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00:22Bonjour et bienvenue à Offsiders, je suis Abbey Jelmy.
00:25It was supposed to be a joyous week in Newcastle as the city celebrated the Knights' first
00:30NRL Grand Final in a quarter of a century.
00:33But injuries to 10 people after a car ploughed into a crowd of fans farewelling the team
00:39has shaken the league.
00:41Speaking before the incident, players and coaches were focusing on what promises to
00:45be a gripping decider.
00:48The Newcastle Knights, what a moment.
00:53Here come the Roosters.
00:57I'm excited to be really proud of the group and what we've achieved this year, but yeah,
01:01still wanting to go.
01:02Mark Nwagadidawase gives us another magic moment.
01:06Because these opportunities don't come down often.
01:08I'm thinking about some players in this team that have done it for many years and this
01:11is their first Grand Final week, so it's just enjoyable.
01:13Dan Young scores for the Knights, it's stunning.
01:17Newcastle obviously have a big support base.
01:19They love their footy up there.
01:20I'm sure they'll all be travelling down.
01:21Everyone who isn't a Roosters fan will probably be going for Newcastle.
01:26To see it and feel it, it's inspiring, it's unbelievable and it's just everything you've ever dreamt of.
01:34Is it overwhelming?
01:35I mean, not at all.
01:36You know, we've played three tough finals games in all different sort of circumstances and won them all and can't
01:42wait to play the Roosters.
01:44Newcastle!
01:48You respect the opposition and then your job is to out-game plan them and try and find the opportunities,
01:56but then also leave the freedom for the players to do that.
02:08We are so happy and excited to come to training and play.
02:12Once we get out there, it's a great game of footy ahead.
02:15The ultimate is to play your best performance.
02:18That's the ultimate and I know we're ready for that.
02:23Good morning.
02:24It's a pleasure to have your company on NRL and NRLW Grand Final Day.
02:27We have so much to get through and the perfect panel to do it.
02:30I'm joined by Roy Masters, Ryan Hoffman and Niamh Owens joining us as well.
02:33Niamh, I will start with you because you were actually at the parade in Newcastle.
02:37Can you tell us a little bit about your experience?
02:39Abs, when we headed out to get to the side of where we knew that Knights bus route was heading
02:45to the freeway yesterday, the scenes were incredible.
02:48There was such joy and you've been able to feel that emotion in Newcastle all week long.
02:53The stretch of road from the Knights Centre of Excellence all the way out to the M1 is over 20
02:57kilometres.
02:58And no exaggeration, Abs, Knights fans were shoulder to shoulder the entire way.
03:03Five, ten deep, there were whole families.
03:05I ran into a few people I went to high school with 20 years ago.
03:09It honestly felt like this incredible whole of town reunion and the vibe was amazing.
03:15And then we started to see emergency service vehicles go past where I was standing with
03:20the family and there was one fire and rescue truck that went past and then four police cars
03:26back to back and the mood shifted really fast.
03:28There was concern, there was worry, there was a search for more information.
03:31People were on the phone checking on friends and family members who were at different parts
03:35of the route.
03:36And then we heard of course that the accident had happened and the whole air went out of the
03:41whole thing with a lot of sadness and a lot of worry for those who were impacted.
03:45Understandably so and we do have an update this morning on the welfare of the people involved
03:49in the crash.
03:50A five-year-old girl and a 67-year-old man were critically injured but in better news
03:54this morning both are now in a serious but stable condition.
03:58Four others are stable in hospital while four others have been discharged and an 18-year-old
04:03man has been charged with dangerous and negligent driving.
04:07But Niamh, as you mentioned there, it is one of those things that went from such a joyous
04:11occasion to one of great concern.
04:14Do you think the fans will be able to, I don't know, compartmentalise and move on today?
04:19It's such a hard question Abs because talking about footy yesterday felt really strange given
04:24what had happened.
04:25The focus shifted and even going to bed last night there was a real worry that we would
04:30wake up to terrible news this morning.
04:32So thank God that is not the case and there is a little bit of good news that that five
04:37-year-old
04:37girl is critical but stable this morning.
04:40So I think there is hope there Abs and all the team can do now is continue to kind of
04:46represent
04:46the town in that way that they have and even some of the people who were in hospital yesterday
04:51talked about one man has surgery ahead of him today and he's been very clear there at
04:55John Hunter Hospital that he needs to be out of surgery in time for kickoff.
04:59His priorities are clear.
05:00Well Niamh just mentioned there you know all the team can do now is I guess focus on football
05:04but it is difficult from a playing perspective to be able to put that aside.
05:07Yeah certainly when there is a tragedy like that that unfolded it was really sad for the
05:13players and for the players I think this is a benefit of social media like the players
05:17could immediately show support and show concern because if they didn't have social media how
05:22could they get there?
05:23They would be sitting in their hotel rooms feeling I should be doing something but at least
05:26even though it is only small like sending a message of support and best wishes to the
05:33people involved.
05:34At least they can feel like they have done something.
05:35And we certainly extend our thoughts and best wishes to those involved as well but we're
05:39going to go on to the game itself now and the big question many rugby league fans are asking
05:43is how on earth did Newcastle go from wooden spooners in 2025 to the grand final and what
05:48amazing scenes there were at Sydney Olympic Stadium on Sunday night when Sandin Smith sprinted
05:53across the line to seal victory over the Panthers and of course Roy this is just one of
05:58those moments if you could put that second half up as an example of what rugby league can
06:02be and the excitement of what it can be it was just unbelievable.
06:06It was it was a fantastic and you see the emotion of the players when they all crowded
06:11around him and brought him to his feet and then you see the emotion of the crowd it's those
06:17the play I've always believed that in the final analysis when the game's in a bit of crisis
06:21the players will save it and the Newcastle players have saved this grand final in my book.
06:26I don't think that a Penrith versus Roosters game would have been the patch on the emotion
06:32that we've seen here.
06:33You've got to admit neutrals were all piling on going okay we can't have Panthers taking
06:36on the Roosters we've got to have a hard luck story to support here but again it is those
06:41scenes and they've had to do it the hard way.
06:42They certainly have I mean they played that they finished the competition in seventh they
06:46had to play the Rabbitohs in Sydney won that game they have to travel over to New Zealand
06:51and play against the Warriors at Eden Park to get the victory there was tremendous.
06:5545,000 fans losing it.
06:57Unbelievable so and then obviously the win last Sunday but they're used to travelling they're
07:03riding on a wave of emotion at the moment and that can be very dangerous for opposition
07:08teams the concern is and I think you'd agree with me Roy is how many times you can push
07:13that emotional button to try and get yourself up I think I said that last year with the Broncos
07:18yeah to be to be honest I thought the Broncos had to push the emotion button a few times
07:22to come away with some last gasp wins but it didn't seem to affect then I think the Knights
07:29they could keep rolling.
07:30Yeah well with grand finals there's always a bit of a hard luck story and the hard luck
07:33story this week is Connor Watson he's out with concussion.
07:36Now the Roosters had hoped that he'd be able to play after the preliminary final because
07:40he was only graded as a level two but then it was upgraded to level one and it's brought
07:44into question whether or not we should have a gap before the grand final, a week break
07:48so that these concussion protocols that see players out for 11 days doesn't mean that
07:52someone is missing a game that's this important in their career.
07:55How do you feel about Roan?
07:56Oh look it's tragedy for Connor Watson it really is.
08:01We can go on to the reasons on how a concussion gets upgraded and that till the cows go home
08:06but we're not going to but look I don't think we need to have a break between the prelims
08:09and the grand final because if you have one week's break there's people saying
08:13well maybe another week might help as well but we don't need that.
08:16I think rolling it way on the week after is how Rugby League's been doing it for well
08:22over 100 years and I don't see a point in changing now.
08:24And you do get that almost festival of excitement and what comes with the finals and Niamh again
08:29as our Nova Castrian and it's very good that you haven't got your jersey on just trying
08:33to have a bit of journalistic impartiality today which I'm sure is near on impossible.
08:37What has it been like in Newcastle this week?
08:41Abs, it has honestly been a festival atmosphere all week long.
08:45Everywhere you look, any part of the Newcastle skyline regardless of where you've been this
08:48week across Newcastle, Maitland and the Hunter Valley you have been able to see red and blue
08:53wherever you are.
08:55Even the surfers out at Meriwether were getting out in their Newcastle Knights jersey over their
08:59wetsuits this week.
09:00They're inking up already and they haven't won it.
09:02That's right, the tattoo artists have been hard at work, houses have been painted red
09:08and blue and I remember as a kid that was always a thing that you would see those red
09:12and blue houses.
09:13But this isn't a bandwagon that Knights fans are just jumping on now abs having won a few
09:18surprise games throughout this final series.
09:21There have been years gone by, five wooden spoons between the last Premiership and now
09:26and I think it was 2016 that the Knights won one game in the entire season and we're still
09:31averaging 20-odd thousand at every home game throughout that time.
09:34So there is this very genuine connection between the town and their team, a town that has changed
09:41a lot since 2001 when BHP was just in the midst of having closed down and that shift was happening
09:48across the Hunter.
09:49The connection to the Knights remains the same and the celebrations have been massive, 12,000
09:55at an open training session, a lot of Knights members and fans couldn't get tickets to the
09:59grand final today but the Hunter Stadium there in Newcastle sold out 22,000 fans within three
10:05minutes.
10:06So it's a very real, very genuine connection and the excitement has been immense.
10:11Well so many of the storylines that we've seen this week have been about Newcastle, even
10:15if it's Maddie and Joey Johns tearing up after the game.
10:17There's been so much attention on this side.
10:20On the flip side, the Roosters get to go into this business as usual.
10:23Do you think that would be an advantage?
10:26Certainly it would suit them insofar as they've struggled in past years to get their precise
10:35timing right in terms of getting their best team into the preliminary final.
10:39They've had injuries and they've had suspensions but this time they've got it right despite the
10:44fact that they lost three games going into the semi-finals and then a fourth, then again
10:49they lost to Penrith.
10:50But they have far more depth, far more experience and that will count today I'm sure.
10:58You mentioned that depth and experience.
11:00The grand final will be Daily Cherry Evans' last game in the NRL as he's off to play in
11:03the UK next season.
11:04He's won a flag in his rookie season for Manly way back in 2011.
11:08What would winning a flag mean for his legacy in the NRL to do it the way that he has?
11:12Well I suppose that's been the knock on Daily Cherry Evans that he's won plenty of State
11:17of Origins but he hasn't won the grand final since his rookie season.
11:20And the Roosters brought him to the club for that reason.
11:26It's Cooper Cronk-esque on how they brought Cooper Cronk to get them premierships a number
11:32of years ago.
11:32Their last premierships actually, the Roosters.
11:35And when that comparison was first brought off I sort of scoffed at it thinking no, he
11:40won't have the same impact.
11:41But it's really surprised me.
11:43He's been a revelation for the Roosters.
11:46His composure in big games.
11:47This is the last time the Knights played the Roosters, was a Roosters victory by one
11:51point.
11:51And he's played big games.
11:53He knows how to win big games.
11:54As we've seen in Origin for a number of times, his composure in the big moments is what he
11:59needs.
11:59And if you compare him to the halves from Newcastle, there's a big gap difference in experience,
12:06especially experience in big games.
12:07And how important is that if you are going into a grand final to have players with level
12:10heads that have been there before and expect the pressure?
12:13It's massive.
12:14It really is.
12:15It does carry a lot of weight.
12:18I'm not saying that's the reason why the Roosters might win, but it is a factor, especially
12:22when things get, the scores are close coming back into the first half.
12:28What to do?
12:28Do you go a field goal?
12:29Do you take the penalty?
12:31Do you roll it in the end goal?
12:32Do you go for the try?
12:33Those sort of moments.
12:33For a player that's been there and done it, those decisions are easier.
12:36But at the same time, despite all that stability with the Roosters, if the game gets a bit away
12:43from them, they've got a couple of the players who can crack themselves under pressure or do
12:47something stupid that will attract the attention of the referee.
12:51They've got a couple of hotheads there.
12:53And Victor Radley, for example, he can give away a six again or a penalty.
12:57And we talk about Dally Cherry Evans and his maturity and game experience, sure.
13:05But I still feel with the two half-back situations that they have at that club, that there are
13:11times when both half-backs want to get their hands on the steering wheel at the one time.
13:15Too many cooks.
13:16Too many cooks.
13:16And don't forget you've got Tedesco standing back there who also wants the ball.
13:21So there could be a few little opportunities missed in panic situations today.
13:26Oh, well, and we all know that it's going to come down to some of the decisions the coaches
13:29make as well.
13:29And Justin Holbrook, as we've mentioned, has taken his team from last to a grand final in
13:33his first year as Knights coach.
13:35It's been a remarkable effort.
13:37And after winning three sudden death finals, he's bristled at the idea that the Knights
13:40have already played their grand final.
13:42You go through the final series, we have got better.
13:45You know, we beat South.
13:46We had to go and play the Warriors in New Zealand with the whole country going against us.
13:5150,000 fans, we've got to win.
13:52You know, and then we come back, oh, that was their grand final.
13:55And now we're playing the team that's dominated the last six years straight and we've been with
13:5912 men.
13:59And so all the things that we've been able to do have put us in great stead.
14:04And if they do win it, they'll be the first team to ever take home the NRL premiership
14:08from outside the top four.
14:09Niamh, history is there to be won.
14:11But again, I don't think anyone, even the most rusted on Knights fans, would have thought
14:14you'd see this transformation in one season.
14:17No, I don't think any of us can pretend that we saw this coming, Abs.
14:21Although, you know, when you look back and with the glory of hindsight, you notice different
14:26things that happened at the start of the season.
14:28Justin Holbrook, for example, came in, he spoke at the Knights Old Boys lunch before
14:31the season kicked off.
14:32He was very self-deprecating about his own footy career.
14:35He happened to be a playmaker in Newcastle at the same time as one eighth immortal, Andrew
14:40Johns.
14:41But he's since gone and coached alongside Trent Robinson there at the Roosters at St Helens,
14:45where he's won a Super League title.
14:47Eerie kind of similarities for a town, a one-team town in the north of England to Newcastle as
14:53well.
14:53But he also did things before the start of the season that we hadn't seen at the Knights
14:57for over a decade.
14:58He brought training to the people, to Maitland, to the Hunter Valley, to Cessnock and up the
15:03mid-north coast.
15:04And he brought the fun back, Abs.
15:06And you've heard the players throughout the final series talk about that change of feeling
15:11in the dressing shed.
15:12They've had a picture of that win in Vegas in round one that shocked all of us.
15:17And we've been shocked a whole heap of times since.
15:19But they've had that picture up in the dressing shed all season long.
15:22So you look back and those green shoots were clear.
15:25The excitement, the ability to throw the ball around.
15:28The Knights couldn't buy a try last season.
15:30So the change has been coming.
15:32Did we think it would happen this fast?
15:34Absolutely not.
15:35I love that you say you brought the fun back.
15:36Let's be honest, it's pretty fun when you're winning.
15:38Fans want to be winning and celebrating and no one does that better than the Knights fans.
15:42But what about Trent Robinson?
15:43It does seem that coaches like Craig Bellamy, Wayne Bennett or Ivan Cleary are all seen as
15:47up there and talked about as one of the greats.
15:49If he wins today, he'll be a four-time Premiership coach.
15:52What do you think that will do for his legacy?
15:53Oh, you certainly join that elite group.
15:55And particularly insofar as he's been at the one club all that time.
15:58Yes.
15:59Whereas, of course, Wayne Bennett, who's the standard bearer, he has been to multiple number
16:03of clubs in the same way in which Craig Bellamy has only been at the one club.
16:09Yes, the knock will always be that he belongs to the Roosters, a very, very wealthy club.
16:15But we do have a salary cap.
16:17So everybody allegedly has to spend the same amount on players.
16:20I love the allegedly.
16:21Thank you.
16:22But it is one of those things.
16:23We now have to ask the question, analyse the game itself.
16:26Where do you think this game will be won?
16:27For me, I think it's going to come down to individuals.
16:30I really think it's going to come down to some individual brilliance from players, whether
16:34it's Tedesco, Nwanganita Wase, Sam Walker for the Roosters, or it's going to be...
16:41Sam Walker, who shouldn't be able to walk right now.
16:43Well, that just shows what can be done when they're diligent in rehab.
16:47Yeah, when you've got the right surgery, yep.
16:48And then you look at the Roosters, you've got Caelan Ponga, Dominic Young, and for me
16:53it's Bradman Best.
16:54Bradman Best has come up with some really big plays in this final series.
16:57So I think it's going to come down to some individual brilliance with how the game is
17:01at the moment, with the speed of the game.
17:03It has become more off the cuff.
17:05It's not so much breaking teams down anymore.
17:07It's taking opportunities when they arise.
17:09And I think with the players that are involved from both teams, it's going to come...
17:15When that opportunity comes through a six again, through a team backpedalling, it's going
17:19to be that moment of individual brilliance.
17:21I think that Newcastle deserve a big wrap so far as they, more than perhaps any other
17:25club, have taken advantage of the Peter Volandi's attack revolution, where the game is tilted
17:30significantly towards attack with the expansion of the six again remit.
17:34which therefore means that the coaches who concentrate on attacking out of their own
17:39half, and that the Knights lead the NRL in terms of the tries that they've scored coming
17:44out of their own half, together with the fact that they do far more with the ball early
17:48in the tackle count than anyone else.
17:50So Holbrook deserves a tremendous amount of credit for taking a team under these new rules
17:55and combining it with their talents and getting a much more exciting attack than most of the
18:00other teams.
18:01And Niamh, I think a lot of people are thinking, well, it's going to be how the Knights handled
18:04the occasion as well, but it seems the bigger the occasion, the more they stand up.
18:08And there's a benefit in there as well, Abs, isn't there, in being the underdog coming into
18:12a game like this.
18:13I think the Knights early on really need to stand up in the middle.
18:17They're missing some big middles through both injury and suspension, so if the Roosters
18:20can get a real roll on and dominate that area of the park early, it'll matter.
18:24But as Roy says, the Knights have scored more long-range tries than any other team in the
18:27competition this season.
18:29They have got a left edge attack that is lethal.
18:32Kalen Ponga links up there when Dylan Lucas comes off the bench.
18:35It's incredible to see him back and ready to go.
18:38That left edge with Bradman Best is super dangerous and I think footy fans will argue anything can
18:43happen.
18:44And also, it's just a game for the footy fans, isn't it?
18:46Everyone can get on board.
18:48It's going to be so unbelievable.
18:49We cannot wait to watch this afternoon.
18:50We also can't wait for the NRLW Grand Final.
18:53It's a match-up that's looked likely all year.
18:56The reigning Premier's Brisbane up against the undefeated Sydney Roosters.
19:00The Broncos beat the Roosters in last year's Grand Final.
19:03And to say there was a bit of spice in it is an understatement.
19:05This is what happened after the siren.
19:07You just don't see scenes like this in Rugby League.
19:10You were there, Ryan.
19:11Do you remember seeing this?
19:11It was unbelievable.
19:13I was watching and you start seeing the Brisbane Broncos start to celebrate.
19:17Next thing you know, it's all filled up.
19:19And there were punches thrown.
19:20There were suspensions off the back of it.
19:22So it's great that 12 months later we get to see it all again.
19:26Because, look, these two teams, they've been the standout the past four years in the NRLW
19:31competition.
19:32And the Roosters, it's been them and Daylight, to be quite honest, throughout the whole competition.
19:36Gone through undefeated to then play in the Grand Final.
19:39I thought we might have got someone different with the Gold Coast Titans.
19:43You were on the Titans all season.
19:44I was.
19:45I was on the Titans bandwagon.
19:47But the Broncos really flexed their muscle last week in knocking them off to have a Grand
19:51Final rematch.
19:52Which, look, if you want a big day of Rugby League, this will be a great game of football.
19:57Because as we've mentioned, there is a lot of spice in it.
20:00There's Terran Aitken scoring a try there too.
20:02Don't forget that she was missing from last year's Grand Final team, the Roosters.
20:06And we did notice in last year's Grand Final, because it was a Broncos double, there was
20:10such a big impact in the crowd that we saw for the women's game.
20:13It felt like a sea of Broncos.
20:14It was their home game.
20:15And then on the flip side now, the Roosters have the chance to do the double.
20:18How much of an impact will that have, do you think, in buoying them through this?
20:22It'll have a massive impact.
20:23They're a club.
20:24And there's great unity all the way through the club, from Nick Politis all the way down.
20:30So there will be a feeling.
20:31Let's do it together.
20:33And Tamika Upton, I mean, just her third Dahlia medal, if you don't mind, Nevo.
20:37Just a star of the game.
20:39And this is where the Roosters, as much as they've been perfect all season, it's playmakers
20:43like this and stars like this that the Broncos, they know how to step up on big days.
20:47Tamika Upton doesn't know how to lose a game of football.
20:49Her record is remarkable.
20:52Five premierships right across two clubs.
20:54She won a couple with the Newcastle Knights as well.
20:56And the impact that she has had on the women's game is immense.
21:00But she's there alongside Ali Brigginshaw, who is one of the legends of women's football.
21:05She's announced her retirement.
21:07This will be her final game of NRLW.
21:10And when she speaks abs, people listen.
21:12She has been such a leader within the women's game from the very beginning.
21:16She's won four NRLW premierships with the Broncos at the back end of her career now.
21:22But she was missing for, what, three games mid-season and the Bronx lost all three.
21:25So I think the impact of having her there and knowing it's her last game will be immense.
21:30But so too for the Roosters, who have Corbin Baxter and Millie Elliott playing their last games as well.
21:36We've got three legends of women's footy who are going around in the perfect finale today, really,
21:42playing their final NRLW game, which is exactly where you want the best in the business to be.
21:47Ali Brigginshaw started the season going, this whole year cannot be a farewell to me.
21:51But she did have a few words to say heading into this massive game this weekend.
21:56I don't really know how that feeling is going to feel.
21:58Hopefully all the emotions of a win.
22:01But I think just knowing that, you know, I'll take those boots off and that could be the last time.
22:06Well, that will be the last time in a Broncos jersey.
22:08I'm sure there'll be plenty of tears.
22:10There was nearly tears on the weekend.
22:11There was tears from the wife and the kids on the weekend.
22:14So I'm sure there's going to be plenty of tears.
22:16We can't overstate the impact that she's had on the game, Ryan.
22:19What sort of legacy does she leave?
22:20Oh, she leaves a tremendous legacy for what she's done for not only the club football,
22:23from the start of the NRLW to playing for the Gillaroos.
22:28And, you know, there was a lot spoken during the week about do they need to rename the Dallium medal
22:32for women
22:32from the Dallium to something.
22:34And I tell you what, her name for the best player in the women's game wouldn't go astray for me.
22:41Agreed?
22:41I totally agree.
22:42I mean, we can go back to some of the pioneers of the game and the Antarsha Gale and people
22:47like that.
22:48And you can.
22:49But if you want to go something modern, then she's a knockout.
22:53And we also heard a little bit from Millie Elliott this week as well.
22:57I'm kind of enjoying the week, grand final week, knowing this is our last one.
23:02And it's very special to be able to be in a grand final and have one more game to play.
23:07And I'm sure once that final hooter goes, it'll be a bit more real.
23:12But, yeah, just soaking up this week and preparing for this game as best we can.
23:16Not that it will ever happen to me, but how much of a flex is doing a press conference with
23:20a black eye?
23:20It's pretty good, isn't it?
23:21She looks like she's there.
23:22A bit heavy on the ice.
23:23Yeah, no, she's ready to run through them.
23:25And, again, this game, it just couldn't be more mouth-watering.
23:28We know what this rivalry is about.
23:29They've been the two best teams in the competition for so long.
23:31And, really, it can be anyone's game when they stand up.
23:34So we can't wait to watch that because it is going to be such an entertaining day.
23:37But one of the biggest stories, it has been, so far, the entertainment or the lack thereof in the NRL.
23:43Do you care that Peter Volandis has said,
23:45No, we don't need this.
23:47We're going to put the money into grassroots footy?
23:49Well, I do care.
23:50I believe that the major sporting spectacles around the world are having entertainment, and particularly at night.
23:56The television wants it as well.
23:58For the people at home, I feel uncomfortable with the decision to substitute their grand final entertainment with Jai Arrow.
24:08We saw those wonderful human scenes when he was farewelled in the South's game.
24:15And, to a large extent, it does come down to the enormous power that Peter Volandis now has as executive
24:21chair of the game.
24:22I mean, you've got to ask yourself, was there anyone at NRL headquarters or on the commission that might have
24:29said it's not particularly a good idea?
24:32I think a lot of people agree with you in that we might feel differently about this if it was
24:36plan A to have Jai Arrow celebrated.
24:38But the fact that it's been public that they had an act that then didn't come through, and this is
24:43all a very convenient story now.
24:44And it will be beautiful scenes.
24:46But it is that question of the AFL sort of got Kylie Minogue, and I think it's very hard last
24:50minute to find someone that can compete with that.
24:52Well, and that's what I think the key is.
24:54I don't think there can be bad press about what they're going to do.
24:57And so it's not a great look for the game, having Jai Arrow out there being celebrated.
25:04Look, I think Volandis is just trying to make the best out of, I think, a bit of a bad
25:08situation.
25:08But for me personally, I couldn't care less.
25:10Yeah, well, I think the thing, Niamh, I think we all sort of expect that this time next year they
25:14will have an act.
25:15Particularly, as Roy mentioned, it's an evening grand final.
25:17There's a reason why a lot of people are campaigning for the AFL to move it, is so that you
25:21can have that spectacle.
25:23Yeah, you're right, Ads.
25:24Although I think it's different to the AFL grand final in that that's one game, one standalone game, and you've
25:29got all that time in the build-up.
25:31From an NRL perspective, that footy across the course of the day has always been such an important part of
25:36grand final day.
25:37You see the best of New South Wales up against the best of Queensland.
25:40We've got the NRLW grand final now as well.
25:42So footy is front and centre for rugby league on grand final day, outside of the acts.
25:49I struggle to name acts of the past.
25:51However, my daughter would completely disagree with that assessment and she'd be going, where's the music?
25:56Well, I do think we all love the idea that Peter Volandys knows how to throw a quote out there
26:00when he's like, look, we're in the business of replacing trees with footies in the office because they don't need
26:03water.
26:04We're saving money and we're putting it in the right place.
26:06Brian Arrow himself said, I'm saving the NRLW for you, Bob.
26:09Well, I'm sure they can donate it to Fight M&D.
26:12They can probably find a way to make that work.
26:13But we are going to move on now because this is one of the biggest stories in world sport.
26:18The Manchester City cheating scandal.
26:20Now, the Premier League club has been found guilty of breaching the league's financial regulations between 2009 and 2018.
26:27There have been 114 charges.
26:30They've been found guilty and all.
26:31And it seems there will be significant penalties.
26:34Nivo, the far-reaching implications of this, and it is only the beginning of this story, what do you think
26:40can be the penalties for something that was this systemic?
26:45That's a really difficult one to answer, I think, Abs, because you're right.
26:49In terms of that guilty finding that we have at the moment, and we know that Manchester City are going
26:53to appeal that decision,
26:55but they have been found guilty right now of systemic, systematic cheating of a scale that we have never seen
27:02before in the Premier League.
27:04We've had teams like Everton, Nottingham Forest in the past deducted 10 points, 6 points for what were deemed minor
27:11breaches.
27:12This is on another scale entirely.
27:14And that period that we're talking about, 2009 to 2018, was a period where Manchester City became the international juggernaut
27:23that they are now.
27:24So what kind of penalty is appropriate in circumstances like that?
27:30It was $1.7 billion, is what they're saying over that period of time.
27:33And, I mean, do you strip titles?
27:36Do you relegate?
27:38Obviously, this is an area that you work in.
27:39What are you hearing?
27:40And that's an interesting discussion in itself, because if you strip a title, do you award it to the team
27:45who came second?
27:46What happens, then, Abs, to the teams who were relegated that season?
27:50What happens to the teams who missed out on Champions League places that season?
27:54There's already talk about other clubs potentially suing Manchester City for losses.
27:59If we see Manchester City fined, I think we've seen throughout this program, throughout this process, that a big fine
28:06means very little to the club in their financial position.
28:09If they're deducted points, if they're relegated, if they play one season in the Championship, and the thought of Erling
28:15Haaland in the Championship is kind of mind-blowing in itself.
28:19But then they're back in the Premier League the season afterwards, still one of the biggest clubs in the world
28:24game.
28:25Is then the punishment appropriate?
28:28I think the scale of the punishment is key.
28:31And the scale of the case is also going to be key, because we know that they're going to fight
28:34this with everything they have, and it's just going to be, again, it's hard to even put into words how
28:40widespread this will be.
28:41But, team, we're on to observations, but instead I'm just going to ask for a tip.
28:45Who do you think, women's and men's, who's going to take out the NRL?
28:48The Roosters, by 10 points, by both.
28:51By both? I like that.
28:53I'll bet the Roosters in the NRLW, but I think the fairytales are going to continue Newcastle Knights.
28:58Oh, here we are, Nevo.
28:59I'll give the Roosters it in the NRLW, but I think the red and blue in the Knights.
29:03Chief Harrigan, who won in 1997, talked about this team being in the business of hope, Abs, and I love
29:09that.
29:09And Chief Harrigan was actually there to wave off the bus in what were emotional scenes, too.
29:13Team, thank you so much for your time.
29:14And just a reminder that ABC Sport will be heading to South Africa for the Test Cricket, the first series
29:19since the Sandpaper Gate.
29:21You can follow along with Corbyn Middlemouse and Ben Cameron on the ABC Listen app.
29:24But that is all we have time for this week.
29:26Before we head off, we'll leave you with a touching tribute from North Melbourne's Kate Shearlaw to her partner and
29:31teammate, Emma Kearney, ahead of our 100th game.
29:35Thanks for joining us.
29:36I'm sure everyone has copped a spray from Karns, including the coaches.
29:42When you got signed to the Bulldogs in the inaugural AFRW season, as Kano mentioned, it was always North Melbourne.
29:49And it was a matter of when, not if.
29:52To then be shiver to number one inaugural captain and first ever premiership captain at this club is very special.
29:58With that, you've left the last single legacy at this club and in this comp.
30:02I'm just very proud that you've been able to make it to 100.
30:07Thank you.