as well, but I reckon they were losing a little
07:43 bit towards their half-time.
07:44 I think it was 16-18, Mustangs away with 15 minutes to go, but they managed to dig deep
07:50 and crawl their way back and score a few more tries.
07:53 I think if they had played that game last year, it's probably a game that they would
07:57 have lost.
07:58 It's good to see them play their full 80 minutes.
08:01 I think that's been one of their key focuses, to just make sure that they're staying in
08:06 it for the full game.
08:07 Yes, of course, they're the adoring of them.
08:09 Tim and the season points, they turn up en masse, and they enjoyed themselves.
08:14 That's right, that's right, they did.
08:16 It was pretty good to see.
08:18 Noel Clearle, of course, is tied up with him this year, Crusher Clearle.
08:22 He spoke of the season launch, it was very entertaining.
08:25 As you said, Marty, they're a football community, they're a rugby league community, and they
08:30 get beyond their time.
08:32 I've been watching a lot of the team's plays, or I've been watching footy around here, which
08:36 is forever.
08:37 They're all the same, they're a doer, they get into the grind.
08:41 They're not usually all that spectacular, but they make the other sides earn every centimetre
08:47 they get.
08:48 I thought you said that sounds like what's pretty well like this year.
08:51 There's going to be a good test over there tomorrow when they play Wingham, which is
08:54 also at the start of the year.
08:55 I mean, that'll be one of their biggest tests, to see actually where they're at, because
08:59 Wingham are a bit of a powerhouse on the start of the season, so it'll be good.
09:03 They haven't worked since 2009, have they?
09:05 I know, I was going to say, it's probably been a long time for you there.
09:08 It's still the same, is it?
09:10 It's still the same, won't you?
09:11 You'll know exactly where to go still.
09:13 Can't be certain.
09:14 What did you think of Wingham's team in the first game?
09:18 Oh, look, I thought it was, I expected big things from Mitch and his team.
09:22 I had a good chat with him beforehand and everything, and they just got right into the
09:28 grind, and they were really impressive.
09:30 They didn't panic, they just went back to their process, and you could tell that they
09:35 just had a few sneaky moves up their sleeves, and they executed it really perfectly.
09:41 So it was a good learning thing from our guys, but again, they're up there, I think,
09:47 Wingham, they're going to be one of the ones to chase, I think, this year.
09:50 I also saw Al Bar last week play in Tari City, and it was pretty tight until half-time,
09:55 and then they ran away to the second half, the Pirates, and they're going to take some beating.
09:59 Yeah, I've heard good things about them, so from a coaching point of view, some worrying
10:05 things, but look, all we can do is rely on our talent and our processes that we've got
10:11 in place, and I think that once we get our teams out there playing each other, it's going
10:18 to be better for the league.
10:19 The quality this year seems to be at a high standard, no offence or anything to last year,
10:24 it was still first grade, but this year, after talking to a few coaches and stuff here, it
10:28 just seems like it's just raised a little bit, so it'll be a tighter race this year.
10:33 Well, as you said, again, at the season launch, and we spoke to you about it a couple of weeks
10:37 ago when we were up here talking to the Bournemouth Quarry guys, there's not much of a weak side
10:42 this year, is there?
10:43 Last year, Foster and Warwack sort of both fell off the pace a bit, and fairly early,
10:47 so they're almost gimme games.
10:49 This year, that's not going to be the case, or it doesn't appear this is going to be the case.
10:53 No, not in my opinion.
10:54 They all look pretty, like, oh, you know the players that they've got, their roster, and
10:58 it's pretty impressive what they've got on paper.
11:00 So if they start performing on the field as a group, then it's going to be a really tight race.
11:06 I don't see any gimme games in the comp this year, which is a good thing, but at the same
11:13 time, it's going to make it a bit tougher for every team.
11:15 Which is good.
11:16 Good for the comp.
11:18 Tarry City, of course, played Old Bar last week, 10-6 at half-time to Old Bar, but just
11:22 before half-time, the Tarry City captain and coach, Christian Hazard, was replaced with
11:26 a rib injury.
11:27 I spoke to the club this week, hoping that he'll be back after the June long weekend,
11:31 but if Christian's side-lined for any great extent of time, we've had news for the Bulls
11:35 and their semi-final hopes.
11:37 Which leads me to, in the last couple of weeks, we've spoken on this programme, on this segment,
11:41 sorry, Tim, about the length of the season.
11:44 Is it too short?
11:45 Is it too long?
11:46 Does it start too late?
11:47 What are your thoughts?
11:48 Is four-nine games too short?
11:50 Oh, look, I'm not going to really jump in and say what I sort of think with it.
11:56 Oh, I'm glad to help you a lot.
11:57 Yeah, where does that, you know, Jeff and everyone else will be right into me, so I'll
12:01 be real careful.
12:02 But, look, the most difficult thing for us, I think, was trying to get trial games.
12:08 We found it really difficult to get trial games.
12:12 I don't know if some other teams got two trial games, which is a good thing.
12:17 And that's what you aim for, but we could only get one in because it was clashing with
12:22 the other groups.
12:23 So we couldn't get games with Group 2, we couldn't get games with Group Far North.
12:28 So it was really, the start date of the comp, I don't know if anything can be done there,
12:34 but we just found that it clashed with other areas, which made it difficult for us to get
12:39 trial matches.
12:40 We had Robbie Payne in from the Foster Hawks three weeks ago, even Gary Bridges, of course,
12:45 usual co-host, he said they think it starts too late.
12:49 Mitch Collins agreed last week that it starts too late, and also it wasn't long enough according
12:54 to Mitchell.
12:55 Problem is, you've got eight sides.
12:56 Three rounds is too long.
12:57 You're getting into 20 games, for a bushful, that's way too long.
13:00 It is, and then you're looking at the depth.
13:02 You've got to look at the depth that each team in each town can have.
13:05 There's only so many people, right?
13:06 There's so many other opportunities these days and other sports that are going in it,
13:10 and other priorities in people's lives.
13:12 So three rounds does stretch the love a little bit, especially at home, but you get those
13:17 with other things, especially with work and everything else.
13:21 It's just going to be difficult to find that balance.
13:23 But the start date, I know they've got their reasons, the group, and they're fair enough
13:27 why they do it, but at the same time, if we just have a bit of a conversation about, at
13:33 least open the dialogue to go, "Can we start earlier?"
13:36 And, "Can you get some assistance for some trial games outside of the group?"
13:41 Just to clarify, the group doesn't decide when they start.
13:45 That's decided by the clubs.
13:46 The group puts a draw out and they talk about it at the annual meeting, and that's where
13:51 it's determined.
13:52 We can actually try for this year to start a bit earlier, and Scotland's got beaten by
13:56 one vote, I understand, in the final push.
13:59 Next year, Easter, which is usually the end of summer sports, the start of winter sports,
14:07 that's April 25th, Easter Sunday, which is a bit late, isn't it, to be kicking a golf
14:12 off as we did this year?
14:14 Yeah, it is, but once it starts, though, where does it fall into it now?
14:20 It's happening now, so we're just going, "All right, let's try and get that 14 games going
14:24 and see where we land."
14:26 It does make it harder, though.
14:27 You guys have lost two, going into a hard game tomorrow with three.
14:29 You haven't got many games to claw it back, have you?
14:32 You need a couple of wins in that first month.
14:34 Yeah, that's right.
14:35 You definitely need an early win, and it's going to be, it'll be put to the test tomorrow,
14:39 to be honest.
14:41 But regardless of the result tomorrow, I think if we, all three grades and the Ladies League
14:47 team, if we approach it in a positive way as a club, with our culture that we have there
14:53 at the moment, look, in the end, it's just going to hold us in a better spot.
14:57 So we're just happy to get into it and see how we go.
15:00 What do you reckon, Marty?
15:01 What do you reckon the ideal length is of 14 games?
15:04 Yeah, well, it's up to the club and the group three, but yeah, I mean, I can understand
15:10 the hardships that sort of come with that.
15:12 So yeah, whether it is moved longer or it is more games and that, then that would be,
15:19 yeah, if that's beneficial for the teams and that, then that would be great.
15:22 But yeah, I can see sort of, yeah, whatever I've been saying.
15:25 I think we should play.
15:27 I know this has been that thing for you for a long time, and he brings it up every single time.
15:31 He's not subtle about it.
15:33 Listen, when you're around the show, next year, you can say what you want.
15:38 I think we should play two full rounds and then one month of north vs. south.
15:46 Everyone plays around once.
15:47 Like the breakers play the, you don't play the northern sides, you play the sides from the south.
15:53 And that gives us 18 games.
15:54 I think that's getting close to ideal and it's not favouring one side's other.
16:00 When are you going to be on the board?
16:03 Well, I'm retiring pretty soon, so.
16:05 Float the idea and see how we go.
16:08 Of course, I guess it costs, it moves into the club's budgets too.
16:12 The clubs do pay a bit of money, I suppose.
16:14 They've got a raise on the money, don't they?
16:16 Well, then does that clash with the junior league?
16:19 Well, it could, yeah.
16:20 Yeah, so I'm just sort of thinking what things that it might clash with and everything else.
16:25 So, you know, if you've got juniors that are trying to come through as well, or fields, for example.
16:30 Referees.
16:31 Referees.
16:32 That's a big thing, yeah.
16:33 Referees is a big one at the moment, so yeah.
16:36 But you're further than those in the south of the group, Tim.
16:39 But your background, you're a Port Macquarie boy, where are you from originally?
16:42 Oh, me? No, I'm from Nambucca Heads.
16:43 Right.
16:44 Yeah, God's Country.
16:45 And, yeah, I've moved back here, I've been back here, gone on four years now, back to Port Macquarie.
16:50 But, yeah, I've played against Port Macquarie quite a bit, and Campsy.
16:54 So, group two.
16:55 Yeah, group two.
16:56 Yeah, growing up doing that, so.
16:57 But, family's from Taree.
16:59 My dad's a Taree boy, grew up there, and I've got family growing up in Campsy as well.
17:04 And when did you get into coaching?
17:05 When, sorry?
17:06 Yeah, when did you get into coaching?
17:07 Oh, I got into coaching, oh, it was about 2009 in Canberra, in the Canberra comp.
17:13 Oh, right.
17:14 So, yeah, down there.
17:15 So that's where I sort of cut my teeth, and kept coaching down there, and then had a bit of a break from it, just with work and stuff.
17:20 So, then moved home, and just sort of fell into it to assist last year, well, with Richie, not last year, the year before.
17:27 But the goal was to get back into it, and sort of get back into the role, to get back to rugby league, and just help out wherever I can, whether that's in first grade, under 18s, or wherever.
17:38 Because you were co-coach when you won the comp, what, 2002?
17:40 Yeah.
17:41 Oh, assistant coach, so yeah.
17:42 So that was good, though.
17:43 Yeah, Richie had a game plan in mind, and he had a bit of a lot of ideas there, which was really good, as a captain coach.
17:50 We just needed to work off each other, and go, "Well, what can you bring to the table from experience, and how can we mould that into this team that we have?"
17:57 And it was a pretty good combination.
17:59 Pretty fair play to that.
18:00 He goes alright, yeah.
18:01 So he does hold himself well, and then he moved up to, what is it, Grafton?
18:06 That's a great team, yeah.
18:08 Is he coaching up there?
18:09 No, he's playing.
18:10 He's just playing up there.
18:11 They've got a coach out at South Grafton, Rebels, so I think, is it someone Gordon?
18:16 Yeah.
18:17 He's a great footballer, and he's just playing at the moment.
18:20 By all accounts and reports, he's still playing really well up there.
18:23 Okay, yeah, and as Marty said, you've got some talent coming through the growths here.
18:28 You're looking to stay on there next year, is that what you said?
18:30 Yeah.
18:31 You haven't said anywhere, but ...
18:32 Yeah, no, the plan's like that.
18:33 It's a two- to three-year plan that we've sort of negotiated with the club.
18:36 So once we sort of see how this first year goes, and then see how the next talent that's coming through, and how they're going, then we'll aim for a two-year plan.
18:45 We're not aiming for being realistic.
18:49 We're not aiming to win the comp this year.
18:52 We know that.
18:53 We've been gutted, from a talent and personnel point of view.
18:56 So we're just looking at now going, "Well, where do we start?"
18:59 Okay, so we've got to start from the locals, I think, and the local talent that's there.
19:03 Give them an opportunity, and then have a plan in place to go, "All right, if we hit the mark in the first year, great.
19:09 If not, then what's that going to be, and then what skills and personnel do we need to get in to bolster that and be more competitive?"
19:16 We said here in the last segment we did up here that we had a general consensus of opinion with Matt Hogan and the Port Sharks guys.
19:23 There were four sides that were sort of almost guaranteed to make the fire, which is the Sharks, the Pirates, Wingham, and we said the Maclay Valley.
19:31 Well, Maclay's had a couple of hiccups.
19:33 It's a pretty important game for them on Sunday against the Bulls, very important for both clubs.
19:39 The Bulls ended with Maclay, but Maclay was expected to be a front-runner, wasn't he?
19:43 Yeah, well, they were pretty disappointed in that game against Wingham at their home side.
19:48 Not many teams can go there and sort of get one over them, but it was just a pretty poor first half.
19:54 The one against Warhope, as they were in it until the second half, I was speaking to Bo Champion and he was happy with the effort.
20:04 He was pretty disappointed in that one against the Wingham, but he was happy with the effort in Warhope.
20:09 So, hopefully they can build on that for the next game.
20:13 Yeah, well, you spoke to them before, Prue, so you heard them do it, didn't you?
20:16 Yeah.
20:17 For the Port News, and yeah, they were pretty buoyant then, I think, weren't they?
20:19 Yeah.
20:20 They were fairly confident.
20:21 Yeah, well, I've spoke to, yeah, went around to all the clubs and sort of did that.
20:26 The number one thing is the club culture and everything, and that sort of bleeds into the field.
20:31 So, yeah, that's all they're talking about, too.
20:34 They've got sort of a younger side as well, so they're trying to develop those, get those combinations right as well.
20:39 So, it's all about sort of managing that as the games go on.
20:43 But, yeah, they'll be looking to sort of make their mark this week, because you don't want to be...
20:48 Yeah, Tari could be a hard day for Tari on Sunday, if they click, because when they click, they're pretty to watch.
20:55 Become a bit of a wild card.
20:56 Oh, that's what I was going to say.
20:58 Careful what we say here, because when they do click, we learnt that last year in the semi-final.
21:05 We were, just one minute we were ahead, and three minutes later we were behind, and the game gone.
21:11 Well, I saw them play the very first game this year against the Hawks out at Tunkari,
21:15 and the first half, they were just unbelievable.
21:18 I think it was 32-4 or something at half-time they were leading, and I thought,
21:21 "This is going to be a mercy rule in the second half."
21:23 But they just fell right away in the second half, I think.
21:25 In a 36-10 or something, right? The Hawks actually outscored them in the second half.
21:29 So, it was, yeah, they haven't really struggled a little bit since.
21:34 What do you think lets them down?
21:36 Like, when they click, they click, but then, yeah, in the same game, they can sort of pull away from that.
21:40 What do you think?
21:41 Well, I think, because of the footy they play, they play a bit of footy,
21:45 and I think when it's working, it's working, but when it's not, things go south fairly quickly.
21:52 Would that be a fair assessment?
21:54 Yeah, I think so.
21:55 You're the coach against them, so.
21:56 Well, yeah, it's about applying pressure, right?
21:58 And if you can apply the pressure on to them and be consistent with that,
22:01 then you're sort of trying to hustle them out of the game, and that's the goal.
22:07 But then, if you relieve that pressure for whatever silly mistakes that you might do,
22:12 and give them a sniff, as they say, they will take it.
22:15 And then it's really hard when they've got their tail up,
22:17 they're really hard to stop that momentum.
22:21 One try just leads, before you know it, they've got two, three on you,
22:24 then it's how do you turn the tables.
22:26 I think the good sides, I used the two last year, like Oba and Sharks,
22:32 they know how to sort of put the pressure back on when they,
22:35 they might give them an in, but then they know how to,
22:37 with their sort of experience of players that they've got,
22:39 how to control the game and then reapply that pressure and put that back on to McLean.
22:45 But, yeah, you give them a bit of an opportunity, they'll definitely take it.
22:49 I tell you what I'll say, looking forward to the game tomorrow?
22:52 Yeah, looking forward to it.
22:53 I'm pretty excited.
22:54 I'm more excited because I don't have to run out there or anything like that.
22:57 It's all good for me.
22:58 But no, we've got our young Baylor Kelsey making his debut on the wing for us,
23:02 so we're pretty excited about that.
23:04 He's pretty pumped, and the whole playing group's excited about it,
23:07 so we'll just see how it all goes.
23:09 You're doing a bit of code hopping tomorrow, Marta, you're off to the Vikings,
23:12 the Port Vikings, Red Union.
23:14 I'll be at the Port Sharks in Port City, don't you worry.
23:16 I'll be there too, but yeah, I'm going to that one as well.
23:19 You know, I've got to show the love a bit.
23:21 Busy girl, busy girl.
23:23 State of Origin, of course, the New South Wales side's picked on Monday night.
23:26 I think the 5-8 will be tip for New South Wales.
23:28 New South Wales?
23:30 Honestly, who knows?
23:32 I don't know who they're going to pick.
23:34 If you were picking, who would you pick?
23:37 Well, what do they normally do?
23:40 I don't go for New South Wales, but if they go off trying to go off loyalty
23:46 and everything else, I reckon they should go with Cody Walker.
23:51 Yes, he might not have hit it so far with the Rabideaus,
23:54 but it's not solely on him.
23:56 You surround him with some quality players,
23:58 and we all can see what a classy player he is.
24:01 You see, from Nimbarka, which is near Baraboo,
24:03 which is of course in Queensland, Baraboo.
24:05 But I left and went and played up in Brisbane.
24:09 Ah, okay. You're forgiven then, yeah, okay.
24:12 No, well, it's a New South Wales rule.
24:13 When I came back to play in Manly,
24:16 they charged me a $5,000 junior development fee.
24:20 New South Wales said that I went up there at that age, at 18,
24:24 you're a Queenslander.
24:25 Really?
24:26 Yeah, I was amazed.
24:28 So I just went, "Oh, there you go."
24:30 I'm not great for Queensland.
24:32 Tim, who do you reckon, Marty, would be the New South Wales set?
24:35 I don't mind Cody Walker, to be honest.
24:37 I know the results haven't been in South's favour,
24:41 and they've had a bit of a lean year,
24:43 but I reckon he could be one.
24:45 What about the fullback, Tim, New South Wales?
24:48 Oh, gosh.
24:50 Is that about two, you think?
24:52 No.
24:53 I don't know. I don't even know who the frontrunners would be.
24:56 Teddy?
24:57 You reckon Teddy?
24:58 I'm just worried. Everyone's worried.
25:00 Class-wise, yeah, skill, no doubt,
25:02 but the physicality of the game now, like state of origin.
25:06 A few head knocks.
25:07 I know I don't want to sound mad or anything or negative,
25:10 but he's had a few head knocks.
25:12 Is that going to happen again?
25:14 I've fingers crossed and touch wood.
25:16 Nothing like that happens to him,
25:18 but that's what I'd be looking at going on.
25:20 He's out of concern there in housing cove.
25:22 You think Dylan Edwards would be playing with him, either?
25:24 Dylan's pretty red-hot.
25:26 The Origin boy, is it?
25:28 In a good side.
25:29 How many metres can one person run in a game?
25:31 He's phenomenal.
25:33 So, yeah, I reckon it could be time for him to have a crack.
25:36 You agree, mate?
25:37 Yeah.
25:38 Sounded like a yes there a lot, yeah.
25:40 I would like Teddy,
25:42 but I don't know, I think if they lose Teddy, too,
25:45 you want to rely on experience in state of origin, too,
25:49 so, yeah, I think they would lose more than just a fullback
25:53 if they lost Teddy to that role.
25:55 They've got to find a captain for a starter, don't they?
25:57 Yeah.
25:58 And he's a leader.
25:59 Yeah, he's a leader.
26:00 He's a doer.
26:01 And he gets people around, you know.
26:02 He knows how to get the younger guys through
26:05 and knows where to put them in their place
26:07 when things aren't going well.
26:09 Yeah.
26:10 And Paul Barnett, Wingen boy,
26:12 he's been mentioned as a chance off the bench.
26:14 We don't have to talk about that.
26:15 He's Mitch Collins' brother-in-law.
26:17 Yeah, and a chance they say he'll finish his time up with the Tigers
26:20 when his Wingen boy comes from Wingen to play Junior Footy of the Week.
26:23 Yeah.
26:24 Yeah, so who knows?
26:26 How good was that Wimbledon state of origin game?
26:28 Yeah, it was good.
26:29 Wasn't it magnificent?
26:30 It was pretty good, yeah.
26:31 I was cheering around with it, watching the TV, so it was good.
26:34 Yeah, because a bit of group 3 flavour there, too.
26:37 Kylie Hill, of course, is the coach.
26:38 Comes from Foster Tarn Currie.
26:39 Tar Eagle originally, but now at Foster Tarn Currie.
26:41 And Elliot Causewoy had a rep there.
26:43 Yeah.
26:44 She's from War Hope Thunder, actually,
26:46 so she crossed codes as well.
26:48 And, yeah, she's been killing it, which is really good to see.
26:51 And she actually played also with War Hope Thunder,
26:54 Chloe Saunders, who's with the Cronulla Sharks at the moment, too.
26:58 Yeah, she's from Kempsey and that.
27:00 And her partner is Tristan Riley, who was with the Tigers,
27:05 and then he's jumped back to the Union.
27:07 So, yeah, we're breeding them well here, don't we?
27:09 Oh, you're a fond of knowledge there.
27:11 (LAUGHTER)
27:12 I saw Ellie play for Thunder in a game,
27:15 in the women's 10s game,
27:17 and it was awful what she did to the opposition.
27:20 But anyway, so she'll be the side for the game in Newcastle, isn't it,
27:23 the second game, so that'll be full house.
27:25 Anyway, back to Group 3, and Group 3 footy this weekend.
27:29 We'll get a full round, hopefully.
27:31 The weather looks like it's going to be good.
27:33 Tim, thanks for coming in.
27:34 All right, thank you.
27:35 And good luck against the Sharkies this weekend,
27:37 and good luck for the season ahead.
27:38 And very capably, Phil, in again.
27:40 Marty, you'll be warm in this position next year for sure.
27:44 I'll guarantee it.
27:45 No, we'll dream of it.
27:47 With a couch.
27:48 (LAUGHTER)
27:51 But, mate, we'll get you back before the year's through.
27:53 We'll be coming up here fairly regularly.
27:55 We talked to the - who have we got?
27:57 Kempsey and Wye, I think, haven't we?
27:59 So we'll have an e-armor then before the year's through.
28:01 But, yeah, it's been a bit of an innovation this year,
28:03 and one that's going on the figures of the last time.
28:05 We've come up here pretty successful.
28:07 But anyway, if you're off to footy this weekend, enjoy yourselves,
28:09 and we'll see you next week back in Tartarine for On The Bench.
28:12 (SNIFFLES)
28:13 (SNIFFLES)
28:14 [BLANK_AUDIO]