Cleary vs. Walsh in a Battle for the Ages

Kenty and Woz dive unpack the feverish anticipation surrounding the preliminary finals. With a historic Sunday afternoon clash between the Broncos and Panthers on the horizon, the discussion centers on the contrasting styles of Nathan Cleary and Reece Walsh, the "ruthless" culture at Canterbury.

Cleary vs. Walsh: The Poster Boys of the NRL

The Sunday afternoon preliminary final in Brisbane is being billed as one of the most significant games in recent memory. Kenty highlighted the fascination with the two opposing superstars, Nathan Cleary and Reece Walsh, who sit at the peak of their powers but approach the game from opposite ends of the spectrum.

"Reece Walsh is very emotional, he's very much a confidence player, he's a risk taker... and Nathan, everything is calculated. He's very hard to ruffle; he's very hard to get him out of the zones he likes to play in."

Kenty also pointed out a "quirky" but telling statistic for the Panthers' general: Nathan Cleary has not lost a day game since 2019. Kenty attributes this to Cleary's clinical precision. "He just gets greater purchase on the ball with his passing game... the kick doesn't slide along the grass... it goes exactly where he intends it to go."

The "Death of Loyalty" and the Burton Rumors

The show addressed growing speculation that Matt Burton could be the next high-profile departure from the Bulldogs. While Kenty couldn't confirm the rumors, he noted that it fits a "ruthless" pattern emerging at Belmore under Cameron Ciraldo and Phil Gould.

"If they get rid of Burton, you'd have to say there's no loyalty in rugby league... He was the original, wasn't he? He was one of the first guys they got... and gave the confidence for guys like Crichton and Reed Mahoney to follow him over."

Kenty was blunt about the current state of club-player relationships. "I really do think loyalty is dead... I think it's business. I don't think there's really many players left who are prepared to take whatever gets offered to them to remain at the club."

Kenty's Regrets: The Stories He Wishes He Didn't Write

Kenty reflected on his long career in the media, admitting there are articles he looks back on with "anxiety." Specifically, he recalled a heated confrontation with a player following a story about the fallout of the Super League war.

"In hindsight, all these years later, sometimes you're judged by what you don't write as much as what you do write. There's a couple of stories I probably look back on and I think I could have done without writing them.” 

Match Previews: Storm vs. Sharks & Broncos vs. Panthers

Kenty provided a deep dive into the weekend's tactical matchups:

• Storm vs. Sharks: Despite the Storm being heavy favorites, Kenty is looking for more consistency. "Melbourne are the Premiership favorites still, but... they haven't been overly convincing in their recent form. Sharks are in their best form in years."
• The Jerome Hughes Gamble: Kenty noted the risk Melbourne is taking by naming Hughes with a broken arm. "They've rolled the dice... but they simply don't have the time. They've got to put out the best team and put in their best performance tomorrow night. No second chances."
• Broncos vs. Panthers: Kenty favors Penrith due to their "safer, more reliable" game plan. He warned that the Broncos' lack of patience could be their downfall if they try to "create width" too early against the disciplined Panthers defense.

Watch the full episode on Fanatics TV.

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