Backstage with Cooper & Matty Johns
Both Coaches Are GAMBLING With Game 1 — State of Origin Preview
24 May 2026
Chapter 1: What is the main topic of the State of Origin Preview?
And welcome back to another week of the podcast. We're about to talk all things State of Origin, previewing Wednesday night's match, our thoughts on the teams and who do we think is going to win and whatnot. But Matthew, it'd be ill of me not to bring up the fact that you are in quite a foul mood because I'm sure the listeners will probably hear that straight away off the bat. But what's wrong?
With you.
Chapter 2: How do the coaches' selections impact the game?
A couple of things. Shitty night's sleep. Bit of an argument. Trish got up this morning and for some frigging reason wanted to go into the city and do a bridge climb. She said, do you want to do it? I said, absolutely not. And we got into a rousing blue. Why is she doing it? She goes, oh, it's a great opportunity to see the city. It's great. The Harbour Bridge. Yeah.
Why would she do that? Isn't, like, she's lived here her whole life. Yeah.
Isn't that money for tourists? You know what she's like. And so I had that and a shit night's sleep. And then I walk in here and someone thinks it's funny to put this on the wall. Like, it's us, our family as children, our children, father, mum and dad. We look like this, I don't know, family who are into incest and just crawled out of the mountains in Austria.
It's like something out of The Shining.
Chapter 3: What are the different styles of play for each team?
Look at Gail.
She looks like a dead set. Gail. Looks like Cooper.
That looks like the Fritzls. I will say, that is the scariest family photo that I've seen of any family. If that was on a poster for a horror movie, it'd be a bestseller.
Chapter 4: Who are the game-breaking players to watch?
Who would think that when looking at that photo, if you're cruising past a store and saw this in a photography store in 1978, that... The person in that photo would go on to be one of the greatest rugby league players of all time and Andrew Johnson.
Can I ask, for the people who can't see it, you're sort of at the back left wearing a red flannel cowboy shirt.
Wearing like an Italian tablecloth.
But you and Joey both have bowl cuts.
Chapter 5: What tips do the hosts have for the upcoming match?
But Joey, that's the one at the front. He's blonde? Why is he blonde then?
He was blonde when he was a kid. Yeah, he was blonde. Yeah, a little chubster. He's got the Johnny Cake outs on him.
I never knew he was blonde because I was blonde as a kid. Remember?
Yep. And look at Gaz. He looks like Dr. Spock off Star Wars. Star Trek. Star Trek. Same thing. I don't know if it's Dr. Spock.
Yeah, I don't know if he's got his doctorate.
Same thing. They're in a ship that basically bends time and space. Is that Leonard Nimoy?
Yeah, it is. And also for people that are listening, we have our new mate versus mate hats on. Dad, you're wearing the blues one. I'm wearing the blues one as well. We do have the maroon one sitting next to us, which we won't be touching.
Well, because unfortunately some people, if I wore this one on by the people – South of Tweed would call me like a treacherous traitor, and Queenslanders would be saying, why has that flogged? You can't win. You know what? You can't win. No, you can't. So I just thought, that's probably pissed me off too. So bad night's sleep, incest photo.
Okay. Well, the mate versus mate hats will drop. Obviously, we have our reaction after the game on Wednesday, but they'll drop the next day, Thursday, 6 p.m., the mate versus mate. Ooh. Both our maroon and blue ones will drop. Nice. Getting quick because there's only a limited amount.
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Chapter 6: How does the betting market reflect team strengths?
And then Hammer played the third one.
Oh, that's right.
Yeah, yeah. So that's what, for me, that's what... Obviously, Reece Walsh was final series last year. If he was a New South Welshman, New South Wales, he would have been... New South Wales would have gone, wow, we've got to pick this bloke. But... Slatsy is very loyal.
And the people that did a job for him last year, he knows even if their form's bad at club land – and he's very diligent, right? He's looking at – he's getting training footage from clubs. He's looking at everything and saying, well, this club's whole – the reason this bloke's not on that grade is because his whole team isn't going great and he's struggling to do his job within that.
Yeah.
Putting him in my team that I'm coaching under and how I want to play, it's going to feel a little bit easier for him because he's got better players around him and he'll do a much better job for me.
When you think about Reece Walsh straight away, state of origin, you think of the billboard like Reece Walsh, the big sell. And that's the reason when he's not included. You're quite surprised. You may be even shocked by it. But when you go back and pull the sheets back and say, why wasn't he picked? Well, he broke his cheekbone, right? Fractured his cheekbone. He came back two weeks early.
And coming back those two weeks early, the side is struggling, and he's struggling. At the moment, he's probably trying too hard. He just isn't in sync. Really, when you look back, it was a no-brainer. And I think Reece would understand that.
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Chapter 7: What are the potential X-Factors for New South Wales and Queensland?
I've got no doubt they would have had a long conversation and Billy would have pointed that out. And I think Reece wouldn't have had a problem with it. I think he would totally understand.
Yeah. And while she's not... Just because he's got... Have a breath. Just because while she's obviously as big a profile star as he is, that's why this selection's made such big ripples. Because... the fans want to see him in there, in that arena. And he belongs in that arena. We know how good he is. But like you said, I think Rhys would have an opinion of how he's been playing.
That game on the weekend against the Wires, it was very much like he wanted to have a big game. And you can see that went for a couple of big moments that probably didn't pan out the way you wanted them to go. And that's what's hard when you feel a bit of the pressure of selection for State of Origin. And then you're constantly chasing a big moment out in the field.
Chapter 8: Who do the hosts predict will win the game and why?
And as you guys know, when you're chasing a big moment, like in a game of rugby league, it usually just spirals and snowballs. You make errors and things like that.
For some of it, it usually comes off. Well, it came off for him last year in the final series, I'd argue. Yeah, it certainly did. There you go. We just destroyed your rambling argument. Correct.
You're a dick. But going back on both sides, I wanted to ask you because the other big selection was Sam Walker at halfback for Queensland. New South Wales is pretty straightforward, obviously Tedesco.
Yeah.
You had Kalen Ponga to play half in your side?
A lot of people had mail. I had very strong mail. In fact, I was told that the side all along that Billy was looking at right up until the last moment, it was Hammer at the back, Munster in the six, Kalen in the seven. And what was going to happen is Kalen was going to defend at centre and Robert Toye would defend as three in. I think at the last second, Billy...
And Rich Paul's going to be on the bench. I think at the last moment, I think he looked at it and went, oh, moving Robbie, Robbie Toyer, three in, you've got Kalen defending the centres. You know what? I'm just going to go simple. I'm going to make it less complicated and be able to focus on the things that are really important. And so he's gone for it. Yeah, Kalen, Munster, Sammy, and so on.
Like, I think Sam Walker, if they weren't going to pick Sam Walker this game, they were never going to pick him. Yeah. Right? And although Billy wouldn't follow a hard and fast rule, mate, you've got to pick this bloke. It's not the reason why he's picked him, but I'm saying they've groomed this kid for a number of years. He's been in there. For this. And, you know... Pick him or never pick him.
And they've given him a go and good on him. I think he's ready. Mate, we underestimate him at our peril. Yeah, correct.
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