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This is an ABC podcast.
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Stand by Roy and HG.
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Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, jet ski loons looking for a picnic to splash and fat tire e-bike rodeo clowns creating untold mayhem on footpaths across the nation. Our great code stands on the precipice of international sporting greatness.
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So, with soul in the shorts, feeling in the feet, and joy in the jumper, it's time to bump, it's time to thump, it's time to sink the slipper.
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Let's pull the cord on the Evan Rude two-stroke and set off for the far horizon. It's another blast of bludgeoning on the blindside with the master of midfield. Field mayhem, rampaging Roy Slavin, and the man with a fistful of bait and burly, Captain Flaphead, H.G. Nelson.
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Yes, T.F. Mutt, Cedric has been some AO, a.k.a. The Drain, torching the blindside blue paper for another week. That's certainly the familiar sound, certainly by now after 26 weeks. magical rounds of Rugby League. It might even be more than that. It might be up to 28 magical rounds of Rugby League. The Sound of the Sumpster camped in the ABC Sport Soundproof Booth or the ABC Local Radio Soundproof Booth. Take your pick. And remember, well, I think I'm counting down the days now to Dog Night Friday night here at the ABC.
01:46
And we do have a sponsor. You'll be pleased to know Rugby League Lotto Numbers is going to sponsor Dog Night on the ABC... Don't ask. I don't know how it works.
01:56
But Rugby League Lotto will be part of Dog Night. And they've moved, as you know, Rugby League Lotto often reveals the numbers for the week on this very program. All that will be moved to the Metro stations on a Friday night next year. So it's going to be dense. Dense listening. By the time you get your numbers in, you take a bet in the first, all of a sudden you're watching Vera. I mean, you can see it now.
02:19
It's just going to be wonderful. Hello Australia, HG Nelson lifting the lid on another magnificent week of consenting concussion magic.
02:27
Somebody during the week brought my attention to that phrase. That's what it's all about here, consenting concussion magic. And what an incredible week. Honestly, sport, you know, where do you start? A week when too much sport is barely enough. It's Super Saturday! Again, here on ABC Sport and ABC Local Radio.
02:45
From stumps to finish, or the other way around, from start to stumps, it's simply beyond awesome. We'll get to the matches in a minute.
02:53
But look, it'll be, by the time you pull up stumps, you'll think, bloody hell, that was fully sick. It's a TLT again. of a lifetime. Blindsiders, the AFL wildcard round was run and won. It's a brilliant release that gives the AFL a chance to top up dwindling bank balances before last year's model of legacy finals. In other words, the legacy finals have really begun already.
03:18
They don't bring anything new to it, whereas wildcard, it's magic, it's new, it's now, it's just happening.
03:25
That's the genius of the AFL, finding a brimming bucket of cash just lying around where none existed a fortnight ago. I haven't done the numbers, but I think they got about 170,000 to both wildcard games or to the two wildcard games. I'm not sure what the tickets went for, but that's, you know, do them as yourself. You know what you paid. It's just an incredible collect for the AFL. Pity the murderer, Gilliam McLaughlin, wasn't still around because I know he'd have some ideas of what to do with the money. And the results in the 2026 bag are obviously unbelievable.
03:57
Unfolding, somewhat expectedly, you know, Fremantle v Hawthorne was a bit of a surprise. An incredible win by the happy team. Dockers could only manage 5-10 on the night, whereas the Hawks ran away with it 10-12. So a 32-point win to the visitors. That's the Hawthorne team. Last night, of course, Geelong and Carlton clashed. It was okay as a match-up until halftime, and then the Cats just ran away with it. The thing to remember or highlight is 23 points from the Cats. That's a hell of an effort. I don't know what their record point number would be, but I dare say to challenge it.
04:30
I just hope somebody can flick us through that stat during the show. On the text line, 23 points. Where does that sit in a Cat record for points kicked? They kicked 14, 23, 107 points. Blues sort of did okay and then fell away in the second half, particularly 11, 8, 74, 33-point win to the Cats. And still to come... It's not finished yet, but not by a long shot. This afternoon, in the heat of Sydney, Sydney take on Brisbane. They're forecasting a big breeze and kicking with the wind may be a big advantage at the SCG.
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And then tonight, we're back at the Adelaide, up at the British Cricket Ground in the world, where the Adelaide Crows take on the Western Bulldogs. I mean, the nation is...
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licking the lips in excitement. But for now, let's get stuck into the scores of substance. The 2026 NRL season still remains a tipster's nightmare. Let's dangle the feet in the crock-infested swamps just for fun one more time. The wah and the nukes clash at Go Media last weekend produced a moment of rugby league madness when in the 12th minute, Jacob Safidi was sent off after a big hit on Luke Luolili.
05:43
Well, we may not see the representative prop from the Hunter again in action this year. I'm not sure what's been decided about this hit, but I assume some weeks on the pine. The tackle was a throwback to many fine historic moments of rugby league. An old-fashioned brain explosion is how I saw it and reported that in my media commitments, the sort that was very common in the game a few years ago when concussion wasn't the big issue it is today.
06:10
It's hard to know what Jake was trying to do. Look, maybe it was simply a technique problem or a timing problem. And look, it could happen to everyone.
06:18
Anyone. Everyone and anyone. I mean, he just rushed up out of the line, not sure what he was doing, and all of a sudden found it a head connected with the shoulder. That's how I saw it anyway. And in other big news from this match, the Cleary name, or this, yes, this match, Cleary name, found a new face as in Jet. who had a great debut for the WARS, watched by Dad, Nathan and the whole extended family. I mean, it was just a wonderful family night when Jet ran out for the WARS.
06:45
The tune in the Jet Clash, WARS 46, Nukes 32, not bad given that they played most of the match with just 12 on the park.
06:53
At Combank, the Eels got away from fifth-place Sharks.
06:57
I'm not sure what went wrong with the Sharks here, but the highlight was Coach Craig demolished the scores and stats monitor in the stands and began taking the coach's box apart with his fist. He certainly got upset when Hazelden was placed on report and, you know, he was shocked by the 7-1 penalty count against his men in the grey suits.
07:17
I mean, the final tune, the Big Easy 38, men have mulled 18.
07:22
Now, I'm not sure what's happening to Parramatta. Are they trying to become the real deal?
07:28
Or are they just having a late end of season flourish? I think they've got to take on the Dragons tomorrow. So that'd be an interesting match for almost the spoon in 2026. The result certainly dented a top four finish for the men with teeth. Anyone who'd want to punch something with a penalty count running seven at one against, I mean, anybody would take apart a monitor if that's what you're up against. from the referee. And it's easy to point out, it's easy to see the point that Craig was trying to make. And I don't want to get the ABC and in particular, you know, local radio into trouble with feathers and find myself locked up because of this comment.
08:06
But I did find the refereeing unsatisfactory.
08:10
That's all I'll say. I won't go any further. I won't name names. I don't have to. Unsatisfactory. And it's so easy to forget with the big dance up around the bend that this loss affects a lot more people, and we've made this point throughout the season, a lot more people than just the players and coaches. A referee's use of the whistle, the Acme Thunderer, affects a whole section of Sydney Australian society. Genuine Aussie families are standing behind every one of the Sharks, right across the Shire and beyond. And there are people who have forgotten in this.
08:41
There are mould specialists working 24-7, applying exit mould to all surfaces at Shark Park, getting ready for the finals. There are parking attendants, health professionals, catering staff. in the front office of their spiritual home. Let's not forget that as well. Shark Park is the spiritual home of the Cronulla Sharks. Legal teams and much, much, much more. Not forgetting all the fans and supporters. I mean, a referee carries a burden and that's the burden of being a referee. It's no easy gig. And people just have to remember that when I blow that whistle, it's more than the bloke I'm sending off involved.
09:15
It's a bigger operation. You have to wonder how often these hard-working rugby league people that I've just outlined are taken into consideration or even acknowledged when the referee blows his whistle and holds up two hands with ten fingers and points to the bin. You got the picture. Sadly, at QCB, those vibrant green shoots the Tigers had sown against the Roosters with that stunning one-point win the fortnight ago had a bucket of round-up tipped all over them when they took on the Cowboys. The finals, the Cows found two dozen while the Tigers ended up after the 80 minutes with two short of a dozen.
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I like measuring things in dozens. Very old school. Post-Tutor in front of 17,880 fans, Mildman, his coach, Marshall, that's Benji Marshall, described the refereeing in their matches outrageous. Outrageous. So we've got, I mean, that's biggest belief, isn't it? That a referee could be outrageous.
10:08
I mean, it sounds as though he's come from the fifth dimension or something and trying to learn rugby league within 30 seconds. Not sure if he's been asked to explain. No, this is Benji. Not sure if Benji's been asked to explain his position to the referees at head office. I'm not sure who's in charge of the referees. Probably a no-name standing on a mat. Anyway, speaking of egg laying, the Roosters' final tilt took a bumper-denting blast when the Finns found 26 and the Chooks could only lay a dozen. Never mind what happened last night. The Seagulls and Fozball is back for a second week on the trot at Four Pines.
10:39
The numbers that mattered. Feathered Friends, 44, St George, 10. It's a streak for Fozball. It's just incredible. And last night...
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I've mentioned it already. Another great chapter in the Book of Feuds was written when the rabbits and the fowls clashed for Joy Arrow's 100th game at Allianz.
10:57
Now, the big chook man, that's Coach Wayne, because let's face it, we haven't seen enough of his big chooks this year, but they're just there lurking around, pecking away. So the big chook man and the chook supremo, Nick Polites, began talking again after 20 years. It's a festival of football miracle. That's the rugby league miracle that is on offer today. Polites and Bennett talking at last after 20 years. Look, we might be able to unpack what made them do the no-speakers for 20 years and how they got on.
11:29
I mean, there must have been times... when they bumped into each other as social occasions, rugby league social occasions, and people might have suggested they have a drink of sparkling mineral water and they begin talking.
11:39
Ah, no, they went past all of that.
11:42
Now, that surely should take its place in the book of feuds too, that Wayne and Nick are talking again for the benefit of rugby league. I'm not sure what the latest chapter in the book of feuds is, but let's say that the rapprochement between the big two has to be part of chapter 2026. And the score, I didn't give it to you, but Rabbit's 50, Rooster's 20. Admittedly, Rooster's only played the under-18 side, if there's such a thing as the under-18 side.
12:08
They might have played, in fact, the Thoreau Butchers side.
12:11
Now, in good news from league headquarters, the NRL is talking about a wildcard. It's back on the agenda. We talked about it on the agenda. It went off the agenda. Now it's back on. Feathers have been blown away by how much cash the we's, that is the wildcard we's, generated for the AFL. He's thinking, why couldn't we have a slab of that?
12:29
Well, I understand his logic, because let's face it, one thing that Feathers knows, it's money. And the NRL is still wondering about how many teams the competition should settle on, given the three more sides will be joining the main game in the next three years. The Bludge believes that we've talked about this many times in this year, the season 2026. We think about 50 teams is the right number of NRL teams. There's so many fit Australians desperate to get involved in rugby league and the money that can be earned now is unimaginable. So 50 teams and Wednesday night...
13:01
I mean, it's back on the agenda. It's completely vacant space as far as I'm concerned. The 50-team plan would give the Riddell Cup and the Wednesday night wheeze an international flavour. I think that's what we have to do. It's international night, Wednesday night. And so teams from, say, the Super League in the UK, I mean, can I just ask, how super are they, these Super League teams? I mean, you know, it remains to be seen if they're any good at all. And they certainly, in my mind, don't tickle the super team.
13:30
you know, what would I call it, the super level by, well, any stretch of the imagination.
13:34
The teams already committed to the Riddell include, from Africa, the grunt and poke of the Durban Poison and the Kenyan Mau Mau, from Asia, Taiwanese oysters and the Biak Pythons, along with, you know, new Aussie sides, including the fiery blue-green algae from South Australia. Wait till you see them go round. They are uncompromising. And the rural and regional Anzacs, who, no surprises, were the first to put their hand up midweek. Well, midweek excitement... The word that sums it up, wow.
14:03
And in big news that's shocked the AFL community is the Collywood superstar Scott Pendlebury has headed to the Gold Coast to continue his stellar career. He's only played 4,000 matches and so he's going to keep going. Why not? And speaking of departures, kangaroo coach Clarkson has been shown the door after... by the club after a disappointing 2026. This has been described as a massive bombshell. Not so surprising to the people who had to play underneath him, according to the club officials who cannot be named.
14:33
You know, blah-de-blah-de-blah, you know the rest. Players have grown confused about Clarke's messaging.
14:40
Clarke leaves with a million-dollar payout and others have described his sacking as cruel.
14:46
He appears to have lost the room, as in just shouting at people, doesn't get you anywhere. Meanwhile, in the AFLW, the North team, that's the North Melbourne women's team, incredible run of success, unlike the men's team, which has been dogged by Clarko.
15:04
Now, so they had a win over the Western Bulldogs by 47 points in Launceston. This is North. And the W Dogs were previously undefeated, so they took down the latter leaders. This was their first loss for the season, obviously, but extends the wonderful streak by North in the AFLW. They've racked up, wait for it, 30 wins on the trot.
15:25
So it goes back, obviously, a couple of years probably to get the 30 wins. Premier League and Hull dream lives on for Socceroo Herrington, who starred in the Tigers' demolition of Man United 2-0. Hull now, surprisingly, or when I last looked, that may have changed, second on the Premiership. ladder. And so did the Sydney Marathon. 40,000 runners took to the streets of Sydney on a glorious spring day. Experts say that the Sydney Marathon course is the toughest in the world. No surprise there. I mean, it's in Australia, after all, and who am I to doubt them? But Ethiopian Adisu Gabena, a javelin thrower, tamed the layout, knocking a minute and a half of the course record, winning the men's sprint in two hours, four minutes and 42 seconds.
16:04
And the winner in Boston, New York and London, Kenya's Perez Jep, cheer, cheer, covered the course in two hours, 18 minutes and 31 seconds to take the women's title. Fit Aussies ran alongside our sporting stars, including Olympians Ash Barty, Emma McKeon and the ballet dancing boxer Harry Garside. And, uh, In a late mail, the course, the World Marathon, has World Marathon status. So it's good that they've kicked the Sydney Marathon into the top league.
16:35
NFL action next Friday at the MCG, September the 11th. I've got to admit a mistake here. I may have pointed out that it was on, I suggested it might have been on yesterday. That's wrong. If you went yesterday, you'll be able to go again, get in on the tickets you used yesterday on next Friday morning. And remember, it's an early opener for those who don't. are missing a drink at that hour of the day. Rugby union and all our wallabies were in action in Argentina. Let me just say for a start, the kids' revolution goes on. The Buttercup boys, those wonderful old gold fruit and nut men, flew the flag above the pampas and came away with a big win, 27 to 21.
17:11
And if you missed the action... You haven't. There's another test on tomorrow morning at 7. And that brings us neatly to the Chute Shield for 2026. It's Eastern Suburbs versus Warringah at Leichhardt Oval in front of the Heritage Listed Toilets of Interest today at 3.15. That's right. The Chute Shield is here at last. as flagged all those weeks ago. In the semis, East had a nail-biter against Sydney Uni, 38-31. And on the other side of the draw, Warringah far too good for Gordon, 46-19. So hard to pick East Suburbs versus Warringah today at Like Ode Oval.
17:43
Blindsiders, stand well back and let the hounds of hustle see the lure as you're welcome to ABC Spot and ABC Local Radio, a man who's passionate about Australian small business and the rugby league lotto numbers in particular. Obviously, this great Aussie contributes on the condition.
17:59
Rampaging Royce Laven, can I get the bludgeoning bunny in motion for another week by asking what highlights caught your wrench will say? 4K HD, large language model, machine learning, AI encrypted, bubble jammer!
18:10
Yes, thank you very, very much, HG Nelson. Of course, happy Rugby League, HG, to you and your family. Thanks. And happy Rugby League to all Aussies who take particular pride in the success of Aussies both locally and overseas, and are prepared to forgive those who fail as long as they gave of their best.
18:33
That's our listenership. Welcome.
18:36
Now...
18:38
Michael Archer's dream has come true. A lot of people are going to be saying, who's Michael Archer? Well, you're going to know soon. This 29-year-old primary school teacher has been offered a BBL contract with the Renegades.
18:51
Now, this is a dream come true. He had no idea. He thought he was going to be teaching for the rest of his life and was quite happy to do it and a marvellous teacher he is as well. Unfortunately, the teaching service is going to be down a chap. because he's going to be off playing with the Renegades. We wish him all the best. What a dream that is. And for all teachers, bear this in mind, that if you train, if you practice, you might just get the call.
19:22
I think the Renegades, are they red? Let's say they're red.
19:25
Aren't they a combined team? I don't know. Who knows?
19:28
It's a mystery. Let's say they're red, they're great, and we look forward to seeing Michael Archer.
19:34
I think he might be a spinner. I think he's a spinner. Okay. I think he might be a leg spinner with a terrific wrongun.
19:41
Right.
19:42
Terrific wrongun. I think he bowls all wronguns and every now and again a regular leg break.
19:48
Can I ask, is he the biggest name they've got?
19:50
Yes. Yes.
19:53
Short answer.
19:55
At least today. Other names might emerge during the week. Yeah, I understand that. But at the moment, Michael Archer is there.
20:01
Yeah, yeah.
20:02
In red.
20:02
Yeah.
20:03
Rolling the arm over.
20:04
Yeah.
20:05
Bring him on back outside the off-stop.
20:07
And every so often.
20:08
Every so often not.
20:10
Yeah.
20:10
And that's what confuses the other batters. Okay.
20:13
Now, Roger is inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame.
20:17
It was a very, very emotional night.
20:21
Mirka spoke. She spoke about all of the matches that she'd watched Roger play over the years.
20:28
Went on for a little while because she'd been watching him for the best part of 20 years and had attended every match. And she went through them all. Great memories. Great memories. There wasn't a dry eye in the room.
20:41
And I congratulated Roger through and, you know, on behalf of the listeners to The Bludge. He said he was greatly appreciative of that. Well, he didn't, but Mirka did because I relayed the message through her.
20:55
In other news, Cruz Hewitt has been seen out and about with one of Roger and Mirka's daughters.
21:03
It's a beautiful tennis story.
21:05
A tennis romance.
21:06
I don't know if it's a romance yet or whether it was just, you know, here we are at the Hall of Fame. Let's go. Cruz is here. Oh, Cruz, have you met? Da-da-da. You know, no. Do you want to go and have a cup of coffee? Sure. One thing leads to it. Who knows? But it's a beautiful story of generations.
21:24
Isn't it? It is. It's about passing on the racket.
21:27
Yeah.
21:27
You know, here's Roger and Merker have passed on their racket to their daughters and little Leighton has passed on, you know what I mean.
21:34
And how about Beck and Leighton? Beck and Leighton, yeah. Are they pleased about this? They're very happy.
21:39
Very happy indeed to see Cruz out with one of Roger and Merker's daughters. Very happy indeed. Over the moon, I heard.
21:47
Dream come true.
21:48
Dream come true.
21:50
Still on tennis, Novak Djokovic. Yeah. Bumped out of the US Open in the first round. Now, this is the first time this has happened to the... Likeable. The likeable and lovable.
22:03
Former number one.
22:05
It hasn't happened since 2006. That's 20 years.
22:10
Amazing, isn't it? Hell of a long time.
22:13
It was the heat illness that he's been getting that I think we flagged a couple of weeks ago that he gets, whenever it's hot and sweaty, he succumbs.
22:23
In trouble.
22:23
He's in trouble, yeah. And it was one of those things, I think he might have won the first two sets and then the heat stroke hit him and then he was gone.
22:33
And then he lost the next three.
22:34
Was it hot the day he was playing?
22:37
I think so. I think so. I think the Northern Hemisphere has been breaking all sorts of records when it comes to heat and lack of rain and a number of bushfires. I think they're ticking a hell of a lot of boxes there when it comes to making the place warmer.
22:55
Now, the Demon, of course, is out in the second round. Very disappointed from the Demon.
23:02
He wasn't himself. He was out of sorts. He wasn't serving well, and when he's not serving well, he doesn't play well.
23:08
And we sent him a buck-up note. We did. We did. We did.
23:12
He said he got it, but it didn't help.
23:17
We tried to buck him up with messages from large listeners. I mean, the text line was going mad. Support for... The demon. But it didn't help.
23:27
But on the other hand, wild card. And I love that word. Isn't that a word of the week? Wild card. A genuine wild card. That is Dame Sweeney. Came out of nowhere. I've never seen the kid he plays. He's an Aussie.
23:38
And he's into the third round of the US Open. A breath of fresh air. It is a breath of fresh air. He reminds me of Little Aidan in many ways. He's not large. He's not a large player. He's quite diminutive, but he moves very, very well. And in an old-fashioned way, he's got a game where...
23:56
You follow a drive or you serve to the net and put the volley away. How refreshing is that to see?
24:02
How refreshing is that? And it surprised a lot of opponents who've never had that sort of player come at them. And this is a very, very much in the Aussie tradition. He plays like Aussies play.
24:12
You mean they're like the coccaloochie kid?
24:14
They're like the coccaloochie kid, like Pat Cash, like Rosewall Hode, et cetera, et cetera. Tony Roach.
24:21
Yeah.
24:22
Rocket Rod.
24:23
Rocket Rod. You know, all of that.
24:26
Kokonakis succumbs to injury and he may have to stop playing tennis full-time now. I think that might be it for the Nazi Kokonakis, which is great. A lot of people say, did we see the best of Kokonakis? We probably did.
24:41
But on the other hand, you know, we may be saying goodbye to Kokonakis, but Nick Kyrgios has served his time and he's ready to play again, which is great news. Is he back with us? Yep, yep, yep. He served his 28 days, HG.
24:54
Oh, sorry. Yes, he had a month, yeah.
24:56
Yep, a month. Okay. Now, an odd corollary, HG, to a story we broke last week. We were speaking about Nick Kyrgios in the kitchen.
25:07
Now, we broke the story that he'd been in the kitchen and he was serving 28 days. He put his hand up. He put his hand up. I did it. Fair cop. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bloody blah. Well, Stephanakos Tsipas, this is the Greek player, wonderful player, he said he was aware of Nick being in the kitchen well before the story broke. He implied that he saw Nick in the kitchen.
25:36
What's the responsibility of a tennis player who sees somebody in the kitchen?
25:39
I don't know what to make of this. I don't know whether Nick, sorry, whether Scissor Pass should have gone to the authorities. Maybe he did go to the authorities and report Nick being in the kitchen, perhaps. But it's a fascinating part of the story, isn't it?
25:53
And why would you volunteer this information? Late, yeah. Well, three weeks after.
25:57
Three weeks after the event, yes, yes. I mean, we broke the story last Saturday.
26:02
Yeah, but we were genuine.
26:03
We were genuine. Yeah. I mean, I'm not going to reveal my sources, but I can say, and you would say as well, that it wasn't Sissipast who told us.
26:11
It was not Sissipast. Yeah, no, that's right.
26:15
Okay.
26:17
Now, very, very good news, and I think the implications here HG alerted us to last week.
26:24
Brian Toho is to be the face of Coke Zero when he joins the Pirates. Oh, get out.
26:31
I missed that.
26:33
The face of Coke Zero. That's it. That's it. And who did we say, Lou? He's with Mr. Pepsi. He's Pepsi.
26:41
Yeah. I don't think there is a Mr. Pepsi.
26:43
So you can have the face of Pepsi and the face of Coke Zero in the same team. Mixed messages.
26:49
Now, can I ask, these players are still playing in Australia next year. What are the implications for Pepsi and Coke as part of this sponsorship?
26:59
I don't know. I don't know when the sponsorship starts. Maybe it only starts once they're officially on PNG soil at Bunnings Island. Once they arrive, give them the keys to Bunnings Island, in you go, boys. Maybe that's the point at which they become the face.
27:12
So the next knock is... Hello, can I get a Pepsi? Can I get a Pepsi? Yeah, you can get a Pepsi.
27:17
Well, go next door because Brian's got some Zero if you want some Zero. Coke Zero.
27:24
Anyway, it's great news.
27:26
Now, Adam Scott, he tied for 11th in the USPGA. I think Scotty Sheffler won. I don't know whether the New South Wales or the Victorian governments are intending to try to lure Scotty Scheffler out here.
27:38
For the... To the Australian Open.
27:41
But it would be great to see Scotty Scheffler here. I mean, what a player. What a fantastic player he is.
27:47
But anyway, Adam Scott tied for 11th. I thought that was a good result, and I sent congratulations on behalf of the Bludge listeners, and he said thank you very much. Thank you very much. That was great.
27:59
Wonderful week, of course, for the greatest game of all. Darius Boyd is to be the new coach of the Maroons. Surprised you? No, it didn't surprise me, but I can think of no one better.
28:08
I mean, he really does sum up the courage, the bravery, the skill. The never say die.
28:12
The never say die and love of rugby league. And he knows where the big snakes are. He does. He knows where the big sponge cakes are. He does. The Lamingtons and all that sort of stuff.
28:20
He understands the spirit of Queensland Rugby League. Yeah, that's right. He understands that.
28:25
Yeah.
28:26
He's lived it.
28:27
He's lived it.
28:29
The other thing is, HG, that Wayne Bennett will be holding the clipboard and sitting one seat back.
28:35
So what a team that is. Right. You've got Darius and you've got Wayne behind him with the clipboard.
28:40
Now, that's just a bit of a surprise, isn't it? Because you...
28:45
Why didn't Wayne do it for other coaches?
28:47
Yeah, exactly. Well, I think there's a rainbow connection between Darius and Wayne.
28:52
Yeah. And do we know where the troops are going?
28:54
Remember Wayne brought Darius to St George, I think, when he was there.
28:58
When he went to St George, yeah. I think he and Darius have been very close for a hell of a long time. It didn't surprise me at all. Once Darius's name was mentioned, I thought I said to him, I think I said to you, is Wayne involved? And then all of a sudden Wayne is involved. Wayne is involved, yeah.
29:11
Yeah, so that made sense. And where will the Chooks stay? Are the Chooks going to go back to Brisbane or...?
29:17
Oh, his chooks. His giant chooks. His giant chooks. Yeah. As far as I know, they're still in Brisbane.
29:22
Oh, okay. Fair enough. I think. I think. They've got a – I think. I haven't heard of any rail transport bringing them down. Rabbits and chooks. Yeah, I know, mate.
29:30
Now, the Broncos are called out for poor sportsmanship, and I've been waiting for this to happen.
29:36
You may have noticed whenever people are playing at Lang Park against the Broncos that the ground announcer, Alex Glenn, I think his name might be, terrific bloke, revs up the crowd whenever there's an up and under. Whenever the Broncos put the ball in the air, he goes...
29:59
revs the crowd up and try to put off the fullback or the wingers who are trying to catch the ball. Yeah. Well, I think Melbourne Storm have had enough of that and they complained officially and now they're not allowed to do it. Right. How about flipping the bird to the… Well, that's not allowed either.
30:19
I thought that was a great addition. I thought it was a wonderful addition. This might have come from a Cronulla player. Yeah. It was wonderful, I thought. While you're being tackled, give the bird to the opposite. Yeah, why not? I'm all for that, but I'm not all for... Whoa! Make of that what you will.
30:38
Pastors Miles and Tate have made the change. They are now singularly driven to making the change in others. Have you made the change? The Church of Rugby League, make the change. This is bludging on the blindside.
30:57
I once was lost, but now I'm found.
31:07
Was I...
31:15
Are you listening to The Bludge on ABC Local Radio and ABC Smart? Now, if you want to get involved with the show, we've got a couple of ways of doing that. 0467 920 222. That's 0467 920 222. That's the text line.
31:31
You can blast away on that or go the old school way. Roy and HG at abc.net.au. And we always begin the show with The Road to Glory.
31:41
And just recapping the road to glory, the Broncos have found a bit of form late in the season and they clobbered the Bulldogs, 34 to 20.
31:49
Then the Titans fell, well, just a fraction short of the Dolphins, 24 to 20. A lot of 20s in this numbers, as you'll see. Rabbitohs, 50. Roosters, 20. Now...
32:04
This was the Jai Arrow send-off. 100th, yep. Now, it made me think, and I didn't want to rain on Jai's parade because obviously he's in a much more serious state than, say, Adam Reynolds, Coach Reynolds. But it struck me as a great opportunity for the Rabbits people to do something for – Adam Reynolds at the same time. Yeah, yeah. And I didn't want to have, you know, a big fireworks blast for Coach Reynolds, but I was just wondering if every player he's played with or against could have come down and been part of the crowd.
32:35
You mean a guard of honour.
32:36
A guard of honour, exactly. Dressed in their playing strips, if they've still got them, or borrowing a strip so they'd be Cronulla, you know, Bulldogs, et cetera.
32:44
Well, you'd have to imagine he would have played against several hundred players over the years. That's my feeling. Quite a long career.
32:50
Yeah, several hundred players. Mm-hmm.
32:53
Some of whom may not be with us, but then again they could send a family member.
32:57
Wouldn't that be great? A family member. My granddad played against you.
33:01
Yes.
33:02
Yes.
33:03
What a lovely idea. Something like that would have been a lovely gesture and not difficult to organise. No. Very simple to organise. We're not asking for you to form a band or drive monster trucks or anything like that.
33:13
Or write a musical.
33:15
Right.
33:16
You know, we're just asking people to turn up in their playing strip and form a line.
33:22
Exactly.
33:23
Two lines and he walks down the middle of it.
33:25
Perfect. Perfect. And then the other thing is.
33:27
With a bit of music in the background, you know, Teddy Swims, whatever you like.
33:31
Or Glory, Glory, I'm a Rabbit.
33:32
Or I'm a Rabbit, yeah.
33:33
Now, the other thing would be, I was just wondering if Reggie could have let him out because they'd be roughly the same size.
33:39
Yeah, they would, yeah.
33:40
Reggie the Rabbit.
33:41
Yes. Or Adam runs out as Reggie the Rabbit and takes the head off and there he is.
33:48
See, there's a bit of theatre. Yeah.
33:50
That is brilliant, Reggie the Rabbit. Now, were you disappointed that this didn't – see, I said in my opening remarks, I couldn't see any evidence of the Book of Feuds being part of this.
34:02
Well, I think probably with the Jai Arrow business, probably the Book of Feuds was put aside for the night. Yeah. And that might explain the Bennett politis rapprochement that you were talking about.
34:15
Now, does that surprise you? Yes.
34:18
I never thought they'd take that to the grave.
34:21
And I wouldn't have begrudged them that.
34:23
No.
34:23
Because they're men of principle.
34:25
They are. And they hate each other's guts. Well, up until last night.
34:30
They hated each other's guts, didn't they? I don't know what the wellspring of the hatred was.
34:33
It's to do with, and I'm no expert on this, of Wayne or roosters thinking Wayne was coming. Yes. This may be a charitable interpretation of it. The roosters thinking Wayne was coming and reneging on the deal.
34:49
So there was a bit of a wink but not perhaps a nod.
34:53
Yes. Perfect.
34:55
And Nick Politis thought the nod accompanied the wink and Wayne reckons it was just a wink and no nod. Is that it?
35:03
Well, that can start a feud. You can. Now, can I ask, as the spinoff from that, did Wayne end up at the Dragons?
35:10
Maybe he did with Darius.
35:13
Well, yeah, well, understandably. You know, Nick Politis being a man of principle, thinking, oh, God almighty, he's having a lend to me.
35:19
Yeah. You want to step outside and go on with it? Mm.
35:23
Now, so that match last night, 50, and remember, of course, the Roosters was a shadow team, really.
35:29
Yes, yes.
35:30
Then we come to today, and we call it Super Saturday for a very good reason. Look at the Super Saturday today. We've got the Warriors versus the Sea Eagles, and the Sea Eagles are going a bit better now. They are. They've had to go to New Zealand to play this match. That's at three o'clock our time.
35:44
Now, this match is vital, as is the Penrith match tomorrow, because it will determine who comes first and second in the comp. Absolutely right. Because there's only one point differential between them and they both have the same number of wins.
36:00
Now, could you imagine a team if they thought, well, we've got a better chance against the, now here I'm going to show my ignorance, the third or fourth place team of running dead in their matches? Right. Oh. See, because it's – they're cutting a shit-ass rats, as we know, rugby league teams.
36:16
Yes.
36:17
And so they'd know exactly who they were going to be playing next week in the major – That's right.
36:21
And whether they need to really play or not. Yes. Perfect. Now – So you might find the Dolphins sending out their flag team or – Well, the – Yeah. Under-18s. Yeah.
36:32
Now – Cowboys take on the Raiders at 5.30. That must be in, what is it, QCB Stadium.
36:41
All right, yeah.
36:42
And then the Sharks, the men in the grey suits, take on the Storm. Right. Storm them tomorrow. Now, they've really powdered the Storm.
36:49
They have, haven't they? Yeah.
36:51
Late in the series. Is that at Mould Park, HG? That is at Mould Park, yeah. And now, always at this time of year, because the weather in Sydney today is quite warm, I do make an APB about mould and being prepared for mould. Yes. Because the mould will really take off in this heat.
37:07
It will.
37:09
It will. And honestly, looking at the sharks... There's just been this gradual build-up over the year of mould and mould and more mould. And now the psoriasis is affecting their handling.
37:22
They've got scabs all over them. I know.
37:25
You can't tackle them without hitting the pass.
37:27
Yes, I know. I know. It's dreadful.
37:31
And Coach Fitzgibbon, I mean, he's just closed his mind to it. He refuses to train anywhere else but in mould central.
37:38
Well, he sees it as the spiritual home. I suppose. Of mould. Yes. Yes. Now, then tomorrow, this tantalising clash at – it must be down at – it might be in Wollongong, actually. Right. Dragons v. Eels. Right.
37:52
Well, Eels have hit some form.
37:53
They have. They may be hard to beat there. Yeah. And then the big one, the Panthers v. West Tigers, which, you know – Will determine the final position in the eight.
38:05
Whoever.
38:07
Well, it's going to determine where the JJ Gilton and Shield goes.
38:10
And you've got the idea that the Shield will be delivered to whoever's the winner. But, you see. They won't be able to give it to the Warriors today, even if they win. No. Because they're not sure about what the result tomorrow will be.
38:22
That's right. And the Warriors match is happening in Auckland, isn't it?
38:25
It is. So they'd have to be on standby.
38:27
So the JJ Gilton and Shield, I imagine, is at mascot at the moment.
38:30
Ready to go wherever.
38:31
Ready to go wherever it's going to be.
38:32
Yeah. Yeah. Fascinating. Fascinating.
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39:21
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39:53
Now, there's a lot of activity at league headquarters at the moment, and I'm not sure that I actually necessarily think there needs to be that much to be done. Yeah. So the rule change of when you score a try, you can choose to kick off a receive.
40:07
I hate it.
40:10
It just looks wrong.
40:11
It does. It feels wrong.
40:13
It takes certainty out of it. It takes something reassuring away from it. I mean, the thing about rugby league, it's reassuring because the rules give you certainty.
40:22
Now, it doesn't pass the pub test, does it?
40:25
It doesn't pass the pub test, no.
40:26
Now, then it comes to the problem of I notice they're floating again the idea of wild card round in the rugby league. Can I say that now that we've seen the wild card round in action, that I'm even more against it than I was originally.
40:38
You are.
40:39
And the difficulty that I have with it, can I compare and contrast the wild card in, say, the US Open or the Australian Open? This is a genuine outsider who, because there's a gap in the playing roster, is included. Yes. So genuine outsider included. Now, in the rugby league, if they start playing wild card, those clubs or those teams will have been flat out playing sudden death for weeks just to make it into the wild card. So there'll be busted ass teams coming in. Whereas what we should do is have a complete outsider.
41:11
So my suggestion is, could they consider having the Thoreau Butchers as the wild card? Yeah. Imagine the excitement. When the wildcard name is revealed, interviewing people in the street on Channel 9 News, Yannicka would go round, what do you think about the Butchers being the wildcard?
41:27
It's incredible. I can't wait.
41:29
Butchers are great. I've seen them down the road many times. I mean, it gives it a real...
41:35
Yes, a genuine wildcard.
41:37
Genuine wildcard. Yeah. Now, sure, they might get beaten 180 to nil. Doesn't matter. Exactly. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. It's a bit of fluff. Yeah. And you've got to understand none of these teams will progress very far. Sure. As I point out. Now, in the AFL, a genuine wildcard entry might be the Nouripa Tigers. Sure. Which would excite the Barossa Valleys.
41:57
Yes, it would.
41:59
And galvanised that.
41:59
Turned it into a festival, a sort of Barossa festival. We're in the wild card, you beauty. Yeah, I know. Yeah.
42:05
Now, it seems a bit sort of as though they should determine another name or come up with another name because it's not a genuine wild card. No, no. It's the last person standing sort of thing.
42:16
Yeah. But it is a way of increasing revenue, actually. Oh, no, I don't doubt that. You know, as you pointed out in your opening, the wild card brought at least two, two and a half million into the coffers of the AFL. Which gets the lot. Yeah, which gets the lot, and that's great. Yeah.
42:36
I did have a meeting with Feathers this week just over the phone because he's very, very busy. Zoom call, yeah. And we were talking about the wild card. And I said, look, Peter, if you're going to go total wild card, let's make it a wild card knockout.
42:59
So I suggested to him, HG, that teams 7 to 12. Now, we have the first six teams. They're in the finals. They're happy.
43:07
They're set. They've got the week off.
43:10
But teams 7 to 12 become part of a wildcard knockout, which I think would be very exciting and in turn bring in a hell of a lot of revenue for the rugby league. How does it work? Well, 7 would play 12, and...
43:26
And the winner of that becomes team seven in the finals.
43:30
Then eight plays 11 and nine plays 10. The winner of nine plays 10 plays the winner of eight plays 11 and that team becomes the eighth team in the final series. So it'll be a real festival.
43:45
Wow, isn't that incredible?
43:47
So you get an extra three games. And how did he respond to this? He loved the idea.
43:50
Yeah. Loved the idea. Yeah. And did he think the clubs would agree to pay?
43:55
Look, he thinks he would have to, you know, put a lot of, you know. Grease. Yeah, push a lot of arms up the back, if you know what I mean. Twist them. twist them to get it over the line. But he thinks he could, once he pointed out the amount of, oh, once I pointed out to him, the amount of revenue that could be generated. I mean, I said to him, we're looking at something like between four and 12 million.
44:21
for this genuine wildcard knockout over two to three weeks.
44:26
Yeah, yeah.
44:27
Now, I think that would be a very exciting process.
44:29
See, your content, that's what you're looking at. Yes. You're getting a lot more content from Nine. They'd be over the moon. They've done a $5 billion deal with KO and Nine and all that sort of stuff. That's right. They're getting content. I can't do the maths. No. But another month of content. Yes, that's right. Rugby league. Solid rugby league content. Genuine content. Genuine. Real. Real. None of that World Cup rubbish. That's right.
44:47
And so you're not going to have a situation where teams are sending out the kids, sending out, you know, flags, sending out under-18s to play in first grade. No. No.
44:58
making a mockery of the competition, this would be genuine, genuine competition.
45:03
You'd have something to play for right until the end. And are you thinking that there would be a trophy or something attached to the round robin that you've outlined there?
45:14
I hadn't thought of that, but what a good idea that would be. Maybe a Reynolds Cup or something like that. Reynolds?
45:20
Well, why not?
45:21
I know, why not?
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46:18
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46:35
Yes, Roy, welcome back to Bludging on the Blind Side. And obviously with the important news coming up, we have to take our talkback topic for the week. What happened last week with your stump up?
46:46
Well, last week, actually, we asked, should Coach Reynolds, that's Adam Reynolds, be honoured on grand final day? 100% yes.
46:53
Isn't that great?
46:54
Of course, 100%.
46:55
Would you like to see some of the ideas that we spoke about earlier with Coach Reynolds and the match last night?
47:01
Well, I think it's a combination of things, isn't it? I mean, he arrives being parachuted out of a helicopter, holding the game ball. That's a brilliant start. And that's a great start. And then he joins Teddy Swims where they do my way. And then all the plays he's ever played against form a guard of honour through the centre of the pitch, the paddock, and he walks waving goodbye.
47:32
Whoa, after he's done my way.
47:33
After he's done my way.
47:35
Right.
47:36
And then at halftime, he comes back, does something else. We have to determine what he's going to do.
47:42
Like up where we belong.
47:44
Well, maybe, maybe, or gives a quick kicking workshop, you know, how to do the up and under, how to do the spiral, you know, that sort of stuff. Passing, how to do the spiral pass. Oh, as the coach. Flick passes, that sort of stuff.
48:00
Then he goes off again. And at the end of the match, he comes out on the back of a tabletop truck just to say good luck.
48:07
One of the things I'd like to see with the Guard of Honour is everybody have sparklers. Yeah.
48:12
A bit lost during daytime.
48:13
No, no, it would be.
48:15
In the evening, perfect.
48:17
Yeah, you see.
48:17
If not, laser torches or something like that.
48:20
Well, the only thing that, as I understand it, the Rugby League Grand Final will be on at night unless they made a change. Yeah, right. A bit lost on me. Yep. So I think that, you know, you'd be fairly safe to see the sparklers. Sparklers would be marvellous. But just a mass sparklers is just a fantastic thing. People love that. People love that. So what's your question?
48:36
Now, this week, HG, do you support the wildcard knockout concept that we described a moment ago? Can you put a name to that? Teams 7 to 12.
48:48
Well, just wildcard knockout. It'll be wildcard knockout week. You know, so you've got Friday night dog night. Well, we've got wild card knockout week. Yeah, fair enough. Or it might be wild card knockout festival or three weeks. Depends, you know.
49:04
On how much they can squeeze. Yes. In terms of the money. Because we're only doing this because of money.
49:08
That's right. Of course, rugby league only exists for money.
49:12
And it's hard to imagine that the organisation is so busted ass that it has to require these sort of top-ups every so often.
49:18
Sure, sure. But you don't want the AFL to get ahead, do you?
49:22
No, you don't want that, man.
49:23
And that's what it looks like. They've got the wild card.
49:26
We want a wild card that's better. Bigger, longer.
49:31
More juice, bigger lemon, squeezed. You know how to get in touch.
49:36
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50:01
Okay, welcome back to Bludgeoning on the Blind Side. Look, if you want to get involved with the show, text line 0467 920 222. 0467 920 222. Or Roy and HG, this is the old style way, royandhg at abc.net.au. And Roy, the following people have...
50:20
Yeah, just on the text, as she... Now, Frank from Beecroft is saying he thinks Feathers should extend the NRL wildcard knockout to not only include 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12-placed teams, but also the first and second-placed New South Wales Cup teams.
50:39
Well, that's not a bad idea. It's not a bad idea. See, those teams.
50:42
Could I suggest as well, country, New South Wales. Well, how about. A combined country team.
50:47
Well, now we're thinking.
50:48
And maybe New South Wales police.
50:51
And how about, well, yeah.
50:52
New South Wales Police, Combined Country and the New South Wales Cup first and second.
50:57
And how about rural and regional Anzacs? I know I mentioned that. Yeah, I know you did.
51:00
Well, I'm calling that the Combined Country.
51:02
Okay, fair enough, fair enough, fair enough.
51:04
And is he – See, wouldn't that be wonderful? What a fairy tale. I mean, you get the extra five or six weeks of, you know, the Wild Cup.
51:12
High-quality rugby league.
51:13
Well, the Wild Card Knockout Festival – But then you have the possibility of perhaps, you know, New South Wales, you know, like combined country winning the grand final. I know. Well, that's all the police. All the police. I mean, imagine that.
51:32
Imagine the coup it would be. To be part of that team. Yeah, to be part of that team.
51:36
You can see the police minister coming out and accepting the trophy and, you know, great, you know. It would be wonderful. Wonderful. Wonderful. Anyway, these are just ideas we can just dream.
51:50
This comes from Mark from Eastwood.
51:53
Oh, yeah, Eastwood, yeah.
51:54
Last Sunday I was watching Channel 7's lunch break segments during the second test of the Aussies against Bangladesh. This is going back a couple of weeks. Which must be a quiet day.
52:03
Plutton for punishment, I thought.
52:06
Which featured postman Pat and Nathan Lyon quizzing a young boy and girl, both around 11 years old, with various questions about cricket. Sounds like a fascinating segment.
52:15
Well, sort of like Haynes' Unfiltered show.
52:18
Must be. Must be.
52:20
Must be. Isn't that good of the boys, Postman Pat and Nathan Lyon, to give up their time during lunch?
52:27
And what sort of questions were they?
52:28
Well, one question was, which batsman had a test average of 99.94?
52:34
Neither kid had a clue. Oh, no. Even when Postman Pat tried to prompt the kiddies to correctly answer by suggesting, Brad, Brad, they still had no idea.
52:47
Can I ask, you know, That would be a question that only a fraction of the population would be able to answer now. Whereas if you said, who's the major sponsor or which Weet-Bix cereal do you connect with cricket? Yeah. Weet-Bix, you know, that would be a much better question. Much better question, yeah. See, they're just showing a big note themselves.
53:05
Who's the new face of Coke Zero?
53:10
Is that a cricket question? No, it's not.
53:13
So that's the answer. That's the sort of question they could answer. Yeah, no. Not right now. Yeah, correct.
53:19
He says, surely it's time for compulsory Australian sporting history in schools, starting with the Don, our Dawn, Little Leighton, Shark, Nuke and Aussie Joe Buggner, just to name a few.
53:32
Yeah, but, you know, surely, to goodness, contemporary minds have to work on this. Yes. Because if you ask about the shark, then you and I have a passion for the shark because we think that Faldo blew up his brain.
53:44
Blew up his brain, yeah. Well, put in a device, a psychological device, an explosive device, yeah. Well, we know that. That's a fact.
53:53
But. But. You can't expect kids in 11-year-olds to understand that.
53:58
Yeah, I know. Because they're not interested. They're not interested. Not interested at all.
54:01
You know, you can tell them, oh, yeah, Don Bradman, every second time he walked out, he scored a century. So?
54:06
Yeah. Doesn't do anything for me. How does that help me? Yeah. Well, it doesn't, does it?
54:11
You weren't there. No.
54:14
They're more interested in the number of primary school teachers who are playing. Renegades. Renegades. Yeah.
54:22
I'm sure they're red.
54:24
That's right. I hope so.
54:25
I hope so.
54:27
Richard, because I hate green.
54:30
That was the other team, wasn't it? And they had to combine. Didn't that the story?
54:36
Yeah, it was the story, yes. Was it red and green had to combine and still come up as red?
54:42
Yeah, because they went broke.
54:43
Because they went broke and so they're going to say, oh, I don't know how it works. Isn't Stokes playing for...
54:49
Who's he playing for? He's in Adelaide. Strikers?
54:51
Adelaide. And what are they, blue? Oh, what a good question.
54:55
Are they blue? I don't know. They might be that turquoise-y colour.
55:00
Yeah, he says blue. But it's a sort of turquoise, is it?
55:02
It's on the, what I'd say, the yellow or green end of blue.
55:08
You know, it's not a vivid blue or a sky blue.
55:10
It's not electric blue.
55:13
It's a sort of teal or aquamarine or something, isn't it?
55:17
I noticed with that deal, the stumbling block seemed to be whether he'd play the whole season. Reminding you that in the Pakistan series against England recently, he retired halfway through a match. That's right. I thought that was pretty bold.
55:30
Anyway, it'd be good to see him in the, what are we calling it? In the aqua. Aqua. Teal.
55:35
Teal.
55:36
Teal.
55:37
Yeah, as in power teal.
55:38
Sure.
55:40
Now, this comes from Richard. He doesn't say where he's from. He says, oh, Richard writing from Marblehead, Massachusetts.
55:48
Oh, America.
55:48
Which he describes as the birthplace of the US Navy. I didn't know that. I think that's right. When I worked at the 4X Brewery in Milton, Brisbane some years ago, a certain melancholy was obvious at the factory on the day Carbine Stout was bottled on the tally line.
56:04
On all other days, the hard-working crew happily drank the fresh lager straight from the line. As you can imagine, this was a Philip to the hot summer days of Brisbane.
56:15
I thought this perspective might help as we assess using stout as a health strategy for all. It's also worth mentioning that at the time, workers were allowed two pots of 4X at lunch and two after the shift. Conveniently, for the thirsty workers, a colleague operated the beer tap, so there was limited tallying of the number of pots drunk at each sitting.
56:37
Well, that's consistent with... Didn't we get some news of a Victorian brewery or a South Australian brewery that had a similar idea?
56:43
You got a couple of...
56:45
a couple of bottles to have at lunchtime, a couple of pints after the...
56:50
I had no idea that that was still part of the current, you know, agreement. I'm sure it's not.
56:54
He's talking back in the day.
56:55
Oh, yeah, it must be a fair while. And his theory is that the stout made the...
56:59
I've already misunderstood that the stout... No, no, no, the stout made people more melancholy and less boisterous.
57:05
Oh, yeah.
57:07
That seemed to be his suggestion. I don't know how true that is.
57:10
I don't know. It's fascinating that people remember these things.
57:14
Because remember last week we mentioned someone said that Swan was a fighting beer.
57:20
didn't they?
57:21
They did. We didn't understand what they meant, that they thought that people wanted to step outside as soon as they had a couple.
57:27
Yeah, yeah. Unlike a stout, you're more… Yeah, passive.
57:31
You think, oh, well, let's just sit around and talk it through. Yeah, that's right. Or what's happening next?
57:38
This comes from Morgan in Dorigo. He says, upon hearing of Todd Carney and Mitchell Pearce's recent endeavours in public speaking, I began pondering ways to take their moral life lessons to a wider audience.
57:52
Yeah.
57:53
I've come up to the conclusion that either Tim Mitchum or Eddie Perfect must be enlisted to write a musical of epic proportions about the heroic journey from boof-headed tomfoolery to NRL role model redemption.
58:07
Whoa. Great singing, dancing ensemble numbers about rooting dogs and doing the bubbler and the downward spiral that ensues. It could also involve cautionary tales from other NL greats crafted into songs such as Rampage in New York, Poo in the Shoe, Walking Through the Kitchen, Disoriented in the Hallway, Hawkesbury Lobster and, of course, the club banger Fire Up Bitch.
58:35
Well, he's got a great sense of rugby league history. He has. Caught up in song titles.
58:40
Yes.
58:41
Now, that's not such a silly idea. No, it's not. The era of rugby league songs, which was popular ages ago, seems to be a lost art now.
58:51
Yeah.
58:52
Doesn't Andrew have a song written each week?
58:55
He could eat. Oh, that could be the case. Yes, I think he does. He's got a helper who does that for him. Yes, he does that specifically.
59:01
That's his job. Yeah, he writes songs about that. And I think he might have written a rugby league musical at one stage. So he may well be able to come up with...
59:11
Great songs. Great songs like that.
59:13
And I like the idea of somehow involving, you know, the history in the current musical. Yes. So, you know, some sort of lighting effect and all of a sudden you're back in the 1930s or something like that.
59:25
Well, you can do that with a musical. You can go anywhere, can't you?
59:28
You can. You don't have to.
59:29
That's what makes it modern. You know, it goes anywhere.
59:33
Yeah, true.
59:34
Now, this comes from Paul from Riverwood. The decision by the AFL to introduce this wildcard round is pure madness and greed. Greed, yeah. And it should be called out. It's madness because the teams that came 7th and 8th are no longer assured of a place in the finals, which is manifestly unfair. And it means that a team ranked as low as 10th could leapfrog into the finals by beating the 7th team. It's also greedy because the AFL is now milking the competition for another two games, making players work even harder in the finals round.
60:04
All of that's true. All of that's true. And we support those comments. We do. And I do find it... galling, even though I'm a Carlton supporter, that Carlton were able to do exactly what he's described, finish up in 10th, but then through the wildcard round, knock off the team that was 7th. Legitimately 7th. Yeah. Legitimately 7th.
60:23
Yeah.
60:23
And they must feel pretty annoyed. Dudded. Yeah. That's Melbourne Demons, of course.
60:28
Yeah. Now, this comes from Tony of the Boondal Wetlands.
60:34
Your Bludger's discussion last week on hammer throwing piqued my interest. Oh, good. In particular, the idea of having an open day for hammer throwing to promote the interest in the discipline. Also, I found absolutely fascinating the comparison between the discus as the glamour event without that chain getting in the way and the hammer as unsightly and unathletic.
60:54
The discussion got me thinking who could promote that hammer open day and who should appear on my TV screen at 6pm news last Thursday night, none other than that unathletic boxing promoter and former NRL player George Rose. He's suggesting George would be able to, if anyone was to be able to promote the hammer, George Rose could.
61:16
Yeah, and what are we thinking here?
61:19
A throw... Hmm.
61:21
A throw maybe, say, as part of a cricket event, you know, say first test at lunch today, we're going to have the heats, first heats of the 2027 hammer off. Yes, something like that. Then the whole crowd and the television coverage would see it.
61:36
Well, whenever was it appropriate. Maybe grand final day for the rugby league at halftime is a hammer off.
61:43
A round of the hammer throw.
61:44
Same with the AFL grand final, a hammer off.
61:48
And then... Anzac Day, a hammer-off. You know what I mean? It doesn't matter what the occasion is.
61:53
So people go to these events thinking, you beauty, a bit of a hammer. You beauty, the hammer's coming in.
61:59
Nathan of North Manly writes, regarding the paucity of hammer-throwing facilities nationwide and the feral pig emergency, I propose a collaboration between the CSIRO, the Australian Sports Commission, and Animal Control Technologies, the producers of Hog Gone Baits.
62:17
The task is to produce a disposable hammer throw with a metal ball replaced by a very high-density 4 or 7.25 kilogram bait.
62:28
A key issue for baiting is delivery to inaccessible areas where pigs love to congregate.
62:34
The challenge is compacting the bait material, meat or grain, such that aerodynamic drag is minimised. Australians from all walks of life, including farmers and nature lovers, could participate in deployment. Upon impact, following an 80 metre throw, the concentrated bait would explode into smaller bite-sized fragments, wiping out an entire sounder of pigs in no time.
62:55
A rollout of affected rural and regional areas would guarantee gold at the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.
63:02
Yeah, that's what the target is of this thing, of course. Of course, the hammer. You've got to have a goal. The renaissance of hammer throwing is the Brisbane Olympics.
63:10
We could become a hammer throwing bloody powerhouse.
63:12
Because, no, there didn't appear to be a bloke from Australia participating in the recent. No, hammer off. There wasn't. In Glasgow.
63:19
I was embarrassed. Didn't know where to look. I looked at you and you didn't know where to look either. I know you left. So did I.
63:26
Now, this comes from Chris from Yarrawarra.
63:30
Hiya.
63:31
When I was in years seven and eight in high school, industrial arts was a compulsory subject. Oh, you're good. Students would spend half the year doing woodwork and the other half doing metalwork.
63:40
Gee.
63:41
I remember making a paint stirrer in metalwork, which never really came in handy at all.
63:46
I'm pretty sure I made a paint stirrer in woodwork, not metalwork.
63:50
Well, a paint stirrer, it would be sort of shaped like an old-fashioned ruler with holes in it, I imagine. Correct. So the paint can move you out and get stirred. Yeah. Paint stirrer is a very useful thing to have in the house.
64:01
I felt pretty pleased when I knocked out the paint stirrer. Have you still got it aged to you? I haven't, no. I've got none of those.
64:06
Did you give it to mum and dad as a gift?
64:08
No, they weren't that interested, I've got to be honest. I'm not criticising. No?
64:12
They've got other things to do in their lives. I think I made name tags.
64:17
Whoa. Pretty progressive.
64:19
Did you do a jam stirrer?
64:21
No.
64:22
No, we did a jam stirrer.
64:23
In Woodwork did a coffee table, though. Wow, that's great. They still talk about it.
64:30
He says, I propose that all high school students should forge their own Olympic standard hammer.
64:35
as part of their industrial arts metalwork unit. Great idea. Great idea. This would enable students to learn the finer points of the hammer as they became one with their own custom-built version.
64:49
If the school would align the metalwork terms opposite the cricket season, we can just imagine the school cricket nets at lunch and recess during metalwork season.
64:58
Can I just say all for this but, again, relying on schools to do it?
65:04
Yeah.
65:05
Schools are overrun with well-meaning projects that they just don't have time for, and I don't want to add to that cue. I think we're raising the idea of hammer. We want Australians to be throwing hammers. They've got to get out there and do it themselves. Yeah, I suppose. And practice. I mean, sure, technique.
65:24
But there might be teachers listening who – Who know how to do it. Well, who do have metalwork classes.
65:30
Ah, yeah, and want a good project.
65:32
Yes, and want something that'll – what we used to call getting the kids in.
65:39
So if you sell it – Yeah. You know, we've got the hammer throw coming up for – you know, we've got the Olympics coming, hammer throwing. Hands up those who know about hammer throw.
65:49
Right. Well, here's what a hammer looks like, produce one, and we're going to build one. Oh, you beauty, sir.
65:55
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
65:56
Where do I start? Well, we're going to make a forge or something like that, or a foundry.
66:01
That'll do it. Are we? Where are we going to do that?
66:04
Out on the oval.
66:05
Yeah, we've got to get sand and stuff like that. Well, I can see where it goes.
66:08
Yeah.
66:10
So the whole term is, and then they go home, guess what we're doing? We're building a forge and a foundry. What? What?
66:19
You're what?
66:23
This comes from Max from Gwynville.
66:26
As I see it, a standard hammer is made of three components.
66:29
Ah, yeah.
66:30
A head, a wire and a grip. The process of forging and constructing a hammer from metal is clearly a barrier to participation that could easily be overcome. Rather than a foundry, if Athletics Australia could partner with a regional abattoir that is able to craft a head from discarded meat, wire from surplus tendon and a grip from bone... I believe we'll be a long way towards creating a disposable hammer that could be flung into national parks and state forests by prospective 2032 Olympians. To complete the picture, if the disposable hammer could be laced with bait and flung into areas where feral animals are present, we'd be solving two huge problems at once.
67:06
It's two letters about the same idea.
67:08
Exactly.
67:09
Isn't that incredible? It is incredible. People have really taken this subject to their heart.
67:14
Yes.
67:15
Just finally, actually, Malcolm from New Zealand has written. He says, you actually mentioned Gage Rhodes off Fremantle in a recent episode. That's right.
67:24
That's where the Magnus Cup was run.
67:26
Yep. This triggered a memory from several years ago when I visited the magnificent WA Marine Museum and saw firsthand Australia 2, the yacht which won the America's Cup, one of the greatest Aussie sporting triumphs and one which seems to be underappreciated these days. Yes. Well, you see. Well, I don't know if it is underappreciated. I mean, you've only got to mention, you know, Australia Tudor kids and their little faces light up.
67:55
I think of John Bertrand and the Winkiel.
67:57
John Bertrand, yeah. Ben Lexan. The Lexan and the Custer. Yeah, the whole story. They love it. Yeah, they love it. Remember, I think they lost three races in a row and had to win the four in a row to get it and they didn't. Yeah, that's right. The drama. Had that drama of getting a spanner from Bunnings and going down and rising off the old mug, as it's called. That's right.
68:17
Just so many great moments.
68:19
Yeah. And Hawkey coming out. That's right.
68:21
Anyone who sacks the worker today is a bum. I mean, it's brilliant. Brilliant. I think they made a movie about it, didn't they?
68:27
They would have. How about a musical?
68:29
Ah.
68:30
That's your 10 o'clock number. Anybody who sacks the worker today is a bum.
68:34
And I thank all correspondents.
68:37
Chrome Domes and Leap Nerds. A heads up on the audio book, I Ran the Shamrocks, The Reg Duff Story. It is now available as a zigzag audio book. This chart topper is read by Walkley winner and super chook Wayne Bennett. The head rabbit unleashes all the drama of Duffster's incredible life. Reg changed the way we play the greatest game of all. And the Duff story has been described by League Supremo Feathers Volandis as 850 pages of rugby league brilliance.
69:16
Roy, I mentioned the NFL coming to the MCG next Friday morning.
69:21
Mm-hmm.
69:22
And this has sort of got a ricochet knock-on effect concerning the AFL finals. Now, they've avoided a lot of problems with obviously putting the NFL on Friday morning and having to play matches on the weekend because of the way the matches fell out. And so they don't have to turn the ground around. This is the MCG around so I can have an NFL match on on Friday morning and an AFL match on Saturday. I think that's right that they've avoided that problem. But to get over this problem, You know, you're always thinking Eddie Maguire has come up with this idea of a fortnight separation after the Rugby League final for the AFL final so as they don't collide with each other, which is one of the knock-on effects of what might happen.
70:12
So he's looking for a little bit of clear air.
70:14
Clear air from the NRL to the AFL. At the moment, they're blending together.
70:19
Well, we used to enjoy it when they were on the same weekend.
70:21
Sadly, we did. The Festival of the Boot.
70:23
Festival of the Boot.
70:23
Now, what he's come up with is the second week in October, the end of the second week in October, I think there's a holiday Monday.
70:30
Mm-hmm.
70:31
At the start of October. Rugby league at the moment on the Sunday. And his idea is to have the brown love on one night, have a ball on another night, have a dinner on the next night, have a parade and the holiday and then the grand final on the Saturday. So it's a whole festival of football. What a lovely idea. And you'd set up, you know.
70:52
So the weekend, they have a weekend off to prepare for the grand final.
70:55
Yes, that's right. Jumping castle and that for the kids and being able to go down and meet the fans and all that sort of thing.
71:01
Yes. So the parade through the streets of Melbourne, that would be part of the build-up?
71:07
It would. It would.
71:08
Yep.
71:09
And then, you know, a lot of events associated with it, media coverage of the teams and, you know. Yes. Umpires and what's being talked about and stuff like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And, you know, the whole attendant thing spread out over a much longer period and therefore enjoyed by, and as you point out, given clear air.
71:27
Yep, yep. Do you think that could work? Well, it could work, actually. It's just often these things you think, oh, yeah, great, when you first hear of them. But when you drill down a little bit, you've got to think about what it's going to be like for the players in the competing teams on grand final day. Yeah, no, that's a very good point. So...
71:48
Are they allowed to be distracted by, you know, sitting on the back of a truck being driven through the streets of Melbourne? Are they going to be allowed to go to the ball? Are they allowed to – you see what I mean? Yeah, I understand. Suddenly they're not allowed to go to all of the celebratory things. That are put on – because they're – of them. Yes. Because of them. Because of them. Yeah. Yeah. So that's where it falls down. It denies them the ability to enjoy what everyone else is allowed to enjoy.
72:14
Why should they be denied? Yeah. Yeah, why should they be tonight? And then this travel, for instance, if it was Brisbane, this thing strikes me as very Melbourne-centric. That is. You know, the Brownlow in Melbourne, the parade in Melbourne.
72:25
Yes.
72:26
The dinner in Melbourne. Yeah. The celebrated elector in Melbourne. Yep.
72:30
And the other thing is, actually, I mean, it's a bit like the, you know, kick-off after a try rule. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
72:38
I know. I know.
72:40
It's working well, isn't it? That was a desperate attempt to get relevance, wasn't it?
72:44
Wasn't it ever. No.
72:46
Now, I'm just wondering if – Madness. I'm just wondering if – is that we're sort of going to run into problems also this year. So if you decided, oh, we'd have the clear air, the Eddie Maguire clear air, that you run straight slap bang into the World Rugby League Cup.
73:06
Or the spring carnival, the racing spring carnival. Yes. I'm not sure which day.
73:09
And the head's always going to be pulled, isn't it?
73:11
It is. It is. Whatever you go. Whatever. And the Everest, which Volandis has some sort of involvement with, would be run, I think, on the second Saturday in October. Don't quote me on that. I think that's right. So this is exactly the same weekend as your festival of football.
73:27
And remember, no matter when you put on the AFL grand final, Volandis is going to do something to pull the head.
73:36
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74:07
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74:46
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74:59
Some remarkable news is just lobbed on our desk here.
75:02
Yeah, look, somebody's let us know on the text, actually. They didn't name, give themselves a name, but Woolworths have a special at the moment on four kilogram hammers, meeting IAAF specifications for open women's competitions. For $91.80, you can buy a hammer at Woolworths. Now, would that be online, Dave? It's not in the store, is it?
75:27
Could be. It could be. Have a look around.
75:30
Ask your local Woolworths. Right. What part of the shop would it be in? The sporting goods. The sporting goods part.
75:35
Oh, that'd be Big W, not Woolworths. This says Woolworths.
75:40
Ah, yeah, yeah. It might be Big W. You might be right.
75:42
So you can get your gourmet tomatoes plus a hammer plus some milk.
75:46
Oh, well, that would be magnificent. Fantastic. And I tell you what, that hammer is tax deductible.
75:52
If you're a registered athlete, yeah.
75:54
Yeah, no, I understand that. It goes without saying and have to throw professionally.
75:58
Throwing professionally, exactly, yeah. Now. Yeah, it's part of your work.
76:03
Now, do you think in any way our discussion of the great fun of hammer throwing and encouraging schools to get involved and, you know.
76:13
Well, someone at Woolworths has sat up and taken notice. Thanks very much.
76:16
Haven't they?
76:18
I mean, a lot of people bag Woolworths and Coles and what have you and IGA and what have you. I don't. I don't.
76:27
I don't.
76:29
Someone, obviously, one of the executives has listened to the program and, you know, phoned through and got suppliers and found that there is a market there for hammers, at least for the women's competition. Yeah. There's no mention of the men's hammer, which might be seven and a half kilos, something like that. I'm not sure. I stand corrected.
76:50
The one great thing about this, what a load it takes off schools. Yes.
76:55
You know, and I just hope that it's – The school's going to be run over with kids coming in, parents, medicine parents. Are you teaching hammers? My kid wants a hammer.
77:03
Yeah, that's right. My kid wants to learn hammer throwing.
77:06
Yes.
77:06
And wants to be involved in the Brisbane Olympics.
77:08
Yes.
77:09
Now, the one thing is I just hope it's a fully – Safety, correct standard hammer.
77:17
I'd hate to think... Well, woolists aren't going to buy anything shonky, are they?
77:21
I mean, it's not going to be... Well, I don't know. Look, I don't want to talk down overseas nations, but I'd like to think that they're locally produced.
77:33
Locally produced hammers, a selling point.
77:36
Yes. Made in Australia.
77:38
Yeah, no frayed cords here. Yes. And a beautiful grip on the handle.
77:42
Yeah, built for us in conditions.
77:45
That's what you want, isn't it? It is, it is, it is. A hammer that feels home in this environment, not something from overseas that's going to look weird and probably break or probably the head will come off and kill someone.
77:58
You don't want that.
78:00
Do we?
78:01
What a fascinating case that would be. Wouldn't it? The responsibility. Remember that old one about golfers hitting balls that go into the traffic and stuff like that?
78:11
I don't know how you get insurance.
78:13
For hammer throwing.
78:14
For hammer throwing.
78:16
Maybe you would have to get insurance. Now.
78:20
Yeah, well, just leave that there for parents whose kids are already in the queue at the moment at Woolworths for their hammers. Just make sure in the fine print that it's A, it's Aussie made, B, it's built for Aussie conditions, and C, their head's not going to come off and kill someone.
78:39
It's called a Kasna throwing hammer, HG. It's four kilograms, $91.80.
78:45
Would you say it was an entry-level hammer? No.
78:47
Yeah, I would. It looks pretty good. It's yellow, HG.
78:51
Yellow. So you can find it easily. Yeah. It's sold and shipped by – shipped, I don't like that – by Kasner Sports, which suggests it might be built overseas. Well, I don't like that.
79:08
Anyway.
79:08
That's a great bit of information.
79:10
Yes, it is.
79:11
Now – Albany Golf Course doesn't come up often in our chat, but there's been a remarkable problem which has highlighted feral animals again. Now, you and I often talk about feral animals and what we can do about them and how we can get...
79:31
take our nation back. Can I use that term? Take our nation back from the feral animals. Sure. Well, plague proportion of feral rabbits invading one of Western Australia's premier golf courses are highlighting widening gaps in Australia's feral animal control measures. Now, apropos of the hammer throw into the scrub where the bait is in the hammer that is disseminated once the hammer lands and spread around. Yeah. So it's wild animals, feral animals.
80:02
Feral animals. Have a chew and then leave the planet. Hmm.
80:07
is something that the Albany Golf Course, which is about 450 kilometres south of Perth, it's the home of the state's oldest golf club, and last year was named one of the top 100 golf courses in the country.
80:20
I didn't know that.
80:22
I didn't know that. I do love Albany.
80:27
I think we walk that course a lot. We did.
80:29
We did. And Albany's the place where Diggs, when they set off for the First World War, was the last bit of Australia they saw.
80:36
That's exactly right.
80:37
And I think it was the first place where Anzac Day was held. Okay.
80:41
I could be wrong about that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Certainly of historical significance, Albany.
80:47
unbelievably had a whaling station.
80:49
It's a bit of a drive, but worth it. It's a lovely drive from Perth. Terrific part of the west coast.
80:54
Now, general manager of this course, Danny Norcott, said the damage caused by rabbits was highly visible and repairs were costing him hours in staff time. I bet.
81:06
Now, one of the problems is you walk the course and all of a sudden you're up to your waist in sand because you've stepped into a rabbit hole. That's right.
81:14
Oh, it can be a death trap. Absolute death trap, yeah. I mean, you can break your leg, stepping into a hole. Next thing you know, your leg's snapped at the bottom. I mean, it's horrible.
81:24
Yeah. I mean, there's enough injuries in golfers that is. Exactly. Getting run over by a golf buggy and all that sort of stuff.
81:29
Yeah, with a ball hitting you in the back of the head from, you know, I mean, these things happen.
81:34
Now, without doubt, this is definitely the most rabbits we've ever seen. They've doubled, if not tripled, in the last two years. They dig all over the course. Now, the City of Albany Reserves Manager, Jackie Freeman, said the Khaleesi virus and myxomatosis were being used to control rabbits in the city areas where they were causing environmental damage. Now, but Mr Northcott said the controls were losing their effectiveness. Yeah. And we've talked about this on this very program, forcing him to explore alternatives, including shooting.
82:07
Yeah.
82:08
So.
82:09
Well, see, the other thing is actually you're watering the greens.
82:14
That's the big problem.
82:14
And that's a big lure for the rabbits.
82:16
The green grass.
82:17
Yeah, and soft ground to. To dig in. To dig in.
82:20
Yeah.
82:21
Maybe we have to develop golf like in Lightning Ridge where it's played on a bone-dry course. Sure. And sure, you can hit the ball miles because it just skids off everything.
82:31
Yeah.
82:31
And, you know, it's a very impressive thing if you bring an average driving skill there. You can really capitalise.
82:37
Well, the par five there is nearly eight kilometres long, isn't it?
82:42
Now, Mr Northcott said that shooters, including Cooper Daniels, he's trying to get them to involved – He used to, Cooper Daniels used to go out and maybe shoot three or four. Now he's up to shooting 10, 8, 10, 12 without any effort at all. But he's got to get into the hundreds, doesn't he, to get this thing under control? I think so.
83:07
That's just scratching the surface, isn't it?
83:09
A few of the farms I go out have massive crops and you see acres of land getting destroyed by them.
83:14
Yep.
83:16
Now, where do we go to this?
83:18
We'll see, Khaleesi's starting to wear off, isn't it? It is. In the same way mixed potasus food. Just wore off ages ago. Just wore off, yeah.
83:24
Now, but shooting will never wear off.
83:26
No.
83:26
But they don't mention the baiting.
83:29
And I'm just wondering if the Ivanhoe Baiting Centre needs to make their research available to the people in Albany.
83:36
Albany, yeah.
83:37
Because that would really help, I think.
83:39
Well, Albany would have its baiting community. They're very quiet people and you've just got to maybe go to one of the pubs and just say, you know, I'm interested in baiting.
83:50
And they'll say, oh, we'll go and see Norm.
83:53
Yeah, Norm. Yeah. Norm's been doing great things with DDT.
83:57
G'day, Norm. How are you there, mate? What are you doing? I'm just working up a bit of a bane.
84:01
Listen, mate, we've got a few problems with the rabbits. You got anything there?
84:04
Yes, sure. I've got something for you. You know what I mean?
84:08
And off it goes. Away goes. Yeah. And often they'll keep their potions to themselves.
84:13
Fair enough. I know, because they don't want to get – firstly, they don't want it to lose its potency. That's it. Because as soon as they put it in – remember how that, I think, Khaleesi virus escaped from an island?
84:23
That's right.
84:23
That they were testing it on. Yeah. And all of a sudden, somebody brought it back to the mainland. Everybody threw their hands in the air and said, that's the last thing we wanted to have happen.
84:31
Exactly.
84:31
Because now, of course, rabbits are wise to it. Rabbits love it. They look forward to it.
84:36
Yeah, that's right. I mean, there they are. Big grins on their faces. More Khaleesi, please. Yeah.
84:41
Now, he's got, well, people just really are very disappointed with the way this is turning out. And then, of course, what can we do? One thing that worries me about shooting is let's say you had a .22 and you're shooting, who would pay for the bullets? I know.
84:58
I know. Can you get a government subsidy at all if you're using the bullets for a good purpose? No.
85:06
So you'd have to take, I don't know, a tailback cut from the carcass and, you know, take it into the local council who would then reimburse you for your bullets. I suppose so, something like that, yeah.
85:21
Yeah. You'd need some sort of bureaucratic infrastructure to cover that.
85:25
Now, can I ask, why isn't rabbit on the menu?
85:31
What are we doing here? Are we shy of rabbits? Because let's face it, the rabbits, as in the South Sydney rabbits, they take their name from the idea that at one point they walked the suburbs of South Sydney busting rabbits. Selling rabbits. Yeah, and selling rabbits and collecting rabbits and knocking them on the head. Sure.
85:49
Sure, selling the pelts.
85:51
Yeah, to make hats, I think.
85:53
Yeah, that's right.
85:54
Yeah, that's right.
85:55
The Acubra, I think, quite famously is made using rabbit pelts.
86:00
Now, it's a magnificent eating. There's plenty of recipes. Well, it's up to restaurants as well.
86:04
I mean, how many chefs are putting their hand up and saying, come and get your rabbit here? We've got a beautiful rabbit pie, rabbit stew. I mean, I love rabbit. You know, if it's not overcooked, it can be a little bit stringy if you're not careful. It's got to be cooked properly. But some of these chefs are wonderful and they should be selling rabbit. And they should be encouraging people to go out and catch some rabbits and bring them in to be cooked.
86:25
Yeah. And now, if we're worried about affordability and the cost of living, surely we've got a natural source of good protein just running around. increasing in numbers and causing mayhem on golf courses and crops and all that sort of stuff which would be able to help us feed each other if the crops were allowed to grow to their maturity.
86:43
Sure. Sure. Yes. Well, I think as we've said on this program in the past, actually, it's got to be multi-pronged, hasn't it?
86:51
It does.
86:51
Multi-pronged. I mean, catch them with ferrets and nets. That's great and it works.
86:59
Bait them. Sure, that works.
87:02
Shoot them?
87:03
That works?
87:05
I mean, you've got to employ everything in your armory and you've got to have a lot of arrows in your quiver.
87:12
Yeah. And what worries me is that these rabbits seem to be coming closer and closer to where, say, people live.
87:19
Where we want to have fun. Yeah, fun. Golf courses. They're destroying our fun. Yeah.
87:24
Aren't they? As much as, you know, destroying the environment and making life difficult for, you know, native species.
87:30
Regulation and stuff like that. Oh, yes, that's another thing.
87:33
That's another thing.
87:35
Yeah, I don't know where's it going to end. I mean, we've got – and that's just the beginning of the feral animal problem. We've got fire ants on the bottom end and camels on the top end.
87:44
I know.
87:45
I know. And nobody's talking about it but us. Yeah.
87:50
The Las Vegas Church of Rugby League has secured a month's residency for former Australian strongman, ScoMo, next March. In weekly sprays, the Mo will take us his themes, the miracle of the five jobs, the sermon of the shark, and the night at Ingridine Mecca's that changed his life forever.
88:11
Dates and times available from Bludging on the Blind Side.
88:17
Actually, you can get a seven kilo hammer through Woolworths for $3,153.50.
88:26
That seems like a steal at that price.
88:29
It does, doesn't it? Gee, it looks good in gold.
88:32
Is it painted gold?
88:34
Probably.
88:35
Yeah, it can't be solid gold.
88:36
It can't be solid gold because then it'd be worth half a million dollars.
88:40
Yeah. But what a great thing to turn up with a gold hammer. Imagine in the schoolyard. Yes. I think you'd have to have the act to go with it though, wouldn't you? You'd have to be able to throw it.
88:51
Yeah, that's right.
88:53
That's right.
88:54
And yeah, avoid hitting cars in the car park because teachers don't like that.
88:59
Teachers wouldn't like that.
89:00
A hammer coming through the windscreen. The windscreen.
89:04
I'm not sure what to suggest, really.
89:06
Anyway, for those interested in purchasing a hammer, however, just go to Woolworths. Yeah. I don't know if Coles are doing the same or IGA. Don't know. Let's assume they are.
89:16
Yeah. Okay.
89:18
Now, one story that's been lurking is this attempt to...
89:23
tidy up the media with regard rugby league and get everybody on the same page. And there's been one casualty in this is that Brayton Astor does a tremendous show on, it might be NRL 360. He's the host and he guides you through the issues of the week and so on.
89:39
Yeah.
89:39
He's had to stop being an agent because he's a rugby league agent because he feels that and the rugby league feels that there's a conflict of interest. Mm-hmm. He can't represent the game on NRL 360 fully because he's got some people who would be participating in the decisions that are made by the NRL and he would have to defend them or prosecute them as best as he could.
90:03
But surely Braith can separate his role as an agent from that as TV presenter.
90:08
He's a modern person. Yes. Remember, of course, he practised saying, hello, welcome to NRL 360 in the mirror. Yes. That's right. Long before he started on television. And that work paid off. It has. It's incredible. Yes. And he looks the part as well. He does. You don't think this person has got a conflict of interest. No. He's often in a suit, whereas the others just turn up in T-shirts. Sure. Don't turn up at all. But his partner, and this sort of surprises me, his partner in the business, they used to camera, they're stable included, Cameron Munster, Lachlan Elias, Willie Peters, Jonah Pezet, and Jesse Southwell.
90:41
Mm-hmm. He's planned to step aside leaving the work to his partner, Justin Keynes. Right. Now, he's just said...
90:49
It's just a faux separation, meaning they're in the office there. You know, how's, you know, Justin, you know, how's Lockie Elias going? Where's he playing this week? How'd he go last week? Do you think we should be doing something about him? A bit more training in the, you know, in ball security or stuff like that? I mean, how does he distinguish between one job and the other?
91:11
Yeah. Well, I guess the rugby league is just interested in the perception of, Aren't they?
91:21
I mean, I assume the business model that Braith has regarding, with his partner and regarding player management, that is going to carry on unchanged.
91:33
It is. Yeah, that's right.
91:34
Unchanged. But when push came to shove, if anyone was going to go up to Braith and say, are you player management? He could say, well, in all honesty, I'm not.
91:43
No, you'll have to speak to my partner.
91:45
You'll have to speak to my partner, yeah, yeah. And that's the perception that rugby league wants to maintain. Sure, it could look to the cynic a fiction.
91:57
Couldn't it? No, I agree. Just the cynics. Just the cynics. Yeah, that's right. I mean, I don't want to be... No, we're not cynics. No, I don't want to be accused of cynics here. No, no. I'm genuinely interested in the issue. Exactly. And we've got to accept in good faith that Braith is doing the right thing. Can I say that I always thought this rule was introduced to curtail the activities of Mr Guthrie Goole. All right.
92:23
Well, where's the conflict of interest with Gus?
92:25
Well, of course. Thanks very much. See? But, you see, people would accuse me of being cynical. Yeah, that's right. That I don't see the contradictions. Well, there are none. No. He talks about rugby league on the television and he manages the Bulldogs. Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs, yes. Who have a very disappointing end to their season.
92:43
Well, a dreadful season.
92:45
Dreadful season. So they'd be looking for some new players.
92:48
But if you were to approach Gus and say, oh, Gus, you know, the Bulldogs, they've been really rubbish since you've taken over, he'd be the first to agree. Yeah, right.
93:00
That's true. You know, as the commentator on Channel 9, because he can separate himself from his work at the Bulldogs.
93:10
Yeah, of course. At the kennel. I mean, he can.
93:12
I've never heard him talk. And be absolutely professional and say, yes, you know, Canterbury Bankstand Bulldogs, they've been poorly managed, they're rubbish, and someone's got to look into it.
93:20
And I blame myself. And I blame myself. And I'll be writing the report. Yes.
93:27
Look, the other thing here is, is that...
93:30
I don't think that I can recall any talking up on Channel 9 which has affected the value of a player or where a player plays or whether he gets off from, you know, going up to the tribunal or whatever it is or any of that at all. Well, take the Lockie Galvin case.
93:46
There he was, West Tigers, going very, very well.
93:48
Yeah. And everyone said to Gus, Gus, would the Bulldogs be interested in Lockie Galvin? No, not at all. Yeah. No, not at all.
93:57
What about Lachie Galvin, Gus? He's great, isn't he? He's all right.
94:03
Next thing you know, Bulldogs have bought him. Yeah. Gus, what do you think of Lachie Galvin? He's a great player.
94:11
He's going to be a great bulldog.
94:13
Yeah. Our best bulldog.
94:15
And everyone accepts that. Yeah.
94:17
Yeah.
94:17
That's fine. That's just Gus. And that's why people, you know, tune in to watch Gus, see what Gus might be doing or not doing. Let's see how Gus is tying himself in knots this week. Yeah.
94:30
But then the cynics come in and say, well, you know, it was bleeding obvious what Gus was up to. No, it's not. You have to take rugby league commentators in particular. In good faith. Exactly. Gus is acting in good faith, isn't he? He wants the best for the dogs. He wants the best for the dogs. That's right. And he's not a politician. No, he's not.
94:50
He's just a rugby league commentator doing his best for the dogs.
94:53
And so I don't see what Braith is up in arms about here.
94:57
But is anyone suggesting Braith is up in arms? He's not saying fair cough or anything like that. That's true.
95:01
He's just saying in terms of rugby league perception, I am prepared to walk alone. Yeah, and do the right thing.
95:07
And do the right thing and let my mate do the managing.
95:11
Of the blaze.
95:11
Wink, wink.
95:12
Yeah, nod.
95:13
Nod.
95:15
Now.
95:17
bludgeoning on the blind side, battles on through the Rugby League finals and we'll be here until... Is the Rugby League doing anything for Father's Day tomorrow?
95:26
I assume they are. It's going to be a Father's Day special tomorrow, is it?
95:28
It's a Father's Day special. All dads are in free. All dads are in free. That's what I heard.
95:35
So dads, enjoy the big day tomorrow.
95:37
And you don't have to have proof. You've just got to put your hand up and say, if they ask you, what are you doing, mate? Oh, I want to get in free. Why is that? Because I'm a dad. Have you got any kids here? No.
95:48
Okay, in you go.
95:50
And dads, if you want to make a sponge, get up early and do it.
95:54
That's it for the bludge for this week. We'll see you next week with more of the same and, well, when bludging on the blind side returns, week one of the finals in NRL 2026.
96:04
Bye now.
96:09
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