Billy’s stern message for ref critics : The Billy Slater Podcast - Ep09

Hello everyone. Welcome along to the Billy Slater Podcast. We do it, of course, thanks to ram tracks, Gee, plenty of controversy over the course of the weekend and some appalling attacks on the referees Adam Reynolds and Ryan Papenhausen added to the list of injuries at the moment S Sydney begin talks for the Super coach Wayne Bennett to head back to Redfern and Luke Carey announces he’ll be retiring from the game at the end of the season. All that and plenty more coming up over the next 40 minutes with the great man Billy Slater, and he joins us from Melbourne right now. Hello, Billy. G’day Levy. Did you stay dry at Shark Park yesterday? There was a Sharknado down there on the weekend. It was in the morning. It dried up pretty good. They did a great job. Well, here’s a story for you. D name is a test of the boss of the sharks actually went down to Bunnings and he went and got hoses and all that sort of thing. So even little Dido. I said, mate, there’s not much of you. You’ll drown if you get down to some of those battles. Whatever it takes, CEO go down to Bunnings. How good is that? It’s a credit to everyone involved. It’s a shame the game the Derby didn’t live up to probably what we were hoping for, but I’m sure we’ll touch on that a little bit later on in the podcast. Billy. I thought we’d start with S Sydney and that’s been the big news over the last week. Jason Demetriou I think has handled himself remarkably well. No one likes seeing people lose their job but this week all of the talk becomes Wayne Bennett potentially heading back to the rabbit. Oz, what have you made of the whole situation at South Sydney over the last week? Well we spoke last week before the decision was made to let go of Jason Demetrio and we spoke about change. And you know when you’re in a hole like this and and the and the club haven’t performed for 12 months there needs to be some sort of change. And whether that’s personnel change in the coaching staff whether that’s player change or or whether that’s actions changed. And the powers to be at at Redfern have decided that it’s it’s time to go for Jason Demetrio and and get a fresh start with the new coach. Obviously the interim coach will be Ben Hornby in the meantime whether that’s for the the rest of the year or or whether that’s until the new coach is appointed, all the talk is Wayne Bennett isn’t it. It’s it’s been it’s been from both both parties. Obviously S Sydney are are really interested in in getting Wayne Bennett. I think that he is their priority and their number one choice. Wayne is is vacant of a position next year. Obviously he’s moving on from the Dolphins. I think he’s done a great job. The Dolphins are in their second year into the competition. They’ve got Flegler, Gilbert, Cafusi, only just come back from injury. Herbie Farnworth, Hammer, so Tabioffido on the sideline and they’re sitting in fourth position. That’s an incredible feat. And at the age of 74 years old, Wayne Bennett is still got that. That something about the coaching, the something about bringing people together, bringing players together so you can see why he is so sought after and see how Sydney want their man. Now that you’re dipping your tongue in the water with coaching Billy, I’d love to know what you think about this comment. I I’ve watched the game for a long time and obviously Wayne’s a great coach. But talking to players like Jamie Soward who who talks about Wayne becoming a father figure for him? He’s a great manager of men and is that what you become as an NRL coach? You’re not only coaching a football team but you’re becoming that manager of men in the NRL. Yeah, well as a coach you your job is to help your players be at their best for that 80 minutes and and for your players to be at their best. It it, it takes more than footy. It it actually doesn’t even start with footy. It starts with the person. It starts with why they’re there, why are the group playing, what’s the motivation for the group. And I’ve never been coached by Wayne but I’ve had a little bit to do with him, especially over the last couple of years and every time you talk to him you you walk away feeling confident in yourself and and that’s what he brings. He he brings that confidence. You saw him in the change rooms after that Dolphins win up there in Townsville on the weekend and and he just, he had the group together. They were laughing. They were enjoying each other’s company. There were no mobile phones in their hands and and that’s what he brings. He was dancing and clapping and that’s exactly what S Sydney need at the moment. He puts good people around him that help with the full stuff. I think Christian Wolf has done a an amazing job and he’s ready to take over his head coach next year for the Dolphins. But he’s just got this ability and he loves the game. He’s dedicated his life to the game and he wants to be in the game, so the game’s a better place for Wayne. Bennett’s being in involved in our game. So if you’re the South Sydney Rabbitohs at the moment, Billy, are you just throwing the kitchen sink at Wayne to get him to the club? Do they need that experienced manager, type play type coach to to take charge of the club given the position they find themselves in? Yeah, and I think the the success that he had there earlier as well he he left the club in a really good position. So you know, he’s obviously got a rapport with a lot of the players and you know he’s he’s got the best out of a lot of those players in the past as well. So yeah, the thing that you need to ask yourself is this man the right person for our for our club? And I think he is. And Wayne has has commented that, you know, he’s been very vocal that that, that he’s interested in the position. So you know, I’m sure they’ll sit down and if that’s the case they’ll get something done. One more on South Sydney Latrell Mitchell’s back this weekend from his suspension he sat back. He’s been in the coasters box watching this all unfold over recent weeks and being the the player that he is, you think he’ll be primed for a big game this weekend in his return to the NRL? Yeah, just go and play footy like that’s what he does best. He enjoys that. He’s, he’s a footy player and I’m sure he’s looking forward to getting out there and and having a bit of fun. You know, smile, go and enjoy yourself, Go and play some footy and he’s been frustrated just before he got suspended. You could see that in some of his actions out on the field and you know, I’m sure Latrell’s just looking forward to getting back and and competing and playing some footy. So his team’s been in a hole and you know, yeah, he hasn’t been playing his best football, but I think, I think the game’s better when Latrell’s back and enjoying himself and and playing well. So yeah, I’m sure Latrell and the rugby league community are looking forward to watching him as well. Gee, Michael Chamas set a cat amongst the pigeons at halftime in the footy yesterday when he was talking to Danica about this big story involving the pursuit of David Fafita. We know he’s contracted to the Gold Coast Titans. The Panthers are pretty keen on getting into the mountains. That’s a scary proposition. David Fafita joining that premiership winning side. It’s an interesting one isn’t it? Because you look at the players that they’ve lost over the last couple of years, the Panthers, Villi Army kick out, Matt Burton, Steven Crichton, they’re they’re going to lose Suniya Taruva and Jerome Lui over the next 12 months. The one the one that has probably given the opportunity for this for David Fafita to possibly go to the Panthers is is James Fisher Harris because they knew that the that they couldn’t keep the other players whereas James Fisher Harris has just come out of the spur of the moment. They they didn’t really see this coming. They didn’t plan for this therefore they they’ve got some money in the salary cap. Those other players had to leave because of the the salary cap restraints. So that’s how I see this possible because you might think well they won the last three premierships how can they sign a player like David Fafita. But I think it’s all due to the the money that is has been saved from James Fisher Harris moving on. Yeah. Look, to be honest, I I think, I think the Panthers would actually be better for David Fafita than David Fafita would be for the Panthers. The Panthers are, they’re, they’re a great side and you think about their back rails at the moment. Liam Martin, he’s won. Luke Garner plays a little bit on the edge as well. But David Fafita would would certainly benefit from being at a club in a team that has high standards and demand a work ethic. I I think he could play his best football there. So I don’t know whether it’s true. I don’t even know whether David’s considering it. He’s he’s got a a clause in his contract that you know if if he wants to stay at the Titans he’s got to let him know by Thursday this week. But if he doesn’t let him know he’s off contract and he can negotiate with other clubs. Watch this space just just on the Panthers. I’ve heard some people question whether they can make it four in a row this year and I know we’ve still got a long way to go in the Premiership. But given what you’ve seen from the Mountain Men, the reigning premiers so far in the competition, Billy, are they at that same standard we’ve seen over the last three or four years? Yeah, I’d say yes. And they can absolutely make it full if if things go their way and they play their best football at the right time of the year. Look, it’s it’s hard. It, it is so hard to win a premiership and to win three is incredible. They they have done an incredible job and to rejuvenate there and and and plug their holes where stars have left that that is probably the most impressive thing that the Panthers have been able to do. Someone will leave and then another player will just jump in and all of a sudden their stars. Lewis Sunia, Teruva. He’s he’s in his second year of first grade and he was the rookie of the year last year. Off the back of players leaving. Yeah, they can absolutely do it again if they all play to their standard and you’ve got to have a few things go your way towards the back end of the year. Gee, we’ve got millions and millions of dollars worth of talent on the sideline at the moment. Bill through injury the latest players added to that list. Adam Reynolds. We were calling the footy on Friday night on the radio. His mum and dad were listening and desperate to try and get some information and then when that news came through that he’s torn his bicep. It was just devastating for all involved. And then Ryan Pappenhausen who’s had his fair share of injuries over the years, he’s suffered a a fractured ankle. So he’s going to be out for between four and six weeks. Couple of couple of more big names to add to that casualty award at the moment. Yeah, Kurt Cape went down with a calf injury as well. So I look just on those two guys you know they they play key positions for their teams and they’re so important for the dynamic of how they play especially Adam Reynolds. He is. He’s just, I don’t know the the game suits our our smart ball players and their game managers and you see Adam Reynolds, the difference that he makes when he comes into that Broncos team. Look I see it as a huge opportunity for the Broncos that they can they can really push some development with some of their young stars. I think Ezra Mam has has a great opportunity over the next three months to really develop himself into a bit of a game manager, grow his kicking game short and long and and there’s there’s going to be a spot there for someone else, whether it’s Jock Madden or Tristan Saylor to to fill that that other halves position. I think it’s a real opportunity for the Broncos to grow as a footy team. And then in three months time, which will be a month before the finals, you get your star half back back in Adam Reynolds and then everyone else is a better player because they’ve developed over that period that he’s been out it. It’s a real opportunity for them to to launch into the finals Nice and healthy. Fully fit and everyone’s a better player than where they were three months ago. Didn’t just on the topic of the storm with Ryan Papenhausen didn’t young fail Longo announce himself to the competition on the weekend. He’s he’s going to be some sort of player. Billy. Yeah well he announced himself last year didn’t he when he made his debut up there at Suncorp Stadium scored a an incredible try and he did that again on the weekend he was playing on the wing and then he actually picked up a knee injury also. So he’s in some doubt moving forward which puts the Melbourne Storm in a in a bit of a spot. You know whether they move Nick Meany back to full back and and fill that that centre spot but obviously they’ll be waiting on the fitness of of SUA far Longo he’s yeah he is he is a he a ready star and he’s he’s bided this time he’s signed five years at the Melbourne Storm which is an an incredible thing you you think of a player like SUA far Longo which you know traditionally you’d you’d think that they would be looking for a full back spot in another team he said this is my club and he’s willing to play anywhere. He’s played on the wing on the weekend and you know hopefully he gets back from that knee injury and he can fill the shoes of Ron Papenhausen while he’s out. Well let’s get into the controversy over the weekend with the bunker. The the thing I’d say to people that keep saying I’ll get rid of the bunker it ain’t going anywhere. They’ve spent a hell of a lot of money. You look at sports around the world, modern technology is here to stay. Just a general question. First up, Billy, are you happy with the way in which we use the bunker, the way in which we adjudicate on the rules at the moment? Do you understand the frustration from the weekend or do we need to defend the referees off the back of their performances from the weekend just gone? Well, I’ll say this, if you get rid of the bunker, I’ll give it seven days and you’ll be pleading for the bunker to come back. It is it it it catches a few little things like what? What sort of what, what sort of things are we talking about? Can we go through the the discretions of the bunker and and where the confusion is. I think the main one at the moment is the the put down for the try, you know, the the losing, the the gripping the ball and all that sort of thing. Are you happy with the rule at the moment? Because I’ve heard some people say we’ve got to revisit this come the end of the year. No, I’m pretty happy with it. I’m pretty happy with it. I I thought they got the API Korosal decision right last week. You know that that’s the rules. Don’t change the bunker. If you want to change anything change the interpretation of the rules like like they’re the rules. So I’m I’m good with, I’m good with it. There was one incident in the the the the Warriors game where Dalan Watini Zelesnyak was tackled in the air. That was, I don’t think that’s a bunker issue, that’s just an an adjudication of the rules issue. I I thought it was a penalty try for sure. If he doesn’t do it, he scores a try and he gave a penalty away. Doing it consciously, doing like that was that was an intentional penalty. It was nearly a professional foul. So I don’t know how that wasn’t either 10 in the bin or a penalty try. That’s that’s the the confusion. I don’t think that was a bunker issue. That was just a decision issue. But there was another one in a game on Saturday, the West Tigers Bulldogs game, Aiden Caesar, he was put on report for that hip drop. They left him on the field instead of putting him in the bin. He’s since facing five weeks on the sidelines from the match review committee. That was one that left people scratching their heads as well. Yeah the one thing he didn’t do he didn’t twist his hip it it it was a it it wasn’t a good hip drop like he sort of lands on on on the leg of the ball carrier and yeah I I don’t think it was a good one and he he’s since got you know four weeks potentially 5 he fights it. Look I I’m actually I actually don’t mind the player staying on the field like like I don’t I ask you does does do you think any player goes out there do you think Aiden Caesar meant to hurt someone there or or was that that an accident so So what why why penalized the game why hurt the game why hurt the the teams He’s got four weeks on the sideline that that hurts. You know so you know I I I I get if the player goes off injured then that team is is down a player especially if it’s a key player you know they get a disadvantage but look I’m I’m all for keeping the players on the field and and then get let the match of you committee sorted out you know what he’s doing my head in the set restarts what we called the Sharks Dragons game yesterday there were 11 set restarts and 14 penalties and it’s sort of and and Daryl Bryman was alongside me Piggy Reddell was down on the touchline it became very frustrating to watch because it was so stop start and then you know you you saw the referee wave 6 again and you were thinking to yourself well what was that for the is that something that’s frustrating you a little because it certainly is the fans. Well it frustrates you because you’re like yeah what was that for and and there’s no time to actually look at the incident and go and come that that that wasn’t a penalty or you know it just it just flows on. So is it an easy way out for the referees. Well it is but they’re trying they’re trying to they’re trying to create the game as well they’re trying to say come on boys like you just slow on the play the ball down and sometimes. The players don’t care whether they have to tackle for six tackles or tackle for 8. Tackles like it doesn’t it’s no no big difference you know. So I I actually think when you when you blow a penalty the game stops and and you’re actually put on show of why you you you you were given a penalty away. So you know sometimes the the set restart just glosses over the the error that you made and you know you just get on with things. So yeah I I agree there was way too many set restarts. I I think for a couple you know the referee should pull the game up and just say listen guys you know anymore I just said I’m against people sitting down. But yeah you you need some sort of thing there but again like you got to manage the game as well. If they’re offside when you’re giving when when you’re back the 10 and they’re a meter offside we’ll get back 11 or 12 meters and just make them further. Just manage the game and the fatigue will certainly take over soon you you know what wasn’t a good look on that Saturday game between the Bulldogs and the West Tigers and we’ll come to Casey Badger in just a second. David Clemmer standing over the top of of of Casey Badger and sort of remonstrating with the referee. I was really surprised. He only got a $3000 fine and and I wrote a column last week about the inconsistencies from the NRL when it comes to to punishments. I mean in a week where we’ve just had Phil Gould find $20,000 for labeling the game stupid. Earlier this year we had Spencer Lenny, you cop 8 weeks for racially vilifying an opponent. You can’t have a big towering front rower standing over the top of a female official and trying to intimidate her. I I thought that was a really, really bad look for the game. Yeah. And he sat down for 10 minutes. He heard his team, you know, Benji Marshall said in his press conference that, you know, we need to be disciplined. You know, we got to show more discipline and you know, there was still an opportunity to win that game. At the end of the the game there, there was still 7 or 8 minutes to go, he said. So, yeah, that that just shows you the frustration. And yeah, at the end of the day you you can’t do that. And I applaud Casey Badger for, you know, putting him in the binge. So no, I’m not going to, I’m not going to stand for that. So yeah, it’s he’s got his. Yeah, on on Casey Badger. Billy, look, it probably wasn’t one of her better games. But the the pylon that followed that game on the weekend, I’ve got to say, I thought was disgraceful, especially from some of the West Tigers supporters. I called out a few of them on social media myself, including a a Co host of a W Tigers fans podcast. Casey badges has been appointed to referee on merit. This is not a a tokenistic appointment and nobody deserves to cop some of the rubbish that she copped after the game. And I actually sent a message to her husband Gavin, just hoping that she didn’t read any of it and making sure she’s got the right support around her. And you know, I was reminded by a few people in the junior leagues that without referees we don’t have a game and they’re struggling to get a lot of referees at the moment. And I think we need to be better as a game when it comes to the criticism and vitriol that’s directed towards your match officials. Do you agree? Absolutely. Couldn’t agree more. And if you think you can do a better job, go and do it. Go and go and put your hand up to be a referee. Don’t go on social media and be a coward and abuse someone if you think you can do better than than the person that you’re having a go at. Go and put the boots on, grab a whistle or if you happen to go to play out, go and put the boots on and play the game. But like you, you’ve got no right to abuse anyone anyway. But I I I agree. I think that the referees do a fantastic job. We need them. If we don’t have referees we don’t have a game and to sit behind a computer or a telephone and and abuse someone for a mistake they’ve made because they’re having a go. Yeah I I I see that as a coward act. Couldn’t agree more. Few upsets over the weekend bill namely Canberra beating Manly at Brookvale. They were down 20 nil after 28 minutes coming off the back of a 40 nil drubbing to the Sharks in the nation’s capital last weekend. I reckon Ricky would have been happy with that performance. Yeah. Not to mention the injuries that they’ve sustained you know losing Jamal Fogarty is a is a huge loss. They already went into the the season without Jack Whiten. You know they’ve they’ve had some you know Jordan Rappner has been out as well. So to be down 20 nil at Brookvale, Brookvale have been mainly been flying at Brookvale of late. I don’t even think they’ve lost a game there. I don’t think so. But they’ve had full houses for the last month and you know to be 20 nil down with all that adversity with injuries and whatnot. I I thought it was an incredible performance and I might just talk about them a little bit later with the with the team of the week. But yeah that was that was some sort of performance from the Raiders and you know Ricky Stewart I’ve I’ve mentioned it before he he he does something right down there in in in Canberra he’s he’s got a footy team on his hand they play tough and you know he spoke about it after the game that’s their DNA that’s who they are. Yeah, absolutely. Roosters, they’re starting to firm in the premiership markets. They are losing a hell of a lot of players at the end of the year will come to Luke Herey later in the podcast. Given their players that they’re missing is this sort of their best chance now to to win a premiership. And the way they’re playing, they’re starting to announce themselves as a real threat in this competition. There’s no time like the present. There’s been no Spencer Lenyu over the last couple of months either, so he’ll come back. I think he comes back this week. He does. That’s yeah, they’re they’re starting to make some noise. They’re they’re playing some some good footy. They’re they’re full back and captain knees. He’s in absolutely everything, you know, Lindsay Collins, they’ve they’ve got a really well balanced footy team and the other guy that’s come back into the team that’s made a difference is Sam Walker really creative, looks really confident with his footy and he’s getting his defence right and he’s putting his body on the line. He looks a lot stronger in contact. Yeah, they’re they’re certainly a footy team. Luke Curry retiring at the end of the year that that could just be the motivation and the spark that the Roosters need this year. Couple of times before we move on to other things that have lost their mojo. Probably the best way to put it. The Warriors they’ve sort of gone off the the the boil a bit and the Cowboys run down by the Dolphins on the weekend. What’s going on there Bill? It’s interesting because both of these teams want to be defensive mindset teams, but their main strength is their attack. Like I see the game, I see the game in a cycle and when you’re attacking well, you’re defending well when and it all flows on from that. So they’re dropping a little bit too much ball at the moment by teams and they just haven’t got their attack right. And therefore their their defense is put under a lot more pressure and they just don’t have that that resolve in their defense at the moment. They, they haven’t got the defense of the Panthers or and the Melbourne Storm or or or, yeah, those good defensive teams. So yeah, I I, I don’t know, like, I’m sure they’re focusing on their defense, ’cause they’re leaking way too many points. But sometimes you take your focus off that and you you put it on your attack, which is your strength, and then all of a sudden your defense is energized from that. So, yeah, they’re in a bit of a hole, Both of those at the moment. Cowboys have lost four straight. And I think the Warriors three straight. Have they? Yeah. Three in a row. Yeah. So, you know, it’s not good signs for them. No. Look, I know you’ve got your Billy M awards coming up. Can I dish out my own award today? Pest of the Week? Absolutely. Pest of the Week’s. Got to be bread, Marnie. He has become a pest, hasn’t he? Little Reed. I’ll tell you what would have happened back in the old days. He would have caught one on the chin. Yeah. Yeah. Andrew Johns, you know, spoke pretty vividly on the Sunday Footy Show yesterday. Yeah, look at at the end of the day, it’s sort of crept into his game a little bit. You know what? Doesn’t need that? He is a wonderful player. He’s a great little competitor. He’s a, he’s a crafty little #9 great defender. Yeah, I I agree. He doesn’t need that sort of stuff in his game and it’s still starting to grab the headlines around him as a player which which you don’t want that so I’m sure he’ll he’ll tidy that sort of things up. Bloody Queenslanders by the way you started to write a few names down on paper. We’re not not too far away from game one. Yeah it’s starting to get close isn’t it? Maybe 30 odd days, so not far away but we’ve still got three games to go before we sit down and build the team. But you know the players you know, whether it’s through injury and form and you know we’ll we’ll end up with 17 players that have really earned their opportunity to play for Queensland this year and I’m. I’m enjoying watching them all. So yeah, still a little bit of time to go just yet. So enjoy the the fun, Billy at the moment. You’re very serious over the coming weeks aren’t you? I’m always fun, always fun. It’s always fun. They’re great man. Well let’s get into the Billy M awards for round nine of the competition. Billy and we start off with the most impressive team from round #9. Well, we just spoke about them before. The Canberra Raiders for me were the most impressive team this this week, 20 nil. Down at Brookvale away from home up against a a serious team like you know Tom Dubovich, Daly Cherry Evans and and to come back and and win that game 2624, I thought it was an incredible performance. You know some of their senior players really stood up and you know young Kyle Weeks. He scored a try against his old team in the first half to get him back into the match and yeah I I just thought that performance from Ricky Stewart and his men was the performance of the week. What about the most impressive player from round #9? Come from the same game from the same team. And it was Elliott Whitehead. Yeah. He he he’s been out of the team for a little bit. I think he’s been injured. Has he? So, you know, to come back in and and play the way that he did scored two tries and and set up that try for Kyo weeks it was took the intercept where Manly looked like they were going to run down the opposite end of the field and and lead 26 nil. But took the intercept and little Benji Marshall flicked pass and yeah, like I said then he picked up a couple of tries off the back of that and yeah, he was the performer of the week. Great stuff. All right. We moved to our list of questions. There’s been another stack of them. Billy’s mail bag is full. But keep them coming. Billy [email protected] dot AU. We might start off with this one from Jamie. Billy, what do you make of Luke Kerry’s career? Is it true you said that his 2018 grand final kicking game was one of the toughest to be on the end of. Yeah, he was great that day. You know he really took control. His team were really dominant. They they they they played they played us in our own end the the whole game and I I just remember every kick I I thought I was going to put my my back leg in the in goal and get A7 tackle set but it was it was just not far enough. You know that that’s how perfect his kicking game was and we were bringing out the ball off our own own own try line and then when we’d kick it they’d be getting tackled on the 30-40 metre line. Like that was how impressive their team performance was. But then on the end of the team performance Luke Curie’s kicking game was first class. So yeah, that was that was probably as good as. I’ve seen him control the game and kicking the game because he’s noted as a as a runner, but obviously with Cooper Cronk, you know, going down with that shoulder, he took control and yeah, he was, he was awesome that day. It’s funny, on that grand final, a lot of the talk was around Cooper because it was the mysteriousness of whether or not he was going to play. And then, you know, he was lauded after the game for being tough and playing with that shoulder. But if Luke Carey’s not there and a few of the boys said that on the weekend on the radio, they don’t win that grand final. Do you agree? Absolutely. Absolutely. He he did a wonderful job and like I said he he played he played the role of of the number 7. You know he was the dominant player and you know his team really supported him because they they completed their sets and they played really physical through the middle. They they dominated the field position and that gave him an opportunity to kick well but then he had to kick well. Yeah like I like I said like he he’s a great little player you know he has been for for such a long period of time. He’s won three premierships, one at the Rabbidos and two at the Roosters and yeah, he’ll be looking out looking to go out with the Premiership this year and it’s a real possibility with the talent they’ve got in their squad and the footy that they’re playing and they’ll be looking to get better as the the year goes on. I’ve spoken to so many players who, you know their big regret is having never won a premiership. To think that Luke could win a fourth, that’s that just goes to show he’s been a great player in some great teams over the years. One from Nikki who is one player you would have loved to have had the opportunity to play with past or present. Billy. Yeah OK, I’ve got two. I’ve got two players that I would have loved to to play alongside. The first one is is Alfie Langer. I would, I would absolutely love to play with Alfie. I’ve just followed him around like a puppy dog and waited for him to do something a little grubber or something like that. Although he he usually regathered his own kicks. So I don’t know, I would have, I might have just supported him along the road and just celebrated with him, but that would have been pretty cool and after the game would have been fun also. The other guy I ought to love to play alongside was Andrew Johns. I I was fortunate enough to play against Joey and you know sometimes you know when you play against these these great players and like Andrew Johns you you learn so much about your game. I remember playing Andrew Johns up at Newcastle and and when people used to always talk about like you come up against a good fullback and it’s like oh the battle of the fullbacks and that sort of stuff. The biggest battle that a fullback has is is the opposition kicker. They teach you about your positional play and the deficiencies you have in your in in your fullback play. So and your position and yeah playing against Andrew Johns, he’d go down a short side and he had the ability to drive it straight down the line. He had the ability to to hook it all the way across the the field or or or just chip it over the top and he was always thinking so reviewing your game against an Andrew Johns or Jonathan Thurston you learn so much about where to be and and how urgent you are and all that sort of stuff. So yeah it would have been nice and fun playing alongside Andrew Jones. He’d he’d put you into some space and have a good party afterwards too alongside Alfie. That would be enjoyable wouldn’t it Go for a couple of days keep those listening questions coming Billy [email protected] dot AU And before we wrap up Billy looking ahead to round 10 Dolphins seagulls Panthers, Bulldogs, eels, Broncos. The game on Friday night Gee I’m looking forward to the Storm and the Sharks top of the table clash. Oh yeah, Eels. What was that one? The Storm and Sharks. That’ll be a beauty. I’m looking forward to the Eels and the Broncos. You know the Broncos no Reynolds. What they do there that that Friday night clash is going to be big and and the Eels coming off a buy, you know no Gutherson and you know they’re under a bit of pressure. There’s already been a bit of talk about, you know, their coach’s future and that sort of stuff, so they’ve had to freshen up and they’ll be nice and prepared for this game because they’ve had two weeks to prepare for it. So I’m looking forward to that Friday night clash. Great stuff. All right mate, you have a great week. We’ll see you on the telly over the course of the weekend and we should get the plug in. We’re a couple of weeks away from Magic Round, which I think’s become one of the great weekends in rugby league. Four day celebration of rugby league at Suncorp’s going to be a beauty. It always is. And it’s actually starting on the Thursday night with the women’s state of Origin on that Thursday night, the 16th of of May. So that that is going to be 1 to look forward to and that’ll kick off magic round up there in sunny Queensland. I I haven’t had a drink since I haven’t had a drink since Las Vegas. I’ve been saving myself for magic round a nice forex gold cold one up there for you mate. Absolutely. I’ll I’ll have anything. I’m not like Joey. I don’t pick and choose. Have a good week mate. We’ll catch you soon. Thanks Levy. There he is. Billy Slater. This has been the Billy Slater podcast. Enjoy your weekend of rugby league as we enter round #10.