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Mornings with Matt White
Full Mornings Show With Matt White 9/10/24
This episode is brought to you by Allstate. Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate first. Like you know to check you have the tickets in you while at first before you drive two hours to the big game. Seriously, you had one job. Now the closest you'll get to the 50-yard line is parking lot D. Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Savings vary, terms apply Allstate Fire & Casualty Insurance Company & Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. This episode is brought to you by Honda. When you test drive the new Pro Log EV, there's a lot that can impress you about it. There's the class leading passenger space, the clean, thoughtful design, and the intuitive technology. But out of everything, what you'll really love most is that it's a Honda. Visit Honda.com/ev to see offers. Good morning everybody. Welcome to the program. It's Wednesday morning, the 9th of October. Thanks for joining me on 11.70 am in Sydney. Wherever you got me on the SCN app, you know the DLO457736/736 on the text line or 1300 011170. On our all-tell open line, we've got three hours to pick our way through everything in the world of sports. It's going to be cloudy around Sydney today, top of 19 degrees. So cloudy and cool yet again. Well, today we've got more twists and turns to talk about in the NRL's great game of expansion, snakes, and ladders. What is next now that the Western Bears bid is in the bin? Plus, perhaps this weekend, a taste of what's to come or more than likely what's to come because we'll catch up with Jamal Fogarty ahead of the Prime Minister's 13 match in Destination Next for the NRL, Papua New Guinea. But first, jump on board, folks, for the farewell tour that is this man this week. Here's the Chief Sports writer at the Sydney Morning Herald. It's Wednesdays with Andrew Webster. You're not leaving us, by the way, you're not leaving us at all. No, so the farewell tour is a paper. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, let's not start there. Well, you know, it's Sydney media. Who knows? You're going all Peter Verlandis on us trying to get some more leverage in playing hardcore. I'm not leveraging anything, I'll just call it as it is. We're going to talk about this, Webby. If you want to play in my competition, Matty, you're going to have to pay a heavy license fee. That's right. It is the farewell tour. Obviously, we've got plenty of rugby league and other things to talk about. But it's your farewell tour from the Sydney Morning Herald this week. And I know a lot of our listeners, they love reading your stuff. I love reading your stuff. Look, it's a big thing. So just off the bat, how are you going, mate? How are you this week? Because it's a big thing leaving it a workplace. Oh, look, I took redone. I applied and got redundancy, got us two months ago. Now, but now it's the last week and the grand finals over and done with it. I'm excited to be sort of resetting and going out on my own and being a gun for hire after I take a big break from the end of this week. But, yeah, the heralds have been a big part of my life. Not just the last 11 years since I've been there as chief sports writer, but I've worked there a couple of times before. And it's the paper I wanted to work for since I was 12. So to be finishing up there at the end of this week, after, as I said, 11 and a half years as their chief sports writer. And covering a lot of different events and different stories, different sports. It's, it's, it's time to be hit. I'm not going to be working for them after Friday. So yeah, I'm sure it'll hit home under this afternoon when I get a lunch with a contact to the vet whenever. So you've been more emotional, Matty. I'd say by about nine o'clock tonight, I'd say. Yeah, maybe we should have done the 9 a.m. show at 9 p.m. and really got your thoughts. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. You'll be finishing up in a couple of days. Does that mean you've only got a couple of days more left of contact in inverted commas lunches? Yes. Yes. I've got a contact to get the paper can pay for. Well, let's just say I just actually was in that work because the herald's offices are near SCN's studios here in North Sydney. And when I went, I just ducked in the work to hand over my corporate credit card. And let's just say I was like losing a limb. It's very, very hard to give that over back. The phone, the old phone, not so much, but certainly that card, the poor thing. It's been given a hammering over the ear. I actually have to pay my own way at lunch today. I don't really like the idea of that. Oh, that'd be terrible. Imagine a journal having to pay their own way. It's something. Yeah, I know. You're almost going back to journal 101, find the contact who always pays. Don't ever go out with a contact where you've got to pay. Exactly. That's why that's exactly what I did today. You know me too. Well, Maddie. Okay, right. Let's get into this article today. Your bid is in the bin, not yours, but the Western Bears. And your article today summarizes it. Well, how the Western Bears plan went south? Why is there bid in the bin? They've got cash, they've got support, they've got, they had the connection with the bears. It appeared as though everything was going through here. Okay, but there's a sticking point and it appears to be the license fee. Well, I think they had, I don't know if they've got the cash that they've said that they do. That's the problem, Maddie. It was quite bizarre how, and as I wrote in the Herald today, how the Western Bears had gone from a fader complete in everyone's mind, including their own, to Peter Beatty telling the WA bid on Friday. Your bid is in the bin. Two months before that, he had texted Peter Cummins, the lifeblood of that bid for the last 20 years, really trying to get an NRL franchise in Perth and said it was an outstanding bid. But he made it very clear, as the NRL has done throughout this process to the WA consortium and the consultants that are helping drive their bid, you need to pay a license fee. They didn't seem like, they were of the opinion that they didn't have to. And to me, that is just a fatal flaw. The fact also that they didn't, they just seemed very naive about how rugby league works. Like it's a different organisation, particularly when you've got someone as aggressive and as hands on as Peter Verlandi's as the chairman. And I only, my jaw hit the ground last night, Matty, when I was following this story right on deadline for the Herald about the fact that Peter Cummins, who I said, as I said, has been driving that bid for 20 years, barely has a relationship with Peter Verlandi's. Peter Verlandi's, as everyone knows, is a relationship guy. He's a relationship chairman. If you're not sitting there and at least breaking bread with him once, I don't know how you can expect to get a license, a lucrative license to come into the NRL. So, yeah, look, the whole idea of a team base out of Perth is certainly not dead. They're going to negotiate the NRL with the West Australian government. But, yeah, it's pretty sad the way that it all went south for the current bid in the last few days. Went south over there in the West, so not dead, but in the bid. Now, I want to get to the licence fee in just a sec, but before that, cons jumped on the line this morning from Hurston Park. Now, get a con. Good day, Andrew. I hope you will, and thanks for the opportunity to chat to the ongoing forum today. It was probably one of the highlights of the day, actually, for me, because as you know, over years, reading all your material and all your commentary on the rugby league of thoroughly enjoyed always. Reading about your views and your opinions and to meet you in person was actually a bit of a thrill. So, thanks for taking the chance to chat with me on the day. And I thought I'd call through those, I promise, just to wish you all the best for the future. You're a legend. Thanks, Connor. I really appreciate it talking to you on Grand Final Day. It was a good day, wasn't it? I think I'm up. It was a good day. Why weren't you unhappy with the result? I thought Melbourne would win, but in the aftermath, I can look back and reflect and think it was probably a remarkable achievement. We're going to look back on it over the years and think, you know, four grandfathers in a ride by Penrose. It was a significant day because of the result at the end, because of the result and, you know, being part of and witnessing history in terms of four in a row, I think. The aftermath of it, I think the result is significant. I think that's probably the highlight after the Grand Final. The fact that we've witnessed four in a row. We'll never see it again, will we? Well, maybe we'll see five next year, but I think Melbourne will be strong enough. They'll probably come back as they inevitably do each year. They'll be probably up there again next year. Whilst I've got both of you, look, we keep hearing this year that the game's flying, you know, you guys have said it. Bossy and Brandy said in the mornings, and it's a true statement. And as well as all the on-field stuff, I think the game's also flying because of its presentation off-field. And I think that's got a lot to do with the likes of yourself, Matt, and Andrew, in terms of your promotion of the game. So I just want to applaud you guys for promoting the game throughout this year. I think that goes a long way to us all enjoying it. And, you know, keep up the good efforts, and I hope, you know, where the game flies even further in 2025 than beyond. Good on you, Colin. Can we give Colin something? There's any free stuff we can give Colin for that? He deserves it. Thanks, Colin. Colin, take Webby out for lunch, Ken. He's looking for lunch partners, but you've got to make sure you take your credit card with it. Thank you, Colin, and appreciate the time we really do appreciate it. 1-300-O-1-11-70. Webby, why? Why did Redcliffe, so the Dolphins, why did they not have to pay a licence fee? And the WA bid needs to pay a licence fee. Because they had, according to the NRL, like their balance sheet was far, far stronger than the one from that Western Bears bid. So much more money in the bank, so their futures guarantee there. I don't think the addition of Paul Smith and Paul Kine from Total Sports and Entertainment at the last minute, really, through the NRL. And it's not because of it was Paul Smith and Paul Kine. Just the fact that a new investor had come in at the last minute and had blindsided the NRL after negotiating with the Western Bears bid for some time. I know other bids Matty had offered it in there, had said in there that they would pay as much as a $15 million licence fee. It's a bit different in Perth because it's a whole, if you want to capture an entire state and have control of it like a Western Bears franchise does. And I can see why they would be asking for a licence fee. Whether it there should have been or not is a bit of a moot point. The fact that they were told repeatedly that you need to come up with that licence fee and they dug in and didn't provide it. Like I've seen the correspondence, to be honest, Matty, just this morning that from the NRL to the Western Bears, they could not have been clearer about it. They've told them repeatedly that they needed to do it and they said no. If that was the condition of it, that was the condition of it and they tried to have a Mexican standoff with Peter Verlandis and it didn't work. As you point out this morning, on the surface, it appears a group of well intentional and wealthy league loving businessmen from Perth and elsewhere failed to appreciate how aggressive Verlandis can be. So it takes us to the next step here as you say that it's not dead, but it's in the bin and it puts Papua New Guinea where they're playing the Prime Minister's 13 this weekend. Of course, it puts that now ahead of the curve. Is this the next step here that we get Papua New Guinea as the next team and Western Bears now fall down the pecking order, if at all? Well, the NRL need to reopen negotiate or need to negotiate with the Western Australian Government to try and get it over the line. The NRL are saying that they won't be in an announcement on Sunday. They were also saying in the last couple of days that there was nothing wrong with the Western Australia bid and it won't be going anywhere. I'll wait and see. As I wrote today, the Western Australia bid even had a date of when they were going to be announced, October 10, tomorrow, and that didn't happen. Nothing is set in stone in rugby league until it actually happens and even then it's no certain date. And again, you've said this morning, funnier things have happened. A Papua New Guinea team based in another country, an eight-hour flight away just replaced the Bears as rugby league's newest team. Just one more on this, one more ever. How problematic does it become when the NRL starts to look at running its franchise itself? So I think a big part of this is that the NRL, along with the fact that they've been "loballed" by the WA bid, have seen how much money the Tasmanian government is tipping into the new AFL franchise that starts in 2028. Well, we'd like some of that money. We'd like the Western Australian government to give us more than a $10 million centre of excellence at some point down the track, which is what the current sort of promise from WA is. I think it works in the AFL, which they can leg up a club of their own, like GWS or whoever with draft picks, they don't have that in the NRL, but there's just so much distrust in rugby league. Can you imagine what judiciaries and match reviews and all that type of stuff? Can you imagine the suspicion from other clubs and other fans if head office goes light on the club that they own and operate? That's where I think it's going to get very tricky for the NRL if they're in control of a WA consortium or a WA team instead of going with a consortium of businessmen or any other owner. Yeah, conflict of interest is the catchphrase in rugby league. It hurts when it hurts, but it's there all the time, and that points to perhaps what's next. Because my opinion on all this webby is that I completely and totally understand on all of the values and metrics why Papua New Guinea is so appealing. I understand that to the game. Yeah, we're big enough and old enough and been around enough to know that money talks, right? And there's a lot of money invested there, but I don't know whether the Papua New Guinea bid is still or the expansion into Papua New Guinea is the best thing for the competition. And to me, there's a big difference between competition and the game. Now, one's got to work with the other, but I think that the Western WA, let's not call it Western bears, the WA bid or expansion is better for the competition, perhaps not at the moment for the game. And that to me is the critical part of this question, and it appears now as though Papua New Guinea is going to come first, and I don't think that's as better for the competition. That's right. So there's just so many things I don't understand about. I do. I see all the social acts like benefits of having a team there, the geopolitical aspects of having it there for the federal government. I get all that. But you're right. At the end of the day, it's a club that's competing in the N.I. Reliance, an eight-hour flight away. They're logistics. In a 27-round competition plus a month of finals, that's a lot of travel for teams going there and them coming to Australia. And then you throw in Perth at some point as well. That's five hours. It's not a logistically, it's hard. Like, we talk about how hard the game is physically on players. Imagine if they're doing that much travel. Melbourne used to do more travel, has done more travel than almost anyone. Them and the Warriors, obviously. It's a lot, and it's hard for them to manage. It's hard to manage. Imagine throwing in eight-hour flights to another country. I don't know how much that's been thought of and how that's going to work. Yeah. Just on that, I'm going to catch up with Jamal Fogarty a little bit later on. He's going over there as part of the Prime Minister's 13, so an entirely different scenario. And he's a great talker. We'll get a really good insight into his experience. He's been there before and also what he's expecting. And the players that he's got around him this time under Coach Brad Fittler as well. So that's coming up on the program this morning. Grand final wash-up still with Webby Ken Penrith, now make it five. It is a bit of a farewell to us. So if you want to dive in and say good-aid to the great man, who's say 1-300-01-1170? Welcome back. More of your calls and just a sec. Webby, we had a question from Peter on the text line saying read the article this morning, but confused about the fact that it said that the Perth team was in conjunction with the Jets, not the Bears. Well, let me point out exactly what you said. The landees had told the consortium months ago to form a partnership with North Sydney, even though they'd already agreed to partner with the new town Jets. So that's how it played out and desperate to get in. They agreed. And that's how the Western Bears came to life. So that explains that one. Peter, hey, where the Chris is there on the line, 1-300-01-1170. Hey, Chris. Morning, boys. I don't even care about logic to come and sense, saying if he's sorry and what he's done with racing, but correct me if I'm wrong with the majority, if not all of the NRO clubs generally run at a loss, or they're fairly heavily funded by a lake club. No. They're very few of them run at a loss anymore, because I get a massive grant. Are they turning? Sorry. So they're getting a massive grant from head office, but so they're asking that WA consortiums have put up, let's say, 50 million, 20 million or whatever it is. 15 to 20, I think it was what that was talking about. Yeah. And then they're probably going to have that to double that again. It's start-up, sim, staffing, and all of that to get the franchises up and running. Well, they had to put them off. No, they've got to show that they needed to raise 30 million, like every other, all the other bids to be considered. They also had to show that a lot of the clubs, a lot of the bids have put up $10 million bank guarantees as well, just to show how strong they are financially. Western Australia didn't do that either. Okay. So the guarantees in that I completely get, and I think if you're not doing that, that's all business, not to get them. But I look at with bringing out the AFL. The AFL club ownership model was effectively guaranteed by the AFL and their member owned and member operated. So it's a very different model space and also Hobart's and ours, ours flight from Melbourne. So if you get Collinwood, Essen and Carlton, Richmond, who all have 100,000 members playing down there each year, you're going to get 5,000 to 10,000 people coming down for each of those gains, which pumps money into your economy. Yeah. I don't see that happening. So the first government is going to get, they'll get more people living over there that might get some people traveling, but they're not going to get that massive influx of tourist money. Of the back of rugby league. What the road, what hurt does and it's what the Giants and the sun served to the AFL, though. It gives them extra gives an extra viewing slot in that you play an attic clock game in person, it's 10 o'clock on the, uh, or you could play the, you could play a seven o'clock and then a nine o'clock on a Thursday night. Um, as you said, into Sydney and Melbourne and Perth, the number of Brisbane that, um, which is going to increase your TV revenue, which is going to increase the money, the NRL makes. So the NRL, I don't know if they'll be able to get it completely open eyes and go, you know what, we're not going to get 15 up front. We're going to get more than that each year with the TV money. So let's do it that way. I think, I'll speak to that, Chris, I think they're absolutely looking at that with open eyes. I understand the economics that you put there, but don't for a minute, count out the fact that the broadcaster or comes into all of this play, then the new broadcast deal, because that's where the biggest amount of money. Over the next few years is going to come from. It's as simple as that. So this will be played in and fact it in. I would say to the nth degree, I'd probably like you or if you think that it's not, I would be horrified and completely gobsmacked if it didn't come into play in all of this. So I think they absolutely add that value. Well, with a team in Perth, it's all about an extra, it's all about more content. That's all it is. I get that. I agree that it's, I think it's got spiders all over the idea of the NRL having a team over there. And I've already been told that the WA government just simply will not be pumping all the money that into a possible NRL operated franchise that the PBL or the NRL expects. So to me, I feel like the fact that they've blown up this bid at the 11th hour is to try and either screw more money out of a WA consortium that they're dealing with or probably get another very big, a businessman faced in the West with very, very deep pockets. I wonder who that could be. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, it's kind of like, it's been talking speculation and I'm trying to get to for us involved for a long, long time. The NRL keep denying it, but yeah, I think as I explained in the story today, I was there at Magic Round on the Friday morning when Peter Volandis basically said the whole P&G bid, I don't know if it's going to work, the government keep stuffing us around in terms of confirming and the money that they're going to give. And then I was in and out of that Chairman's room all weekend at Magic Round and you could see the little clandestine meetings going over here and there, one at the bar, one at the party pies, one outside. And hey, presto, it all got confirmed on the Sunday. Yep. As you point out, he'd grown tired of the dithering and away you went. I don't know if you've noticed, Matt, but Peter Volandis is quite aggressive with how he does it. And it's maddening and it's like, it's so much of NRL policy is run through the media and through, you know, certain mouthpieces and it's, it's, it's, it's interesting from a journalist point of view. I can imagine it must be very difficult when you're involved in a certain process. But again, as, you know, let's just make it really clear, the NRL and I've seen the correspondence all the way up until the bid was put in was saying you will have to pay a licence fee. Now, whether you agree with it or not, that's just what the NRL said, it's their competition to get them in, right? And if you, if you put in the bid and you don't have a licence fee and then they say what's going on and they have meetings in the last few weeks to try and sort it out and they still refuse to give a licence fee. What was the NRL supposed to do? Oh, OK. No worries. We'll just put you in anyway. We won't, everything we've been talking about for the last three months, we'll just abandon. So I just think that I think there's a lot of it's a lot of what's happened in the last 72 hours is in a lot of positioning to try and squeeze more money out of somebody. Yep. Never underestimate the hardball play. We've got to get to the news back after this in a sec. Andrew Webster is with me as he wraps up his farewell week at the Sydney Morning Herald this week. We've got plenty of great thoughts and kind words. Webby coming your way as you could imagine. And also this will be, yeah, this will be your final show with us for the year you need a break. That's not from us. We don't want you to take a break, but you need one. Any break from myself. Let me get a couple of texts here. Roosterman says, welcome to the redundancy club, Webby. Well, you took voluntary. The VR club's different to the R club. He says, I've had two of them. You have the knack of humor and analysis and you tell it as you see it. Enjoy the next chapter, mate, and a break. We look forward to seeing what that next chapter is. Well said, Roosterman. Thank you, Roosterman. Thank you, Roosterman. Quite a few of those in here. Dan says, please don't leave us in all seriousness. It's a joy and a pleasure reading your work and listening to your insights and your dry humor is literally gold. Good luck, Webby, forever. One of us is Dan. Thanks, Dan. I feel like I'm retiring. You feel the love. That's what you're getting from. I'm not comfortable getting praise. No, I know. I know. But, hey, you know, I just do what I do, Matty. Just do what I do. I can't believe it, mate. I can't believe it. Mate, if I wasn't doing this, I'd be laying bricks with my father. I feel like I'm the lucky one. Hey, the bag is there off the coast of WA, as always, calling in via WhatsApp, I think. Hey, bag. Good morning. Good morning, Matty and Webby, and look, Webby, have a good break. I love you working. If you need somebody to look after the staff, he mean, the misses would be happy. I've got a bit of leave coming up. You're going overseas. Yeah, so Coach K's got my number. You can get that offline, but I want to go to the article. Yes, they'll be able to Stephen Creit and the sneakers that he wore to the Dalliam. I have to look online. 2000. 2000 for the Louis Vuitton's. We were actually thinking, talking about that in the office yesterday, about how much they would be 2K. Yeah. What do you think that's too much? You know, an apparent, I brought up with Andrew Abdo the night after, and he said, and he wasn't wearing any socks. Well, he might have had the sock, it's on. That's a very good point. I may need to get to the bottom of that before I finish up. But I thought, but look, I made that. I'll tell you what, bag. The thing that I loved about it, though, I mean, that's a kid from Mount Druid, from Sydney's West, wearing $2000 Louis Vuitton sneakers. It's a pretty special, I reckon. Don't you reckon? I reckon it just shows you that what can be done, I know it's a really ostentatious display of how much money he's got, but it just shows you that football can give you a way out. And as I wrote, in Penris, since they've won titles, gang violence in the area has started to fall off a cliff. Now, I just think that's pretty special. Everyone likes to bag them. The Panthers are arrogant, but they do a lot of work with their community. And that's what I was pointing to. Thanks, bag. Got to let you go, mate. We've got a heaps on the table this morning. Thanks for the call. And on behalf of Webby, thanks for those thoughts. Parramat says, "Thanks for all the millions of words you've spun together so well over the years." Webby, that'd be an interesting one. How many words you've actually pieced together over the course? What was it, 11 years at the SMA? 11 and a half years. We could average that out, says, "Looking forward to seeing where you pop up in the gun for higher space and look after Stevie to, if you need any free dog training tips, Parramat's happy to supply." Oh, beautiful. I'll hit him up. Because she doesn't listen to me. Seb says, "I call for Webby to be the next dragon CEO. Saints to win 11 in a row under Webby's leadership." If I see you, God, I can't even pay my credit card on time. That'll be good for the salary cap. I like the idea of it. Hey, just quickly, the grand final wash up. It's been obviously a few days now. Last night, Penrith had their awards night. It was like a jeweler's convention there with all the rings that they had on show. I don't know how much more there is to say about the performance of the Panthers and what they've achieved, not just on Sunday night, of course. But ever since that last meeting with the Melbourne Storm in a grand final, it really is extraordinary in terms of what we call modern rugby league, the NRL era. Absolutely. I tell you what it does. It shows clubs like the dragons and others with big junior catchments, the importance of tapping into your local pathways. From the moment that they sorted that out, Penrith were on the up. And this is what the results mean for five grand final appearances and four premierships in a row. And I just love that the way they've been able to evolve, as a team, over the last four years, with players, big name players like Stephen Criden and others, leaving because of the salary cap. They've still managed to work out ways to win, and the way that they win at the moment is just by playing this grinding style of football where they keep the ball in play for as long as possible and slowly wear down the opposition. And that's what they did to the great Melbourne team. If it was a lesser team than Melbourne, they would have been down by four tries at half time, just because Melbourne's defence and their attitude and the way that they've been coached for so many years under Craig Bellamy that they didn't succumb earlier. And again, if that video referee decision goes their way, they're possibly 10 or with 20 minutes to go. I think it was 20 minutes to go, but I still think Penrith would have got them. I thought Penrith were in control the whole way through, but yeah, you can't. You're right. What is left to say? Well, I think there's one thing left to say, and this is your final thought that I want from you before you leave us, is you've now got to work out how to stop the dynasty. The dynasty is absolutely complete. So now the job is 2025, they'll be looking for a way to win again. That's a given. But does the league have to think about a way differently to work differently to try and stop that? No, no, what I don't know how they do. What do they do? That's the question. Well, they can't. Like, I mean, they've actually living under like a bang the salary cap. I know it's been suggested that like you can't win the, you can't win a competition if you don't cheat the salary cap. Well, Penrith are living proof that you can. Like, I mean, they've pretty much given loss to superstar players every year for the last four, five years. Not the league, not the league itself. Oh, I mean the rest of the league. Oh, right. I thought you meant the league. What are you going to happen again? A double gap talking about how does Melbourne, how does how do the Broncos? How does how to manly? Well, this is going to be the real big test for Pandrith next year. I mean, look, they lose Fisher Harris, Luai. Who else are they losing? Who else are they big? Why not see other big name they're losing? They're so Spencer. Oh, no, no, no, this for next year. Who else are they losing for next year? It's a river. Oh, it's a river, right? So there's three sort of, there's two big names and two rivers really come on as a quality winger for them in the last couple of years. I mean, that's going to be hard for them to win five. And you could just see how Melbourne spoke after that game. Those Melbourne players, just how devastated they were. Like, what, you don't think they're going to be fired up? You know, they're going to be fired up next season. Like, I mean, they've got Melbourne when they lose a premiership. When I lose a grand final, they usually bounce back with one in the following year or the year after. So they make you pay. They make you pay if you beat them. I've talked to Ivan Cleary about this. He explores it more in a book that we've got coming out next week. Oh, well said. There's a nice little bit of self-promotion right at the end. Melbourne's Melbourne were the ones that that essentially shook Penrith into this rum that they've had. Maybe Penrith have rattled Melbourne enough to perhaps do something similar for them. We will never know. Listen, I've got to let you go. You've got a busy day of lunch, followed by afternoon tea, followed by a nap, and then followed by more lunch tomorrow. And then your farewell day. You're going to continue on with Morning Glory and Maddie Johnson, the boys, obviously, but that's it for your time with us for this season and this year. Webby, we've loved every minute of having you on Wednesdays with Webby, and hopefully you'll be back. We've loved every single word that you've put there on paper in the Sydney Morning Herald. You are going to be missed and personally, mate, I've loved having you here and there as a sounding board as well. So enjoy your rest and whatever comes next. Go for it. You'll smash it. God love you. Thanks, Manny. There he is. Andrew Webster. He's off, folks. He's off looking for somebody with a good credit card. Oh, four, five, seven, seven, three, six, seven, three, six is our text line. 1-300-01-11-70 is the open line. We've got plenty of thoughts. Now, Webby will obviously keep listening, so there are plenty of thoughts there to say, well done, mate, and all the very best. I'll try to get to all of those throughout the course of the show. Also, Jamal Fogarty is going to join us as well. We need to take a break though, back after this. Now, I need to hand this one over to Webby. He says, this one from the Mad Tiger, Robert the Mad Tiger. Now, you're not a full-time journal. Well, he is just not at the Herald. Can I get you to tick off my bucket list and smash some beers with you at the Newtown Beer and Footy Festival in 2025? I'm a bit of time. Another one says, "Best thing about Webby has always been so measured and respectful as a reporter. Never ragged on my beloved Tigers being down for so long and easy hit on us. Best of luck to him." And another one just wanted to wish you all the very best, this one from Danny L. You are one of my favorite rugby league journalists with your knowledge, humor, and beautiful style of writing. And I look forward to seeing where you pop up next. Yeah, so I look wholeheartedly. You know how I think about Webby and what I feel about the great man, both personally and professionally. And it's an absolute treat to have him on this program. However, he will continue on with Morning Glory for the next few weeks. So you can hear Webby on a Friday morning here. We'll catch up with Jamal Fogarty from the camera raiders. Of course, part of the Prime Minister's 13 squad to be coached by Brad Fitler and playing at Santos National Football Stadium Port Moresby. So that is on Sunday. Also, today on the list from the Sydney Kings, Kuat Noi will join me as well. They've got a double header Friday into Sunday, Adelaide into Cairns is their opposition for those matches. They're three and one to start the season. What have you made to about the World Club Challenge? As I said on this program yesterday, the World Club Challenge was kind of unchallenged until Vegas came along. Until Vegas got there. And that's exactly what's happening here. Penrith saying it's not going to work for us. They've got off-season international commitments heading over to Vegas to open the 2025 season. And the Panthers have said there's no way in the world they can sandwich the World Club Challenge between those commitments. So either against Wigan or a whole KR. And Penrith CEO Brian Fletcher has said the club couldn't put the players through it. We can't play it. We don't have the time span. It's impractical. There's no way in the world we could fit it into the schedule. Play of welfare is the biggest problem there. So something had to give, didn't it? And as good as it is to have a World Club Challenge, how do we now adjust to this new calendar that's in front of us? Because that new calendar starts with Las Vegas and that's hugely important to the NRL competition. And I dare say much more important, without any disrespect to the World Club Challenge, it's more important than that. So what do we do here folks? What's your answer to it? Can we somehow include the Super League champions into a Vegas week? Do we somehow try and work it into the Magic Round, for instance? Where the premiers of this season, as Vossie has pointed out, could have next season's Magic Round as the buy. And then play a World Club Challenge match there. I would probably suggest the NRL team would prefer the buy. Again, I mean, if there'll be money on the table, but you'd probably prefer the buy, would you not? The week off, weeks off, are like gold throughout the season. So if you've got it, you want to take it. But it shows to me that something had to go in the squeeze that is the NRL, Vegas, international competitions at the end of the season, state of origin, Magic Round, everything that's coming up, something had to give. Now we're going to find a new home, if we want to keep it at the World Club Challenge. Give me your thoughts on that, 0457 73736 or do we just park it? Is it time for it to leave it? Back after this. A few trains have thought around the World Club Challenge, both position-wise, as in where could we fit it in, and also relevance. Let's have that discussion after 10 o'clock at 10.30 this morning, out there at Cricket Central, it will be day two, resuming of the Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and South Australia. Sam Constance, yesterday, hit his maiden ton for the Blues, and then went on 152, opening the batting there. And Josh Philippi also chimed in with 56.07 for 297, New South Wales after day one against South Australia. The debate around the opening position for Australia is interesting. Marcus Harris got a century, as well yesterday. Cameron Green won't be bowling in the initial spot. Travis Head's been listed to play number four, bat number four for South Australia. Or there's a lot of stuff going into the mix for the opening spot for this summer. Here is the 10 o'clock news day with us on 11/7. Welcome back. Second hour of the program. It's great to have your company and give us a call this morning on the all-till open line, 1-300-01-1170, build great customer experiences with all-till contact center outsourcing. So give us a call this morning, and let me know who's in the spotlight. As I mentioned, there's a spotlight shining on the Australian opening test selection discussion. Because it continues to take twists and turns. So I want to dive into that a little bit later on. We'll do that thanks to Nelson irrigation and FX luminaire adding wow to your garden and your garden lighting as well. So let's have that discussion along the way. Plus the world club challenge. Matt from Wollongong says for the world club challenge to have any relevance. It needs to be played at seasons and for both competitions, while clubs retain their grand final winning rosters. Playing it at the beginning of the following year with different squads renders it nothing more than a trial. Miles says we would like to see as a fan the world club challenge a week after the grand final that way players are in form and still ready to play. So I understand that one too. Just think about this though. What are we now Wednesday? They played the grand final on Sunday at that almost superhuman level. There are injuries of course now that happens weekend week out, but there are injuries that need to be taken care of. There's international considerations that need to be taken care of. And do you get a week after the competition? So we still got the super league to sort itself out. Where do they get a break? How do you sort of fit it in? Again, that's what it's all about here. How do you fit this in? And just think about Penrith for example. They've been celebrating since Sunday night, late Sunday, Monday or yesterday they had their awards night last night. So the world club challenge if we played it this weekend, if we could somehow marry it up this weekend then you have to fact to travel in or we go to them or they come to us. You can see where the crunches come here and then what we didn't have was the travel aspect of Vegas to start the season. We didn't have that up until this year just completed and then it kicks in again. It looks as though it's going to be there for a while. So at the moment the squeeze is on. What's the importance of the game of the world club challenge to the game at the moment? Is it more important than Vegas? No. Is it more important than the international scene that everybody wants to continue to grow? I'd say no, it's part of it. So what's the relevance to it? And where does it fit in the order of priority of this crazy game with all its moving parts? The game needs to continue to add things on. That's part of the structure of the game and that's part of how negotiations are going especially with broadcasters and streamers. So the more you can add on, add in, I should say, then the better it's going to be for content. However, is there a place for it? 0457736736. I've got to say at the moment, no, there's not. I mean if Penrith is saying that we just can't do it, there's no way in the world that we could fit it in. Isn't that your answer? They can fit in Vegas, of course, because that's round one of the premiership. Miles said it's like Origin, most players back after that and then they get their holiday break. Yeah, most players have to back up after Origin because the competition continues. So I'd love to see it continue on, but how on earth do we fit it in? Tony says I love the World Club challenge. Hell, I've even found myself barrequing for South Sydney against those pomis. I hate pomis. Didn't they snub after match beers at the ashes? Let's keep it. They're losers. Okay, keep it. So it gives them an opportunity to do a slap down. Big owls on the line from Rhodes. Hey, big owl. G'day, man. How are you, mate? I'm good. Thanks, mate. World Club challenge. Are you at the airport, are you? Mate, I think they should, yes, mate. I think they should actually bring it, take it over to Vegas, make it the first game in Vegas. I mean, what a great way of opening it up. And, you know, although you're going to have the problem, the penalty will be there most formally every year for the next five years, but so what? Just make it, just have it in Vegas. So there's... Yeah, there's the problem, though. There's the problem, though, big owl, because Vegas isn't an exhibition match. Vegas is round one of the competitions. So if you're taking part in round one of the competition, then how do you fit in the World Club challenge? Well, you make it a boy. Isn't there going to be a boy? There's still a boy around. Isn't it, matey? So you make the premiers have the boy in round one? That's exactly right. And let them play the club challenge and go from there. Yeah, yeah. I would like to speak to, again, this is, you know, trying to find the avenue here, but I reckon if I did a straw poll of coaches or CEOs or even players, and I said you could have round one off as in, we all get the same amount of buyers during the year, or we have to play one more game and have one less buy during the year, whether it's at the start, middle, or end, I reckon they would defer to the buy every time in terms of the premiership. This is the... I'm not trying to play devil's advocate here. I'm just trying to work out how you make it an even play field. I understand that you're right. You're right about that. But at the end of the day, it is the beginning of the season, matey. They're all pretty fresh. You know, they're all pretty fresh, mate. So, it may look like something. It's food for thought, but I certainly don't want to get rid of the walk-up challenge. I think it's a great concept, mate. And it does a lot for overseas, too. It does a lot for middle and late, you know what I mean? So, we've got to keep that going. Can't always think about just Australia. We've got to grade this game a little bit in the international arena, too. Yeah, it's a crowded schedule. Thanks, Big Al. Good on to you, mate. Thank you. And if you're heading somewhere, travel safe. Steve's on the line as well. Your thoughts around the World Club Challenge, Steve? Hey, matey. How much corn do I get for winning it? Oh, I don't know. Coach Kay, what is the World Club Challenge number? I'll dig around, Steve, but I'm not sure, mate. Because if it's anything less than something worthy, I think it proves the relevance of it, and it isn't relevant. I agree with the previous call. I reckon it's no movement at all these days. But if you have to play it, now, I think people are getting the chart before the horse about Wigan this year. But if they are to win, why can't Penrith play Wigan over there, and whoever Penrith were meant to play, do exactly what the previous call said, let them play the Tommy side and then give them a bind the second round. Sorry, just run that. Right, so if Wigan wins, so it's Wigan and who's the second Tommy team that's going over there? Well, a whole KR are also there. Yeah, we're going to Vegas. Going to Vegas. Now you're testing the patience, yep. OK. Right, so Penrith play Wigan in the club challenge in Vegas. So if Penrith's for argument's sake were to schedule to play Penrith in the, sorry, Penrith was scheduled to play Canberra in round one. Yeah. Let's just have Canberra play Wigan and both Penrith and Canberra have a buy, and they play that at the end of the year in a buy and have it somewhere. Play it midweek because at the end, if the game's not relevant, you could play it midweek somewhere. Yeah, OK. Now I understand, and I've written it down as you're talking Steve, so I understand the way you're going. Yeah. And I just think that I get, I just think that once you start messing with the NRL competition in any way, shape or form, that say Canberra play Warrington, right? Let's just say Canberra play Warrington to try and make up that match, so to speak, over there in Vegas to fill the void. And your player gets busted up in the match against Warrington and misses six weeks of the premiership. Instead of having what could be either a premiership match or a buy in that first round, you'd be filthy. But is it any different than Canberra going to play Dubois Sims in a trial on a Friday night? I think it's a fake war reserve out there, isn't it? Well, I think the difference here is, I think the difference here is that Vegas is round one of the competition. That's the difference. If Vegas was an exhibition, then this would be no drama. We'd be able to move things all the way around because everyone would be there for the same reason. But Vegas is round one. Vegas is worth two competition points. And that's the way that it has to be. It's a tough one, mate. I think the lesson learned out of this whole situation is that now that the World Pop Championship, which is silly, it's only between two countries. It's like the World Series are baseball, silly name. That we don't announce the teams until both comps are complete. It's only been a month, and I don't know how much marketing of those four teams or six teams has been done in America. But let's work out who's available to play and then schedule the teams around that or announce it that way. I think that would save a lot of talking on the radio. OK, one more flip side. Dead set feel like I'm being devil's advocate incarnate here. But one more flip side of that is the feedback, Steve, that we get just on this side of the fence from Vegas is what fans tell me consistently. As soon as we know the better, as in, you know, g'day, Maddie, I'm Fred. I'm a West Tigers fan. As soon as I know that West Tigers are going to play in Vegas, the better for me because then I can book my tickets and my flights and I can get it organized because I want to go there. So I don't want the last minute Larry and get smashed with accommodation travel. So that's got to factor into it as well. It's just another piece of it. Thanks, Steve. You've raised some really good questions, really good questions. Quick one from Jace from North Parramatta. Hey, Jace. Oh, g'day, Whitey. Yeah, I'll add in to exactly what you're saying. What the scheduling and the timing of the event in Vegas will play a big part and I don't think he can wait until a grand final to finalize the team. So, yeah, that's my only thought. Okay. Thanks, mate. Yeah, it's a scheduling thing. That's what it's come down to. And as soon as we put Vegas on the list with two points next to it, that went straight to the top of the tree in terms of priority. So the question now is, and then doubled down on that by having one of those teams being from the NRL, one of those teams being the champion team. It makes it very, very difficult. It seems to be a bit of an afterthought at the moment, but we're trying to work our way through it. 16 minutes after 10 o'clock, right here on SCN 11.70 am in Sydney. Well, of course, the focus pretty quickly turns to international footing and on Sunday, a massive crowd. Can you imagine what's going to go on in Port Moresby with all of the talk about PNG? And then the PMs, our PMs 13 arrive in town. And I'm pleased to say that part of that PMs 13 squad, Jamal Fogarty, is on the line. Hey, Jamal, thanks for your time this morning. Hey, mate. How are you? Good. Gee, there's some buildup to this one, isn't there? Are you feeling that, especially with everything going on with Papua New Guinea in the mix? To be honest, I'm not too sure what's actually happening. I kind of stay away from all the media stuff. Obviously, I know that they're trying to put a bit in to put an NRL team in, which I think is great. Obviously, they got a country that supports and just loves rugby league. It's like a religion over there. And obviously, you know, some of the players in our NRL system up from Papua New Guinea and the passion that they have for the game. So, I'm kind of a little bit out of the loop with it, but I'm very excited to get over there and get amongst it all. Obviously, I've been lucky enough to go there for Queensland Cup. And, you know, when you've got a couple of Queensland Cup players going over there, what they do then was, we used to think, oh, no, this is crazy. But I can only imagine what they're going to be like when they've got, you know, blokes like Damian Cook, Luke Brooks, Xavier Savage and all those types of guys going over there. It's going to be an awesome experience. Yeah, sure will. Just tell us, because you've been there, just tell us what it is like. I mean, all I hear, mate, is that, you know, as soon as a footy player touches down, NRL footy player, like you say, especially the names that they can resonate with, it's just more than a love for footy. It's a full-blown passion. Yeah, it's pretty crazy, mate. You know, even being a Queensland Cup player, when we went over there, you had the airport and people are smothering you, trying to ask for clothing and get photos and stuff like that. As soon as you walk outside the airport doors, there's kids chasing you and asking for photos and saying your name. They make these little handbag, homemade handbag, they like to give you one of them and it might have your name on it or whatever else. You jump on the bus and you're leaving the airport. You got, you know, kids from the age of five to whatever, chasing the bus for a good couple of hundred metres. You get to your hotel, they're all outside the fence yelling out names and we're lucky enough that we had Luke Page, who actually played full of cobbles, who I played Queensland Cup with, and they used to sit out the fun they just used to cheer his name the whole time or there. Yeah, it's pretty crazy experience and how much they just love and breathe. I'd be like over there. Are you packing some, you know, extra raiders, socks or jumpers or shirts or caps or whatever you can? Are you packing some stuff so you can give it away? Well, the boys, Freddy actually said that the other day when we had our team medicals, you know, if you want to bring in with an extra, some club gear, make sure you bring it over. When we get over there, we'll find a place where we can hand it out and put a smile on the people's faces. But I actually gave mine to a disability support crew up here on the Gold Coast yesterday. I asked them a little while ago because each year you get so much gear that following you, you get more. So I'd like to give it away and I made that promise to them a couple weeks back before I even knew I was amongst the mix of PMs. So I mean, otherwise, I would have taken it over there, you know, it makes a difference for those kids over there. Yeah, good on you, mate. And well done on that. And well done on your selection. I mean, I probably should have started there. Just tell me what it was like and how that transpired. Did you get the phone call? I mean, coached by Brad Fittley, you've got an incredible bunch of players around you. It's a great opportunity and you are representing this country. You're representing the prime minister. So tell us how it all came about for you and what it means to you. Yeah, to be honest, it's pretty awesome. Obviously, being a late blue bar, I didn't think I'd make any repsides in that. To be able to play in this game, you know, I've been that happy, been like a little kid for the last two weeks or so, which is pretty cool. That's why we play the game four moments like this. They get you excited and you want to put on a different jersey beside your club one. Our team manager at Raiders rang me and he would only ever ring if it's something bad pretty much. And I've seen him ringing my phone. I was like, oh, and I've got a sponsor card. So I was like, shit, I've got a speeding point or something. And he goes, nah, mate, it's a good call. Just like, you know, you're in contention. And I was like, oh, you know, how cool is this? And then a week went by and I didn't hear anything from Freddie or anyone in the PM side of things. I was like, oh, I mustn't be in the mix anymore. And then I got a message and say, you know, confirm this is what's happening. But once I got the confirmation, mate, I was very happy little fella. No, I bet. You've got a couple of your Raiders teammates there. K.O. Weeks, Hudson Young is there as well. Cookie's going to captain this. Brad Fittler is your coach. The list goes on and on. Has there been some players in and out throughout training that you haven't spent much time with throughout the course of the season? Or you don't know that well that you've formed a bit of a connection with? Yeah, the other day we had a medical day in Sydney and they obviously put on a lunch for us and the guys that weren't from Sydney had different flights home and whatever else. But Fletcher Sharp and Dylan Lucas from Newcastle, they actually sat down with us and we had a coffee downstairs and we had a pretty good yarn and got to know them well. We got on really well as well and even young Thomas Duncan from CRC come over and sat with us and he's another great fella that will, you know, it's good to connect with players from other clubs. It's so easy for us just to go. We've got four Raiders boys that stick together. But to be able to mix it up and know that other people on team, you know, I think we're all the same, even though we're from different clubs, everyone gets along really well. Great people and we all love footy so it was nice to meet a couple other players in camp the other day and obviously be able to reconnect with them today for the next couple of days and over in PNG will be a cool experience. Absolutely. So just give us a quick snapshot since your season finished close, very close to those, the finals of 2024 and I'm sure you sat down and watched the Panthers and the storm and the grand finals. So, can I get Jamal first up your reflection of what you saw in the grand final and what you've been up to up to this point before you head off to Port Moresby? Yeah, I think to be honest, once Harry Grant scored quite early, I was like, you know, Melbourne, they might go on a quick little flourish here because when they score one, they try and get two or three really quickly and it kind of blows teams away. Obviously, when you fish a Harris, Leota, Naif Cleary, Liam Martin and as I know, Jill Edwards, you know, they did a terrific job to stop the Melbourne momentum very quickly, but then they were also able to get one back and then get one on half time, I think. Penruff just played the long game and they just, they have that much confidence in their playing style that they just know that they're going to get you at some stage and just the fatigue that they put into opposition. It makes it very tough for you to break their defensive system, but then also you got to stop their attack as well. I just thought, Penruff's game plan and the way they just front-moded every bit of energy they had just that Melbourne a little bit, but then Mr Nelson from Melbourne's a massive loss, you know, he's there. Alpha, he's the guy that comes off the bench and causes a bit of chaos and dominate that part of the game, which obviously Melbourne missed a little bit on Sunday, but I thought, you know, it's probably one of the best grand finals. The ball and play for 30-odd plus minutes was pretty crazy and everyone was so fatigued, like just watching people there on their knees and haunches and some guys could barely move, but I didn't realise why. And then once they brought that up, I was like, "Man, that's crazy. Regular NRL game might go for five or six minutes. These guys are mid-30s, so obviously it goes to show how good they are at being able to play under endurance for such a period of time and stuff like that. And for myself, I've just been up on the tweed mate in laws with up here. We come up here every off-season, let the girls pull them out of school for a little bit, let them enjoy the coastal beach life because it's just too hard in the pre-season. And once the season gets going for them to come up and visit Nan and pop in and stuff like that. So yeah, we'll just be up here for a couple of weeks and join the beautiful warm weather they have up here in the beaches. Hey, listen, it's been an absolute pleasure having you on the program this morning, mate. Let's see how the raiders go next year. Of course, you've got this weekend to play footy again and then hopefully you get a little bit more of a rest before you're back into it. Congratulations on your selection in the Prime Minister's 13th squad. Enjoy the experience and thanks for your time this morning. No worries, mate. I appreciate it. Have a good week. Thank you, Vanessa. Thank you to the Western Sydney Eagle, who said, "Great chat there with Jamal Fogarty. He speaks very well. He does." Great insights, too. Not only on what's ahead for him and for the Prime Minister's 13, but also his reflections on the grand final. That front end loading from the Panthers, as he put it there, just to drive the Melbourne storm into a world of pain and fatigue. Quite incredible. Courageong, George. Good to hear from you. Do we really need the World Club challenge? I think we have enough going on for the players. They do enough travel now. We're not going to increase exposure. The focus should be Vegas. That increases exposure for our game. At this stage, if the life says Kane, I think the World Club challenge needs to be shelved. And look at bringing it back when the comp expands in teams and shrinks in rounds like it should. That's a really good point, Kane. A really good point. Now, we know it's coming pretty quickly and it appears as though now the PNG's lobbed ahead of the In the Bin Western Bears bit. So, the competition expands. We go to an even number of teams. The rounds shrink, as you say, like they should. And that's perhaps when we bring the World Club challenge back into play. Matty until such time as the season is shortened, by an expanded comp, make it part of Las Vegas. See, there's the problem with the part of Las Vegas is that there's two competition points attached to it. So, it just can't be done. Spring Farm Eagle, Matty shout out Fogarty as well. So well spoken. Great to listen to. He has a future in the media. He does a little bit of stuff with us down there in Canberra as well. Jamal's take on the GF has me looking at it with a different view. I thought it was an ordinary game, says Tony, but, yeah, maybe our man Kane Corns needs to listen to that. Might get a better understanding instead of just coming out with ill-informed waffle. Reworld Club challenge as a rooster supporter considering our recent record against Penrith. I'd be more than happy for the English Premiers to have our round against them. They couldn't do worse. Says Uncle Lola on that one. Thank you for that. So, the T20 World Cup last night for Australia, as you heard there on the news, 8 for 148 for the Aussies. Elisa Healy with 26, Beth Mooney with 40 of 32 deliveries. Elise Perry, 30 of 24, and Phoebe Litchfield, 18. The rest of our batters didn't make it into double figures, but it didn't matter. 8 for 148 of 20. So a run rate of 7.4. And in reply from there, 19.2 overs, New Zealand all out for 88. So a comprehensive win. And how about the bowling performance of Meagan Shoot 3 for 3 off 3.2. That's almost in Richie Beno areas, but just up a notch. 3 wickets, 3 runs, 3.2 overs bold. 3 for 21 for Annabel Sutherland. So the Aussies looking very good. Now we'll have a start, if not pretty much bang on out there at Cricket Central. We'll also catch up with Nick Savage too a little bit later on and just get a good feel of how that one's playing out. But quite fascinating, isn't it? The New South Wales and the start that they've had through Sam Constis. And I read some great feedback about all of that yesterday. Sam, if you've got us tuned in out there, congratulations mate. That's a huge achievement, a massive achievement, a massive innings. And I saw that you touch base with Shane Watson amongst others and just got some good text feedback. Both about backing yourself and being in the right mental state to take it to that next level we did. Absolutely. So congratulations to you as well. 56 for Josh Phillipi and 7 for 297, the final score there. So what happens when South Australia roll on out? Well, they have Travis Head listed at number four. So here we go. And that test opening position is an entirely different story. Cameron Green set to be available as a batter for the India series. But not as a bowler until at least the last couple of matches. So they're planning for most of a summer without Cameron Green as a bowling option due to that back injury. That brings Michael Neesa, Scott Baller, Michael Neesa got two wickets with the first two deliveries of his game yesterday. So he was on a hat trick to start the match. How's that? So what happens then? It appears though Steve Smith goes back to number four. A lot of people are saying that. Darren Lehman's the latest former Australian coach. So Buf has said for me he goes back to four. There's no doubt about that. So then what do they do? Do they use Cameron Green as an opener because he'll only be batting in the first couple of matches? Or do they have a look elsewhere? Does Travis go back there? What happens? Marcus Harris. Again, he's been in that test team before. We had Tony Dottamade co-selected down there watching the Victorian match. George Bailey and Sydney to watch Sam's 150 year odd 152 yesterday. So they're keeping their eyes on the prize here. And then what do they do? Well, we don't know, but it's not a bad dilemma at the moment to have. And as I mentioned Cameron, well Cameron Bancroft. So essentially another test hopefully if you want to put that into the discussion, he got a first ball duck in Perth. And he was the first of Michael Neesa's two in a row. And Mitch Marsh had to come out and hold off the hat-trick ball with his team two down for no runs on the board. 0 4 5 7 7 3 6 7 3 6 is the text line number. Matty, why are the games in Vegas worth competition points? The games aren't even played in a proper sized dimension field. Amateur hour in my opinion, pretty hard to argue with the success I think of Vegas in week one. Sorry, year one. Dimensions, dimensions. Does it really matter if they're all playing on it? I mean, not all clubs, but those two that go over, it's what it is. So it's worth competition points. That's what needs to happen to get those leagues to go around the world. Exhibition matches are very, very different to premiership matches. Matty, the world club challenge is finished. It's a glorified trial game anyway. There's no time for it. I doubt it means a great deal to the players anyway. Get rid of it, says O.J. Thanks for that. It's 20 minutes to 11. 0 4 5 7 7 3 6 7 3 6 on the text line. Give us a buzz on the all-tell open line, 1 301 11 7. Well, the Sydney Kings have two big games this weekend. Friday down in Adelaide against the 36ers. Sunday back at home. Sunday afternoon against the cans. 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We'll cross out there to Nick Savage and get the latest and also the intriguing story already around the test scenario ahead of us for the summer. Still a lot to play out. Happens very quickly, doesn't it? 0457 73736 is our text line number or 1 300 01 170 is our open line number. So a few great points of discussion this morning. The bid is in the bin. The Western Bears plan has gone south. And we now need to know what happens next. Would you be okay with the NRL directly negotiating with the WA government? That's fine. But with a view to running a new franchise themselves. That could be the next step in all of this. So the bears part of the equation will hinge on whatever happens over there. From what we understand, they'll be part of the equation no matter how it plays out. But the current Western Bears bid from the consortium over there, headed up by Peter Cummins, is on the back burner. And it's all around the license fee and some other things as well. A license fee by the way is estimated around $15 to $20 million. Redcliffe didn't have to pay a license fee. Their license club guaranteed their long-term financial viability. So they were locked and loaded, ready to go. And if you read between the lines here, or in fact he would, and see the way that it played out, there just wasn't a connection made either with the man who's got the whip hand and all of this with Peter Valentis. So they were told, well and truly what they needed to do and they hadn't got it to that stage. So if the NRL is now directly negotiating with the WA government, that's fine. But would you as a rugby league fan be happy with the NRL running a club, a franchise themselves? As Webby pointed out in his article this morning, the NRL have seen how the Tasmanian government worked hand in hand, hand in glove with the AFL to create the devils. But the idea of an NRL owned franchise is problematic. Mostly because the game doesn't view that kind of stuff very good. It's too much distrust. So as a fan, how would you cope with that? We'd love to see, I think, a new team come in from the West. I think it adds a lot of benefit. But is the benefit outweighed by the fact that there could be a massive conflict of interest along the way? I've viewed that way with the NRL leading the way and owning that franchise. This expansion thing, just when we think it's sorted, takes a twist and another turn all the way. Snakes and ladders, as I put it this morning, seems to be the main point of the expansion game. 1-300-0-1-11-70 is the open line number. 0-4-5-7-7-3-6-7-3-6 is our text line number. Here's the new one. Welcome back to the program. We'll take you to Nick Savage from Foxport soon and get a good view on everything that's been playing out and continues to play out there at the Sheffield Shield match both at Cricket Central and around Australia as well, because as I said, there's some interesting storylines. 9-356-sanger, not out 13 and Hatcher, not out 22 at the moment. So the full-blind Richard action is coming up and quite a healthy score on the board there on Day 2. Now, there is some news which has been floating around but has now been made official at Supercars ahead of Bathurst. And it's all about 2025, so motorsport fans and sport fans generally give me your thoughts on this because what will really change next season is the introduction of a final series. That's the biggest thing that's going to happen. It is a little bit complex and it is a bit convoluted when you look at it without seeing it in action but it does lead to a pretty dramatic finish. And it always, in my opinion, also speaks to the fact that as I've mentioned time and time again here, sports around the world are looking at generating more from within. As in, what else can they do within their own competitions to satisfy fans, to satisfy sponsors, to satisfy broadcasters, to satisfy subscription pay TV broadcasters and streamers. And essentially, from the outside looking in, this is part of what supercars have done. It's a shake-up and it's a big one. And it's a bigger shake-up for the championship itself. So there will be now a mixture of sprints, traditional race distances and endurance events. So that's the on-track mix of racing, but there will be three definitive parts of the season. The first part will be a sprint cup, which goes from rounds one to eight and has 25 races. Not too much different aside from a little bit of massaging here and there, but not too much different to what we know. A sprint cup from rounds one to eight, the first 25 races of the season. Then that will move into the endurance cup, which we've had before, which this time around will operate at the bend in Adelaide, South Australia, and then go into the Bathurst 1000. Then after the Enduro cup, we will have what they're calling now the finals, which is the last seven races of the series. Now here's what happens. Once you get through the sprint part and the Enduro part of the calendar, if you're inside the top ten, you then go in to the final series. All drivers will go on, they don't drop 20 cars or 15 cars. All drivers continue racing, but only the top ten are now in the fight for the championship. So that's one of the key changes. If you are a sprint or an Enduro champion, you're automatically in there. But what we get left with is ten drivers for the finals. Now here's where it gets interesting and a little bit complex. So you go into the finals, you go up to the Gold Coast, and that's round 11 of the championship. They reset all of the championship points of those ten finalists to 3,000. So they basically will call it zero if you want, but it's 3,000. That's where they're going to go. So they will reset all of the points once they get to the Gold Coast. After the Gold Coast, you've got to be in the top seven to make sure that you are in the championship picture for the next round, which is Sandown. They will reset all the points for those top seven when they get to Sandown. And then after you get through Sandown, you've got to be in the top four on championship points. You've got to be in the top four to be in with a shot of winning the championship. Then they get to the Adelaide Grand Final. So those top four finalists all have their points reset, all start essentially from scratch. Then they'll have three races at that Grand Final, one on Friday, one on Saturday, and one on Sunday. So racing 100 Ks on Friday, 250 Ks on Saturday, 250 Ks on Sunday. And the highest points score at the end of that weekend is crowned the Repco Supercars Championship winner of 2025. So as I said, non-finalists continue racing throughout the finals, and that's probably about the only downside here, but essentially if you look at that, we do have that along the way. Say for this season, when we get to the end of this season, there will be drivers who don't have a shot at the championship. So what do you think about that? There's new tyre strategies, different compounds, all of the rest of the minutiae, if you like, behind the scenes that will is designed to try and make the racing better. And more exciting, closer, whatever. But the big shake up for me is that they've introduced here a final series. And no matter what, no matter how many races you win along the way, or do whatever you do up until the final round, there will be four finalists to slug it out. And the points reset along the way. Oh, that's a doozy, that one. An absolute doozy. So we'll be racing at the Sydney 500. That will open the championship here in Sydney on the 21st to 23rd of February. Be part of the Australian Grand Prix week going across to New Zealand, Tasmania, the Perth Super 440. So the Perth race is on, then up to Darwin, Townsville, and Ipswich, the Queensland Raceway. Then the enduros at the bend, and then Bathurst, of course, and then into the finals. Gold Coast, Sandown, and the Adelaide Grand Final, which is the street circuit. What do you make of that? Give me your thoughts. So four, five, seven, seven, three, six, seven, three, six, let's talk some more. Cricket, it's 10 minutes past 11. Nick Savage from Fox Sports is on the line. Hey, Nick. Wow, what an interesting day one across the board of Sheffield Shield. Cricket to start the season, and the Australian selectors watching very closely. But let's start with New South Wales. They're still out there, mate. Nine for pre-66. Yeah, the tail's wagging. Sanger and Hatcher put together 40 runs for this last partnership, and yeah, they're still going. So the New South Wales first inning has gone past 350 now. Yeah, the performance yesterday, it was a bit of a rain patchy kind of day to start out at Cricket Central. The performance of Sam Constis was amazing in the end. I think he's high score, just in a few games, was 57, I think, and he ends up with 152 from yesterday with Chairman of Selectors George Bailey watching. We're talking about a 19-year-old with enormous talent here. What a moment for Sam. Yeah, that's exactly right. This is a kid who was born in 2005. I think he was ready with actually born after the 2005 Ashes Theory. So he's still very early in his career. He'd only played three or four first-class matches before this, but he really looked calm and composed up there. He battled like someone who was definitely ready for first-class cricket and higher on, to be honest. He looked absolutely fantastic. Everything the South Australians threw at him at first. It was overcast conditions. As you mentioned, the ball was swinging and nipping around. He survived that, and then he really raced through the afternoon session. He went from 50 to 100 in about 56 balls or so. It was really a coming-of-age performance from him. Hope for the start of a pretty prolific season for the young right-hander. Yeah, he was part of that under-19 team in the World Cup Final, went down to India. That was just back in February. Just a very short part of his career, obviously, up until this point. It's only just getting going, but once you get your first century and then parlay that into a big one, 150, you know that you're made of the right stuff. He spoke about which was documented on the Fox Sports website. He spoke about the text exchange with Shane Watson. Getting a lot from former players and Shane Watson playing a pretty integral part here. Yeah, absolutely. What has been mentoring him quite a bit over the last couple of years, but interestingly, not so much about the technique side of things, more about the mental side of the game. A lot of people feel that test cricket is as much a mental game as a physical one. Sam's someone who certainly is up to the part. He meditates before each day of play. You see him out there in the middle between deliveries, closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing and almost resetting himself between balls. He's someone who can survive long passages of play. If he needs to bat out of the day, he can do that, which a lot of 19-year-olds can't necessarily do. Watson played a big role in that regard, but the technique is definitely there. Some of the cover drives that he produced yesterday were absolutely on point. He played one cover drive and he held the pose with the bat over his shoulder until the ball hit the fencing at Cricket Central. It was pretty special. Even when the South Australians were bumping him, he was playing pool shots with ease. He was ducking comfortably. It was just the poison control he had that stood out the most. Yeah, in cricket terms, Nick, that's like the, or in golf terms, that's like the twirl. The twirl after you've nailed a beautiful iron shot, you twirl the club in your hands. And if you've absolutely cracked a cover drive, hold the pose for as long as you can. Who knows? There might be a photographer or two out there. How much chat was there around yesterday, mate, about the intrigue? I'm sure that the focus, oh, we've just lost a wicked hatches, just been clean-bolds. So that's the end of that 366 hatches gone for 26 and dogged getting through the gate. So that's the end of the New South Wales innings. How much, or if any, was there any chatter around the position that appears to be available at the top order of the Australian Test Team here? Because the general way of thinking is Steve Smith's going to move back to four. So who's going to open with, was he? Was there any of that discussion around there? I think that's just been the discussion for about 10 months, basically, since David Warner stepped away. That's just been the intrigue around this team ever since, and probably will continue for another month or so until they make that decision. It does seem like Steve Smith will move back down the order, which a lot of people feel is a good call. But then the obvious question is, as you said, who happens the long side was in Coagia? Travis had been floated as an option, but we're about to see in the South Australian innings, he's down to about at number four, which would suggest that maybe the national selectors haven't given him a tap on the shoulder and ask him to open today. The other option is Cameron Green. So we've heard reports overnight that he has started a stress fracture in the back, which should mean he will only be available to bat for at least the start of the border gap as good trophy. When Warner was about to retire, he was someone who was counted as an option to open the batting. He hasn't done it before at first class level, so that also comes with a bit of deterrence. But another option might be minus labor shame. Batting at number three in opening is quite similar. Very often throughout his test career, minus has had to walk out in the first over. So I guess it isn't as jarring a change if he opens the batting. But if they wanted a specialist opener, then we only have to look at what's happened in the shield this week, Marcus Harris, another big score for him down at Junction Oval, whereas on the other side of the country, Cameron Bankroft got a first ball duck falling victim to Michael Neesa. Obviously, the few more weeks, the few more rounds for any decisions need to be made, which is why the shield is going to be so important over the next few weeks. Matthew Renshaw is another name I haven't mentioned if he gets run over the whack of this week. He's right in line for that too, but it really depends on what national selectors need. If they want a specialist opener, if they're happy with green occupying that role, or if they need another bowler, another bowling option, that's when Aaron Hardy and Bo Webster come into the formula as well. Yeah, and see, this is the other interesting part about the Cameron Green scenario. So with Cameron Green, if they decided to just use him as a batter, if they decided to do that, then they don't have to mess around with the 11 per se, but they would need a cover bowler there, won't they? And Michael Neesa yesterday, as you mentioned, he finished with 5 for 48, but he was on a hat trick straight up, wasn't he? Bang, bang, first ball duck for Cameron Bancroft, and he just showed the kind of form. So that brings in the other side of the 11, doesn't it? It brings into an equation, your nieces, your Scotty Barlands, all those kind of players who could do the role that Cameron Green won't be able to do with the bad back. Yeah, well, Michael Neesa is interesting because he's a very decent batter as well. He could slide in at number seven and carry go up to six, although I feel that probably leads the batting a little bit short. The other option is Mitch Marsh as that fifth bowling option. He's obviously known it a lot throughout his career, but we saw over in the UK just a few weeks ago, he bolled four overs during the Lord's ODI and then missed the last match due to a bit of soreness after that. And needless to say, if he's going to be that fifth bowler throughout the board of Gavis Controphy, he's going to be only a lot more than just four overs. So if they did need that extra bowling option and they didn't think that Marsh could do it, that is when, as you said, someone like Neesa, Aaron Hardy's been really impressive Western Australia for a number of years, and Beau Webster, who was the player of the Sheffield Shield last summer, I think he scored 900 rounds and took 20 wickets, and he'd be more than capable of that in number six if needed. And so it really does come down to Mitch Marsh. Here's the crucial part of that lineup because in a five-test campaign against India, comment hasled dark, they're going to need support from the part-timers, and if it's not going to be Mitch Marsh, that's when the selectors might bring in a bit of a smoky from somewhere around the Shield. Yeah, all right, so that's it for the New South Wales innings. So the next part of this puzzle, Nick, will be exactly perhaps around the Travis head. They've named him at number four there. So let's see how the earnings rolls out. Thanks for your time this morning. I appreciate it. Thanks so much, Ted. Nick Savage there from Fox Sports now, just in the other matches. Victoria, seven for 377, as we mentioned, Marcus Harris, 143 of 178 deliveries. Peter Hanscom also amongst the runs there with 129 for the VIX. And then over in the West, well, Western Australia, the Queensland, and despite losing the first two for nothing, they've really bounced back. So Cam Bancroft out for a duck, Jaden Goodwin out for a duck. We've got Sam Whiteman with the century there, 102 and Josh Inglis going ballistic two with 122 off 117 balls. So Western Australia first up are seven for 319 against the Queensland Bulls. And as I mentioned, our women's T20 at the World Cup had a big win over New Zealand as well. 20 past 11, 0457736, 736. A lot of feedback here around the supercars calendar, but more so around the structure. Sprint, Enduro, finals. Asa from DY says, Matty of Supercars, if that's meant to gain new viewers, they're kidding. Try to explain that to somebody. They'll lose interest after about 60 seconds, way too convoluted. Asa, I agree with you on paper, it is very convoluted. And it must have sounded convoluted when I was doing it. And believe me, mate, I simplified it as much as I can, as I could. The proof will be in the pudding, and it's interesting. I sat with Aaron Noonan as we called Sandown at Sandown, and Noonan and I were sitting there, and we were both talking about the fact that we need a final series. A realist sport has them, you know, forever in a day our final is coming up this weekend, as in motorsport, supercars, final, the big grand for whatever you want to call it. The Holy Grail is bathest. That will always remain the peak. But how do you determine the championship? And if you can throw a finals into the mix, then that's okay. I think, obviously, the proof's going to be in the pudding. And yes, it's going to be complicated along the way, but it then will become very, very simple. Four people will be left for the title race for the last round. And that's where it becomes very, very clear, and that's where it becomes head to head to head to head. And perhaps that's the interest that will gain new viewers. Thanks, Asa, back after this break. Okay, feedback lore here around the supercars situation, in particular. Matty, I don't mind them trying to shake things up a bit, says Liam, was skeptical of playoffs or finals when Nazcar started doing it a few years back, but definitely brings some more excitement to the back end of the season. Might take some time for the traditionalists of supercars to come around to the idea. It's like anything, isn't it, when you change? But at least it brings us into line with major sports. And I know that a lot of people say, well, they're only doing what Nazcar's been doing. And we're going the way of Nazcar, why wouldn't you? Dan says, Matty, what do you make of the demise of the Sakura's popularity? And is it due to the success of the Matilders? Seriously, it's an international one today, and you wouldn't even know it. It's tomorrow night against China. Is it paramount and tense folder? Is it that we don't care anymore due to the Matilders? So the Sakura's gone the way of the Wallaby says. Dan, it's a question that's been posed time and time again. And followed along the way, it's probably a mixture of all of the above, perhaps. But how much is it a demise? Winning changes everything. Restart, it's been a tough era. And Graham Arnold has stepped away, and now the reins are in Tony Popovich's hands. So I guess the next question is, I think sometimes we can look in the mirror too much. You really can look over, and I think soccer/football in this country is world champion at it. Arguing about what the problems have been, and why we've had these problems, and not focusing probably enough on how to fix those problems. So you get a sore neck by looking backwards, and you're quite often running to things that you can't see. So start focusing forward, and I know that's a positive message, but that's the way that I'd be taking it. In terms of promotion of the match, promotion of the match. That's up to the broadcaster of the match, as in those that are broadcasting it and have that responsibility, and that's up to the organization itself. Some are very good at that, and some are not. You want to be in the place that's very good at it. That's the way I'd put that down. But like I say, winning changes everything, and perhaps this is the start of a new era. I've got a feeling that the A leagues, after having a good chat with Simon Hill yesterday, and having a look at the storylines that are available to the A leagues, if they do it right, then that competition should be ready to hit the ground running. Brand new signings, some really good stars, a new team coming in. Well, we would have loved Canberra to have been in there, but at least they're taking forward steps, not backward steps. At least they're looking forward instead of doubling down on the issues. Matty Prose and Consey, the way for supercars, might cause a bit more red mist with some biff and barge thrown in. Is it guaranteeing owners and teams a bigger budget and more sponsors for repair costs? It's happening for 2025, so let's see how it pans out. Yeah, and remember, they're all trying to build here. There's another deal, TV deal around the corner from them, so they're all trying to build. They're getting all their ducks in a row and trying to make sure that it's a much more valuable proposition. It's just as simple as that. Sports entertainment, sports sport, but sports a business. And you've got to keep moving, because that side of the business where the money comes from, the real money comes from, that side of the business is moving in a massively different direction. You've got to be ahead of that curve. Here's the 11.30 news. Thank you, Vanessa, the Spring Farm Eagles, says Mat. Unfortunately, soccer broadcasting went downhill when Foxtell lost the rights. Easy to watch, you watch all channels. It was always advertised, but when it's streamed on other formats, if you're not watching those formats regularly, you don't see them advertised. Yeah, there's a fair point and all that. The same could be said for some other sports as well. Spring Farm Eagle, I think you all know my thoughts on all of that. You've got to know where it is first, and you've got to have it accessible to you. Now, the accessibility part's there. Do you want to pay for some of it? I think that's the modern world. That's what we have to do. The promotion is a huge part of it, and part of the promotion, the basic promotion is knowing where it is in the first place. Do you know how to watch the soccer ruse tomorrow night? Whereabouts? That's the thing. How much can you promote it if you don't have the right promotional platform? All of that comes into play. But, as I've said, just the Spring Farm Eagle, that's over the shoulder. Right? Maybe you learn those lessons from there, and then you move on. At some stage, you've got to move on and get on with the game. And then, meanwhile, let the players go for it. Righto, Coach K. What have you got this morning in terms of score? By the way, by the way, South Australia out there. So, Travis said, "Yes, we'll bat at number four." Connor McAnerney and Henry Hunt batting out there for South Australia as they get their innings underway. Well, Matty, it's funny you should say that because you mentioned a name Henry Hunt. Now, he's certainly in the conversation. I would think to potentially open the batting for Australia. Maybe not this summer, but in the coming future, for sure. I think he's definitely in the running to do it. Let's see if he can put up a good total today because some of the scores he's put up. And people keep mentioning his name Henry Hunt, Henry Hunt, Henry Hunt. There's no reason why he can't be in the conversation for it. Yeah, so he had an injury last year. Remember, he had a bad one and it was a facial injury. I think it was nose and jaw. And I think when people say Henry Hunt, a lot of people think that he's one of the youngsters coming through. He's 27 years of age. So, he's been in and around the system, runs the currency. In fact, I tell you how long he's been in the system. He played for Australia in the under-19. It's 2015. Wow, there we go. 2015 is 16. Yeah, it's pretty extraordinary, isn't it? He's got a bright future for sure, and he's only 27. So, when you're Bat Matty, I mean, we're talking about Smithy's 35 batting. So, you know, if you're the best of the best, you're going to go to about 34, 35, even 33. He might tap out about 32, depending. So, yeah, we'll see. We'll see how we go. Now, Victoria is the other match here. Victoria against Tasmania, right? Has he won the toss elected to bowl? And we'll have a quick look at Victoria. At the moment, we touched on Marcus Harris, 143 of 178 with the Bat. Peter Hanskem, 129 of 257. Mitchell Perry's not out, 46 of 76. Not out there. Todd Murphy, not off one. So, that was the result there, the City Power Center there in the Sheffield Shield. Now, Western Australia, 7 for 319. It stumps Western Australia. They do all right there, 319. Madi Cameron Bankroft, Golden Duck, open the batting. Sam Whiteman, 102 off 237. Joshi English, 122 off 117 there. But what about Michael Neesa, 5 for 48 with the ball? So, not a bad little work there from Michael Neesa with a ball there for Queen's Admanis. Shane Boldmitch, Swepson Boltz, they went through a whole stack of players. Dad, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, plays ball there for Queen's Land. Now, we've got an international cricket in Moulton there, English to England's tour of Pakistan, 1 for 96 England after 20 overs. We touched on it yesterday just about some of the innings there for Pakistan. Abdullah Shafik, 102 off 184. Sharma sued the captain 151 of 177. South Shaquille had 82 off 177 as well. Salman Agar, 104 off 119. So, whopping scores there for Pakistan. Thank you very much, and Zach Crawley's not out. 64 off 64 balls, and Joe Root as well, not out 32 off 54. Now, the Shanghai Masters, Madi. We spoke about it yesterday just some of the Aussies in action. Well, I can tell you it's not great news because Alexander Vukic lost to Thomas Machek from Czech Republic the 30th seed, 6-4, 6-2 Vukic lost that one. Alexi Popran up against Grigal Dimitrov. He lost that one in straight sets, 7-6-7-5 and a tiebreaker, 6-2 in the second set. So, the 20th seed, Alexander Popran, no dice. Now, today, Yannick's into the first seed up against the American Ben Shelton. That's a 3-30 PM. A few big names as well. Taylor Fritz up against Holgeroon. And then we've got Alexander Swear of the second seed up against David Goffe. Now, in the NBA, we've got a number of results here. This is the pre-season action. Jaz took on the Rockets, now Jack Macfay fresh after a championship there with the Tasmania Jack Jumpers. He had himself 8 minutes and he scored 8 points. That's in the pre-season, so just good to see now the NBA player taking the jump to the NBA. For the Charlotte Hornets, Josh Greens moved over there, 6 minutes, no points, no assists, no rebounds. It hasn't played too many minutes for them up against the Miami Heat. In that one, Josh Giddy as well, the Chicago Bulls up against the Cleveland Cavaliers. 81-79, they lead in the third quarter. Josh Giddy, we have a quick look at him. 22 minutes, so he's played a lot of minutes in this pre-season match. 11 points, 3 assists, 7 rebounds. So Josh Giddy, hopefully he's in for another big year, which will be nice, Matt. And just to the MLB as well, we go. We've got the Division Series underway. So today at 12.08 PM, we've got the Padres up against the Dodgers. Game 3 series, tied one all. Tomorrow at 6.08, the Tigers up against the Guardians. That's tomorrow morning. Game 3 series, tied one all as well. The Mets defeated the Phillies today. That was 7-2. That was game 3. So the Mets lead 2-1 against the Phillies, and they play game 4 tomorrow 2-1. And that's at 8.08 AM. So there's a lot of scores, a lot of action. And just in regards to the Soccer Ruse 2, Matti, I think it's going to be a bit of a struggle for them. We know the results haven't been great. Up against China, but the big test for them will be against Japan. Now I was speaking to Maestro, and Maestro we know is the football nothing in the office. And anything football related or soccer related, if that's how you want to call it, you speak to the great Maestro and he'll tell you who's good and who's not. So for my football knowledge, which I tend to think is pretty good after watching the EPL most of weeks and watching the highlights. But the thing that picks me most about Japan is how much they've improved and how much we've been on a bit of a decline. And I don't want to say that too harshly because it's probably not the right thing to say. But they've got so many players playing in Europe. In fact, the whole team is pretty much playing in Europe. And not only that, they're playing for teams in the Champions League who aren't necessarily strong sides and are all getting minutes on the biggest stage. A lot of them, we know about COGO for a Hashi under Antipostakogu there at Celtic. They've also got so many names, Matti. And it's so hard to rather them off, Heroki Ito for Bayern Munich, Takahiro Tomiyasu for Arsenal. So the list just goes on. And they're all playing fantastic football. So that's going to be our biggest challenge. And I just hope, because this could be a big news story the day after that game. If they get a good result and they lose say 2-1, it depends on your against China. But if they get flogged five-nil, it's just going to be so interesting to see what this new cycle will be like the day after. I think it's going to be really interesting space to watch. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. A results-driven, results-driven, right? Your man Henry Hunt, by the way, has just cracked an outstanding cover drive for off Jackie Edwards. And then next ball, Edwards is pulling on his pads and going up for a huge shout. Not out. Not out, says the umpi. Replay, probably going down leg there, but it was a sublime push to the fence. So South Australia, none for ten after 3.4 overs. You know what I don't want to do, Matti? I don't want to do an early crow, like I've done with... Oh, I think you've done it. Hang on, hang on, hang on, hang on. You just made him Australian captain. A lot of people are suggesting that that's just not me. But I've gone on to do an early crow, like I did with Harry Brooke, suggesting that he could go down as one of the great batsmen of all time. But Henry Hunt, I'll back him in, I'll back him in, not to the extent of Harry Brooke being the greatest batsmen of all time. But I do think there's a chance that we'll see Henry Hunt in the bag of green, not to do some future. You know, he's a New South Welshman. What in Cowra, I believe? Is that correct? Cowra, yeah. Well, there's probably a few plays out of that region that have done pretty well. He's still at the crease, obviously, so he's six off nine. Let's just take you through this next delivery. So last delivery of the fourth over, pitched it up, and just on the outside edge, races away. In between Point and Gully Constis is there to pick it up, sends it back in, and they get a single off that one. So, none for 11. After four overs, South Australia chasing down a big total that New South Wales put down. There you go, a bit of Sheffield Shield coverage right here on SE, and that's there. That's how we do it. There's nothing better this time of year, matey. Nothing better. Well, a lot of people miss their footy already, you know, I'm one of them, but I love my cricket. It was worth two that last, so they got two off it. So, none for 12. Right, mate, thank you. Let's take a break. The 789 on the text line says, "They say you get your baggy green with your baggy blue." Let's see how true it is with Sam Constis. Hey, that's almost into Coach K. Chronicle territory, which we'll do, of course, tomorrow. Matey, I really missed the Mercantile Cup. Mercantile mutual cup. It was so entertaining to watch on weekend, always hanging out for them to hit the sign. I wish I could bring the old, the good old days back. Yeah, thank you for that. None 15 South Australia. We are here, of course, you can call us on the AllTell Openline 1301/11/70. AllTell is your business outsourcing partner. We've been telling you about the Satsas podcast, Talk & Bull, all thanks to TJM. He explores the world of four-wheel drives, off-roading, and a whole heap of special guests going through their experiences as well. We're in Tate, Corey Parker, Paddy Dangerfield, Spider Everett. The lot are there, Brooke Hanson, Andy Bickle. Talking Bull with Scotty Sattley, you can listen on the SE&AP or wherever you get your podcast thanks to TJM. I just wanted to play you a little bit of audio here from a couple of different ways. First, from last night, of course, the Panthers with their awards night from 2024, what a celebration. That has been Isaiah, your player of the year. His Liam Martin, Clive Churchill, medalist on what's been going on since the grand final victory. What's the last few days been like for you? Ah, yeah, a bit of the well-win, you know, just soaking it all in and celebrating with the boys. It's, yeah, been fun. Has the enormity of the four premises in the row sank in yet? Probably not, no. I don't reckon, like, probably won't for a long time, like, to realise how special it is. Yeah, it's going to take a while before we sort of realise what we've accomplished. Where'd you put the medal mate? My at home locked up. I don't trust myself, so I gave it to my partner and said, "Can you take that home and put it away?" He's a smart man doing that. Imagine the blur of grand final week and then trying to coordinate things. Now, where did I put my Clive Churchill medal that day? Don't even remember where I was at, let alone where I was putting things. Last night on nine, Craig Lounds spoke about, obviously, heading towards his 31st Bathurst appearance. And the advice that Peter Brock gave him, I mean, these guys were a mentor relationship like no other. And I've spoken to Craig at length about this, and this is what he said about the advice around Bathurst. We're actually standing in an area where I struggled, you know, to go over Skyline. I was way out of whack, and it wasn't until Brock actually sat me down and then sort of told me where to guide the car, where to drive the car, where to break the car, and started to click. I'm sure you've seen the start when you made you to do half of this used field, hadn't been bored. And my co-driver, Cooper, so you never know how long your longevity is going to be in this sport, but to have it for as long as I've had and the success that I've had has been really special. Is the oldest driver in the field now lousy? It's weird to say that at 50 years of age in his co-driver, Cooper Murray, at just 23. And just that little part there about talking about where to place the car, where to put the car. When Bathurst comes around, there's a lot of mystique around Bathurst. Some people get the mountain, the aura of the mountain. How much of it is, talk, how much of it is, myth, whatever you want to call it. Why did Peter Brock get it? Why does Louncy get it? Now I've spoken to all sorts of drivers over many, many years, and they've all tried to unlock that key for Bathurst. The one that really gave me the insight into what that key is, is Craig Louncy. And that insight that you just heard there, he gave, has given to me at length for a number of times. And it's about what to do with the car on that racetrack. Take everything else out of it. Respect it just as much as you respect anywhere else. Know that every, there's danger at every turn. Know that you need a fast car or a good setup. But how do you race that racetrack? It boils it down to something very, very simple, strategically simple. And I remember having that discussion for the first time with Louncy decades ago now, and I went, hmm, okay. And he was millimeter perfect. Now a lot of things need to happen around Bathurst, and luck is one of them. Right team's one of them, the fast cars, another one. You've got to have a good co-drive, you've got to have a great strategy, you've got to make sure that there's no mistakes in pit lane. There aren't any mistakes out there. You've got to have an awareness that something could come from left, right, front, back, anywhere. The two dollar part might keep you out of it. But at the end of the day, you've got to race that racetrack better than anyone else out there. And that's one of the absolute keys that Louncy has lived by, because Brock lived by. So really good insights there from nine last night. Righto, let's take our final break. Don't forget the captain's run is coming up. We'll come back and wrap it up after this. Coming up tomorrow on the show, Nick Perkatz is going to join us from Bendix Racing. So former winner of the Bathurst 1000 won in his first crack, actually back in 2011. And this time around will be his 14th start in the Big Race, and already a couple of race wins for 2024. So a regular on this program and man who certainly knows his way around that joint as well. A couple of quick text messages to finish and a check of the score out there at Cricket Central, South Australia, none for 23. So number 23, they're chasing a very big total. Tony says, why don't they go back to production cars, capacity limited, racing will be more watchable. And people are not interested in same, same, same currently. It's rich kids only. I think the supercars category is fine as it is. They're just going to have to keep tweaking it. Certainly don't need to go all the way back there. Matty, if the team doesn't play the World Club Challenge, they don't get any prize money from winning the Grand Final. Oh, says Josh. Okay, so a penalty for not doing that. Miles has got an answer to how we fit the World Club Challenge into a condensed schedule that also includes Vegas. Let's get the Canadian professors who do the scheduling to sort out the World Club Challenge. It will be as clear as mud. Jeremy says being floated before would they be willing to have the World Club Challenge during our Magic Round? It means that all NRL clubs would play then during Magic Round. Yeah, so that's something that's sort of on the table there. Hand you over to the captain's run. We'll do it all again tomorrow morning from nine o'clock. Thanks for your company today and we'll talk again at nine. Bye for now.