Week 2 Finals Preview, 2026 with Aaron Wally Wallace (Stats Guru)

[00:00:01] The Royal Motor Yacht Club Port Hacking is a hidden gem of the Shire, situated on the banks of the beautiful Port Hacking. It's a great place to catch up with friends, celebrate your birthday or any special occasion, and they always show the NRL live on the big screens. The RMYC Port Hacking, proud sponsors of this podcast and big supporters of the Cronulla Sutherland Sharks. Check out their website rmycph.com.au

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[00:00:55] Hey there, we're already smiling here on SharkCastPod, the greatest Sharks team ever. This is terrible. I'm going to cut this out. Hey there, welcome to SharkCastPod, a podcast dedicated to the greatest sporting club franchise in the history of the world. The Mighty Cronulla Sutherland Sharks, and we're here to talk about the big clash.

[00:01:25] Just 24 hours away, it feels like almost as we're recording, we have the Mighty Cronulla Sutherland Sharks. They're away, believe it or not. They're away to... The Mighty Cronulla Sutherland Sharks. You brought back the chicken sounds, I love it. He's back, he's going to keep going. We love it. There you go. So we'll pop that on when we can. And welcome to a preview of the big game. This is SharkCastPod with the great Aaron Wally Wallace.

[00:01:54] He's the king of stats. I don't care about all the other ones that do stats. He's the king of stats. And he's a lifetime Roosters fan. And we're here to talk about the big clash. Brought to you by Dysons Logistics, the Royal Motor Yacht Club and Port Hacking. Jason Hawes at Crips and Crips Real Estate. And we get our coffee from Mr Paisely's Cafe. I have an empty right here. Wally, how are you feeling? We're almost there, man. What a big loser goes home. How good is this? Let's go. I just want to say that we're both only 25 years old.

[00:02:21] So you can see how both of our clubs has aged us horribly over the years. It's a final stop. Best time of the year. We get to play at the Sharks home ground in Alleyone Stadium. Really looking forward to getting to play at a big venue in September. It's really exciting. Sitting with Al Katzman, loving life. It's going to be great. Have a great day. Now, I can update the ticket sales.

[00:02:47] The Roosters are winning the ticket sales by, I think, 4%. So if you believe your propaganda from the NRL, one team's winning and the other team's winning. This will be the biggest beat up I've ever seen to do anything. Oh, 48% of Sharks fans. How the hell do they know if you've not bought in a members presale or in the supporter bay? Who you go for? It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. Oh, Roosters fans, are you happy about this? I don't care, to be honest.

[00:03:17] I believe the latest update on the post came with a catchphrase, the Roosters listened and they bought their tickets. Let's go. Good stuff. Good stuff. Good stuff. I've got a prediction for you, Walter. So I reckon 30,000 to tomorrow. What do you think about that? I think it might be a few more, hopefully. Ooh. I, uh, I, uh, the tickets are very expensive, which I've sort of ranted about already on Twitter this week and lots of people are going off about it. I'm not a man there.

[00:03:46] It's a, I understand the NRL is doing a business and they want it to seem like a premium product, but man, 95 bucks to sit on the 10-meter line. So it's pretty steep. I'm glad I'm not a Panthers fan. Panthers fans will be bankrupt after the last five years. They've been paying these profits to go to all their finals. I'm reliably informed they only go to week three and week four. They don't go to week one. They don't play week two. So. Oh, they just assumed they're going to win week one anyway. So there's no point going to that. You might as well wait for the prelims. So good for them.

[00:04:16] So can you believe this is only our fifth final? Like, it feels like we've been playing every year for the last 10 years, but it's only our fifth final. I did look that up this week from my, uh, little article that goes in the Telegraph in the league list out. Yeah. And I was thinking about it and the first one in 2002, I think that must've been the game that Adrian Molly belted Chris Beattie off the kickoff. It was a big hit and the spray went off his head. Yeah. Cause that was the, that was the last round into that.

[00:04:45] Remember we played you twice in two weeks. Yeah. That was the cost me all my money in my gambling account. Those two games is a very sad state of affairs. And I will, I will say that, uh, Brett Camarley couldn't kick a goal in that final. We might've got you. We move on. It's a, it feels like to a 2002, what's that? 24 years ago. So we were both only one, only one when that game was on. So that's yeah. That's all. I have such fun memories of it. No gray in our beards then.

[00:05:13] And we have, uh, 2018, you guys won 21, 12 and we have 23 at ocean protect stadium where you won 13, 12, where we really got you. But then two years later, we got your last year, uh, 20 to 10 and quite a fun, memorable game, but yeah, it just feels like we always play you guys, which isn't the case, but obviously recent history. It is now you've beaten us twice this year. Are you coming in for a third time? What's going on?

[00:05:42] Oh, I hope so. Obviously. I think, uh, the game over in Perth was a weird one. I think Sharks played really good first half. Something happened at halftime. They fell asleep and the Roosters sort of had one of those periods where everything sticks and scored a few points and ran away with that one. I actually think the win over the Sharks, um, at Allianz, that's the Roosters best game this year. I'm pretty certain of that in terms of the, I didn't really have any high hopes. Obviously you always want to win, but sort of went there thinking that the Sharks have

[00:06:12] been in pretty good form at my best year. And I think it was actually the best, most complete performance that the Roosters have done all year in that match. So if they can pile up that again, I'm pretty confident they could win tomorrow. If they pile up the dude against West Tigers, I'm not confident of beating anybody. So it's a, it's a vast difference between the good and the bad for the Roosters. But yeah, it was, that was a, I really thought that was a really good performance that one at Allianz. Are you saying better than the two Penrith games?

[00:06:40] Well, I don't think they played well at all last week. I know people are, they nearly won and whatnot. Yeah, but they should have won easy. Lindsey Collins knocks on, Paul Hugo Savala goes for the double movement. Robert Toyer knocks on. Like, yeah, they threw that game away. And the other one, they just stood offside all game, which is a great tactic. And it works spectacularly, but I don't know that they played a superb defense, really good in both. Just in terms of a complete performance, that Sharks game, the defense and their attack.

[00:07:08] I think that's the most complete performance they've had this year. I've already got an email coming in, Walt, saying the Roosters are offside in the week two semifinal at Mr. Sharks. It's coming, baby. It's actually the first time we've played not in week one. Oh, yeah. All of the other four finals have been in week one. So this is the first time we've met in week two or later of a final. It's hard, but it's ridiculous we never played before 2002.

[00:07:38] I don't really know how. Yeah, I would have thought maybe 70s, possibly late 90s. Yeah, two teams being the comp that long together and just never. And it's not like either team has not made many finals. Like, both teams have played finals a lot. And it's, yeah, just one of those strange ones. But yeah, it's a... We'll be standing offside, all right? Don't you worry about that. Victor Radley is going to be standing in the Sharks back line. He's going to wear a Sharks jersey all night. I'm not worried. I've seen you play.

[00:08:08] Now, are you one of these media types that don't acknowledge the Sharks' great recent finals history as in like the last five years? Both teams' finals record since 2020 is average now. They're both terrible. But that can happen. Like, if you're just sneaking into the finals, it's very easy to... Oh, you play... You made the finals. You've done good. You get beat in week one. All of a sudden, you've lost a few finals in a row. And you get a few injuries at the wrong time of the year. It's a...

[00:08:38] Yeah, it's not a great... The Sharks has improved, definitely. They had that win last week and the couple wins. The... What are the risks? Three or twelve or something? It's a shocking record. But people get upset when you start making excuses. But I challenge anybody to go and look through the teams that the Roosters have put on the park in some of those games and tell me it was a... It was a... Their best trend. Because it wasn't... It was far from it on a lot of those occasions.

[00:09:04] I can tell you that even though I don't jump in with all the other Sharks lunatics, and they love me calling them that, about everyone hates us or whatever, the fact that people go on certain networks, or probably every network, and say, they can't win finals games, it's like, we've won four of six. We lost to Melbourne on Penrith. What are you talking about? Do the math, brother. Come on, you're killing me. I think... I think it's if you can't make a grand final, you might as well not bother. I think that's... What about that? That's the gist of it. That's the gist of it.

[00:09:33] So, yeah, there's... Neither... I mean, the Roosters can't beat Penrith if it's going away unless we beat Penrith in the grand final, I wouldn't think, or unless Penrith fell off a cliff or whatever. I think that's not going away. And for the Sharks, yeah. The other way that the Sharks can't win big games is to win this week and then win next week. Hold on, I'm getting a call. Let me decline the call. How good. How good is technology?

[00:09:58] I did see on a program this week someone said that Nico Hines will never escape the criticism until he wins a comp, and I thought, that's a bit much. It's hard to win a comp. It's probably true there. Yeah, I think that's the... There will always be question marks over... Like, he could have the world's greatest year, and if something happens and the Sharks don't make the grand final, it's not fair, because he could have a great year. That's what I mean.

[00:10:26] I understand it's true, but I also think it's very unfair. Yeah, it's hard to... Being a pro athlete would be really good in a lot of ways, and they'd be really shit in a lot of ways, and people constantly razzing you in the media and on social media, and I've done it to players, and you try not to, and it's really only in jest, but to actually be the player, copying it, you know, he'd be thinking, well, what? One, it'd be very hard... You wouldn't care.

[00:10:55] And obviously, you'd try to say, look, I don't care. It doesn't matter what these idiots say about me. I don't care. Yeah. But in another way, it'd be like, well, maybe they are a little bit right. I don't know. Like, it must be very hard to be doubting yourself when you say, I think I played pretty good, and then if you've got 100,000 people from some club going, you're a hoax, get out. Even if you didn't read social media, you'd have to have mates and whatnot going, oh, look at this, look what this guy said about you. Yeah. Even if it's only a joke.

[00:11:25] That is the problem, like, because I've heard James Maloney this week say, players, I think he's talking about players of his era, not necessarily the new kids, but players never, ever listen to fans. He said ever. I said, I've never listened to a fan and gone, you're right and I'm wrong. And I completely respect that. Yeah. But in this day and age where they're all on their phones 24-7, it just takes one guy to go, hey, look what this person said about you or this media personality.

[00:11:53] Anyway, we're going down a bad path. The thing that I'll just have one thing about idiots that get on and go, mate, you ruined my super coach thing or you cost me a bit. Those people need to get set, go in for a long swim and don't come back from their long swim because it's, seriously, wake up yourself. I had the luxury of doing a short podcast series with Jada Taylor from the Sharks a few months

[00:12:18] ago and she was saying that even in their line of work, they still can't escape that kind of thing. And she said she hasn't got it ever. And I was like, thank God. But she said other players have just DMs of like, yeah, Maltese and like a lot of them, you know, not a lot of them, but some of them are in relationships with NRL guys. And the NRL guys get DMs going, you cost me my fantasy game. Like, are you serious? And they're like, yeah, we're getting messages like that.

[00:12:47] It's like in match if you're frustrated and someone makes a terrible error or whatever, like it's like, that was a terrible error. I can't believe he did that. Like, whatever. People are going to do that. You have social media to rant about that. It's trying to simulate being in a community and everybody venting together. Like you vent when you're at a game and someone drops it. Like you're like, oh, you idiot. What are you doing? Blah, blah, blah. But yeah, after the game, I can't even fathom what goes for your brain to do that after the game.

[00:13:15] Let me get on and start messaging Lindsay Collins. You're a dope. What are you dropping the ball for? You've cost me my multi. You're like, man, seriously, wake up to yourself. So good. Now, it happens. Braden Trindle, second most try assists in the game. He did miss a month of footy. Now, how many of the 13 guys on the field at once are you running at him at one time? All 13 just go, shoot. He did say, he was carrying his arm at kickoff last week.

[00:13:44] You can see when I was, he was like, he had a damn pin to his side. Great effort for him to get through the game. I don't know. You'd think it would be a little bit better this way. But yeah, if they don't have Mark Nwanganita Wassey and then Siwa Wong and then Angus Crichton charging at him the whole game, I don't know what they're doing. Like, you can't build your whole game plan around it. That's what Melvin tried to do to Cooper Cronk in that grand final when he had the broken shoulder, but and they, he did well and they didn't know what to do.

[00:14:13] You can't base your whole game around it. But if I think he made nine tackles last week, that's not enough tackles. If your shoulders buggered like you've got to be making 20 tackles and you think, yeah, they've just got to be trying to get there to just put pressure on him. And even if it doesn't, he's not letting him try and whatnot, you have to think trying to carry a shoulder and if it hurts and whatnot, you've got to make 15 tackles in the first half. It's going to take a lot out of your attack and make you way less dynamic with the ball, you think.

[00:14:41] So I'm sure it's well, I hope it's been talked about this way. I'm sure it has. It has to have been. I mean, he was one of the big reasons we bounced back. Like he was unbelievable. I thought he was our best player out there, but I was struggling to think of a braver effort, at least from me. I've been in my club in recent times. Like he, there's not much of him. He's a good defender, but I mean, there was a lot of miscommunication about what was going on. Like some people were saying it was a stinger.

[00:15:09] Fitz, he was saying he really heavily taped up. And so he was doing this to get the tape loose. It was very, and they're not an obligation to say what's going on, but yeah. When he ran out, you can see, he dead set had his arm pinned to his side. It was hurting from when he ran out. There's no doubt about it. So it was a massive effort to get through the game. Yeah. Yeah. We'll see what happens. Um, you've left out Robert Toyer out of that list of guys. We're going to run at him as well. Bobby T, Bobby T, don't worry about that. Ooh.

[00:15:37] Um, I'm expecting a quick start from both teams. And I feel like my team thinks they're going to out endure you based on the game last week against Penrith. And I, I don't disagree with that, but I think if everyone, including the fans are pinning all their hopes on that, I think that could be a bit of a, not a hail Mary, but a bit of a, you know, a 10% chance of it happening. Like it could definitely happen. You guys could definitely get tired.

[00:16:06] You know, the stats after you play Penrith, it's not good. However, however, it's elimination finals time. You guys have this energy like, you know, from Tedesco to Toyota, Marky Mark, like there's all, you got a whole bunch of guys who play with a lot more energy. I will say than what the sharks do generally. Generally, the sharks kind of, you know, they get up the field, they get in the opposition 20, they do their dance in the opposition 20, really great chances of scoring from there. But you guys have a different kind of energy.

[00:16:36] It's all kind of not flash, it's power, but it's, it's very much like, you know, you make a lot of errors because you're going so quick and you're doing all these things like try and play. Yeah. Try and play up tempo and blow teams off the park. It's definitely, yeah, absolutely. I like when they can get away with that. I think if you can get away with that, it'll work obviously. Um, but I don't mind the odds of if it gets down to the 70th minute and we're ahead by four.

[00:17:01] I don't mind the odds of grinding out, et cetera, based on what happened to you guys last week. But I also do think that I know I think we had one extra day as well, but I just think that that can't be the only reason the sharks win. No, yeah, you wouldn't think they're going to run. So, and again, that was a very fast game against Penrith and Penrith are the fittest team in the comp and they're going to run you ragged. And that's the way we beat them back a few rounds ago, our last win of the season, actually.

[00:17:30] We beat Penrith in round 24, whatever that was. It was you've got to get a lead and then you've got to hang on. And they were trying to hang on last week. Savala missed the penalty game before halftime. A few errors in the second half. Maybe they could have got ahead and hang on again. They didn't play good enough. Penrith stuck it to them and Bruce has made too many errors, couldn't win the game. I don't know that they, did they run any juice last week? I'm not sure. They only conceded the intercept try pretty late. Like it was a pretty close game.

[00:18:00] I mean, if Terry Evans kicks the field goal, it's 13-0 and there's two minutes to go. And I don't know that the Roosters were out on their feet at that stage. So maybe it'll catch up on them this week. I don't know. There is a good stat about if you played with Penrith in the finals, the last five years, if you've survived your game with Penrith or beaten them, you've won your next game. So Roosters survived their game with Penrith. So maybe playing at that level, at that speed, playing against Penrith the next week,

[00:18:29] it's, oh, this is a bit easier. I don't know. We'll see what happens. I don't hate that theory. Like, I don't like the fact it's happening, but I don't hate that theory. Yeah. There's a million great matchups this week, man. Like, and again, like what I was saying, like you've got Tedesco versus Kennedy. Like we love Will Kennedy. We think he's the most underrated player in the game, but he doesn't play with the same urgency that Tedesco does. And to flip it around, Tedesco doesn't play with the grace that Kennedy does. It's just two different style of fullbacks. Yeah, different.

[00:18:59] It's like Edwards and Tedesco, isn't it? They're just very different players. Edwards is a workhorse. He does 30 carries a game. He's making 250 meters, doesn't have as many tries as Tedesco or setting up tries on that. And yeah, I think Kennedy, Tedesco is probably a bit bigger. Kennedy's a bit faster. I think so. Yeah. Tedesco is trying to bust tackles, maybe do that pass. Kennedy sort of running support and hitting holes and creating chances with his speed.

[00:19:28] So yeah, great matchup. Both great players. But I don't know the Sharks fans don't like Kennedy. I think you've told me that before. He gets a bit of flack. I mean, there's a... Pretty good. There's a... I would say now a minority, but there's always been a percentage of people who, no matter what the guy does, they just go, well, we can't win a comp with him. And it just drives me insane. But he's legitimately been, if not our best player, top three best player for three, four, possibly five years, playing contract to contract year for year.

[00:19:58] He's not perfect, but with the amount of money he's on and the stuff that he does for us, it's unbelievable returns. And I personally really think he's a great player. I've always been on the Kennedy train, but I think people have come around a little bit. But yeah, it's a weird one. There's a million great matchups. We won't go through all of them, but I am pretty fascinated by the wingers.

[00:20:20] Because I remember last year in the final down at Ocean Protect Stadium, we were all pretty hesitant about Katoa versus Tupo. Yeah. However, Katoa was able to kind of hold his ground and do really good. Now, since then, we have the incident in Perth where on halftime, Katoa was left out in no man's landings out in the ocean or whatever. And he actually got dropped. He got dropped after that game. Made his way back.

[00:20:48] But that's going to be pretty interesting. We obviously have Ronaldo versus Marky Mark. And I got to chat with Ronaldo this week and I did say to him, it must be almost impossible to stop that offload that he does. Because say, for example, he's running towards the corner post and you get him and he's got the flick. He's got the inside. You can have three guys on him and he gets the ball away. And then Toyo just goes straight in. Like, he must be so hard to defend.

[00:21:19] Really going to miss him. Of all the Roosters players that we've sort of had left, like, Swali was a good player. Everyone loved Joey Manu. Yeah. All the guys who have left out of the year. It's very sad to see him go. Like, he's only a winger. I've just noticed how dark it's getting in his nose too. And I have no idea how to turn this lamp on. That's okay. We're not going to be here long. It looks like I'm fading into blackness. You're fading out of the competition. Yes.

[00:21:47] That try he scored last week from that intercept, that's ridiculous. Yeah. How many players do you ever see when they touch the ball forward like that, how often do they catch it? Never. Yeah. It's really always a knock on. And then you get up and burn. Just ridiculous. And I get people hate the Roosters and the Roosters suck and they cheat and whatever. If anyone doesn't like Mark Nwanganitawasi, you get set out of Rugby League fans because he's an absolute freak.

[00:22:13] And I hope that he can get the wallabies out of his system in a couple of years and come back because I'd be absolutely desperate to get him back on the wing because he's so fun to watch. It's just, it's just great. I reckon you will. It's just the stuff he does is, and yeah, even, yeah, I think even anybody hates the Roosters, some of the stuff that he does, he doesn't kick him in. That's pretty cool. That's a, but that, that try against the Bulldogs was like legitimately the best of all time. I'm like, yeah, he's just a, and do you know what?

[00:22:43] He's definitely got a bit of Sean Kenny Dow about him and that sometimes it's like, yeah. I don't know what he's going to do. I hope we, I hope we kick to you every single time. Like if, if Trindle's our weakness, your, your fellow under the high ball, he's a bit 50-50. Eli, he could, he could drop a bomb. He could let in a try. He could catch the bomb and step 13 Chuck's players and score. You don't know what he's going to do. And that's what makes him so exciting. And it's just a real, well, I hope this isn't his last rugby league game for a while.

[00:23:13] Cause I'd like to see him get a crack at a bit at a grand final. Now it will be DC's last game. I hate to tell you this. Unless, unless he can do what he does, which is be a champion. And I feel like you're going to need him. I feel like he's going to be the one that really guides you around and he might get the field goal. He might get the kick, the kick, the try assist. I feel like DC is going to have a pretty big game. I think he'd be a bit cut about last week missing the third goal.

[00:23:42] I think that'd be, that's the type of thing that a player of like he's kicked so many third goals over his career. He's done it at pressure moments. I think that, I don't think it'd weigh on his mind. I think it'd be the type of thing that he'd be a bit pissed off about it. And just be like, you know what? I'm going to, I'm going to have more of a dig this week. So I, yeah, I kind of think it'd be the type of, I think it, I don't know if it was a heartbreaking loss last week. Sometimes we didn't have these losses and they're heartbreaking. I think it was the one that, yeah, that they'd know that there was stuff we didn't do right.

[00:24:11] And I think that hopefully it was, they should know from that game last week. Now we can match it with everybody. We need to play heaps better this week. I'm hoping they play heaps better this week. I mean, the thing that worries me the most is you are on a four game losing streak. And, and with the team that you have over the past few years, that's not that common. Look, you got to bounce back. And, and, and as simple as that is to say, but you know, that you, it's very rare that a Robinson team on the good years you have, you have the occasional bad year, but on the good years, you're not losing five in a row.

[00:24:41] I don't think we've lost five in a row since 2016. Yeah. It's been a long time. And the, yeah, they lost four in a row in like 22 or 23, I think. And that was, that's sort of the only one since then. So again, that's no guarantee. And they had definitely been in a bit of a rut. They played poor against the Tigers. They are, didn't bounce back out. They would have wanted against the Dolphins. Souths doesn't count really. And so it was like New South Wales Cup plus. Yeah.

[00:25:09] And then last week, yeah, it's a foreign row. You have to think like a team, the Ristas are a star-studded team. And to, it sounds like such a wanker thing to say. I have a lot of very good players. You have to think playing at that level. Surely that's the thing that motivates you as a player. If there's not something going on, if someone's not sleeping with someone's wife, or if the coach isn't leaving or coach hasn't lost the dressing room, you'd think. Is that my stop waffling up music? Is that what you're doing?

[00:25:39] Yeah. Yeah, I think. That does concern me. It does concern me. You've got to win again. You just want both. You really just want your team more than anything. And as coaches say it all the time, they want to see the team play well. And that's sort of what I always feel like with the Ristas is I trust that if they play well, they can win. And I just want to see them play well. If they play well and the Sharks play better and win, well, they played well, and what can you do about it? Of course.

[00:26:08] If you play like crap and get beats, ah, we've thrown this year away, which is very annoying. Yeah, you know we can't do a Ristas podcast without mentioning AJ Lucantone's love for Nafu White. Now, we've got the colossal, the colossal meeting of the two, of White versus Fenua Blake. Yeah. It's going to be epic. And we've also got the tag team. He's going to tag on his cousin, Sifatallikai, and then you're going to tag on Spencer Lennie.

[00:26:37] So that's a pretty good tag team. That's kind of late 80s WWF, if you will. That could go a long way in winning the game, I reckon, that battle. If we get some Adrian Morley on Chris Beattie action again, I'd be very happy to say that. I don't know that Nafu is a player to do that, but Spencer definitely, he knows, I don't think he knows what he does. He's a bit mental. You want a prop that's a little bit mental. I hope he's not so mental that he throws the ball away and tries to start a fight again like he did in the Souths game, because that was probably a little bit too far.

[00:27:07] Yeah, he doesn't love seeing big guys. And that's the most mental a player has gone since Eric Grove Jr. ran all the way across Shark Park to can hit someone in a New South Wales car. Okay. Was that 2002? I think it was. Yeah, it was. Round 25 or 16, absolutely. So yeah, it's going to be an epic clash between those two. White's always in really good form. Like he just doesn't play bad games. And Fenua Blake's really found his form in origin and post.

[00:27:36] Like he was good before it, but he's really found his feet. I think he found the, he really, I'll tell you this while he doesn't like being called the enforcer of the sharks. He wants them all to go as a group, but he understands the role he's in. He's on good coin. He's the experience one. He's the toughest one, but he needs guys to go with him. He needs Jessica Loon. He needs Cameron McInnes and the, and I mean, Talakai is going to go. He's probably our most dangerous guy for you is Talakai, but even in Oregon, Kefusi needs to like up it a little bit. He's a pretty chilled kind of prop, but he really needs to bring that menace.

[00:28:05] I reckon because you guys got Spencer Lenny, you got Angus Crichton coming back. So it's going to potentially, I know it's a cliche, but the winner of the forward battle probably wins the game. Yeah. I think that's true. A lot of the time. Yeah. If you, if your forwards can't at least hold their own, you're not going to win. So I think that, yeah. And as you say, a lot of good forwards out running around. Looking forward to it. Yeah. It's going to be good. Maybe a stink. Can we get a stink?

[00:28:35] I'd love a stink. A bit of pushy shabby. Yeah, I think he can. I think he can. I feel like Moolah Nalo is going to behave himself. I don't think he'll be the one that snaps. I don't think he'll be the wingers. Yeah. I think it'd be obviously be Spencer and of our guys, oh, it could be a Talakai. He can be a little bit, you know, doesn't put up in much. Yeah. I think Fanua Blake's probably too mature for that now.

[00:28:59] I could be wrong, but I feel like it's going to be such a heated, desperate game. Someone's going to lose it. And then the other guy will probably bite back. Like it's kind of how it is. I hope that they don't. I hope that's on its own merits, but that visualization of Spencer throwing the ball away was one of the good ones. Hey, what are you doing? What a maniac. Wow. I sent him a message. You ruined my Supercage final. Gave one.

[00:29:31] Imagine someone did that. Next minute he got a knock on the door. Spencer. I'm here to kill you. With the old blot baseball bat from Vegas. Just chasing people. We've even got Robson versus Braley to form a local junior opponent. So that's a really good storyline. They have a bit of a, not dislike for each other, but a bit of competitive spirit against each other. I'll say that for sure. I believe Robson was kind of destined to be a shark and then Braley went, uh, I don't

[00:30:01] think so. And then numerous Braley's probably said that. So, um, It's been a bit of a New South Wales rivalry there too. The New South Wales number nine. It's a bit of a, you've got my jersey. I want to take it off. I think Braley's had a good year. He's the best. You see, you see, probably the second best hooker behind Harry Grant. So he doesn't play bad. He doesn't play bad. He doesn't play bad. Occasionally he'll go into his shell and give you like a seven out of 10, but usually

[00:30:30] sort of eight and above. And, and you know, the stat when he's running, look out, like, so we can get him running. Oh, I'm worried his fans will be jumping all over me about Wade Egan. But I think Braley, Egan's good. Jeremy Marshall King. He's had a pretty good year. Robson's had a pretty good year. I think Braley's probably the Harry Grant's not Harry Grant didn't have a good year and he was still the best hooker. So I think he's the, he's number one. And then yeah, who's, who's the man chasing him? We'll find out. It could be Recy tomorrow. It could be Recy. We'll see.

[00:30:58] Now there is a lot of activity happening for Sharks fans at the Captain Cook Hotel. You're going to be hanging out at a different place. Do you want to say where you're going to be or just keep that private? So no widows come up. We'll be somewhere on what's the street that runs up with the tram. It's not for those streets. So next one up where the Dovenology is, I think at the Shakespeare, somewhere around there. I think there'll be a few reasons. There should be people everywhere all over the, all over Surry Hills going to this game.

[00:31:27] So hopefully I'll, I'll see if I can get up to the Captain Cook and cause a bit of, do a bit of a mic drop. I'm sure you will. We were somewhere last week and there was like a lone cowboy with, with his family. We were like, oh, but you know, obviously everyone was cool, but it's going to be fun. It's going to be fun. Like I think Sharks fans went last week and had a pretty good time. There's like 17,000 Sharks fans this week. It's going to be, you know, half and half. I'll drop, I'll drop by if your brother's going to be there, Shnez, because I know how

[00:31:56] much he loves the Roosters. Angry Dave. The angry one is definitely going to the game. I don't know if he's going to the hotel or not, but he was there last week. Can I tell the story about the first time I ever met your brother? What a great story. But don't, don't swear. I won't swear. First time I ever met Shnez a brother, Angry Dave. He goes, Shnez goes, hey, Dave, this is Wally. My mate, he's a Roosters fan. He's safe. I hate East.

[00:32:22] He probably did. Yeah, I was there. It went down something like that. May have had a few more spicy, spicy language thrown in. But it was a, it was a baptism of fire to the Shnez clan. He will be in the house with my little nephew, who's now taller than you and I, and probably as broad as you and I. It's quite scary. Wow.

[00:32:51] He actually, he got a photo with Jesse Colquhoun last week after the game, and I think he towered over Colquhoun. It was just like, what is going on here in my life? Anyway, we'll see you out there, Walter. Thanks for your time. Appreciate it. Now you're a busy dude. You're a stats guy. You're a stats busy guy. I'm crunching numbers for the, for the DAZN. We're in the DAZN right now. So, hey, don't tell anyone, but I took one of the new shiny DAZN cups home. Oh, fancy. Have you seen them? Have you seen them in the kitchen?

[00:33:19] I don't know if I'll, my Fox Sports cups, I might have to throw out for being off brand. Off brand. If I get caught drinking out of a, if I get, if I drink out of a Fox Sports cup, I might be in trouble. I haven't seen the DAZN cups yet. They must be new. I haven't been up. I've been hiding down in my bunker for a while, so. They're brand new. And I, um, partook in one last night and I thought, you know what? They're not going to miss it. It's brand new. You know, Higo hasn't drunk out of this. I'm going to take this one. Yeah. It got broken. You dropped it in a brick.

[00:33:48] So you just put it in the bin. I completely agree with that sentiment. Yeah. All right. Well, we'll see you out of the game. Everyone else. Enjoy your time. We're going to try and get another pod with our friend. I'm not going to say who in case we don't do it, but we'll try and do another pod for you guys. But if not, this is the preview and, um, we'll see out of the ground. It's going to be fun. Well, best of luck to you. Let me give you a little send off. Oh, that was half. Here we go. It's a me thing. Not a you thing. Do you want me to do it? That's all right.

[00:34:18] May the best team winch, Naz. Hopefully it's a good game. I hope so. I hope that Alan has a meet somewhere. No bucket of hellers. We can, but everyone can agree on that. We can. All right. We'll talk to you all soon. Up, up Cronulla and this one's for Walter. All right. Up, up. Let's go. SharkCast is supported by the best and most honest real estate agent in the Sutherland Shire, Jason Hawes from Crips and Crips Real Estate.

[00:34:48] He's an expert in the Carring Bar region and has his eye all across the Shire. Lifelong Sharks fan and supporter of this podcast. If you're looking to buy or sell in the region, the person you need to be talking to is Jason Hawes from Crips and Crips Real Estate. Call him on 0410 417 450. That's 0410 417 450. Jason Hawes, Crips and Crips Real Estate. Sharkies! Sharkies!

[00:35:17] In the Shire. Turn your porch lights off because we're coming over the tree.