Love you, Luke Grant.

Well, we're, we're gonna have a, a lot of fun.

Uh, obviously we'll, we'll start on a serious note.

I've, I've been listening to you and, and you've covered a very delicate story, um, um, v- very beautifully this morning, uh, Luke, and I echo everything you've said in relation to this 18-year-old who's now in custody.

I've had a conversation with the Police Commissioner, Mal Lanyon, this morning, also the Premier, Chris Minns, and, uh, you've certainly shared what the Premier's had to say.

We'll hopefully catch up with, um, the region commander in the first hour of the program, uh, Dave Waddell.

If not, we'll bring you some of that press conference.

Yeah

What does that

mean? It means he doesn't come back on the night and it means he should be out of the grand final.

But what they can do is apply for an exemption from those rules to play.

And it all depends on how he pulls up and all that sort of thing.

I'm no doctor, so he'll have to go through the protocols first.

But it's his last game for the Roosters.

I

He's been great.

Right

... for the hip drop tackle, so he's free to play in the grand final.

So is Reece Robson.

And listening to James Tedesco on the Today Show this morning before I left home-

What does that mean?

Well, he'll...

It, it means he doesn't come back on the night, and it means he should be out of the grand final.

But what they can do is apply for an exemption-

What does this mean for the NRL and New South Wales sport? Does he have more attention to go even bigger?

Well, it means that we've got our very first executive chairman.

So he's the chairman of the board.

He's also calling the shots on a day-to-day basis at Rugby League Central.

And look, Jimmy, as you know, and I'll let your listeners know, he was one of my first bosses when I was carrying the money around for the tab, basically, at the racetracks.

Worked under him at Harold Park.

you know, the Sydney racetracks.

They are Tones and Gone.

How are you, mate?

Good, Luke.

Last night, SCG, it was it's time to shine.

And tonight it's Allianz Stadium's time to shine with your chooks up against the Sharks.

Yeah.

Well, everyone's tipping the roosters.

I don't think it's as clear cut as everybody is making out.

We played a first-grade

I loved his first screamer on the actual goal post to put down the first try, and then he just let everybody know about it.

You know what? In rugby league at the moment, we've got some, and I don't want to give you guys any ideas in the AFL, we've got some blokes who can find the air and get up pretty high.

Mark Nwanganituasi from the Roosters is a freak.

I mean, he'd look good next door at the SCG in a swan jumper.

I don't know.

They've got dramas at the moment, but I'm constantly amazed at the athleticism of these rugby league players who, let's face it, they've got a a bigger frame and they're bigger bodies.

So you're right, Liam Martin, he's a superstar the way he plays the game and he'll probably play a big role in getting them all the way to the grand final and potentially lifting the trophy again.

Did they play a flat performance? Because we know it's been incredible what they've done for Jai Arrow, but that does take a mental toll.

Mark Levy, how are you, mate? It's

a day of mourning for me, Luke.

My bunny's got bait.

Yes, I noticed that.

Can I say this, though? I'm actually really, really happy for the Newcastle Knights.

I said this in the call last night.

If you go back to Vegas, round one, we spent a fair bit of time with the Knights.

And I'm just so happy for him.

Yes

...a few people have commented that we captured it fairly well last night.

So we'll replay our coverage from last night.

Little bit of how it all unfolded and reflect on the game itself.

Spencer Lenia was fired up.

Latrell Mitchell put a big hit on young Rod Welsh.[laughing]

Anyway luck

What about Origin coaches? We've now ended up with and not having a crack at anyone here but Darius Boyd and Matt King Not When you say Righto lets have your Top Ten Origin players of all time from either state You dont have to bea great player to be a coach but its-- I think someone said through the week You cant hate that coach

How are you, sir?

Look, I'm very well, Michael.

I hope you don't mind me barging in.

With the approval of your producers, I've walked into your studio.

I feel I want to do something special for your man, Chook, who has single-handedly just about delivered you the 2GB presenter tipping competition.

We're a matter of days away from triumph.

Exactly.

You wouldn't

And obviously from a blue label perspective, you do still maintain an interest in that business even after the listing.

Yeah, so let's try to break it down a little bit.

First of all, kudos to George and his management team, a real great, solid team there.

And that's why there's so much opportunity and growth in Chelsea for many years to come with the existing game plan and what they're trying to do.

Blue Label obviously devalued the asset because it had no value, then revalued the asset.

And we thought we could get the listing off at a higher price.

It was a tough market.

Take us through the strategy from that particular subsidiary and kind of how that fits into the broader group picture.

How are you, mate? You well?

Good afternoon, Luke.

We are well.

It's a beautiful day out here at Allianz Stadium.

It's absolutely heaving at Law Park.

You've got the Swannies next door, their big doubleheader.

And, of course, this afternoon, your Chooks.

how good were the bacon and egg rolls at the Watson's Bay Hotel? My God, on Friday morning,

Are you going to Watson's Bay?

Yeah, so I've got to go to Watson's Bay and see Ben and then we're going to jump on the boat, go around the Sydney Harbour.

We're going to go and park out.

You know what we're going to do, Luke? We're going to park outside the Prime Minister's house and we're going to start yelling things and honking the horn and everything else.

Yes.

So maybe you can bring the loud speaker and maybe we can send some messages.

Bulldogs all over for them, do you reckon?

Oh, yeah.

mate.

LAUGHTER Well, I mean, I don't take it for granted, you know, doing that particular shift.

And you think about Lawsey, you think about Hadley, and then sort of with what I'm doing.

But one thing that I'm sort of of the view when it comes to radio is that whoever sits in that seat will occupy it for however long, but the listeners don't go anywhere.

that's exactly

right.

But look, there is a drama and a controversy brewing, and I've actually gone to management about this.

Is it a brew-ha-ha? Well, usually, I feel now, I guess I'd call myself the captain these days, given Ray's retired.

How was the love boat? Oh, mate, absolutely brilliant.

Love boat.

Any stories you need to share? None.

Oh, we're on air.

Sorry, we can't tell those.

Yeah.

Yeah, it was really good.

By the sounds of things, given what you said earlier about where you went to, you've been to some beautiful spots.

Hello, mate.

Hello, Trent.

Yes, hello from Canterbury Leagues, mate.

We're out here and already quite a few people in the room.

So it's going to be a great celebration today.

We've got some very special guests joining us.

Blocker Roach will be on the phone.

It's absolutely hilarious.

Is that every week?

Yeah, well, thankfully Daryl didn't put the robe on today.

He's decided to leave all of his clothes on.

That's dangerous.

It's always dangerous and not a great sight when he gets all his gear off.

Yeah, he's stayed clothed today.

But they're outside there actually drawing pictures at the moment.

So run me through what's on the list for today, mate.

Hello, mate.

Hello, Trent.

Hello to you and your listeners.

Yes, we're out here at a core stadium today where we are throwing the world's biggest birthday party for Jai Arrow, who, as we know now, is battling motor neurone disease and already a great crowd building.

They're talking about a crowd in excess of potentially 25,000.

They've got the world's biggest birthday cake as well.

There's donations to MND Australia.

The West Tigers, another exercise in how not to manage media and information, I would have thought.

Special guest Mark Levy.

I've got an idea.

Yep.

What about the bloke sitting next to me and the bloke who's co-hosting the show with you tonight, that iconic stoush between him and Wally? Why couldn't we immortalise that outside a core stadium? And then people, like they walk past Wally, they could walk past MG giving it to Wally.

So here they go out there and they have their photo taken with Wally.

But in Sydney, they can be reminded what happens when you go toe-to-toe with a New South Welshman.

That's

Special guest Mark Levy.

I've got an idea.

Yep.

What about the bloke sitting next to me and the bloke who's co-hosting the show with you tonight, that iconic stoush between him and Wally? Why couldn't we immortalise that outside a core stadium and then people, like they walk past Wally, they could walk past MG giving it to Wally.

So here they go out there and they have their photo taken with Wally, but in Sydney they can be reminded what happens when you go toe-to-toe with a New South Welshman.

More than

five.

And it wasn't PBL.

It's just a few other people on the sidelines.

But yeah, the mail is that it's going to be worth more than $5 billion.

So we'll talk to Neil Breen and Andrew Webster, who have also been doing some digging this morning and over the last couple of days.

But huge for the game and just goes to show why we continue to kick goal after goal.

So are you having Bernie on after Andrew Webster so he can repeat what Andrew – love you, Bernie – Andrew had to say? Or what are you going to do there?

Clinton,

hello to you.

Treasurer, I wouldn't usually do this, but I've just landed back in Sydney from Melbourne.

I'm on the way home.

Good job last night calling the game.

Thank you.

Thank you, Trezor.

And when we treasure

Good job last night calling the game

... quick, quick thanks to you Tha- thank you, thank you, Treasurer.

I, I just heard the explanation you've given in relation to the affected communities in the mountains and over on the Central West.

But I, I went to Lithgow and people poured their heart out to me.

They were in tears.

I spoke to a mower shop owner who's been in business 30 years the other day.

He's closed his doors.

And, uh, when we-

Hi, mate.

Morning, Luke.

Yeah, mate, I wasn't aware of this and my phone rang as soon as I walked into the office and it was Dawn Fraser.

Yeah.

And she said, Mark, can you go on the radio and tell everyone I'm fine? And I said, what do you mean, Dorney? And she said, there's a social media post doing the round saying that I passed away.

And she's really disappointed and upset about it.

She's actually in Sydney at the moment for the Australian Swimming Trials because she mentors a lot of the swimmers and just loves being around the next generation of swimmers.

You'd just be laughing the whole time,

There's something about watching it in the flesh at Suncorp versus at Accor or anywhere else.

yeah oh you're right and look as much as i'm a new south welshman i appreciate an atmosphere and i appreciate the intensity and i've been covering the game for 19 years and i still walk away from suncorp on origin night thinking to myself wow i mean and you talk to players like i talked to josh morris and i had paul gallant in the studio with me today ripping into the queenslanders and Even Gal says that, you know, to go into Suncorp into that cauldron, it's unlike anything he's ever experienced.

So that's what we love about this time of year in Origin.

And, you know, for six, eight weeks, we hate each other.

But when it comes to the 80 minutes of football, we just absolutely rip into each other and give it to each other because that's what we want.

We want our state to come out on top.

And like last year, you guys proved that you've got what it takes to win, including in games that you probably shouldn't win.

No.

Mm.

Um, you've sent it down our way and we've, we've had, uh, bucket loads of rain over the last few days.

But the good news is, as I drive along the, uh, the Grand Parade here at, towards Brighton and the Novotel there, it's, uh, blue skies and sunshine.

So, um, I think the forecast is for a few showers later on tonight, potentially during the game.

Uh, but hopefully the sunshine and this blue sky, uh, helps dry out the, uh, the field a little bit.

Having said that, the, uh, the ground staff and the way in which it drains the surface of Accor Stadium, it, it'll be fine.

It'll be ...

[laughs]