There's no Group Three matches this weekend, so today's segment also looks at the opening month of the rain-interrupted competition, with Bridgie opining that at this early stage Old Bar and Port Sharks are the likely grand finalists. While the Bulls haven't won a game as yet, he thinks Taree City can still sneak into the top five.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 And good afternoon and welcome to On the Bench and what has been an awful week for NSW rugby
00:08 league supporters.
00:09 Gary will talk about the state of origin a little bit later on but not a great weekend
00:14 but anyway not a great week but for the two of us today back to basics today Gary Bridge
00:19 and myself because there's no footballing group through this weekend so we decided not
00:23 to burn any coaches and we'll just talk between ourselves Bridgie.
00:26 Two things before we start, I'm back on the bench, finally I'm sitting on the bench and
00:32 I've got the NSW Burnie, but has not been a very good week for NSW has it?
00:39 So we'll take that off and we'll give the Mark Hughes Foundation a bit of a plug because
00:44 they're around is next weekend, it'll be I think it'll be 10 years since they started
00:48 the foundation and you know it's well supported and he's doing a great job to try and raise
00:55 awareness.
00:56 So at least I'm not a loser with the Mark Hughes Foundation burning on me.
01:03 And of course On the Bench is sponsored by our great friends Classic Designer Jewels
01:08 and we're again of course back home at the Tenya Bridge studio.
01:12 The Manning Hotel, Olvard Tavern, player of the week, we're actually going a little bit
01:17 left field here, this player didn't actually play last week because he had the week off
01:21 because of the washed out game, but Tarry City front row Matt Torbay, he played his
01:27 200th game for the Bulls the week before against McLeod Valley.
01:30 Gary you've coached Matt of course, he's been a good worker at the club hasn't he?
01:33 Yeah, right through his juniors I coach Matty.
01:35 He's a real good bloke, lovely fella and you know he's loyal and loves his footy and he
01:44 likes to sit down and have a couple of little drinks with him occasionally when we run into
01:49 each other and he's a good bloke and well deserved.
01:52 200 games, that's loyalty to a club isn't it?
01:56 And it hasn't been what you'd call a great era for the club, they haven't had a lot of
01:59 success in that time but folks like him and the Northern Twins have stuck through some
02:05 more lean times and good times I think it's fair to say.
02:08 Yeah that's true and he goes through those things but I think they love each other's
02:13 company and they love playing together and playing in a team environment.
02:17 So yeah, great, good on him and I might shoot up there with him and help him spend it.
02:23 Yeah well why not, whatever they do with it is their own business.
02:28 He might take his wife for lunch, that's what I'd do if I had a wife and got hungry.
02:34 And you'd have to get the pie with the match first.
02:36 Yeah I could give myself that I guess.
02:38 Aren't you a winger?
02:39 I used to be, 40 years ago.
02:41 Anyway, no footy this weekend as I said which is a bit surprising given the number of matches
02:46 have been called off this year, there's a bit of a backlog of games, we'll talk about
02:49 that a bit later too but after a month of footy gaga I think it's fair to say Old Bar
02:53 and Port Sharks are looming as the size to beat a potential grand finalist.
02:57 Yeah, I was out there, I watched the Tahrir last couple of weeks and they've been in every
03:04 game up until sort of half time and then something happens, they're not fit enough or something
03:09 but they should have had a pre-season but obviously comp started a bit later so it might
03:13 have been.
03:14 Well mate, at the moment Old Bar have a big chance of going back to back and Port Sharks,
03:21 I haven't actually seen them play yet but obviously they must have some more ability
03:26 than at the same time as they had last year.
03:28 Yeah and I haven't seen them play either but they're winning games, that's all you've got
03:32 to do.
03:33 They struggled a bit last week I understand but still knocked over McLeod at Kempsey 12-6
03:37 which is always a good win up there against them.
03:39 Speaking of Kempsey, McLeod there have been a little bit inconsistent, I've only seen
03:43 them play the very first game against Foster and they were absolutely dynamic in the first
03:47 half, they were earning 30 odd points but then ever since then they've been a little
03:50 bit up and down.
03:51 Yeah well, Wingham went up there to play them and beat them up there and then Kempsey come
03:55 down here to Tahrir and as I said Tahrir led 8-0 with 5 minutes to go before half time
04:00 and at half time they were 10-8 down and then the floodgates just opened and they were rattling
04:06 some tries with Kempsey but at the moment I'd be thinking Old Bar back to back as long
04:13 as Jordan, the co-coach, stays healthy and fit because he organises that team really
04:21 well and they've got a couple of really good outside backs with a bit of speed and just
04:25 power.
04:26 Yeah and he didn't play at all, he played 8 minutes last week, same late in the second
04:30 half, but it wasn't required so I guess that's a good sign, they weren't apparently overconvincing
04:36 when they beat Port City 30-20, well 30-14 right on full time and Port scored a try apparently.
04:43 But they got through that game without him, I mean Middaly, the breakers aren't the powerhouse
04:47 issue they have been in other seasons but nevertheless they're still a good win, they
04:50 need to prove they can do it without him I suppose, their young half back that they've
04:54 only gained in the last couple of weeks.
04:56 Eli, I forget his last name, I just can't pronounce it but apparently he was very good
05:01 in...
05:02 Been over in the NRL then.
05:03 He kicked 5 goals as well for as many attempts which has been a bit of a problem area for
05:08 the Pyres the last couple of years, a lack of a consistent goalkeeper.
05:11 With Warhaps as I said last week, they've been something of a surprise back.
05:15 Yeah, they got, didn't they get belted in the first game?
05:18 Could have been at an old bar.
05:20 Yeah, okay so it's an old bar, and they haven't lost a game since have they?
05:24 So you know, they've got a, we know what Warhaps like, they had a very ordinary year last year
05:30 didn't they?
05:31 Terrible year.
05:32 Terrible year, so they're not going to go back to back in years doing that, so they
05:35 might be that smoky side in the third spot.
05:38 Yeah, well I saw them play against Wigan, Warhaps a couple of weeks ago and they battered
05:45 Wigan, they were a strong pack of forwards, there was a couple of smart blokes in the
05:49 back, so I'm Blair at full back, he's capable of turning a game.
05:53 Old opponent of yours, Noel 'Crusher' Clewell was sitting on the bench too.
05:56 How was he?
05:57 Not playing, but he was there.
05:58 Well he's got a bit to do with Warhaps.
06:00 He's the vice president I think, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, we spoke to him at the group three,
06:05 Susan Launcey, she's a very entertaining speaker, but yeah, but he's heavily involved with the
06:10 club, which is a good thing.
06:12 Is Les, his brother, up this way too?
06:14 No, he's out, I asked him at the launch, he's a captain, he's a captain of coach, he's the
06:18 president of Warriora, where they come from in the first place, yeah, and they look like
06:21 not fielding a side this year, and he took over as president and they've got a side in
06:25 whatever, they're playing in that part of the world now.
06:28 And William, I of course haven't played for a couple of weeks, William, they've signed
06:33 Ethan Ferguson, he would have played last week, he'd get in last week's game against
06:36 Tarry City, had it gone ahead, but he's obviously going to be a massive boost for them, and
06:39 probably what exactly what they need.
06:41 Well, you'd like to think he's going to be a boost because he's had, you know, he went
06:46 to Souths, Newcastle first, and obviously Souths were interested in him, and he sort
06:51 of went there, but then come back here and then, you know, went away again and come back,
06:57 so you know, he's got potential for the juniors, he looked really good, and I'm telling you,
07:02 his dad was a really good footballer too, but he just didn't want to go anywhere but
07:09 just stay here locally, but yeah, it's interesting that Ethan is with Wingham because his father's
07:15 coaching A-teens football.
07:17 Yeah, Tarry, Tarry Panties Jr.
07:20 Tarry Jr., but yeah, it'll be interesting to see what he plays if he's still got that.
07:26 Well, he has been playing, he's playing down in Newcastle, yeah, the side based at Port
07:30 Stephens, but somebody else, he's coming off the grass, he's going to be match fit, so
07:35 he can kick a goal too, which won't hurt.
07:38 Yeah, you've got to have a good goal kicker in your team.
07:40 Yeah, we said this earlier, we thought that it was the four top sides and the other sides
07:45 would play for the fifth spot, well I think I've got a sneaking suspicion that five and
07:49 a half was already decided, now the other four sides, or three sides, sorry, they said earlier
07:54 on, they're competitive for half a game, even three quarters a game, and they just seem
07:59 to fall away, whether that's having got the depth in the club or what, I don't know, but
08:04 Foster was, well Foster was the opposite in the first game, getting smashed by MacLeod
08:09 Valley, then came back in the second half and won it, and they've been in every game since
08:12 then, but just can't get that win.
08:14 Yeah, they're doing exactly what Tarry's doing.
08:17 It'd be interesting to see Tarry play Foster, who, if they both turn up after half time.
08:22 Yeah, they might only play 40 minutes.
08:25 And I think one thing perhaps should come into consideration too is if it keeps raining,
08:30 I mean, like Old Bar and particularly Wingham, may not have a training venue.
08:36 Yeah, that's true, well as I said last weekend, I went up to watch my grandkids play Friday
08:42 night at Wingham, and they played at 5.30, and just as we left, or just as they finished
08:46 about ten past six, started to just sprinkle, and we said okay, we were going to have a
08:53 canteen some deep, but we thought we'd better go home, and it didn't stop raining all that
08:58 night and all Saturday.
08:59 My brother went down there on Saturday morning, and they'd dressed the field on Friday night
09:05 and everything, and you couldn't see any lines on Saturday morning, and they said there was
09:09 water everywhere.
09:10 Yeah, well I was talking to Craig Martin at Wingham Treasure on Monday, and he said the
09:13 field was just starting to come good, he said it was a soft fibre would have been, but it
09:17 was just, you know, he said now it's right back to where it was.
09:22 Heavy 20.
09:23 Soft fibre coming into the racetrack.
09:27 Yeah, well it's a bit of a part of things.
09:30 Yeah, no, he said, well they're due to play Port Sharks next Sunday, Saturday, sorry,
09:37 might not be the, probably the match of the round, but either they don't, he said they
09:41 don't want any more rain between now and then, or they could be in trouble, and of course
09:45 you don't want to be moving games, because it presents as a world of trouble.
09:50 Yeah, because normally if you move it so, can we play at Port this weekend, and we'll
09:55 play at Wingham when we play at Port next time around, they might say, well no, you
10:00 can play here, but we still have to play our next game here.
10:02 Yeah.
10:03 Yeah, you don't want that to happen, that's why we keep talking, the competition should
10:07 have started earlier and we could have had a few more extra weekends to be able to play,
10:11 instead of, it's a long weekend this weekend, so people have booked this in their calendars,
10:14 long weekend, no footy, so they're not going to be able to play, because I think Wingham
10:18 wanted to play Carree on Friday, or tonight, but, yeah, it's a long weekend, people have
10:24 got things on, so, yeah, I think the competition must start earlier, and just have a few, have
10:29 some rounds there, weekends there that say, righto, if it's, if we've got rounds missing
10:34 early in the season, we've got to play them now.
10:36 Yeah, I'd say all those things, yeah, or when, you know, the Indigenous game was, the Indigenous
10:41 All-Stars game was supposed to be played at Port in a couple of weeks, at Woyup's, we're
10:44 only a couple of weeks' time, I doubt now that's going to go ahead, because those couple
10:48 of rounds are going to be needed for, for, for the washed out games.
10:51 Yes, yes, true.
10:52 And, but I spoke to Mal Drew earlier this week, and I said, what are you going to do
10:56 if the, if the rain keeps coming, and then the field games keep getting called off, and
11:02 he floated the idea of perhaps extending the season by a week.
11:05 Oh yeah, yeah.
11:06 Which they did a couple of, they did a couple of years ago, remember, when Noel Barr played
11:09 Port in the grand final, but they said they could put it back till, I think it was the
11:13 28th of September, but you know, you're starting to get late in the year, aren't you?
11:16 You don't want to be going, you don't want to be going too much, too much further, do you?
11:19 No, you don't, because you'll, you'll end up playing in October, and it's a bit warmer
11:23 then, and clash with, obviously with the grand final in the NRL.
11:28 Yeah, exactly, well, and that's what you don't want to do, of course, yeah.
11:31 Yeah, so then, this is our, what, fifth week of the competition, we've had five clubs represented
11:36 on the bench this season so far, Gary, of course we go to Port Macquarie a few times
11:41 this year, so we've had the, Noel Barr, the two ports, Foster, Tuncurry and William, and
11:49 also Mal, Drew came in from the group three.
11:51 Now we have, haven't spoken to Tari City, and just to, just to quell a few theories,
11:56 conspiracy theories, we do want to speak to the Bulls, but Christian Hazard, the Tari
12:01 captain coach, who we've had on the, on the segment when he first took over as coach,
12:05 he works at the same time as we're doing this, so he's hard, however, he works through
12:11 Chatham High School, so we will do everything in our power to make sure we get Christian
12:15 here on the, on that weekend, on that week, when the school holidays, Hazard on next month.
12:20 So, to let that in your court, Gary, because you're tied up with the Bulls, former coach.
12:26 Yes, yes, I'll have a little chat to him and get him in here, and by then we'll probably
12:30 be running, probably fourth in the competition.
12:34 Well, actually, if we go right back to the very one, the very first of the year, you
12:38 have to be back in the winter comp.
12:39 Yeah, yeah, I still know, I've only got to get into the top five and that can happen.
12:44 Yeah, I have a hundred on that.
12:45 Yeah, you don't want to take money off your mates, do you?
12:47 Yeah.
12:48 I'll take money off a former Chatham Club mate, bloke.
12:53 Oh yeah, we'll come back to that, eh?
12:55 You zebrish blokes, eh?
12:58 And I guess we'll have to talk about the state of Origin, Gary.
13:01 I'll get your thoughts on that.
13:03 Wednesday night first, that was an awful night.
13:06 Everything had to go right for NSW to win, and everything went wrong, didn't it?
13:10 Yeah, well, after, what, seven wins?
13:13 Yeah, Queensland scored, they were leading 8-0.
13:16 6-0, wasn't it?
13:17 No, it was 6-0, no, it was 8-0.
13:19 Well, they did lead 8-0, but it was 6-0 when the centre got sent.
13:22 Yeah, yeah, so, you know, everyone's saying, "Oh, it shouldn't have been a send-off,"
13:26 and this and this and that.
13:28 It's a send-off every day of the week, as far as if you're hitting the head of a player.
13:33 But they were very, very, very strong in their defence 20 minutes into the second half, the NSW boys.
13:43 They didn't, you just thought if they can score, a couple could be 20,
13:48 if it was 20-10, if they could score again 20-16,
13:51 that was a big chance then that they could continue to go on with it.
13:55 I think they're always going to run out of steam.
13:56 Yeah, always going to run out of steam.
13:58 But, you know, the big talking point was we had four forwards on the bench.
14:03 We didn't have a back, Maddy Burton was number 18.
14:08 Well, Maddy Burton should have been either on the bench or should have been in the team anyway.
14:11 But Queensland proved that they did the right thing by, they were all saying,
14:15 "Well, what's Sal and Colbo doing on the bench?"
14:17 Well, he's on the bench because when Moss was taken out, he went to the centres
14:21 and the centre went back to full-back, which was Herbie for an hour.
14:29 Yeah, didn't even go.
14:32 Yeah, great, three tries for him and two to Ben Hunt.
14:37 So, yeah, that was, they were gutsy, but when they got sent off, I thought,
14:42 straight away one would have thought, "We can't win this."
14:44 Well, you can't at that level of footy, can you?
14:47 No, no, no. Starting off the NRL, I don't go up to that level.
14:50 What changes would you make for the next one?
14:53 Well, it's just hard to say.
14:55 But if you're going to stick to that, well, obviously, Suwali's not going to be there.
15:00 I think the best player we could put in there because he's so strong with upper body is Latroll, Mitchell,
15:10 because he's played in the centres.
15:12 He's never played full-back for New South Wales, he's always played in the centres.
15:16 So, that's who I'd be putting there because he's strong in those defensive blocks for coins and that,
15:26 and not big centres.
15:28 So, that's what I'd have Latroll there because you can't, Suwali won't be there because he'll probably get a suspension for four weeks.
15:35 Four weeks, yeah.
15:37 Full-back, does Teddy stay? Teddy did nothing wrong.
15:41 Depends if the Pettis boys are all right, I suppose.
15:44 You'd imagine if he is, he'll come in.
15:46 Yeah, and I thought the kicking game of Nico Hines wasn't great.
15:53 If you're just going to kick like that, you'd better bring Matt Burton on to do those powerful bombs
15:57 and kick into the corners and trying to get on.
16:02 Yeah, he didn't have a happy night.
16:04 No, he didn't.
16:07 It's hard because he's only had one other experience and we all said they did the wrong thing by him last time.
16:15 It'll be interesting to see what happens.
16:17 If they want, because they're all talking about Mitchell Moses, aren't they, bringing him in.
16:22 It'll be very interesting to see what happens here if they make any changes.
16:27 If they're making changes because of injuries, yes and no, because he's got another two games.
16:32 The way things have been going, he's got his hamstring or calf.
16:37 Will Cameron Murray really be back before then?
16:39 Yes, apparently he comes back next weekend.
16:41 So he's only had one game under his belt.
16:43 I'll throw him in there.
16:45 If you look at the players who New South Wales had unavailable, Cleary, I know they had Munster who was unavailable for Queensland.
16:55 They'd already made him a replacement and he hadn't been playable anyway, Munster, from a reporter.
16:59 No, because he was carrying a groin injury right through so far into the season.
17:04 So, you know, Tommy Dearden didn't do anything wrong.
17:07 No, he's as good as anyone out there.
17:09 I think you're right with us.
17:12 They left a couple of blokes out of their team, didn't they?
17:15 David Fofita from the Gold Coast.
17:17 That should be Tommy's back on the roost in a year.
17:21 But they've still got people to pick if they want.
17:29 Queensland, we've just got to get it right.
17:31 It's hard now, isn't it? We've got to go to Melbourne.
17:33 They can't make mass changes because you're back to the start.
17:37 I think Moses will come in for Nico at half-back.
17:41 I think Bradman Best will be the centre.
17:43 He's out injured at the moment.
17:45 He's got a hamstring but they think he should be right for game two.
17:48 I think they'll call on him.
17:51 It's going to be a big win for New South Wales if they're going to turn the tide.
17:56 They've got to go to Melbourne if they get that one and then they've got to go to Queensland for the decider.
18:00 Bistu says they don't lose them up there.
18:02 No, especially if it's a deciding game.
18:05 It could be all wrapped up after two.
18:07 That mightn't happen because the girls proved it.
18:12 Didn't they?
18:14 We all looked to last night hoping that Lees will get a bit of redemption.
18:18 For 78 minutes?
18:21 I was 10-0.
18:23 For 75 minutes of the game, New South Wales were all over them, weren't they?
18:29 Big-bodied and they just ran and you just thought it was going to be an easy year.
18:34 Real easy.
18:36 They found a way to win in front of what would have been, if it was 27,000 there,
18:42 25,500 of them would have been New South Wales people.
18:46 And drenched.
18:48 And they were there, weren't they?
18:50 Even 10 years ago, would you have thought on a wet night in Newcastle you'd still have the women's game?
18:55 Women's sport, not just rugby, but it's come here, didn't it?
18:59 The Matildas.
19:00 Proved with the Matildas, didn't they?
19:01 The two games they had, they were just warm-up games.
19:04 And packed houses, both of them.
19:06 Women's World Cup there a couple of years back, the World Cup for cricket.
19:10 There was a full house down at Melbourne there.
19:13 Even 10 years ago, even 5 years ago, maybe you would have thought that's your dream.
19:18 I remember 1996, if I can go back a long way, they had the New South Wales Women's Rugby League Championship.
19:26 There were six sides, I think five of them from Western Sydney, and about 20 people watching.
19:30 A young Kylie Lambert came on to play 10 minutes in one game,
19:36 who was then the rising star in the Australian touch football scene.
19:40 It's got about eight tries.
19:42 They wanted her to play in the Stateside after that cameo appearance,
19:46 and she quite smartly knocked them back.
19:48 Of course, she's now Kylie Hilder and she's coaching the New South Wales side.
19:52 I wonder what went through her head at full-time last night.
19:55 Yeah, it'd be hard to take because you're playing in front of a crowd
20:01 just an hour and a half down the road from Foster where she lives.
20:05 And the field goal that the 5-8 kicked, it was wobbly, wobbly, wobbly,
20:11 but straight over the black dot.
20:12 It would have been hard on a dry night, let alone, I thought, that's just no chance.
20:17 You had no sort of grounding with your feet and everything,
20:19 and to kick a field goal at the best of times, it's hard enough,
20:23 let alone pouring rain and water on the fields and everything.
20:26 So yeah, 11-10.
20:28 So now, if that makes it hard for them, they've got to go to Toowoomba.
20:31 Yeah, I guess a bit of a Mendel scale there too.
20:37 Yeah, just no luck with New South Wales this week.
20:41 Can only look forward to the next one of both of them.
20:46 Let's hope so.
20:47 Well, I hope it's not, because if the men lose, it's done.
20:52 Let's get behind the New South Wales people.
20:56 As I said, no grip 340 this weekend with a break because of the long weekend.
21:00 We've got some big games next weekend though, headed by Wingham in Port Sharks,
21:05 we hope at Wingham.
21:06 Old Bar's at home to Macleod Valley on the Sunday too, so that'll be a big game.
21:11 I don't know how the Old Bar is doing, travelling early after all this rain,
21:14 but hopefully that'll be okay.
21:16 So we'll be here to talk about it next week.
21:17 We haven't got a guest yet, but we will between now and then.
21:20 So before we go, happy birthday.
21:24 Called to a great friend of mine, Alex McCarthy.
21:27 She turned 14 yesterday.
21:29 A great Roosters supporter, Alex.
21:31 Blimey washed.
21:33 Yeah, well, yeah.
21:34 She had a great day and she got an A in a maths test too.
21:38 Oh, that's good.
21:40 That's a pretty good birthday.
21:41 Oh, mate.
21:42 Mathematics, figures.
21:44 Oh, she should be looking after you.
21:46 I got 10 out of 80 in a maths test once and I added them up.
21:53 Oh, you actually got 8.
21:54 I said, "I got 10."
21:55 I gave you two marks for spelling your name right.
22:01 Maths is never my strong point.
22:02 But anyway, Gary, we all enjoy your weekend.
22:05 What's on this weekend?
22:07 This weekend, what am I doing?
22:08 Golf.
22:09 Golf tomorrow.
22:11 I'm going to go to Port and play golf on Sunday.
22:14 Then on Monday, I suppose I'd better do some work around the house.
22:16 Yeah, well, I reckon.
22:17 Long weekend?
22:18 Yeah, well, I win it because I'm a journalist.
22:20 I don't get long weekends.
22:21 I'll be working Monday.
22:22 Will you?
22:23 Monday.
22:24 No footy?
22:25 No footy.
22:26 I don't know.
22:27 What do you do?
22:28 I might go for a walk.
22:29 Are you going to the park?
22:30 You can do the park run down here on a Saturday morning and chat to a few people.
22:33 I'll go for a walk from the Exchange to the Mending, I think.
22:36 That sounds good, mate.
22:41 I'm healthy.
22:43 But anyway, thanks Gary.
22:44 Thanks for your time again.
22:46 We'll be back in the Tenure Bridge studio next weekend.
22:49 And whatever you do this weekend, enjoy yourself.
22:52 We'll be back for next week on the beach, sponsored of course by Classic Design Journals.
22:56 Bye.
22:57 Bye.
22:57 [BLANK_AUDIO]