Transcript
Jarrod Dyke: Hey everybody, welcome back. It is the Fancy Rugby Yanks. My name is Jared Dyke.
Grumpy Old Prop: I'm Ben Glauser.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep, and we're here. And it's the last one, so let's light this candle, shall we?
Grumpy Old Prop: oh Yeah, I don't have beer this week again, but um I'll be okay.
Jarrod Dyke: How do you... Why isn't the first instinct you're driving home to not like, stop and grab a six-pack or something?
Grumpy Old Prop: It's a long story, but yeah, suffice to say that...
Jarrod Dyke: I guess you're grabbing something else, but, you know...
Grumpy Old Prop: um you know, with my, my recent reemployment. Um, yeah, the beers won't, won't be stingy in the future. That will not be a problem, but for now other, other matters took precedent.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah I imagine not.
Grumpy Old Prop: So I didn't get beer.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, you know. Anyway, make sure you buy the good friend of ours, George, the fancy rookie geek. He coughed your beer if you had a successful season in any of the fancy competitions you were playing in.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: It's likely because that guy's advice helped you along the way, so please do so. ah
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, just because he works hard, so just do it.
Grumpy Old Prop: He'll be getting a nice birthday, Christmas, new year, whatever present anniversary present in the next couple weeks.
Jarrod Dyke: a
Jarrod Dyke: d all the above
Jarrod Dyke: uh there is no discrimination here on this podcast nor should there be in sports or in life i bet okay good because we there's there's a lot there i mean there's a lot there's a lot of negative we can look at that's for sure
Grumpy Old Prop: I choose to go positive this week again. Let's, let's end on a high note.
Grumpy Old Prop: And it really this there's a lot of negative about it, but it's a positive. And this is we're going to talk about um the basically mayor elect of New York, Zoran Mamdani, who has i mean, he has a general election to win against the current mayor, but everybody fucking hates the current mayor for good reason.
Jarrod Dyke: Ah, yes, yes, yes.
Jarrod Dyke: Hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: And. like I I've seen too many of these to think that, Oh, maybe this is just a sea change. I fucking hope it is. But ah again, I've seen enough to know problem. Maybe not.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, but it was massive to just be like, nobody listened to the democratic established. Like they sent out, I mean, they were trying hard to get Andrew Cuomo to win who is so, okay.
Grumpy Old Prop: For those of you don't know American
Jarrod Dyke: Do...
Grumpy Old Prop: or um Certainly New York politics. um New York politics are very important and in the U.S. because they kind of the Democratic Party runs New York City and New York State.
Grumpy Old Prop: And um because of that, it's a really one party rule. Republican leaning voters will basically vote in.
Grumpy Old Prop: the Democratic primary and that hand tends to kind of rat fuck the the Democrats. So you get very conservative Democrats coming out of, of New York, whether it's New York city, and you know, they got Giuliani was mayor there.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, you current mayor Eric, got like they just fucking suck. And then you look at the governors like Andrew Cuomo, um, like the current Kathy Huckoole, who are basically Republicans, except they're, you know, they are with the Democrats, but,
Jarrod Dyke: Democrat by name only, probably.
Grumpy Old Prop: they win they win because the far right the the far right faction of Democrats will vote with Republicans because Republicans are like, this is the best we can do. but We're not getting a Republican to win here, but what we can do is vote for the most conservative Democrat.
Grumpy Old Prop: And so it works that way. And
Grumpy Old Prop: The like you know the backing they gave to Andrew Cuomo. So if you don't know Andrew Cuomo, he was their governor back during COVID and basically played. He trumped it up. He played like he was in charge and doing great things. Meanwhile, he really fucking with...
Grumpy Old Prop: like really fucking with um ah ah nursing homes and like old people were dying because of his leadership and oh it turns out that he's actually sexually assaulted like 13 women plus um you know
Jarrod Dyke: yep
Grumpy Old Prop: so why the fuck is he even on the ballot why are these and then like major national figures like bill clinton um like oh um that's uh south carolina congressman who just won't shut the fuck up and and go away um who's like in his 80s no no though he's a democrat um yeah hold on
Jarrod Dyke: Is that Graham?
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, is he? Okay.
Jarrod Dyke: Never would have thought that in my life.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, Jim Clyburn, um who is he's like 84 and pretty corrupt.
Jarrod Dyke: Okay.
Grumpy Old Prop: He basically was the kingmaker for Joe Biden by like getting South Carolina Democrats to to vote for him.
Jarrod Dyke: Okay.
Grumpy Old Prop: Meanwhile, south time South Carolina never goes for the Democrats as a state. So why they're listening why are we listening to them? um But yeah, so anyway, all these things in place to to keep the conservative faction in you know running the party.
Grumpy Old Prop: This is a major blow to that. Not only that, but they ran a pretty fucking racist campaign. Like he's brown, he's Muslim and socialist and communist. And it's like none of that hit because Mom Dami is just out there like I'm here to help make New Yorkers lives better.
Grumpy Old Prop: And like I'm going to implement like babies are going to get like a welcome basket from the city. And like these are things that happen in like real countries. and And, you know, there's, he wants to make the um bus, you know, the public transit free because it's a service, make it free.
Grumpy Old Prop: And um he he's doing all sorts of other, like has other really cool programs to help people out, to raise the minimum wage. And he's going to do it by taxing the rich. And everybody's like, oh no, this is horrible. and it's like, this is just the way things are done now.
Grumpy Old Prop: um Anyway, against the the racist and conservative entrenched, um, you know the political party rulers um this uh guy with a funny sounding name and and the the muslim background and the um and the the brown so the brownish skin um one huge and so it's it's good it's it's something that's needed and a lot of people who've been very comfortable obviously way too comfortable um who just think they deserve to stick around because they've been around um hopefully this is a repudiation of that and we can build off of it i'm just
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, it's great.
Grumpy Old Prop: not hopeful.
Jarrod Dyke: Hoping.
Grumpy Old Prop: Anyway, there's your couple minute dissertation on American politics, but why it's also good that hopefully maybe we can move towards a more equitable.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Good.
Grumpy Old Prop: He's back in like trans like rights and things like that. He makes wants to make it like a trans sanctuary. He's like, and that didn't lose him votes.
Jarrod Dyke: good
Grumpy Old Prop: Like all these people who said, Oh, we can't even, you know, you see that with, with Keir Starmer too, across the pond, like, Oh, that, you know, that would, would lose us support.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: And it's like, no, the fuck it would not. It would actually gain you support. Like, we We need to move towards that because all it is is rationalizing bigotry.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: That's really what this comes down to is the people who rationalize bigotry versus the people who are like, that's stupid. Let's just do good things. And it's finally the good, good things people are winning.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Listen to your eight-year-old at home. if it's if it sounds bad If it sounds bad to them, it's probably bad.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Just saying.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Really easy stuff. Really easy stuff.
Grumpy Old Prop: Sorry, that's like half of the pod that we just spent on. and No, it' I mean, joking, obviously we we don't, this is, this is obviously good.
Jarrod Dyke: ah Whoops. If you're still here, we love you too.
Grumpy Old Prop: That is a, you know, more, a larger portion of the pod than we usually spend, but there's only what three matches that we're going to talk about. So.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, there's only a few matches. We got, I mean, we got a few end of season and things to wrap up, but, um, but you know, yeah, no,
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. Of course.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. That ah isn't even on your, the thing you you asked me to prepare isn't even on your agenda there, chief.
Jarrod Dyke: no, it isn't. I just, that I just added it after before. Thank you.
Grumpy Old Prop: okay
Jarrod Dyke: So I just, I thought of that just as we said it and I was like, Oh, wait a minute.
Grumpy Old Prop: Fair enough.
Jarrod Dyke: I had it pulled up in front of me too, which is bad.
Grumpy Old Prop: Because you know we did this last week where it's like, wait, yeah, I have it. So when are we talking about it? So when when do I need to mentally prepare for that versus other matches?
Jarrod Dyke: After Superlatives, before thank yous and before we sign off.
Grumpy Old Prop: Fan-fucking-tastic. Let's go.
Jarrod Dyke: All right. um Anyway, so let's dive in. Yeah. yeah Buy a Patreon if you want. If not, we'll talk about our wonderful patrons later on. um Anyway.
Jarrod Dyke: ah First Lions game for the... for the sendoff match. and And think it's a vast overreaction thus far.
Jarrod Dyke: I think you and I are both in an are in agreement.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, absolutely.
Jarrod Dyke: Number one, let's not forget four years ago, they played Japan on the sign off. And that was a downward trending Japan too, by the way, like, but let's just, if we can, I think we all need to be honest about that.
Jarrod Dyke: So I'm not, and this is a very upward trending Pumas team.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: So
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: You know, there's a there's a pretty good notable difference between between these two things. think that's clear.
Grumpy Old Prop: I think it's a better team than they'll face in Australia, to be perfectly blunt.
Jarrod Dyke: Maybe. and may well be. Wouldn't be shocked.
Grumpy Old Prop: um But that... that and Yeah. There's also the fact that this wasn't even the Lions A squad, because a lot of their guys, lot of their normal starters were were not available. so
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: um And plus, it's... Again, when you play on a team like this, there's a way to play. And um like you are allowed to be selfish with the caveat of if you make that decision, you put it down over the line.
Jarrod Dyke: right Oh, yeah, it's totally.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, That's it. Like, and, and, you know, because that's your expectation. Like if you're going to hold onto that, when maybe you should get rid of it. Okay. Maybe you have something, but if you don't, like, obviously I'm going to be talking here about Luke Cowan Dickey, who is up there for Dick of the week for me, spoiler alert um for that, that play, like um in what first half when he was at the back of the mall and Mitchell's trying to play and he's like, no, I got it.
Jarrod Dyke: Hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: And it's like, okay, soldier, do your thing.
Jarrod Dyke: the
Grumpy Old Prop: go,
Jarrod Dyke: You're going to do that.
Grumpy Old Prop: go
Jarrod Dyke: You better goddamn well score. that's that's the That's the rule on those.
Grumpy Old Prop: And he didn't. He knocked he knocked knocked it on and and fucked it up.
Jarrod Dyke: You thought he scored too, which is the stupid part.
Grumpy Old Prop: um Yeah. Right. Like, no, it was pretty clear. You should know. you um But then that's the problem. Like, you you have, you know, Sheehan will score that.
Grumpy Old Prop: Sheehan can do that. Sheehan's earned that right.
Grumpy Old Prop: LCD wants to be that. Like, he needs to. The thing is, he he needs to do that at sale. Because there's really not much else. And so he's bringing that energy to the Lions.
Jarrod Dyke: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: And it's like, no, dude. learn like When you play with a team like this, all you have to do is like the minimum of your If it's not there, okay, you know what? Someone else has the advantage. like Find them.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's their turn, not yours. And you have to learn that. And it takes a while. um Some guys are good at it. Some guys just never quite get it because they're still used to it. No, this is this is how I play rugby.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: And it's like, yeah, you're... you're going to get less chances, but the chances you get are going to be great. And they have to figure that out.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. ah In the pack, I'd say four out of those eight guys are going to start would start a test right now.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: I would say the the locking pair was good, and then two of the two, who I would pick, let's put it that way.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: ah But even of the even of the guys that are likeliest to start, I still think there's only four there.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: I mean, I liked Tom Curry at six, if I'm going to be b blunt about it.
Jarrod Dyke: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, he he had his chances. He didn't, you know, he did six work. You know, you don't expect that much attack from your six. um I thought he did reasonably well at the breakdown, but like...
Jarrod Dyke: You don't have much attack from that sex. Let's put it that way.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. um
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I i would personally, if it was me picking the team, I would put Jack Morgan in over Curry and then stick in Vander Flair and then keep Burrell where he was.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Or that... Or have Curry come off the bench.
Jarrod Dyke: That's what I would do.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, I could do that.
Jarrod Dyke: But what i'm think what I know is likely as to happen is one of those two other two, they're going to start Curry at six. I don't i think there's a question about that.
Grumpy Old Prop: I think so.
Jarrod Dyke: um And then one of the other two is to start probably too.
Grumpy Old Prop: i mean, i I do like him. Yeah, I do like Curry over Morgan myself right now. And i that's the fucked up thing is I like Jack Morgan.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: Hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: But I think ah think Curry is just a better overall player. which also says a lot.
Jarrod Dyke: Hmm. Depends on who you ask. Depends on who you ask.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: um But yeah, and then, mean, neither of the halfbacks are go to be the starters likely.
Grumpy Old Prop: No.
Jarrod Dyke: maybe one center depending on Hugh Jones' health.
Grumpy Old Prop: Unlikely. Unless... Yeah, that's true. Yeah, that that also was a poor mix for that team.
Jarrod Dyke: And...
Grumpy Old Prop: Like having the the two thumping centers. Not that Tui Polotu can't move the ball.
Jarrod Dyke: The only other option was Daly.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: He can move the ball better than Bundy, which is which is terrifying.
Grumpy Old Prop: True. And so that's why the that's why you came off that's why he came on in favor of Bundy. So then, yeah, Tui Palatu went to 12, and Daly, I thought, had some had some chances too.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: um So it wasn't ah wasn't a bad, you know, given those three centers. Yeah, that's that's the way I would have rolled too. just wouldn't have been happy about it.
Jarrod Dyke: Right. and and i'd And I'd pick... Honestly, I'd pick two of the three, back three guys myself, given the chance. But there's a spoil for choice back there for sure.
Jarrod Dyke: um
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah it's not um it's gonna be tough for him on this tour i think which sucks
Jarrod Dyke: ah you know As much as I love Marcus, ah ah we know 15 is not his best position. That's how it is.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, if they're seeing him as a fullback... If they're seeing him as a fullback and 10 hybrid, then he'll be fine, but...
Grumpy Old Prop: i mean i'd still would love to see him and finn working together because that would
Jarrod Dyke: That could be fun.
Grumpy Old Prop: that could be a lot of fun. Not the other Finn.
Jarrod Dyke: That could be fun.
Grumpy Old Prop: Sorry. This Finn, this Finn. I mean, he works well with this Finn too, but I'd love to see him work with Russell.
Jarrod Dyke: No, I knew who you were talking about. but i knew you talking about Finn Russell. Yeah, I... So, but yeah let's let's let's go attention towards...
Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: and towards the other guys too they they they deserve some recognition for sure you know mendy i think that's a that's not quite a debut try for mendy but it's close um that was good that was good for him yeah and these and you argentino is the missing guys too they have guys still playing top 14 rugby so throw them that little bone as well so it's not to say that they weren't missing anyway so i'm you i i give a ton of
Grumpy Old Prop: They absolutely do.
Jarrod Dyke: credit to Contempomi and Mantoja and, motosja and you know, Albornoz continues to grow right before our very eyes.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, he does.
Jarrod Dyke: um You know, looks great. Karras being back at 15 is so helpful for this team too. Like, really, know he was playing 10 for this team for a while and did okay in in spots, but really, if we're talking about what's the best place for him to help any team he's on, it's going to be wearing 15, maybe one of the other back three jerseys, but definitely 15 more often than not.
Jarrod Dyke: Good on him. And yeah, this is ah this was like a solid Pumas team that just didn't let go. And don they they could have...
Grumpy Old Prop: No, they didn't.
Jarrod Dyke: And, you know, some teams would have been like, oh, fuck, here we go, and just folded at some point. But nope.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: Nope, never did. Never did.
Jarrod Dyke: know, that's their way. That's the way they do things now.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: Man, the fuck the five back back room um forwards for... Wow. ah For the Pumas, though, gotta say, I like a lot about it.
Jarrod Dyke: Melina, Rubiolo, you know, Matera for, as a as a player, not a person.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. yeah
Jarrod Dyke: ah
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: ah Gonzo, and, you know, despite Oviedo's totally knuckle-headed decision, he was really lucky to only get a penalty.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: um I like Oviedo a lot, and you know, going back to last year's rugby championship, I liked a lot of what I saw of him.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: So, yeah, that's a really, really dangerous and just punishing back and not even just punching. Like we know Gonzo can do things in space as well as obviously do the hard work. So guys like him and Oviedo really just make life hard on teams, whether they have ball in hand or not.
Jarrod Dyke: So yeah, that's, that's a really good, good set right there. Yeesh.
Grumpy Old Prop: it is so you know i so i mean all that to say the the talk about um the lions and they kind of shit in the bed and again you know or not playing their best it's you got to You got to look at the totality of it. You know this sort of che team is good. As you said, they have quite a few good players of their own that play together.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's so different when it's a team that, that, you know, knows each other. And, you know, we're, we saw the, was it Dan Sheehan was, was like his biggest surprise was that Ellis Genge isn't a dickhead.
Jarrod Dyke: Wasn't a total twit. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. It's like, these guys don't actually know each other.
Jarrod Dyke: No, of course not.
Grumpy Old Prop: And it's it it takes time to to build that kind of trust, although you should be looking for it and demanding it, but it it still takes time to to learn each each other's and intricacies.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. And some of these guys are only coming into training as recently as last week because they were finishing up league season.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. Right.
Jarrod Dyke: So think there's still one.
Grumpy Old Prop: So, yeah, I mean.
Jarrod Dyke: Is there one more to come in? Yeah. Kinghorn's not in yet.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: And he won't be for – he'll miss this plane because he's playing for Toulouse this coming weekend.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oof.
Grumpy Old Prop: Wow.
Jarrod Dyke: So, yeah, and, you know, he'll probably – he'll miss this this week, obviously, and I don't know if they'll give him any time off. I'm sure it's going to take them time to get into things.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: you know Would I – I think that he'll be an interesting selection. um who wears that like 22, 23 jersey um as ah as a back three replacement or potentially a 10 replacement as well.
Jarrod Dyke: And, you know, he and Marcus kind of fit the same molds in a lot of ways.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: Different players, obviously, but really they they're, I think that's the same ideas with the two of them. So it's going to be very interesting to see how that goes.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: Very, very interesting.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah I mean for me given given everyone's playing in form of their back of their um fullback choices and I'm thinking like Keenan Marcus or Kinghorn Kinghorn's the one I want
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, it's probably it's honestly probably Kinghorn. I would agree with that.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah oh yeah all things being equal and everyone informed that's the one I want but I'm not and that's by
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, because again, yeah, Marcus is more of...
Jarrod Dyke: That is by a razor thin margin for all three guys, really.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, exactly.
Jarrod Dyke: So, but the it's a luxury.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, i don't even know who not my number two would be. It's like two silver medals, but like right now it's just he's got that nose ahead.
Jarrod Dyke: ah Well.
Grumpy Old Prop: All right, let's talk for you, Jax.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, man. I mean, i'm i'm I'm so disappointed in this game for many reasons. um I'm disappointed for you because this is, what, third in a row that the Chiefs have gotten to the final and found a way to spoil it.
Grumpy Old Prop: Although this time they at least fired a shot. They least tried. Like, you know, they, they, yeah, exactly.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, last couple, though they weren't as good.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, I feel like what the last one against the blues, it was like, they did, but didn't even bother to show up.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, I know.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: that was That was pretty horrible.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like they, they had what one kick a goal a couple of kicks a goal and one of them made it through or something. It was like, great. That, that really helped.
Jarrod Dyke: More or less, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like this one, at least, you know,
Grumpy Old Prop: But not you not to not score in the second half. like That was their thing. They were a second half scoring machine.
Jarrod Dyke: Hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: And Crusaders just shut them down. and i I mean, credit. Really...
Grumpy Old Prop: I kind of you know think, again, um I'm going to run back to the McKenzie's just not quite ready. He looks like good in spurts, but this game, you like i feel like he never got out of first gear.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, well, this is this is the type of game, if he's going to be a 10, he's got to make an impact at 10.
Grumpy Old Prop: And really opened it up. It's like...
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: And, you know, this is the stuff he's going to see at the next level.
Grumpy Old Prop: And he really didn't.
Jarrod Dyke: And we we know he's had his struggles at the next level wearing that shirt, so.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yep. But like it wasn't because he wasn't taking chances. It was because he was playing too conservative. like He went over the way too non-aggressive in this game, I felt like.
Jarrod Dyke: Hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: And like they just they never really...
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: There were times where they could have attacked and he's like, no, we're going to do a highball. and it's like, Dude, that's not what that's not what brought you to this point. It's that we could have an overload. Well, let's give it a shot.
Grumpy Old Prop: And like, you you can't just give up.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: You know, you can't just be like, oh, it's a final. I got a turtle up. You got to be like, this is this what makes us great. What makes you great is you score tries. And it just didn't, they didn't.
Grumpy Old Prop: they They didn't try to score tries enough. And that's been a problem in the last couple of games, too. It's worried me. but um you know So it just opened the door for Crusaders just to be like, yeah, okay, we'll just work you down.
Grumpy Old Prop: If that's the way you want to play it, we can slow this game down, make it a slog. And, ah you know, I still don't know how Chiefs didn't score second half. Otherwise, it's, you know, um it's it's like almost an easy win. It's like right there for them. They just never reached out to grab it.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I really feel like they... It's almost like there was a belief that came out of them. And for whatever reason, whether it be because the Crusaders were playing excellent defense, which they were, or because their attack was just finding ways to spit and sputter and and never really got going, even when the defense was not at its best.
Jarrod Dyke: they just came to a point where they were just like, I guess this is all we're going to do today. It's like, guys, throw everything you have, please.
Grumpy Old Prop: Pretty much It's
Jarrod Dyke: Come on.
Grumpy Old Prop: like have have they never seen well, I would keep staying happy Gilmore, but that's not right. I The water boy, you know, last game of the year.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Can't leave anything. Thank you, Dan. We know. um
Jarrod Dyke: Gee, Dan, did you come with that up with that all by yourself?
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Shut up, Brent.
Jarrod Dyke: ah
Grumpy Old Prop: But like that's.
Jarrod Dyke: ah Yeah, i' like I said, I'm disappointed in a lot of ways. The potential for this final was, here's the thing, and it's sad that it happens a lot. The potential for the final is you know up here, and unfortunately, that just the expectations are not matched.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: And it's and they weren't they weren't even half to matched, honestly, I think we're being fair.
Grumpy Old Prop: it was a good game. was like, it was a, it was a slog. It was two teams that were really going at it. They just like the problem, you know, ultimately what it boils down to is the chiefs played the crusaders brand of rugby and surprise, surprise, the crusaders were better at it.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Yeah, it's a shocker today, right?
Grumpy Old Prop: Like if the chiefs play the chiefs brand of rugby, I don't know that that's, I think we're talking, having a different conversation.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, it's especially this year, Crusaders seem to have this... like the old spring box way of just like putting into ah you into a trance and making you believe that playing our style of rugby is what's going to be get you to beat us.
Jarrod Dyke: And we are, we, we know that a lot of teams tried the old, the way the spring box did it.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like Exeter too. Like, yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: And it usually didn't work.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. Right. But same principle. Yeah. Like we're going to make you play the way we want to play or you're just going to like, you will play the way we want to play.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, the old Jedi mind trick.
Grumpy Old Prop: And.
Grumpy Old Prop: And it works and it's just like, fuck.
Jarrod Dyke: He's not a judge you're looking for. Yeah,
Grumpy Old Prop: Fuck.
Jarrod Dyke: um yeah but just in. Yeah, yeah and they just they were able to dupe them. um
Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: Uh, just sadly, I do want to point out, um, one guy that made difference to this Crusaders team. And we were looking at the 10 shirt. Obviously it's really hard to fill the, uh, Richie Mawanga void, um, as great as that, as he is.
Jarrod Dyke: He didn't fill it, but he was more than serviceable and was Reyhanna, obviously. ah You know, kicking woes were definitely a part of the issues coming from the Ten Shirt for Crusaders, and he seemed to have kind of corrected the the ship on that one.
Grumpy Old Prop: ye you That's that's why they
Jarrod Dyke: So I got to give him a ton of credit.
Grumpy Old Prop: that's why they signed James O'Connor. That was like the joke earlier in the season was that um like, oh yeah, they you know they brought Rihanna in to try to win games, but they brought O'Connor's really their 10 and he's the one who like does the important work and stuff like that.
Jarrod Dyke: Okay.
Grumpy Old Prop: And it's like, yeah, that was true earlier in the season, but...
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: you know, part of, you know, and O'Connor was very clear about it. He's like, I'm here to teach you know, Ray Hanna had a play the less I play the better. They're still paying me the same kind of thing.
Grumpy Old Prop: like
Jarrod Dyke: yeah
Grumpy Old Prop: And, uh, so, and look at that. He can't, you know, he can't, he came on at 79 minutes, like the, you know, a little nod to him. Like he didn't even it was like a thank you, um, entrance because Rihanna just had it.
Grumpy Old Prop: And, uh, I think that's awesome for the, both of them. Um,
Grumpy Old Prop: Cause I do like that. It's it. That's the other thing is it's like, you know, right now I hate to lose. I really didn't like losing to the blues. Um, and it's just wild to lose to the crusaders though, because it's like, what the fuck they had one, what one year off with the coaching change.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: And then they're like, okay, we're just going to win again.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, fuck good for them.
Jarrod Dyke: Sorted themselves out.
Grumpy Old Prop: what are you going to do? um
Grumpy Old Prop: It's, yeah, that's a good team.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: And Smitey Williams coming back playing was was fantastic.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, they have such a ah a solid squad, just a solid squad.
Jarrod Dyke: He was immense.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, maybe not the stars and in the back.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: Well, except for the the two guys in the 14 and 15. um Springer played all right. Like, i don't know. It was... um they But the guys that they do have who are role players play their roles to perfection.
Grumpy Old Prop: And that's how they win.
Jarrod Dyke: That's how you can win.
Grumpy Old Prop: but chiefs are yeah and The Chiefs are not like that. They're the let's go play some footy guys. and Which is what I love about them. But I don't like when they get away from that.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Because it's like, dude, that's not who you are. like Do the thing.
Jarrod Dyke: Agreed.
Grumpy Old Prop: you guys you like That's the other thing. You look at them and you're like, why aren't they running around Braden Ennor and David Havili? Because those guys are not anything special anymore to me.
Jarrod Dyke: I feel like I got left out of the all box squad.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, yeah. um So it's like, why aren't why aren't you just like using your athletic ability against them?
Grumpy Old Prop: Because you're you're more athletic and you're a better players. And they just didn't. I found that frustrating. I mean, they did, but they you know not not nearly enough.
Jarrod Dyke: what Not enough.
Grumpy Old Prop: So, and you're not going to, you're not going to beat a team of guys who do their fucking jobs if you don't like try to get them off their game.
Jarrod Dyke: Truth.
Grumpy Old Prop: So there's my rant on that.
Jarrod Dyke: Where's that? Um... oh Let's go to Fort Quincy, shall we?
Jarrod Dyke: And years years chopped off everyone's life and in in the crowd, for sure.
Grumpy Old Prop: What a day. Holy crap.
Grumpy Old Prop: That was a long that was a long match, Jared. That was a long match.
Jarrod Dyke: it was. it was. it was. It was. Yeah. and And I mean... So for those of you that were trying to watch it on TV, we're sorry that you could couldn't watch it.
Jarrod Dyke: That's totally on MLR. Shocker of the day.
Grumpy Old Prop: It is.
Jarrod Dyke: um
Grumpy Old Prop: i'm Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Because we so before we get into the match, like, yeah, we're we're so we see Dallin, Stanford, if you don't know Dallin, as he's a fucking legend, by the way. um
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: And, you know, I recognize him and he and I have he and i have had conversations. of And I've had conversation as well. And we were both like, Dallin, and he's just like, hey, what's going on?
Grumpy Old Prop: I played with him at one point.
Jarrod Dyke: So the the broadcast cut out right as the kick was taken.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: i was like, what?
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: That is the worst.
Grumpy Old Prop: but
Jarrod Dyke: I would have been throwing shit at the TV like, what the fuck?
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh my God.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah,
Grumpy Old Prop: Even as a neutral, like how do you, ah that's just, ah
Jarrod Dyke: yeah you know people back in Chicago are like, what the actual fuck?
Grumpy Old Prop: in
Grumpy Old Prop: cause it was, oh shit. That's right. Huh? Yeah. do you know, like, um, there was there was drama. Like, if you missed it. So he missed the kick, but it stayed in play.
Grumpy Old Prop: And the Free Jacks had to scramble to to...
Jarrod Dyke: It did. i was like, yeah somebody please pick that goddamn thing up.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. Or just touch it down, like, that whatever.
Jarrod Dyke: Well, anything, anything that didn't involve letting it bounce around.
Grumpy Old Prop: Because it was in the... Yeah. Right. And, like, they I guess they got it in the touch or something. or or they did um ground it.
Jarrod Dyke: I think they died it down. Thank God.
Grumpy Old Prop: But it was like, I think Chicago didn't interact. They were just all just watching. They, they pinned it all on They didn't, they if they were playing fundamental rugby um and sending the wing down, um they, they probably would have won, which is fucked up, but like they didn't jump, they didn't react at all.
Grumpy Old Prop: And then the free Jacks got on, got it because they were,
Jarrod Dyke: No.
Grumpy Old Prop: quicker on the ball and um that was like holy shit like that i was i like when it missed it was like fuck yes it dinged off the post and then you see where it lands and i like pooped myself again because i was like oh shit there's gonna be somebody there from from the hounds and and no nobody um
Jarrod Dyke: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: From Chicago. Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Nope, nope, nope. Thank God.
Grumpy Old Prop: but that Yeah, I was so happy. um But that was that was a fucking hell of a win. um And, you know,
Grumpy Old Prop: we've been waiting for a certain player to make a positive impact on a game. And if he's going to pick at the time and he picks that time, fair fucking play, dude
Jarrod Dyke: fair what fair and Fair enough. But, I mean, on my bingo board, did not have that down.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: can tell you that much right the fuck now. Like, holy shit. Of all... All here's the thing, Chicago. You deserve to lose on the simple fact that you let him score the winner.
Jarrod Dyke: Like, regardless of anything else that happened, regardless of how good or bad the referee was, he was terrible, by the way, um regardless of how well you played or how well DeWingham played, you let that fucking dude score the winner.
Grumpy Old Prop: A seven-pointer.
Grumpy Old Prop: He was awful.
Jarrod Dyke: You deserve to lose. I'm sorry.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, like, go home.
Jarrod Dyke: i have no sympathy for you whatsoever.
Grumpy Old Prop: No, that's that's not a championship effort right there. He just, like, and he just flopped over.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, he was like he was laying on someone and you realize he was over the line and he just died it down.
Grumpy Old Prop: Just... So this is... Yeah, he's like, okay, I'll just touch it down.
Jarrod Dyke: i was like...
Grumpy Old Prop: right There's nobody right here. I'll just touch the ball down. ah Like, is that... That's what we do, right?
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, no shit.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. but
Jarrod Dyke: i was like, what? What? Yeah. Yeah. what what
Grumpy Old Prop: no
Jarrod Dyke: um
Grumpy Old Prop: But yeah, so Kyle Sequeira scores the the game-winning try and...
Jarrod Dyke: yeah
Grumpy Old Prop: um And a hard fought game like this was it was it was rough to watch. Was it 10 nothing at and half or.
Jarrod Dyke: it was 10, 10, nothing at half.
Grumpy Old Prop: off
Jarrod Dyke: Um,
Grumpy Old Prop: Went up to 15 nothing at one point or something or 17 nothing something like along those lines and.
Jarrod Dyke: Um, with shortly, like right around the 50th minute or so.
Grumpy Old Prop: or something. Yeah, yeah, somewhere around there.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Right around the 50th minute or so, because free Jack's got one,
Jarrod Dyke: Eventually got one.
Grumpy Old Prop: I don't have the box score.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. I don't know if our site's been really janky this season.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's hard to find. but and MLR has been like restricting data like that.
Jarrod Dyke: There we go.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah We don't want to tell you we don't want to tell you who played in the game or the or the you know, the breakdown, any details on it.
Jarrod Dyke: Results. That's what I want.
Grumpy Old Prop: You have to like pay for that level of access, which is.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, that doesn't make any sense to me.
Grumpy Old Prop: no
Jarrod Dyke: But anyway. um Yeah, i know i i remember it because... they want to watch it again, but two, yeah, just, it was really easy to etch it into your mind, like when that happens, but let's, so let's rewind to other moments before freezaks finally decide to pull their heads from between their cheeks and,
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: The intercept that I think it was, ah want to say it was Telefu, it might have been Brock that through that they threw, might have been Hollinshead actually as well. um Really way too telegraphed of ah of a pass.
Jarrod Dyke: And Bryce Campbell shows why he's not on the Eagles this time around because Paul Belacana caught him and was able to make him knock it on right near right at the goal line.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yup.
Jarrod Dyke: And anybody, any other person barring, you know, one of the slowest people in the world should score that. And really, if Bryce wants to be a part of the ah part of the Eagles, he needs to score that.
Jarrod Dyke: And that's the sad facts and sorry, not sorry, you know?
Grumpy Old Prop: Yup. Yup.
Jarrod Dyke: So I,
Grumpy Old Prop: that That's very true. You can't get tracked down. You cannot.
Jarrod Dyke: no, no. And I know Paul is like not human. I i get it. I truly get that.
Grumpy Old Prop: But he's not, he's not, okay, he's fast. But look, if he was that fast, like that fast, that fast, we wouldn't be watching him play here.
Grumpy Old Prop: And fuck, we might not after something like that um next year.
Jarrod Dyke: I know, right?
Grumpy Old Prop: um He's one of several people on the Free Jacks that we, the both of us think should, you know, could go play in the premiership. And you know He's not a starter there, but he could contribute, play the odd match here and there, and and probably do really fucking well because he's good.
Grumpy Old Prop: um And then develop into something um once he sees it.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, he's think he's tied for second in tries going into the final here.
Grumpy Old Prop: he might be the i mean He might be the best all-around player in the league.
Jarrod Dyke: he He's in, i think he's in conversation for player the player of the year, honestly.
Grumpy Old Prop: I...
Jarrod Dyke: um And that's not me trying to blow smoke up his ass. I wouldn't be shocked. And, know, usually one of the Free Jacks players is is in that conversation.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: It was Vanderbilt Bank last year.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: it was, you know, Potra's the year before.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: neither Neither of us started this and started this game. We'll see Potra's the rest the year anyway.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. No.
Jarrod Dyke: Sadly. But, yeah, it's – so, yeah, that happened, and that was – that will not show up in the box score by any means whatsoever, but those that watch the game won't forget it either.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: and that And that's huge. That was huge in a lot of ways. You know, that's – I think that's 14-0 if he scored, if I remember right.
Grumpy Old Prop: that's that's yeah that's that's that's game right there is what that would have been just a dagger just to okay what like question yourself too much and this team I don't know how they would react to it but the the momentum shift from we're done to ah holy shit Paula saved our ass let's let's go get this
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: Let's reward him by playing a little bit better.
Grumpy Old Prop: right mm-hmm
Jarrod Dyke: And they played a little bit better the rest of the half, but then, you know, it took ah and they even took them a little while to shake it out for um the second half. But...
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. But like you said, the the ref was really unhelpful that um that the he did ruin a scoring effort.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh.
Grumpy Old Prop: Was that um that second half?
Jarrod Dyke: So, it was second half. So...
Grumpy Old Prop: Okay.
Jarrod Dyke: First of all, the guy that scored the hounds um second try shouldn't have been on the field because he was the one that took Pierce out in the air.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, right.
Jarrod Dyke: And that's the second time he did it on the day, too, by the way.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, it was.
Jarrod Dyke: And that's not that's no longer. I didn't know bullshit. That's now you're being a fucking dickhead. Go sit for 10 minutes because you're being an asshole going get someone hurt.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: um So he shouldn't have been on the field. So say what you will about how we got our tries. uh fuck you brown shouldn't have been on the field so um that so there's nobody to kick that to in that case um but yeah the second so they scored so jed scored and then the second the so that kickoff ensuing paula broke and chipped it ahead and yeah there was some guys that were kind of fighting slash not fighting for it and they fell on it and i mean rucks formed
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: He's been amazing. Yeah. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: However, look, whatever whatever happened, it to me, it looks on the on the video like there were hands in the ruck. Like clearly a ruck was formed, and I think that's why the the ball squirts out.
Grumpy Old Prop: But at the same time, it's a ruck. So let's let's pretend that that that just, because that that but you know that actually doesn't matter as much why it squirted out.
Jarrod Dyke: uh
Grumpy Old Prop: Because it squirted out, but it was on, the entire time it was on the freejack side. So it's like, okay, even if it popped out, you know they they should go They should have gone back to look at that.
Grumpy Old Prop: But even if they didn't, there was another more glaring offense of the the player coming back from offside. and And never...
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, and Charlie Abel knows exactly what he's doing.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: He knows if I pick this ball up and I get away with it, then we're going to survive.
Grumpy Old Prop: He's...
Jarrod Dyke: If I don't, i'm giving I'm clearly going to give away a yellow card and possibly a penalty try.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. It's...
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. And he went, so he's like, all right, um'm ah you know I'll gamble on it. And the ref was standing right there, like right there. And the whole time he's running back towards the line and picks it up.
Jarrod Dyke: And Sami is horrible.
Grumpy Old Prop: And it's like, how do you, how do you miss that?
Jarrod Dyke: Like, MLR, send this dude packing. He has no idea what he's doing.
Grumpy Old Prop: No.
Jarrod Dyke: The really simple shit like that. And, you know, he wants to... So, here's the thing. So, you you didn't get to watch the replay I did. The penalty that was called because ah for a hit off the ball, super-duper sell job by Fawcett.
Grumpy Old Prop: oh i no doubt I think I saw that I saw that and yeah no I shot yeah like I've seen i saw that's what I thought I saw live and I didn't realize that that was the call I thought i thought there was something else because was like there's no way he bought that plus that it's something I missed
Jarrod Dyke: Super-duper sell job by Fawcett. Just flops. Flops and then rolls around like a five-year-old. Like, I've been...
Jarrod Dyke: That was the call. That was the call. And remember that the kick, in so this was not the opening kickoff. their Their kick to clear it was horrible too.
Jarrod Dyke: So if you don't make that decision because you're not that gullible and you're actually a functioning human being in Salmi, then that's no longer a problem. And that's that's not them getting to clear the lines easy. That's them having, you know, us having a line out just outside their 22 right off the bat.
Jarrod Dyke: And that puts pressure on them immediately. And it's like, dude, you can't. He kept it.
Grumpy Old Prop: But here's the thing, like...
Jarrod Dyke: And then there was the one that Cam had that Cam kind of half got a guy and it wasn't late though. It's like, dude, he, he, he realized what was happening and he said, you know what?
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. I was... yeah
Jarrod Dyke: This isn't worth it anyway. And it wasn't even late. It's like you. And so he bitched Joe out after a little while. It's like, bro, you do not know what you're looking at.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: So Johnson's got every right to just cuss you out right now. He's being very nice.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: By the way, Joe is just sitting there and doing his best to not completely lose his shit. But yeah, When you have a guy that doesn't got a fucking clue and buys the most, he buys it like it's a freaking red card in us in a and in a football game. And I mean soccer.
Jarrod Dyke: Like, dude, what the fuck are you doing?
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: Like, please go somewhere else. Go to National League in England. And that might even be nice to him, honestly. Like, go somewhere the fuck else. Because he is, he and here's the thing that really chaps my ass about the whole thing.
Grumpy Old Prop: but
Jarrod Dyke: I don't give a shit where he's from. He's not helping United States rugby right now.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Shitty referees like him are why we have players that don't know what the fuck the rules actually are.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: And then they go on a national on an international stage. then they get a quality referee like a Gus Gardner or like a Luke Pierce. And they're actually able to recognize shit that we shouldn't be doing.
Jarrod Dyke: And we don't, well, we don't, well, I get away with that.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: It's like, no, you're not going to get away with the shit in ML that you do in MLR because there's competent referees here. So it just hurts our game overall. So MLR, like us, us s rugby needs to actually probably step in and say, update your fucking refereeing quality because this this is killing us right now.
Jarrod Dyke: And I know that's not necessarily Scott Lawrence's prerogative, but it's needs to be someone at the headquarters to say, MLR, your refereeing quality is horrible, so you need to ah you need to upgrade it.
Jarrod Dyke: So if guys aren't getting better, you need to send them home, especially if they're, you know, there's, and Salmi's been around for a while now.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: He should know, and if he doesn't know, he needs to get the fuck out. Like, the that's just plain and simple. Okay, bring someone else along, let let them get into it, and then we can actually start to maybe progress as a rugby nation.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. Put Amelia out there.
Jarrod Dyke: Now, that'd be...
Grumpy Old Prop: What the fuck?
Jarrod Dyke: but Please.
Grumpy Old Prop: I mean, maybe I understand. i understand that, like, not in the playoff game, but like the fact that she doesn't get a regular season match is why she'll never get considered for this match. And yet you're still paying this asshole.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, I'm sorry. I don't care.
Jarrod Dyke: Overpaying him, probably.
Grumpy Old Prop: There's there's there's 10. ARs on the circuit who would be better than him right the fuck now. And I don't care because it's like, you know why they'd be better than him? Because they'd learn. Yeah, they'd make mistakes, but at least they'd grow from them.
Grumpy Old Prop: Whereas Anselmi just makes mistakes and is like, fuck you. I made a mistake.
Jarrod Dyke: he he's one of those yeah he's one of those guys that's just like i don't give a shit if i made a mistake i'm the referee and never learns from it you know there's and those are the referees that piss me off absolutely the most it's like no no no you you understand that if you go back and look at this you've got this wrong and it's almost like they don't even want to admit that you know and that's the other thing that pisses me off about
Grumpy Old Prop: like I don't care. Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. right
Jarrod Dyke: Rugby punditry in general, but like especially here in the U.S., like we're not we're where they're so hyped up on. They're just way too focused. They're very focused on trying to hype up whatever they can, because, you know, there's a lot there.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: There's plenty to hype up there. They focus on the wrong things. But at the same time, like they don't want to take the time to be critical because why be critical when we have this? Well, we need to make it better.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: We need to admit that it's not that good. Because most of us can admit that the level of play in MLR would not match the top six, seven, eight leagues out there right now.
Jarrod Dyke: You know, like Black Lion from Georgia would kick ah would kick the shit out of any team from the MLR.
Grumpy Old Prop: No.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: And that includes the Free Jacks. You know, like guys teams like that.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: um most I'd say the Curry Cup teams always kick the shit out of the Free Jacks.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: you know And and that that that's the facts.
Grumpy Old Prop: Uh
Jarrod Dyke: any of the japan like Most of the Japan League One teams, or the whole tree, rather, I should say, most of them have a player that's more high quality than we have, at least a few of them.
Jarrod Dyke: Now, that the nobodies, they're bad. But, man, they have guys that are way up here
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: and For the most part, um you know, down to like level three. And so we have to understand that while, yes, we're all very excited. You know, Ben and I are very excited that we have this to go to every spring and go watch professional rugby being played in our in our backyard.
Jarrod Dyke: Nothing makes us more happy in terms of rugby than that. There's no question about it. But let's not sit here and put blinders on and say, oh, yeah, it's fine. It's totally fine. There's nothing wrong with this.
Jarrod Dyke: There's a lot wrong with it. And it's okay to sit there and love everything about what's going on in terms of the positives, but still look at look at it critically and say, here's something that we need to improve.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. It's like
Jarrod Dyke: There's nothing wrong with that.
Grumpy Old Prop: well
Jarrod Dyke: that You can do both. that we're not it's no its It's not one or the other. You can definitely do both. why Why does it have to be one or the other?
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: you know
Grumpy Old Prop: Well, that's the other thing is that the you only can play up to your standards. As you said, like when these players get to the international level, they're going to get reffed totally different way.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: like so They won't get anything that they're getting away with now most of the time. And it's like So they won't get better. So there comes a point where it's like, you know, you raise standards. That's what I always go with with my team is we're raising standards. That's the only way we can ever get better is we say this, anything less than this is unacceptable.
Grumpy Old Prop: And you always have to keep raising it. And that's what MLR needs to do because they have a product. you know though It's all right, but if you want to get to a big-time league, which they have the ability to do, you have to raise standards all around.
Grumpy Old Prop: And Selmy just doesn't meet the standard as a ref because he's he's he's like that.
Jarrod Dyke: No.
Grumpy Old Prop: A guy can be running you know from 20 meters offside, never turn around to play a ball, never be back on his side of the ruck. And plays it. And you're standing right there. Like that is.
Grumpy Old Prop: That's JV shit. Like that's not even.
Jarrod Dyke: That is a glaring mess, and that's the bad thing. Like, it's...
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. and But that's the that's that's his standard of refereeing.
Jarrod Dyke: and and
Grumpy Old Prop: That's par for the course.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Agreed.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like as soon as I saw it.
Jarrod Dyke: Agreed.
Grumpy Old Prop: was like he was way off. Oh it's Anselming. Like okay got it.
Jarrod Dyke: Right? Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, like he was never he was never on... Okay, a fuck, whatever. I was like, and I even had to be like, okay, no. Maybe I saw it wrong. Maybe it bounced out on his side, so he was coming back, and no.
Jarrod Dyke: Right. Right. Mm-mm. right
Grumpy Old Prop: No, no, no. It was very much bouncing the on the Freejack side. um And then, of course, looking even beyond that, someone had massive hands on the ruck to pull it out um well after the ruck had formed, and someone also standing right there. So...
Grumpy Old Prop: you know, two massive, air and this is like two meters from the goal line. This isn't, we're not talking about like midfield. We're talking about two, two opportunities for a a a yellow card penalty try potentially.
Grumpy Old Prop: And, um, Because, yeah, if they could get that ball out, there were two... Like, there was nobody between them because the guy who came back from offside was...
Jarrod Dyke: easy
Grumpy Old Prop: um You know, who could not have touched them. Easy try for both of them. So... um Really, like... Doesn't... you know, and and again...
Grumpy Old Prop: it's isn't just cause he like fucked us. He was bad. I'm sure he missed a couple going the other way. And I don't, but I don't care about that cause he fucked us a lot.
Jarrod Dyke: umm sure he did
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, but it's like the free Jackson still good enough to win it. Like that's, that's the fun part of it. It's like, not only did we did, did do the free Jacks win and in such dramatic fashion on both ends of it.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, But it like they overcame a huge obstacle in the referee and how in his quality of of performance.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: But like the Free Jacks are better than the... Like they're being now being held back. by the officiating in the league, which that's the frustrating part. Like it's not just Anselmi, there's a lot that's that's going wrong.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, super.
Grumpy Old Prop: And so it's, you know what, time to just, if this isn't working, do something else. And if then if you you go with some of these younger guys and you you take your lumps, but you push them to get better, like Anselmi's not, as you said, he's not getting better.
Grumpy Old Prop: He's not going to listen to a league like MLR saying, look, you got to really make these, this he's like, that's what i'm not what I'm here to do. Like you hired me because I'm a super rugby, a former super rugby official, former for a reason.
Grumpy Old Prop: But like, that's what hired me to be the, you know, the quote name.
Grumpy Old Prop: and experience and it's it's like, he's not going to listen, but maybe one of these young guys will make like Mike Lawrenson, which needs to get more games. Um, which I also got to figure out if that's the Mike Lawrenson used to play with.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, um, it would be, um, that's a common name, but at the same time, um, he was a former professional who had to stop playing cause he had a stroke during training.
Jarrod Dyke: ah That'd be funny.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, never know.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, so yeah, he was with the,
Jarrod Dyke: Oof.
Jarrod Dyke: Oof.
Grumpy Old Prop: I've played with some people who've who've represented nations.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: um He was the best player I ever played with. And it was like in a summer like all-star like traveling fun squad that my one of my buddies put together. and Fucking best player I ever played with.
Jarrod Dyke: there
Grumpy Old Prop: um So it wouldn't surprise me if he became a ref because he loves the game too.
Jarrod Dyke: you go yeah yeah someone someone that's that's still working on their game and trying to improve you know yeah at the at the very minimum and
Grumpy Old Prop: But anyway, put him out there more. Like, give me him instead of Anselmi. Even if it's not my Mike Lawrenson. I don't care. give Give him more. I want to see something but see someone different.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: No, he's definitely, no, he is not. I don't believe that for a fucking minute because it's not like, you know, he's, and we've seen it in other referees that are blah, and then they turn into good referees.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: And, know, he, he continues to miss really easy stuff.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Like something as simple as put the hands on the floor first and then going pill for the ball.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yes.
Jarrod Dyke: Like that is a no brainer, easy one.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. Something we can see from up here.
Jarrod Dyke: And that's fine.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. We can see it happening and he's significantly closer to the play, not seeing it somehow. um
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: He always sees it when when the free jacks do it.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I know.
Grumpy Old Prop: So, yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Right? you Yeah, that's gross.
Grumpy Old Prop: Anywho, it's just, you know, shitty, like, don't make a shitty product. Because if if if the Free Dex had lost, I'd be be like, I was so furious.
Grumpy Old Prop: was just like, fuck this.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's so, because they we could win this if we just had like a neutral referee who, or a competent referee. um
Jarrod Dyke: A competent referee I would settle for, honestly.
Grumpy Old Prop: we would We would have, right, we we would be looking at a very different game. um
Jarrod Dyke: yep but hey yeah and they're gonna play in rhode island we're on the road to rhode island um anybody hasn't heard that family guy song go look it up you're welcome um yeah and the boys i mean they played 45 minutes of meh rugby too like they
Grumpy Old Prop: So I'm just happy they won. We get to see them this coming week. Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: they They made some bad decisions, so I'm not going to take that off the board by any means whatsoever. They definitely made some really silly decisions and just lots of bad um attacking ideas.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: But then they... Root 1 ended up being the right the the one that worked the most, which I was... It's not usually one that is going to get you that much gain, but it did.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, yeah the question had, how did they, um how did they lose that ball at the end?
Jarrod Dyke: Um, s squared out the side of the rock.
Grumpy Old Prop: That's it?
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like there wasn't like a hand in it. It was like, cause I think I remember him saying something about it, but okay.
Jarrod Dyke: I don't think so. No, I think it just, i think it was just poor placement.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, no, he was, he was pissed that they lost that they lost it.
Grumpy Old Prop: You just pissed that they lost it.
Jarrod Dyke: I think he was more. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Gotcha.
Jarrod Dyke: don't think he did anything else. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: OK, I couldn't remember if he if he thought that was a shady.
Jarrod Dyke: I don't think there's anything else in it
Grumpy Old Prop: OK, because we I just literally couldn't see anything.
Jarrod Dyke: That's a, I mean, possibility, but from what I saw, looked like it was just ah you know, loose ball that went out the side of the rock.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, OK. Yeah, it was literally the opposite side of the field and like right on the on the touchline and it happened at the touch, like the rock was formed and the ball squirted out towards the touchline that we were on the opposite side of.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, couldn't see shit.
Grumpy Old Prop: So we couldn't see shit.
Jarrod Dyke: Nope.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: Couldn't see fuck all.
Jarrod Dyke: Couldn't see fuck all.
Grumpy Old Prop: any
Jarrod Dyke: Anywho.
Jarrod Dyke: So, um what's the relative show we give out this week?
Grumpy Old Prop: um Those who outdid themselves, I'm going to go again with with our favorite Cameron Nordly-Calametti.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: um but An excellent game, ah the very heads-up try um to really...
Jarrod Dyke: who
Grumpy Old Prop: like it wasn't It wasn't the go-ahead, obviously, but it was one of those... like punches at a late in a boxing match that makes the opponent go wait what what like wait he and and i I think I might be wobbly like what this isn't good um
Jarrod Dyke: How are you not dead?
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just the that that crack and, you know, the commentary was talking about, was like, the you know, the Jed Melvin trial was like that just little glimpse of light that gave Free Jacks hope.
Jarrod Dyke: And, you know, they obviously eroded all the way to the end. But, yeah, ouch.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. and And yeah, it got him back in the game. It was like, okay, boys, like the kids, you know, one tries it can be a fluke, right? But the second try and it gets you into touch with the other team is suddenly it's like, okay, here we go.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, that's when you start getting nervous for sure.
Grumpy Old Prop: And that it just kept building after that.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Yep. No, real real good stuff. um
Jarrod Dyke: Do we want to just skip to Dick of the Week? Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, because I mean, there I don't know how many people shat it, really. It was a good rugby weekend. I mean, that's, you know there's not many games at this point. So, you know, think like, don't think anybody stood out particularly to shat it except for Luke Cowan Dickey.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. um
Grumpy Old Prop: um who also Because, yeah, he also kind of couldn't make a throw to save his fucking life. um
Jarrod Dyke: No. Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, not good. um
Jarrod Dyke: Nope.
Grumpy Old Prop: So thats that's it for shat it. for me. um Ref coach, young player. ah No refs.
Jarrod Dyke: I
Grumpy Old Prop: Don't care. um Coach.
Jarrod Dyke: mean, contemplate me.
Grumpy Old Prop: I got to say, i'm sorry.
Jarrod Dyke: Contempt me.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, that's yeah, that's not a bad one.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, we can leave it at that. And young player.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Grumpy Old Prop: I mean, I guess we'd have to go with Rihanna for just kind of coming onto the scene even ho like and fucking, you know, either of those two halfbacks.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Hotham. Hotham has been great for for the Crusaders for sure.
Grumpy Old Prop: um Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: For sure. um Yeah. um Do we have a player of the week? Do we have a try of the week?
Grumpy Old Prop: A try of the week is ah the Mendy try from the, from the, for Argentina.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, yeah, yeah, that was a good one. That was actually one I had made, too.
Grumpy Old Prop: That was a fucking sweet try.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, that was nice.
Grumpy Old Prop: um Well built and then well finished.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Phrasing boom. Do we have a player of the week?
Grumpy Old Prop: um I I wouldn't constantly give it to Jed Melvin again, not like for, for just his impact and in this game and and quite a few others.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, right. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: And, you know, like I said, yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: and had a second one chalked off he was the one that picked up the the pierce block which i'm still i'm still mad on i was like yeah okay to be fair the scrum the scrum half did fake coming and bringing it out of the ruck which everyone bitches about it being a penalty but wasn't that wasn't called so just saying just saying
Grumpy Old Prop: um True.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Oh,
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. um Yeah. Did not like that. um
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Fair. i just but i you like He's just been amazing. He's scored so many big tries for the team this year.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, yeah. Big time.
Grumpy Old Prop: so um
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, he got the winner against New Orleans, didn't he?
Grumpy Old Prop: i don't know.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yes.
Jarrod Dyke: In the first first game of the year.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. ye I think he's had like two two or three others or either the winners or the the seal it or the as we talked about, the the punch of, like, the cam try.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: That's the the tide-turning punch.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Yep. Right. Agreed. Agreed. Yeah. Give me a guess at who the Dick of the Week is, everyone. Take a wild guess.
Grumpy Old Prop: Luke Cowan Dickie? No, no, no.
Jarrod Dyke: Well, he's a dick, but that's a different story for a different day.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: No. um he Actually, no, he was my dick of the week until... Until the, felt be like
Jarrod Dyke: ah Until Insami raised his ugly head. ah
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, fuck.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, fuck. Yeah. Nope. Pass.
Grumpy Old Prop: Nope. I was so ready to just spend so much time making fun of Luke Cowan Dickey. I got it in, but um
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: got the abridged version because of Anselmi.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Definitely. All right. We got 15th of the week to talk about. So everyone buckle in.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, of the season, yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: um Yeah. Excuse me of the season. Sorry to say the week. Yes, I did. Didn't I? Yeah. So let's start with the prem. um We'll try and rattle through it as best we can.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, I just did an overall 15 of the season.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, did you?
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: ah Okay. Well, Well, I can tell you, like can rile through my prem one at least real quickly here and Ben can contribute in.
Grumpy Old Prop: Sure.
Jarrod Dyke: um Nicky Smith, loose head, Montaja, Ed Hook, Apoku Forjour as the tight head, Mauro Chessam in the second row.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Not bad.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yes. Yes.
Jarrod Dyke: Sounds like a fun thing to say. um Liebenberg, Pepper, and Tom Willis.
Grumpy Old Prop: No, no, none of the, ah none of the, um none of the Gloucester locks.
Jarrod Dyke: What's up?
Jarrod Dyke: No, would with much respect to them. um And I know Chesson has been banged up, but I really i just I think he's grown so much as as a second rower and as a player for for the Tigers.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Fair. No, I, I, I, I got, yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: I really want to just give him the no. And trust me, like Arthur Clark and Freddie Thomas, like hats off to you.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah
Jarrod Dyke: You guys played your butts off this year and made everyone forget about Freddie Clark. It's just like, I love Freddie.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right? Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: So it's like, uh, I got, okay. I guess, I guess, I guess not. Um, but yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. But fair.
Jarrod Dyke: Um,
Grumpy Old Prop: It was hard. It was a it was a ah down year for Lox. And actually, we'll get to it Like, for me, it was hard to even name a player at certain positions for my of an overall team of the year.
Grumpy Old Prop: I'm like, who had, like, a real good season? Like, it was just about teams, like, all supporting each other. And and there were good individual efforts in there. So... you know, hats off to you for doing more than that, because I was like, I was trying to struggling to figure out a ah lock combination for, you know, across competitions.
Jarrod Dyke: The whole thing, yeah. Yeah, Noah. Back row, Liebenberg, Pepper, and and Tom Willis. I know Pepper didn't play every game, but every game he was in, he had a huge impact in.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm. Mm hmm. And Liebenberg.
Jarrod Dyke: So, and and and yeah, Liebenberg, great.
Grumpy Old Prop: Liebenberg almost made my six of across competitions like he.
Jarrod Dyke: we We talked about... Yeah, we were talking about him beforehand.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, and Tom Willis. What more can you say? The dude, I really... He probably but belongs on the plane to Australia over Jack Conan, but...
Grumpy Old Prop: He's the I'll be talking about him on my list. Spoiler alert.
Jarrod Dyke: but Yeah. Yeah. Tomas Williams, nine, really made that Gloucester team go for how close they came to getting into the playoff.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: I'll give you a guess at who's playing 10. Who's at 10?
Grumpy Old Prop: Finn Russell.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, Finn Russell.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yay.
Jarrod Dyke: um
Grumpy Old Prop: yay
Jarrod Dyke: Wasn't a hard one. um Midfield was an interesting combination. ah
Grumpy Old Prop: Who would have thought that you'd have a ah Welshman would be at talking about, like, would make any of these lists?
Jarrod Dyke: put Seb Atkinson.
Jarrod Dyke: and I know, right? Who knew after the fucking times they've been having Jesus.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Um, I did have Seb Atkinson and Revolva was 12, 13. I know Revolva played a lot at the wing, but yeah, that was, uh, there were other people I wanted to put out in the back three.
Grumpy Old Prop: I like it.
Jarrod Dyke: So, uh, Revolva got slid back into his net semi 13 position.
Grumpy Old Prop: like can't we just I can't wait to see Seb play international.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: That's going to be fun.
Jarrod Dyke: Well, did he play? didn't play in the 15s game the other day. Um, don't think he did at least on top of my head at least.
Grumpy Old Prop: I don't think he did.
Jarrod Dyke: Um, Yeah, back three is Ibotoye, Freeman, and um and Freddie Stewart.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yes, sir.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, really helped make that Leicester team go this year.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, I'll go.
Grumpy Old Prop: Fallback was a tough...
Jarrod Dyke: Obviously, he had the other two guys outside of him, which are obviously very helpful, but he was the the big constant in that back three for them.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: And yeah, and his quality, is just he's just gone up another level ah as as ah as a fullback, so I give him a ton of credit.
Grumpy Old Prop: He is. He has. It's a tough year for full. but yeah There weren't that many. I mean, there were some great ones. We know some guys who played. Santy was excellent at 15.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm. Got banged up a lot, though, unfortunately.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, Tom DeGlanville was just solid.
Jarrod Dyke: who
Grumpy Old Prop: like he This wasn't his best year.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, it wasn't amazing, but solid. I think it's i think that's fair to say.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Didn't like fuck up. was Just wasn't like he didn't pop as much as he has in the past. um Nothing against thought he was excellent, but it's hard to be hard to put him in a 15 of the year, even though the talent is there.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, but yeah, so Stuart, I, I, I got no, no qualms about that aside from it really should be a goodie, but that's, that might be a homer, you know, and for maybe a lifetime achievement position.
Jarrod Dyke: That's fair.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah
Jarrod Dyke: yeah i'll miss i'll miss that guy yeah i miss that guy and i did a super rugby one believe it or not um maybe i got something that went with you um tamati williams at loose head um
Grumpy Old Prop: Okay, cool. Let's see which ones maybe, you know, I can talk about the ones that I, that yeah. Okay. yeah okay
Jarrod Dyke: fantastic year he should start for the all west in this the summer here um asiata kind of put his name up for um hooker for the reds so i gave him a thumbs up as well um al alatoa what a year from him um peaking at the exact right time for
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm. Nice.
Jarrod Dyke: The Wallabies, clearly. um Going to make it really hard to take him off the take out of that lineup for sure.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: um My and second row is Vye and Hooper. Tom Hooper, not Michael.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: ah yeah You know, i I had doubts about Tom Hooper's ability when Eddie was coaching, but it was Eddie coaching. So shock of the day, people were underperforming because Eddie Jones is a fucking idiot.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Right.
Jarrod Dyke: um But he's really...
Grumpy Old Prop: Hooper can ball. He played well at eight, too. Like, what the fuck?
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Yeah, he played well overall. So I was talking his natural position of five, but yeah, can play the back row a little bit too
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. Of course. I know. I realized that you were there. I'm just saying that like he's good enough as as a lock. and and he's He's mobile enough that he can play eight at a solid level at the club level. That
Jarrod Dyke: too. It says a lot.
Grumpy Old Prop: but says a lot. like He's going to be fun to watch.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, my um my background row my back row is ah pretty, one I wouldn't go against, Tizano, Cerveja, and Leo Willey from the Crusaders.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: Leo Willey had a great year. Definitely. we We talked about like Leo Willey is like, okay, he's like probably the best back row that's not Blackett or Blackett actually had a bad year in my opinion. um And we' we're like, oh yeah, Leo Willey, he's got to play number eight.
Jarrod Dyke: He played number eight this year, like legitimately.
Grumpy Old Prop: he did
Jarrod Dyke: So I got, yeah, hats off to him. Tizano let the comp and tries all the way to the end. So, yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: right e for a bad team too like right for a bad team though that's pretty impressive
Jarrod Dyke: Give him, yeah. And that's not, that's not by accident, by any means, you know,
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 9-10, I, you know, bar the final, like you know, Cam is my 9. Shock of the day for everyone out there that knows I'm a Hurricanes fan.
Jarrod Dyke: DMACC for 10 in there.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: um And then 12. 12 is going to be an interesting position for the All Blacks, but I went with Tava Tava Nauai from the Highlanders. ah bad A bad player on a bad team, a really good player, like a really good player.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: You know, every game they were in, they were in because of him, like 99% of the time.
Grumpy Old Prop: I have one of those on my team.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm. Right.
Jarrod Dyke: So, yeah. yeah And then to pair him, I'm still, I still believe Tupaya has a shot at getting 13 time for for the All Blacks this year.
Jarrod Dyke: So, you know.
Grumpy Old Prop: That'd be fun. he's He's come a long way.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. And coming back from injury and da-da-da. So, yeah, just good for him.
Grumpy Old Prop: Remember back in the day when like every time he touched the ball or was around the ball, bad things would happen and then like it's it's night and fucking day.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep, I definitely remember that.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, reallylia really is, really is. Back three. um Actually, have three but but I have four Brumbies in this team. um Leroy Carter, duh-duh-duh.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm. Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: And then Toulon Wright. I'm a big Corey Toulon fan myself as well, so you know well won't won't hide that by any means. so
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: But yeah, and then I know Tom Wright didn't score a lot, but he was still a huge... Good things happened for the Brumbies, especially in in busted open play. And it was usually him that was making the making things hard on other teams.
Grumpy Old Prop: Give him the ball.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: So well again, that's not...
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: you know could he do better yes but that's the scary thing he could do better and he had a really good year so just throwing that out there and i know and there were other fullbacks that i could have considered as well know i thought the besides tisano i thought two guys from the force that played really well this year were uh greeley and potter like couple of other guys that were back there played really really well for them ruben love had a great year for the most part you know developed himself into
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: yep
Jarrod Dyke: someone that can at least hang at 10, but really thrived wearing the 15 shirt. So I think it's all, I think it's awesome for him for sure.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: So yeah. and ah Coaches for both comps coach for Prem or was check. And then for crusaders was Penny. Cause I mean, consider where both teams were last year.
Grumpy Old Prop: Nice. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. And yeah, they both did an excellent job. Um, it's a shame check is moving on, um, for just for rugby that he's been, he's been excellent, but I'm sure he's got bigger and better things to do.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, cause he keeps showing his quality and it's like, why, wait, wait, why did Australia?
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, I'll show you fired him, but then then they they they hired who oh Eddie. Maybe Australia is just not making the best decisions here.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: So.
Jarrod Dyke: Well, they fired Rennie and then hired Eddie.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: And I was like, huh?
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, well, none of. Yeah. None of them made sense, although, you know, ah so I should have left running in there like you're going to piss off check it. So we in force him out and then.
Jarrod Dyke: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: Go with the with Rennie. And then you're gonna fire Renny and go with Eddie. like just to like You're going to fuck up a shitty thing just to make it worse. like What are you doing? It's like when you were you know you go um date a girl who's way out of your league and then
Jarrod Dyke: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: like you break up with her and you're like I can do better than you. and then you know, you just tumble yourself down the rabbit hole of, Oh no, this is, I'm making bad decisions here. that It all just of started there.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: oh Yeah. That's kind of Australia rugby and hopefully they're on the right track though.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Yeah. Hope so. Yeah. And they got Schmidt and then they'll have Les Kiss coming in after that.
Grumpy Old Prop: We'll see, but yeah, I kind of had checker. Anyway, um so my my team of the year of the year. ah So I did, you know, of all the the competitions that we we talk about um fantasy and otherwise.
Grumpy Old Prop: So um I did, you know, the the best prop of this scene this season of Fantasy Rugby Yanks to me was, um you know, we talked about fantasy. Tava Tevinayai being like a great player on a shit team and that how 99% of the time like they were in the game because of him.
Grumpy Old Prop: um The 1% is because of the number one, and that's ah Ethan DeGroote who was massive for them.
Jarrod Dyke: Okay.
Grumpy Old Prop: and so yeah By the way, this is also...
Jarrod Dyke: That's going to fascinating battle.
Grumpy Old Prop: this is also a team that I would pay to watch too. Like, yeah this isn't just like the best player.
Jarrod Dyke: Some good players on that team.
Grumpy Old Prop: You know, this is about like, who would I pay to, who would I have on my team based on how they played this year? and And if I was forming a team, um, not so much name, although some of it's a little bit, but just who I really enjoyed watching this, this season of fantasy rugby eggs.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, and i watched and enjoyed watching degree, even when I did not enjoy watching Highlanders. Um,
Jarrod Dyke: Okay.
Grumpy Old Prop: For a hooker, it was hard. There were not really good hookers this year. and the mall's been kind of depowered a little bit um as a weapon um just because of better defense. It's not that hard to defend if you do it right.
Grumpy Old Prop: So it's more of a, you got to surprise the other team rather than just overpower them. And I feel like that took a lot out of hookers.
Jarrod Dyke: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: so um But what really took a lot out of hookers was they can't fucking throw to save their goddamn lives. um
Jarrod Dyke: Hmm. Truth.
Grumpy Old Prop: And to me, the best of of the bunch and that, and then ah just around the park was was Jamie George. um
Jarrod Dyke: Jinksy.
Grumpy Old Prop: It could have been Theo Dan, except for he had a couple of bad games and and still.
Jarrod Dyke: He has issues throwing two sometimes as well.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. um But Jamie George, if you want to, if you have a line out that you need to hit, i'm i' I'm putting Jamie George out there today and not not asking questions about any, any from any hooker in the world up to him. So um for that alone, um you know, cause it was a bad year for hookers. He gets it.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: um Number three, Thomas Detroit, because he's always same as DeGroote.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Also good.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like if there's a a play that needs to be made and that, you know, the, the path have no shortage of, um options to to be that guy making that you know that drive over or the you know just even the plane space sometimes just a real hard crash five meters out to put it over um but detoy wins that nine times out of ten he's the guy who you're like yep you you you take it because he's that's what he does best um And he's fucking beast in the scrum he he turns that turns a game when he comes in and it's which is hard because Beth have and South Africa have have some some quality players already but dude makes an impact whenever he plays um locks.
Grumpy Old Prop: This again, ah struggled. um and Ultimately I went with Joe McCarthy and then Thibaut Flema, who I thought both were a lot of, lot of fun to watch when they come in.
Jarrod Dyke: Solid choices.
Grumpy Old Prop: They they would clear, or clear, make an impact um at all times. And you're like wow, somebody made that play. Oh, okay. It was them. You're like, you kind of expected from them. um So yeah, they could play for it. I would love to put them to play for me.
Grumpy Old Prop: um My back row, at my six, seven, eight, six is, is Tom Willis who can play there. So I put him there. Uh, seven's Henry Pollock cause he's going to do something fun.
Jarrod Dyke: Nice. Yes, he is.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, and eight is Gregory Aldrete because he's going to do something fun.
Jarrod Dyke: I'll treat Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, keeping with that, Thomas Williams does things that are fun.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, and my 10, uh, Finn Russell does things that are fun.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. All
Jarrod Dyke: right. So we had so had nines and tens overlapping in there somewhere.
Grumpy Old Prop: We did. um Your Prem is my my of the year.
Jarrod Dyke: And Artie.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: um Which kind of goes to show like the Prem was is is quality this year.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: A good competition from from top to most of the way to the bottom.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, most of it. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: The last two were have problems. Anyway, centers are Huey Palatu because... Hugh Jones has played it out of his mind and Tui Pilato had such a great year from, you know, captaining the squad, um, seeing his, his his grandmother for the first time in, who I can't remember how long, um, like what a story.
Jarrod Dyke: I
Jarrod Dyke: think that was the first time she'd seen him play professionally.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Um, just wild. and um So yeah, he had himself a great year and was you know had some well-deserved honors off the pitch.
Jarrod Dyke: yep
Grumpy Old Prop: ah Then the back three are a bunch of players who play in France, not all French. ah The Wings, are Louis, Billy, Bira, and and and Damien Pinot um who just are deadly both of them like and the the the last is uh the the royal penis is clean uh Blair Blair Kinghorn is my 15 of the year because yeah he he was a um fantastic watch this year
Jarrod Dyke: yeah
Jarrod Dyke: ah
Jarrod Dyke: yeah
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, that's...
Grumpy Old Prop: and my coach of the year is Yon Yon Van Grand um
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Beth did a a double and in respect.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: So not the, but a you know what a double you don't get a star for, but still, um you know, a team that's still learning to win.
Jarrod Dyke: Not quite the dub, but still pretty good. Yep. Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, no, no, no doubt.
Grumpy Old Prop: and And may be in place to do a double in the next couple years.
Jarrod Dyke: um
Grumpy Old Prop: So fuck.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, they got they got some... they look like they're going to have a solid squad this coming year too. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: hmm. Yeah, they can keep getting talent. they're They're really, they are prepping for a Champions Cup, I think, with that.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: like Now that kind of makes sense as to why they're signing like an all-star team, even on beyond the team that they have.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah Yeah. yeah I think and i'm I'm hoping this isn't going to turn into a salary cap issue because obviously but these guys need to get paid and a lot of those guys are worth more than
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: you would think they could sign them for. So, yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: potentially, but some of them, like dave they've done a good job of getting guys like right before their prime. Like this is, it's like, you know, that dead era or the, you know when you have a good draft in the nfl you don't have to pay him until three, four years down the line.
Grumpy Old Prop: So it's like, you have that three to four year window where you could win and then you have to pay some of these guys. So then they have to walk. So you have to draft well to replace it it's like, you know, Thomas Detroit, I don't know how much he, he costs them.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, because they signed, I don't think they signed him. a while back before he became what he is now. Unless I'm, unless I have it backwards.
Jarrod Dyke: ye No, he was known. Coming from the sharks, he was known.
Grumpy Old Prop: Okay. Okay.
Jarrod Dyke: He was a known quantity.
Grumpy Old Prop: I couldn't remember when, I couldn't remember when they signed him. um Or at least I didn't know how long he's been here or there.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, no coming from Coming down from... down from
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, no, he's he was a known – when they got him, I was like, that's going to be bad news for a lot of teams this year.
Grumpy Old Prop: Okay.
Jarrod Dyke: that And I was right.
Grumpy Old Prop: Fair enough.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Just pointing that one out.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: and was that would That was not Notre Dame shit either, by the way.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah
Jarrod Dyke: Like, that was easy. That was a layup whatsoever.
Grumpy Old Prop: right and obviously finn is expensive and but like you know i'm not sure how expensive will mirror is and coconut siga again to glanville like they they're saving money but now they're just spending there's that stable of flankers though is unreal
Jarrod Dyke: ah Yeah, we'll see.
Jarrod Dyke: Hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. All right.
Grumpy Old Prop: anywho
Jarrod Dyke: um So I've got business to take care for our Division one league. Other things can come can come later. But finally Tally did everything.
Jarrod Dyke: So I'll give it to you live.
Grumpy Old Prop: I will need help.
Jarrod Dyke: So from six...
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, I will need help to do mine.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, yeah, we can I can get that. like We can do that. Like I said, we can figure that out later.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: um So I'll give it to you live. So starting with Six Nations, Kobus was leading the way because he won. um Alex was in last.
Grumpy Old Prop: Okay.
Jarrod Dyke: And yeah, but as we went into it, Cobus won the next competition that went final, which was Champions Cup as well.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: So at this point, the standings are Cobus 14, Stewart 10, myself and George at seven, Mark with six, Justin and Duncan with five each, and Alex with two. Alex came in last in the Six Nations and picked up two points in Champions Cup. So yeah, it wasn't his best start.
Jarrod Dyke: But then we went started rolling into the the two longer-term competitions.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: Super Rugby EFRD was the next to go final. um stuet Stewart won that.
Grumpy Old Prop: ye
Jarrod Dyke: So he all of a sudden jumps into competition with Kovus because Kovus has 21. Stewart has 20. George has 14. um Alex and myself are at 10.
Jarrod Dyke: Justin and Mark at 8 and 7. And then Duncan at 5. So Duncan's pulling out the rear at this point. um after that was over. Yeah, Stu beat Alex in the final, but for those wondering.
Jarrod Dyke: And then the Prem win final. Mark won that one in Division one i'm So that jumped him up a little bit.
Grumpy Old Prop: right. Yep. Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: so And Cobus and Stewart were neck and neck. They were second and third in that. So it's now Cobus with a two-point lead on Stewart.
Grumpy Old Prop: Okay.
Jarrod Dyke: 29-27. George was 18. Mark was 17 after win. Myself with 13. mark was seventeen after his win myself was thirteen Alex with 12, Duncan with 11, Justin with eight. And then Rugby went final.
Jarrod Dyke: And we have a tie.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, shit
Jarrod Dyke: cobis and Cobus lost or comma slash came in second and the gap in points that you're awarded is two and guess you won. Stuart.
Grumpy Old Prop: shit. ah
Jarrod Dyke: so ah So we have a tie. Cobus and Stu tie for first. So well done to boys.
Grumpy Old Prop: Stu.
Jarrod Dyke: but This is
Grumpy Old Prop: Are there any tiebreakers?
Jarrod Dyke: I mean, you know, i was thinking about it. was like, who won the most competition? They were each won two this year. So I can't even do that.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. oh
Jarrod Dyke: ah So really, it's the...
Grumpy Old Prop: We won the most head to heads.
Jarrod Dyke: I don't know. I mean, I'd have to go back and see if I could dig out the FRD archives.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. No, I, yeah, that's not, that's not happening.
Jarrod Dyke: That's not happening.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um,
Jarrod Dyke: So... um But we do ah we do have a first for for the season as well. Kobus is the first back-to-back champion. Yes, he's a co-champion this year, but he won it outright last year. So well done to you, sir.
Jarrod Dyke: well Well played. Clearly making us all look silly. The role results otherwise were George right right there with 25, but just not really within touching distance, just kind of in no man's land.
Grumpy Old Prop: Wait, was Stu my replacement?
Jarrod Dyke: Yes.
Grumpy Old Prop: Well, fucking done, dude.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, that's what I said.
Grumpy Old Prop: Welcome to the league.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. ah Mark with 19 after George, Duncan.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah Yeah, he should be in Division I over me.
Jarrod Dyke: now we're getting that. Yeah, played like it, that's for sure. Yeah. yeah played played like it that's for sure yeah um Yeah, Mark Alex
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, you you should. Yes, you should be there. Well done.
Jarrod Dyke: myself thirteen and justin has pulled up the rear with eleven
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh no.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, had a shot to get in front of me if he did a little better in that last comp because I ended up finishing bottom of Super Rugby and got no points out of it.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: So had he found a couple more points, he would have sent me barreling down.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: But nope. um Now this, of course, is, you know, we're we're still looking at making sure that whoever is in first, once and I calculate Division 2, that they, in fact, want to continue forward.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: If they do, then they get to come in and if not, then Justin, your, your, your place will be held.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: I have some mathematics to do.
Jarrod Dyke: But so yeah, that's okay. Yeah. I know. I know you you're, you and your, you and the, and the points aren't necessarily friends. So I can, I can help you out with that.
Grumpy Old Prop: No, but i can I can give you the results if you, yes, we'll talk.
Jarrod Dyke: That'll help.
Grumpy Old Prop: We'll talk.
Jarrod Dyke: That'll help. Yeah. Um, anyway, so that's that. So Koba Stewart, well done to the, the both of you Koba's congratulations on back to back. Stu first year in, in, in the division one, um, well-earned, sir. Well-earned.
Jarrod Dyke: Um, anyway, so we have some thank yous to, so sorry, handing out because obviously this is our last part of the year.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: That's why it's also why it's a little bit long. Um, but so, um, We'll save the, we'll do the easy ones first. Our patrons are wonderful, wonderful patrons. um Julia, Ed, Stu, Kevin, Mark, Duncan, Alex. Thank you. Thank you guys so much for supporting us and this silly thing that we continue to do year in and year out, week in and week out. and um Yeah, it's, yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: certainly uh is nice to to know that people are helping us out with that while we slog our way through this sometimes
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. And um I feel bad I was not as participative in that as I have been in the past, and that's going to change next year, finally. So there's that.
Jarrod Dyke: sorry everyone everyone has one of those years um but we have hang on one second um
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: I want to hold on. Let's try and see which one our episodes had the most downloads this year.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, okay. Is
Jarrod Dyke: Um, what's a, that's a contender. Um, one of our fancy corners has 70. Oh, think I found it.
Jarrod Dyke: Um,
Grumpy Old Prop: it a draft episode?
Jarrod Dyke: Nope. it's fancy corner for, um, six nations around one.
Grumpy Old Prop: Wow.
Jarrod Dyke: And that looks like it's the winner.
Grumpy Old Prop: Wow.
Jarrod Dyke: Um, it's 155.
Grumpy Old Prop: Sweet.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. That's that.
Grumpy Old Prop: That's, wow.
Jarrod Dyke: That's wow. Wow. And you know, we got to give, um,
Grumpy Old Prop: I remember when we had our 100th download overall.
Jarrod Dyke: ah yeah, that, all yeah, that was a long, long time ago. Um,
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, it was, but damn, not bad.
Jarrod Dyke: um, I can't remember the fellow that George was doing his podcast. Hold on with, um, that he and, um,
Jarrod Dyke: he and other fellow were doing, a podcast during six nations, um, that was talking about fancy stuff. And ah the the guy, I know the guy and I is apologize.
Jarrod Dyke: His name is escaping me, but they pumped us up pretty hard in that first episode.
Grumpy Old Prop: OK.
Jarrod Dyke: So I think that's why we ended up having quite a few people jared over to, that particular fancy corner that year.
Grumpy Old Prop: Check us out. Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: So, um, yeah, George and, Georgian friend. I'm sorry. Sorry. i can't remember the name off the top my head. This is what happens when it's been too, too long of a year. Um, but yeah, so that's, that's definitely credit to them right there.
Jarrod Dyke: So thanks guys. Appreciate that. Um, but yeah, of course, thanks to our guys in our, in our champions leagues, cause that makes it more fun, obviously. Um, yeah. Otherwise it's boring as hell. And you know, it sucks when like,
Jarrod Dyke: I remember back and back when I would join like a random fancy baseball league, but it would be nobody I know. And it just isn't fun. Like plain simple.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Like there's there's no banter. There's no chat. There's no, know, there's no BS that's tossed back and forth.
Grumpy Old Prop: Hey guys, we're here.
Jarrod Dyke: It's just, you know, it's just, yeah, it's just there, you know?
Grumpy Old Prop: Anybody want like, you know, Andrew Cruz? Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: And so, yeah, it's way more fun with, with these guys and and they're a good bunch. Thank thankfully. So, um, yeah, we appreciate you guys for doing that. Obviously all you out there that download us on a weekly basis, there's usually about 30 or 40 of you, which I'm usually impressed by.
Jarrod Dyke: So yeah, thank you guys for downloading that. And obviously, um, a huge thanks goes to our better halves.
Jarrod Dyke: Um, you know, they put up with a lot of bullshit when we do this stuff. And, you know, Catherine will come into the other, into the room and be like, can I talk to you or you what are you doing? i'm ah I'm just like, I'm busy. She's like, okay, is this work or is this pod stuff?
Jarrod Dyke: <unk> okay, it's pot stuff.
Grumpy Old Prop: work yeah yeah
Jarrod Dyke: She's like, yeah, well then we need to talk real quick. That gets put to the back part.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah
Jarrod Dyke: So, but yeah, they do put up with our bullshit this whole time. And so we do appreciate them very much for letting us, you know, take a, chunk of our time every every once a week, give or take, and um and do this stuff. and And then watch a ton of rugby on the weekends, too.
Grumpy Old Prop: that too yeah
Jarrod Dyke: let's be Let's be honest. like There's a ton of rugby that we have, especially those those brutal weekends of, like, Super Rugby um and Prem, like, and or or like, this the weekend Super Rugby hit, and then it was also Round of 16 for Champions Cup.
Grumpy Old Prop: prem and right yeah that's what right that's what it was it was like there was some other international cop that's what it was oh
Jarrod Dyke: That was a fuck ton of rugby. And I think there was still, there was Women's Six Nations on as well, so i was like, oh, my God.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, that's what it was.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah rough stuff there so um yeah and then free jacks are still going that at that point too so it's like it's just absolutely nuts so yeah they put up with a lot of a lot of bullshit and we love them for it and obviously very thankful that they still pick us every day
Grumpy Old Prop: When.
Jarrod Dyke: it um but and then obviously you know us you know ben puts up with my shit and whatnot as well so you know
Grumpy Old Prop: and And yeah, but I also like you did all the work, basically all the work this year. So thank you for for for doing that and making sure that we continue to do this because dragging me over the line on it.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah Hey, listen, there's a reason there's two of us.
Grumpy Old Prop: um Not that.
Jarrod Dyke: That's what we always say, right?
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, exactly. And that's why.
Jarrod Dyke: and
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. um And it'll balance ah again. so
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, it tends to it tends to find a way, especially after... seven this is seven seasons. Jesus.
Grumpy Old Prop: Damn, we beat community.
Jarrod Dyke: I didn't, wasn't a, you know, better part of, of 10 was not on my bingo board, but we got here.
Grumpy Old Prop: no
Jarrod Dyke: So yeah, it was great. ah But yeah, I think I'm sure we'll, we'll mess around with things. There are things to come. Obviously rugby world cup 2025 is coming up this, this fall.
Grumpy Old Prop: ye
Jarrod Dyke: We'll be focused on that primarily when we, when we restart for the next season and um we might have a new format to play next year.
Grumpy Old Prop: Can't wait.
Jarrod Dyke: hmm, I'm really looking forward to that. And um I hope, i hope we do. hope we do. And if we do, then you'll hear us probably not shut up about it. So I'm really hoping that happens.
Jarrod Dyke: And look at, yeah, but hopefully it's, hopefully it still working works out well.
Grumpy Old Prop: And if we don't, we still won't shut up about it. so
Jarrod Dyke: And yeah, I love me a couple of formats and yeah, I like being able to work with guys like, like those fellas, as opposed to, ah larger platform like super super boo is is needed because it pulls in a bigger audience obviously but then you need these games like the ones that you and i played this past year um as a as a as a beta and you you need those games too because you you need them for idiots like you and i that just have way too much time and or we we spend too much time on this shit and
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, I can't wait to get Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. Although like, you know, as I said in the chat, like I did kind of stop for a few weeks ah because mostly because I was like, this was a beta version and I was like, I got it. I'm like, I see what's happening.
Grumpy Old Prop: And also, you know, these are people I'm going to be playing against. I didn't want let them know all my secrets. So I'm like, I'm good losing this one or at least whatever happens.
Jarrod Dyke: whatever you gotta tell yourself
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, Yeah. Once I missed like two or three weeks in a row, I'm like, okay, I'm not caring about this anymore. But yeah, like I said, it was just to, they wanted feedback on it.
Grumpy Old Prop: So it's, it's excellent. I can't wait to, I hope they open it up um this coming year.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah I hope they're able to give it a full launch and that'll be awesome That will be great. But in any case, everyone enjoyed the Lions tour this this summer.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: um Gear up for Rugby World Cup 2025 in England. And thank you guys for listening.
Grumpy Old Prop: Jay Haynes, Later.
Jarrod Dyke: And we'll we'll catch you guys on the other side of the summer. Have a good one, everyone.
Grumpy Old Prop: later
Jarrod Dyke: Cheers.
