Gary Freeman Interview | Warriors WILL WIN Against Dolphins in Finals!

0:00Spoiled at this Father's Day at Chemist Warehouse, with Gillette Fusion One-style easy-faced embody-trumming our 64-99s, Save 1150. And Save 20% on S.U.P. gummies-assorted variants now 1999 each. Chemist Warehouse, great savings, every day. And we're going to turn our attention to a little bit of rugby league with the great man Gary Freeman was. Thank you very much for jumping on. Good to catch up with you mate. Look, before we look at... Are you alright? Just, yeah, I don't know if that's about the great man that I can't wait. I've heard a lot of other stuff said about it. That's what I think of you as mate, the great man. It's good stuff. Yeah, good man. Look, before we look at the playoff picture, how comfortable are you with the Warriors last couple of weeks to lead into the playoffs? And particularly, we're chatting about a nearly-erot in the show around the defensive side of things. Well, let me put it this way. I think if you look at most of the sides in the final late, didn't really play in their best sides.

1:01And I think the Warriors are about six and seven players missing. So I think you'll see a total different side playing this week up against the Dolphins. And this is a massive game. Massive game because the Dolphins can score plenty of points and soak in the Warriors. So I think with those six extra players coming back in, waiting and going back in the hook, stretching up that rut carrier around the rut. I think that would be a defensively wise. Gary, my boss in here, lovely to chat with you, fella. Obviously. Oh, I'm not too bad, mate. Hey, you're making, mate. What I was going to say Friday, you're making a Monday feel like a Friday, mate. Speaking of selections with Delamati Zalersniak out, where do you see Sharns, Nickel, Cloak, Stard, and the lineup, Willie Bett Center? Could it be at the wing? Does he start back in fullback? Oh, mate, it's tough because he played pretty well on the weekend, didn't he? I like him as a player. I think when he first was at the Warriors, I didn't think he understood where he wanted to play at how fitting he had to be.

2:02When he went to Canberra and then when he came back, he just become a different player. He was super, super fit. Understood the game was more relaxed about his football and then underweight. Mate, I think he's just gone from strength to strength in the weekend when he did play on the wing. Oh, look, I like him a fullback, but I think the way, um, young to a pick, he's going, it'd be hard to push him out. So I think you're sick on the wing outside this stage. Gary, what's the difference, perhaps, between this Warriors side and previous ones in terms of their ability, perhaps, to be able to make a deep finals run? Do you feel like this is a side that can go the distance, at least get to the grand final if not win it? And what do you see differently from previous years? Oh, gee, that's a tough one. Mate, there's been some great players. I remember the tyres, they did make the grand final in Stacey was there, and a lot of other players as well, I can't remember them all right now, but you go back in time and you've got to have a little bit of luck. In this game of rugby league, you've got to have some luck.

3:02Um, and I'm saying that these guys here that they are fit, they'll be going to this game fresh. They know what's at stake. They've got a couple of shots. Even if they lose, they get a lot of shot at getting themselves back on the horse and the way you go again, but they really want to win this game. The biggest stepping stone in playing semi-final football is putting that first week and really set up how you feel about yourself, how confident you are in two games at home. How good that be for fans. That'll be unbelievable. And if we look back at their game against Manley, I don't know about you, I was sort of left a little bit lackluster, but when you've got your now Harris, Teveda kicking that winning field goal, is that the sort of pressure situation that will actually benefit them heading into finals? Without doubt, because if you look at it, there was, as I was saying before, six or seven new kids that were throwing in the deep end, they had to come up with a game of their lives. And then Manley will always going to be hard to beat. They were due to play as best as they could. They weren't missing a couple of players themselves,

4:04but I thought that this game was going to be really, really dangerous because there's so many key players from key positions missing from the Warriors. And should now the kick that field goal was outstanding, that was pressure. That's what happens in semi-final football, and you know, the kids stood up and some of the other young kids who got a shot for playing it, that Manley side last week, but like I say, it will change this week. It is up against the Dolphins. They all got the key players back and make what a game this will be. I reckon there'll be not hundreds of thousands watching this game live, but there'll be millions watching the New Zealand and across Australia. Yeah, I think you might be right. The leads chat about the Dolphins a little bit, because since they got thrashed by the Sharks 66-0, they've probably been the form team of the comp. Seven wins haven't been beaten. They've been outstanding, ball in hand, and defensively as well. I mean, do they... Are they the smoky in this competition? Do you think and smoky might even be a harsh term? Because they have absolutely flown into finals' contention,

5:06but this feels like a very, very tough first week of the finals for the Warriors. I've got to say that I called the game for this year and last week. The Titans versus the Dolphins. And to be brutally honest, I thought the Titans were a little bit hard done by it. The Dolphins server didn't play their best. And it was like that. They had those great runners, as you said, say, and winning games by lots of margins. And the game that really stood it for me was when they played the Roosters and their Fortback really did stand up and stick it to the Rooster Fords. And I thought they were going to do that for the Titans, and then they went back down again. So it just shows how important is week and week in this competition. If you're not only game, if you're 10% low or 15% low, we've got two or three players that aren't 100%. Mate, you will get beaten. I think this is a really, really good test for the Warriors. I think the Warriors coming out on top, being at home, mate. I can't say the Warriors losing this game. Yeah, and speaking of that Ford Pack Domination for the Dolphins, how important is the leadership from the likes of James Fisher Harris,

6:09Mitch Barnett, and everyone coming on board? Because this is going to be a massively physical game. Oh, mate. These are the games as an X-Player. If you look at me, say, oh, man, I wish I was 40 years younger. I could be out there and mix it with this because this should excited you as a player to play with both Ford Packs and be a half or a five. They stand it up back in the numbers. Because a guy like the two Fords that you have mentioned, like Barnett, this could be his second to last game for the Warriors. So he's going to want to go out on night. He wants to get to the grand final. Fisher Harris has been there. He's done that. But he's a true leader. And the one thing you love about Fisher Harris is that he doesn't say too much, guys. He just has to look at you. And that's scary enough for me. So I think this is one hell of a game for the Warriors Ford to really stand up and be counted. And expect Fisher Harris to have a massive, massive game without that. Andrew Webster, can we just get your thoughts on him

7:09and what he's been able to do in just a few years at the Warriors now? And every year he's kind of had them. They have on the whole done pretty well. And this season, I think, is the best by far. And hopefully they can continue to go the way they are going throughout the playoffs. But what do you see that makes him such a good coach? They look like they're enjoying themselves. It doesn't look like the pressure's on them. And you see them after the game when they do have a win. How happy the boys are. And even if you have a loss, you can have a loss you get over it as quickly as possible. And I think that's what he's instilled into this team of players for the Warriors because it doesn't matter what happens. He's always humble, mentally about what they're done, what they've tried. And when they've got beat, he's got, you know, one of these things we can learn. And that's everything about when he's going to the football, you'll learn from your losses. To try and not make those same the same ever and ever again. And I think Webby has got them jelled together. And you know, in every corner of the Cucumber,

8:11or I could see, Rooza Cucumber players, when those guys come back in, they realize what's at stake now. And he's done a terrific job. You mentioned he's done it in the three years, but every year I think they've actually got better and better under his leadership. Yep. And for you, who worries you most amongst these other contenders? Is it the pen riff? There's always the roosters. Maybe even the dolphins. Is there someone else in this top eight that you're a bit scared about? I've got to say, I would say, Panthers after their win on the weekend. I thought they were just brutal in the way that they played. But again, you can look at the roosters just quickly. They were just seven or eight players. They haven't really been playing the best football. And they got bashed up against the dolphins two weeks prior. So, you know, if you call it a smokey, yes, the dolphins are there, but look at South. South's actually playing pretty good football. So, I think the night you're going to struggle without, you know,

9:12with a couple of their plot key players missing. But look, I'm going back to the worries guys that I'd love to see these places get to the grandfile. And I'd love to see the team win for the country. You know, and I think that it'd be absolutely outstanding for the game of rugby league. No, I'm 100% with you. Was I would definitely be on a plane to Sydney if they make that final. Now, I've got some birds. We talk about pigeons on this show because one of our mates lashes. Here's some pigeons. And one of my pigeons I went calling earlier today. And I hear your nickname, isn't actually the was. It's Raffles. Can you tell us a bit about that nickname? Well, it was my nickname when I was in New Zealand. I managed to raffle off a pillar of the beer. Now, I mean, there's sometimes there wasn't any winning tickets available. I remember so when that beer myself, which is quite handy. Yeah, so I used to do that. And raised a lot of money for the teams to go away.

10:13And that's how my nickname Raffles. But that certainly changed when I come to Australia. They just said that's stupid. You're the wizard. Well, the was Raffles. Raffles all the great men to me, mate. Thank you very much for joining us. Are you a good man? Good mate. Enjoy it. I'll tell you what. Look at this going. Shaday is going to be an absolute cracker. See you all then. Yeah, we'll do good man. Gary Freeman there to check.