Friday 30 September 2022

NOT The Footy Show Episode 261: NRL Grand Final Penrith v Parramatta Preview

NOT The Footy Show - Episode 261 
 
Published September 30, 2022 

Join Robb Cox and Warrick Nicolson for Episode 261 of NOT The Footy Show as we preview the Penrith Panthers v Parramatta Eels in the 2022 NRL Grand Final. 

🔘  Stream the New Podcast or Watch on YouTube

We break down both team lineups and wonder if Brad Arthur has pulled off one of the great all time selection ploys by waiting until the GF to recall Nathan Brown. 

You'll get our bold NRLGF predictions: Winner, fulltime score, 1st Tryscorer and Clive Churchill Medal picks. 
Plus we give the sadly underdone Dally Ms a 5 minute blurb at the end. Well done Nicho Hynes - a deserving winner. 

Good luck if your team is in the decider - enjoy the ride. 

We will record our Grand Final Review Podcast on Monday. 
==
You can subscribe to the subscribe to the NOT The Footy Show Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and catch each episode on our YouTube Channel.

We are also on Instagram so please give us a follow @notthefootyshow 
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Sunday 25 September 2022

NOT The Footy Show Episode 260: NRL Preliminary Finals Recap

NOT The Footy Show - Episode 260 
 
Published September 25, 2022 

Join Robb Cox and Warrick Nicolson for Episode 260 of NOT The Footy Show as they review Parramatta's 24-20 win over North Queensland and Penrith's 32-12 win over South Sydney in the Preliminary Finals.  

This now means it will be a Penrith v Parramatta Grand Final and Stadium Australia is going to be going off on Sunday October 2. 

Oh and has anyone seen Latrell? 
We analyse how the Cowboys and Rabbitohs let themselves down in the biggest game of their seasons - and give plenty of credit to the Eels and Panthers for reaching the decider with great performances in the Prelims.

We will preview the Grand Final with a Podcast during the week. 

🔘  Stream the New Podcast or Watch on YouTube

The aim is to do regular Podcasts the rest of the season, so vote with your feedback if you want more - let us know your are listening via Podcast rating or by sending us a message on social.
==
You can subscribe to the subscribe to the NOT The Footy Show Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and catch each episode on our YouTube Channel.

We are also on Instagram so please give us a follow @notthefootyshow 
==
Enjoy great moments from the Winfield Cup Era (1982-95) on Facebook and Twitter.

Thursday 22 September 2022

NOT The Footy Show Episode 259: NRL Preliminary Finals Preview

NOT The Footy Show - Episode 259 
 
Published September 22, 2022 

Join Robb Cox and Warrick Nicolson for Episode 259 of NOT The Footy Show as they preview Cowboys-Eels and Panthers-Rabbitohs in the 2022 NRL Preliminary Finals.  

Chances to reach an NRL Grand Final don't come along every day, so we give our predictions on the two sides we think fight it out for Premiership glory on October 2 at Stadium Australia. 

🔘  Stream the New Podcast or Watch on YouTube
We also ask the question - Who wants to play for Australia at the World Cup? 

And why the NRL needs to foster more international footy not less. 
The aim is to do regular Podcasts the rest of the season, so vote with your feedback if you want more - let us know your are listening via Podcast rating or by sending us a message on social.
==
You can subscribe to the subscribe to the NOT The Footy Show Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and catch each episode on our YouTube Channel.

We are also on Instagram so please give us a follow @notthefootyshow 
==
Enjoy great moments from the Winfield Cup Era (1982-95) on Facebook and Twitter.

Monday 19 September 2022

NOT The Footy Show Episode 258: NRL Semi Finals Recap

NOT The Footy Show - Episode 258 
 
Published September 19, 2022 

Join Robb Cox and Warrick Nicolson for Episode 258 of NOT The Footy Show as they recap big Semi Final wins by Parramatta 40-4 over Canberra and South Sydney 38-12 over Cronulla in NRL Finals Week 2.  

So we say goodbye to Canberra and Cronulla and ask how good Souths can be if Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker turn things up a notch next week? 

🔘  Stream the New Podcast or Watch on YouTube

We also explore how it's Parramatta under all the pressure to take out the 2022 NRL Premiership and not Penrith, North Queensland or South Sydney - and believe Parra fans should embrace the pressure as the payoff of a Premiership since 1986 will be worth it. 

The Prelim Finals are set - it's Cowboys v Eels and Panthers v Rabbitohs - bring it on. 
The aim is to do regular Podcasts the rest of the season, so vote with your feedback if you want more - let us know your are listening via Podcast rating or by sending us a message on social.
==
You can subscribe to the subscribe to the NOT The Footy Show Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and catch each episode on our YouTube Channel.

We are also on Instagram so please give us a follow @notthefootyshow 
==
Enjoy great moments from the Winfield Cup Era (1982-95) on Facebook and Twitter.

Wednesday 14 September 2022

NOT The Footy Show Episode 257: NRL Finals Week 2 Preview

NOT The Footy Show - Episode 257 
 
Published September 14, 2022 

Join Robb Cox and Warrick Nicolson for Episode 257 of NOT The Footy Show as they give their predictions for NRL Finals Week 2 - Parramatta v Canberra and Cronulla v Souths in the Semi Finals.  
🔘  Stream the New Podcast or Watch on YouTube
We also discuss Phil Gould's lambasting of the NRL Bunker to open the show (once again and quite rightly), then finally get off that and dive into why we think Parramatta or Canberra will meet North Queensland, and if it'll be Cronulla or South Sydney taking on Penrith in the Preliminary Finals. 
Thanks for listening and we hope you are enjoying the double podcasts each week during September. 

The aim is to do regular Podcasts the rest of the season, so vote with your feedback if you want more - let us know your are listening via Podcast rating or by sending us a message on social.
==
You can subscribe to the subscribe to the NOT The Footy Show Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and catch each episode on our YouTube Channel.

We are also on Instagram so please give us a follow @notthefootyshow 
==
Enjoy great moments from the Winfield Cup Era (1982-95) on Facebook and Twitter.

Monday 12 September 2022

NOT The Footy Show Episode 256: NRL Finals Week 1 Recap

NOT The Footy Show - Episode 256 
 
Published September 12, 2022 

Join Robb Cox and Warrick Nicolson f
or Episode 256 of NOT The Footy Show as they recap the opening week of the 2022 NRL Finals - featuring wins by Penrith, Canberra, North Queensland and South Sydney. 

🔘  Stream the New Podcast or Watch on YouTube

The season is over for Melbourne and the Chooks, after Elimination Final victories by Canberra 28-20 and Souths 30-14 respectively. In the Qualifying Finals the Panthers asserted their authority with a 27-8 win over Parramatta, and North Queensland outlasted Cronulla 32-30 in Extra Time. 

Oh and there were a few sin bins (and not enough send offs) in the Easts-Souths epic at the SFS. 

That sets up Parramatta-Canberra and Cronulla-Souths in Week 2's Semi Finals - with North Queensland awaiting the winner of the first semi and Penrith the second in the Preliminary Finals. 


The aim is to do regular Podcasts the rest of the season, so vote with your feedback if you want more - let us know your are listening via Podcast rating or by sending us a message on social.
==
You can subscribe to the subscribe to the NOT The Footy Show Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and catch each episode on our YouTube Channel.

We are also on Instagram so please give us a follow @notthefootyshow 
==
Enjoy great moments from the Winfield Cup Era (1982-95) on Facebook and Twitter.

Saturday 10 September 2022

Cleary's masterclass puts Penrith within a game of 3rd straight Grand Final - 2022 NRL Finals Series

FT: PENRITH 27 PARRAMATTA 8
Published September 10, 2022 

Rusty huh?

"Are you going to be rusty?" was one of the pointed questions that Penrith's Nathan Cleary had to answer in a mid-week press conference ahead of last night's Qualifying Final and given the way he smiled and shrugged it off, we all should have been ready for what he delivered.
Although the first 15 minutes or so may not have been amongst Cleary's best of the season so far - the next 65 odd were, as the Penrith halfback produced a masterclass to send the Panthers into their third straight Preliminary Final with a 27-8 win over Parramatta to open the 2022 NRL Finals Series.
Cleary was especially irrepressible in the 2nd Half, lifting the Panthers onto his back and giving the Parramatta defensive line fits. 
He continually tested their resolve to run out at him (to take his time away) by cutting back on the inside of his direct opponent, and at all times HE wanted the ball. Once he got into sync, nothing was going to stop him from being the main conductor for the Panthers and when he clicked into gear - so did Penrith.
He set up all four Penrith tries with a combination of up tempo ball play, incisive running and judicious kicking, especially with the latter aspect as he terrorised Waqa Blake with high kick after high kick - getting value for his investments in cruelty almost every time.
There was little doubt Cleary would be primed to have a major impact on this game after his last foray against the Eels resulted in a 5 week holiday, but it is important to note that his opening to this game was so-so and it wasn't until he started to target Blake with his kicking game (after starting off the match going after Maika Sivo with little result) that the Cleary factor kicked in.
He then made Parramatta - and case in point Reagan Campbell-Gillard on the final try to James Fisher-Harris - look second rate and his 9-9.5/10 performance (with respect, it wasn't quite a 10/10) has Penrith on the verge of a third consecutive Grand Final appearance and a great chance at making it back to back Premierships.
Cleary wasn't alone in taking Penrith to another Preliminary Final - all the usual suspects for the Panthers were pretty good, but it was in defence that the Penrith team first attitude really shone. They pounded Parramatta with their defence, and sure Cleary put the finishing touches on all the tries but it was how Penrith re-adopted their September defensive mindset from 12 months ago that really impressed. 
Make no mistake, Penrith are switched on for a title defence.
As for Parramatta, they were pretty good in the first half when they earned their chances in attack but wasteful with their red-zone possessions - especially during the period when Taylan May was sin-binned - and their only try came from a Reed Mahoney face pass to Oregon Kaufusi that exposed Api Koroisau. 
In attack they just looked a little same same without being able to land a real punch, but in their defence it was Penrith's scrambling defence that denied Sivo a number of times, and none of Mitchell Moses, Dylan Brown or Clint Gutherson never seemed set to take the game by the scruff of the neck and make Penrith pay for giving the Eels good field position. This can't happen next week no matter who they play.
As in Semi Final football - not taking those chances loses you big games - and this was a BIG game.
Now Parramatta must rest up, hope and pray Moses recovers from being knocked out, and prepare for a visit from Melbourne or Canberra next Friday night. 
While you understand the strategy, coach Brad Arthur also squeezed a lot of juice out of Junior Paulo in the 1st half, and again in the 2nd half when the game seemed gone (he played 59 minutes across 3 stints - including 2 stints in the 1st half) and you imagine this will take something out of him for next week... and this 'all-in' approach on Paulo meant Arthur only used bench prop Makahesi Makatoa for the final 6 minutes - making you wonder if former first choice lock Nathan Brown isn't deemed worthy of playing those 6 minutes - why is he even in the game-day squad as 18th man?
Another Arthur selection that makes little sense is continuing to pick Blake on the wing where his major deficiency (his hands or lack thereof) can be exposed, and in turn the continued selection of Tom Opacic at centre (with respect he offers nothing compared to what you'd get from Blake at centre), especially when right winger Bailey Simonsson was pretty good for Parra all year til he got injured and now can't get back into the team. Sure Parramatta won games with Opacic in the side but they also won games with Simonsson on the wing with Blake at centre... surely at Finals time you pick your best combination?
Those are questions that Brad Arthur must seek to answer because only elimination footy lays ahead for the Eels, barely a week after many talked them up as Premiership contenders.
As for Nathan Cleary and his Panthers, they await the victor out of the other side of the Finals draw - one of Cronulla, North Queensland, Easts or Souths - in a Preliminary Final in two weeks time. 
Full Time:
Penrith Panthers 27 (Brian To'o 2, Dylan Edwards, James Fisher-Harris Tries; Nathan Cleary 5/5 Goals, 1 Field Goal)
defeated
Parramatta Eels 8 (Oregon Kaufusi Try; Mitchell Moses 2/2 Goals)
At Penrith Stadium, Crowd: 21,863, Referee: Gerard Sutton.
Up Next in Finals Week 1:
1st Elimination Final - Melbourne v Canberra.
2nd Qualifying Final - Cronulla v North Queensland.
2nd Elimination Final - Easts v Souths.
==
You can subscribe to the NOT The Footy Show Podcast 
on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and catch each episode on our YouTube Channel.

We are also on Instagram so please give us a follow 
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Wednesday 7 September 2022

NOT The Footy Show Episode 255: The NRL's Dream Grand Final is?

NOT The Footy Show - Episode 255 
 
Published September 7, 2022 

Join Robb Cox and Warrick Nicolson f
or Episode 255 of NOT The Footy Show as they debate which matchup would be the NRL's Dream Grand Final - both in 2022 and also if any two NRL teams could make it in a future year? 

Waz thinks Parramatta are the biggest draw for the NRL in an all-Sydney Grand Final but Coxsmith may not agree... we'd love to hear your picks for the NRL's Dream Grand Final - so let us know. 

Plus we dive into the wonderful decision making by ARLC Chairman Peter V'Landys who in all his wisdom, has decreed that Penrith fans would be the ones who would suffer if Taylan May had to serve his 2 game suspension in the NRL Finals rather than in a pair of far less important games to open 2023... 'this guy, this is not my kind of guy'. 
🔘  Stream the New Podcast or Watch on YouTube
The aim is to do regular Podcasts the rest of the season, so vote with your feedback if you want more - let us know your are listening via Podcast rating or by sending us a message on social.
==
You can subscribe to the subscribe to the NOT The Footy Show Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and catch each episode on our YouTube Channel.

We are also on Instagram so please give us a follow @notthefootyshow 
==
Enjoy great moments from the Winfield Cup Era (1982-95) on Facebook and Twitter.

Tuesday 6 September 2022

And then there were 8... 2022 NRL Finals Week 1 Teams and Schedule

IT'S BUSINESS TIME... FINALS TIME
Published September 6, 2022
Eight are gone, and eight remain in the race for the 2022 NRL Premiership.
Penrith have proven themselves to be the best team throughout the regular season, finishing with 20 wins and just 4 losses in 24 starts, that's 4 points clear of Cronulla in 2nd and North Queensland in 3rd - who both had records of 18-6 and 17-7 respectively. 
Parramatta claimed 4th spot with a Round 25 win over Melbourne to finish 16-8, meaning the Storm (15-9) dropped to 5th. Then we have Easts in 6th behind the Storm on differential after also being 15-9 and Souths (14-10) in 7th, with Canberra (14-10) in 8th on differential as well.
This left Brisbane (13-11) on the outside looking in despite being 2 games over .500 - it's the first time a team with (a legitimate) winning record has missed the Top 8 since 1999 when Canberra finished 9th with a record of 13-10-1 in a 17 team competition of 24 games each.
🔘  Stream the New Podcast or Watch on YouTube

Here is how the final 2022 NRL Ladder looked after 25 Rounds.

Finals Week 1 Schedule

So we are opening the 2022 NRL Finals Series at Penrith on Friday night, then Saturday night features games in Melbourne and Cronulla, before the new SFS gets another rendition of Eastern Suburbs v South Sydney on Sunday afternoon. 
As far as the schedule goes, the NRL has done the job its television overlords wanted so there's no point trying to poke holes in it... although Canberra have been drawn the shortest time between Round 25 and Finals Week 1 (along with Cronulla - 6 days) there really isn't another time frame the NRL could have scheduled the Storm-Raiders match as they had to pick Penrith v Parramatta for Friday night and that meant they couldn't (well shouldn't) schedule two Sydney games back to back on Saturday. The downside is Melbourne Storm fans will have to make a quick dash to the MCG from AAMI Park (which is doable) after their game if they also go for Collingwood or simply love AFL Finals.
Also, Canberra finished 8th so you play where you get told to Ricky.

NOT The Footy Show's Week 1 Tips

The teams have now been named and here are NOT The Footy Show's Tips for each Semi Final from Episode 254 listen to the NRL Finals Week 1 Preview Podcast here.

Friday 7:50pm at Penrith

#1 PENRITH PANTHERS #4 PARRAMATTA EELS
Coxsmith says: Penrith by 10
Waz says: Penrith by 6
Saturday 5:40pm at Melbourne
#5 MELBOURNE STORM #8 CANBERRA RAIDERS
Coxsmith says: Melbourne by 6* (assuming Hughes plays)
Waz says: Canberra by 2
Saturday 7:50pm at Cronulla
#2 CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS #3 NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Coxsmith says: Cronulla by 10
Waz says: Cronulla by 4
Sunday 4:05pm at Sydney
#6 SYDNEY ROOSTERS #7 SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Coxsmith says: Easts by 6
Waz says: Easts by 2
Good luck to your team if you are still in the running for the Premiership and if they aren't... at least the cricket starts soon.
🔘  Stream the New Podcast or Watch on YouTube
==
You can subscribe to the NOT The Footy Show Podcast 
on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and catch each episode on our YouTube Channel.

We are also on Instagram so please give us a follow 
@notthefootyshow 
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Monday 5 September 2022

NOT The Footy Show Episode 254: NRL Finals Week 1 Preview 2022

NOT The Footy Show - Episode 254 
 
Published September 5, 2022 

Join Robb Cox and Warrick Nicolson for Episode 254 of NOT The Footy Show as they Preview Week 1 of the 2022 NRL Finals Series.  
🔘  Stream the New Podcast or Watch on YouTube
We give you a good half an hour on the four Semi Finals being played this weekend with Penrith v Parramatta, Melbourne v Canberra, Cronulla v North Queensland and Easts v Souths on the Week 1 Schedule. 

Coxsmith and Waz also give their pick for what they think the Grand Final matchup will be (at the moment), and tip the margin in all the semi finals. 

We aim to be back again later this week as we ramp up the Podcasts in the sweet, sweet month of September. 

Cheers 

==
You can subscribe to the subscribe to the NOT The Footy Show Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and catch each episode on our YouTube Channel.

We are also on Instagram so please give us a follow @notthefootyshow 
==
Enjoy great moments from the Winfield Cup Era (1982-95) on Facebook and Twitter.