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Bloke In A Bar

ETHAN STRANGE BACK ROW?! | ORIGIN 2 PREVIEW

17 Jun 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What are the upcoming matches and plans for the week?

0.031 - 6.767

Matty, I'm heading up to Brizzy for a big week of footy soon, you in? Of course. I'm super keen for the Friday matches, but I'll be there all weekend.

0

6.815 - 23.6 Denan Kemp

Yeah, same, massive games on. The whole week's going to be chaos. Actually, I was thinking, my place is just going to be sitting empty that whole time. And I'm thinking like, why wouldn't I just put it on Airbnb and make a bit of cash while I'm away? And you've been to my place too. Good spot, good location. I know people who do it every time they go away. They call it a cheat code.

0

24.061 - 31.472 Denan Kemp

A couple of nights while I'm away alone and I would make enough extra income to pay for our next trip to Queensland. That is actually a great shout.

0

Chapter 2: How can renting out your home on Airbnb be beneficial?

31.452 - 45.293 Denan Kemp

I'm telling you, it's a no-brainer. If your place is just sitting there, you may as well make it work for you. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com.au slash host.

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45.526 - 73.91 Denan Kemp

What is up ladies and gentlemen, welcome to an episode of The Yarn and do not forget Codesports having an end of financial year sale where a code subscription will only be $19 for the entire year. That is insane. And so that will be, it's E-O-F-Y, that's the code to use for the $19 for the entire year. Actually, I'll just get up here because I've got an old... Yeah, E-O-F-Y.

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73.97 - 92.552 Denan Kemp

That is the code, $19 a year. And my first ever article is going to be written in the next week or so. So you want to tune into that. Use the code, I promise you. The same thing happened last year. We put the code out for $19 for the whole year. And the amount of people that messaged me once the code was no longer available were like, hey, this happened, this happened.

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93.493 - 104.986 Denan Kemp

Do you still have that discount? Please, just do it. 20 bucks. There's no way you'll regret it. I'll tell you that much because then you don't have to worry about any paywalls or anything like that. Anyway, Tyson the Terminator is here from Code Sports. How are you going, brother?

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105.186 - 105.987 Tyson Statovci

I'm good, mate. How are you?

106.147 - 109.03 Denan Kemp

Very, very good. Thanks, mate. How have you been, mate?

109.212 - 130.905 Tyson Statovci

Yeah, look, it hurt last week to not have the show, but a bit under the weather. But, you know, it's been a crazy weekend of sport all the way up until Monday with the UFC. Now Wednesday night with Origin, I mean, I cover rugby league, but I'm loving the abundance of sport at the moment. I go home, I have something to watch on TV, literally no matter what hour of the day, night it is.

Chapter 3: What discounts are available for Code Sports subscriptions?

131.085 - 142.433 Denan Kemp

You know what other sport looks like you love? What? Motorbike riding. Can you take that laptop out in front of you? Are you wearing a motorbike rider's like T-shirt?

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142.453 - 144.637 Tyson Statovci

No, it's a shirt from Earl's, long sleeves.

0

144.697 - 146.7 Denan Kemp

No hate on Earl's. I'm a big fan of Earl's.

0

146.74 - 151.607 Tyson Statovci

Yeah, Louis Broward. It's pretty comfortable. I've got Earl's pants on as well. I'm actually full decked out.

0

151.647 - 154.291 Denan Kemp

Where's your helmet, bro?

154.391 - 155.552 Tyson Statovci

It ruined the new chopper.

155.592 - 157.395 Denan Kemp

Everyone loves. That went down so well.

157.415 - 160.94 Tyson Statovci

Everyone loves. It's changed a little bit. I've listened to the feedback.

161.04 - 162.182 Denan Kemp

Okay, I can listen to the feedback.

Chapter 4: How does the team feel about the upcoming Origin game?

233.085 - 255.135 Tyson Statovci

And the Ethan Strange question comes up. And where's Ethan Strange going to play? Now, Laurie uses the word back row, which for people that played in the 80s and 90s, back row is considered your second row in your lock. For today's game, you're back row, you're edge forwards, right? So you're two second rowers. So it's been taken a couple of ways, but we heard assistant coach Matt King come out.

0

255.596 - 275.563 Tyson Statovci

He said that there's contingency plans for anything. Word I'm hearing is that he trained a lot at lock during camp, but with the six-man bench now and I guess how it works, they have to have cover there, but you would have to think you would put Victor Radley at second row before you put Ethan Strange. You put... Cam Murray at second row before he put Ethan Shray.

0

275.784 - 277.527 Tyson Statovci

You could have had him Ole Oluwatu.

0

277.587 - 279.971 Denan Kemp

Obviously the elephant in the room is the big Oluwatu. Yeah.

0

280.171 - 293.693 Tyson Statovci

So it was a weird comment, which could mean an abundance of things. But if he did make that mistake and he meant lock, you know, it could have been covered up pretty quickly. It wasn't covered up. It's an open-ended kind of –

293.673 - 311.356 Denan Kemp

Are we being bamboozled by a genius right now? That's like he intentionally said back row to keep it vague so we're all sitting here going, what the hell is going on right now? Billy Slater's like, okay, what's happening with your interchange? Is there a chance of that? Maybe. Because I feel bamboozled. I don't know what's going on right now.

311.476 - 325.655 Tyson Statovci

I don't think it would be – I don't think Laurie would do it intentionally. That's the weird part, right? I don't think he intentionally would have gone, you know what, I've got this master plan. I'm going to muck around with Queensland here and I'm going to say back row so they think we're going to put – our half in the second row.

325.675 - 342.156 Denan Kemp

I am bamboozled because like even Locke, you've already got two Locke's on the bench and I know they come on as front rowers or sometimes or whatever, but like essentially there is a chance that you could have Radley, Murray, Strange and Appy all at the same time.

343.017 - 345.641 Tyson Statovci

And potentially Yo, potentially like Yo could.

Chapter 5: What was the controversy surrounding Ethan Strange's position?

626.195 - 645.537 Denan Kemp

yeah it's a tiny bit you're all in on that's what my point was earlier there is a chance where you've got Appy Murray Radley and Strange all on the field at the same time and the problem is if Appy and Strange get on that's taking minutes away from Murray and Haas like I want Haas on there and Murray on there as much as possible definitely

0

645.517 - 647.199

I don't want Murray to come off once he gets on.

0

647.259 - 647.459 Denan Kemp

Yeah.

0

647.66 - 655.589 Tyson Statovci

Yeah, that fourth – I spoke to someone yesterday around the Blues, and that fourth man isn't going to be decided until about 20 minutes to go if everything goes to plan.

0

655.85 - 659.755 Denan Kemp

So someone – And so that's a strange probably. Yeah.

659.855 - 679.283 Tyson Statovci

Probably strange. You know, what are you supposed to do, though? Like, I'm the biggest happy car myself here. What are you supposed to do if Rhys Robson is killing it all game? Like, you have this plan to get happy on, but Robson's dicing it in the middle. It just – I think game one, they picked a strange bench, but it worked because of different circumstances.

679.303 - 684.153 Tyson Statovci

They got five players on that game from the bench because of the- Yeah, it's also hard to judge.

684.213 - 688.241 Denan Kemp

Like, you know, the send-off just- Yeah, that's what I mean, right?

688.582 - 708.013 Tyson Statovci

It completely sent the game in disarray, and that's why it worked. If the game doesn't go exactly the same- which it won't. It's like, it's near impossible. It won't work. Like that's, that's my thought. That's my thought behind it because the game went a certain way and it worked, but what if it's a tough crime? Queensland have 13 on the field all the time.

Chapter 6: Are there any strategic advantages to the back row versus lock positions?

819.972 - 825.32 Denan Kemp

But I feel like Critter's in the same, at least, if you don't have him better than Moses in Origin, at least the same tier as Origin.

0

825.38 - 843.447 Tyson Statovci

He's been the best centre the last five years. Like, he gets whatever Lee, like, if Critter told me, and again, I didn't think Critter had his best, I don't think Critter's had his best season, but he definitely didn't have his best game. Neither has Mitch Moses. Yeah. If you said to me, Stephen Crichton will be right to buy our fuller post session on Saturday, I would have given him that.

0

844.017 - 860.052 Denan Kemp

I think if you're going to select him like they said they were, I think he's done enough to earn that right. Same with Mitchell Moses. I think that I personally would have gone strange. However, I can definitely stomach Mitchell Moses being given a crack because I think he's a gun. I really do.

0

Chapter 7: What are the implications of the new TV broadcast deal for NRL?

860.112 - 877.986 Denan Kemp

And I do think that there is a chance he goes on and kills it. But, yeah, I just think there's such mixed messaging at the moment. I don't know what's happening. I don't know – If you're a blues fringy, like if you're Ola Kuwatu right now and you see those comments, what are you feeling?

0

878.007 - 902.086 Tyson Statovci

Well, I spoke to a few people around Himalaya at the start of the week and You know, like he's just a character. He's there to train. He's there to work hard. But he takes things personally. He has to be taking all this personally, especially when as a footy player, you'd know Kemp be like, you're going to be your harshest critic. He's probably looking at game one thinking, where did I go wrong?

0

902.506 - 915.711 Tyson Statovci

Especially when all the messaging has been, we just had to find a way to get Dylan Lucas into this team. Like we just have to find a way to get Ethan Strange into this team. Why can't we find a way to get Oluwatu? That's what Oluwatu would be thinking. Why can't we find a way to get me into this?

0

915.751 - 929.931 Denan Kemp

Yeah, it's a great point. When you look at the whole Dylan Lucas, we just had to get him in. It's like, well, what's changed for Dylan Lucas over the last couple of weeks? He's been a gun the whole year. I know he's had a little bit of injury, but... It's bizarre. What are you thinking, Matty? How are you feeling?

0

929.951 - 946.941

Yeah, the more I look, I know we just spoke about it, but I can't get it out of my head. The more I'm looking at this team, the more I don't think AFB is getting on. Because, like, if Payne Haas and Barnett are starting, you'd assume Barnett will go off first. Y'all move to Barnett's spot. Mario will come in. Then Payne will get a rest.

946.921 - 959.637

And then what, Radley will come on through the middle or does AFB come on then? But then like you don't want Payne Haas on the bench for too long. You don't want, you know. Haas has to get at least 55 minutes, I reckon.

959.877 - 962.18 Denan Kemp

Yeah, I'm struggling.

962.22 - 971.132 Tyson Statovci

At least 55. The game changed in game one when Radley and Murray came on the field. So they are shoe marks to be your replacement one and two.

971.152 - 979.743

So I'm struggling to see how AFB – comes on. And then if that's the case, I'd rather homoly on there. Yeah. So yeah, very strange.

Chapter 8: How does Ashley Klein's situation impact the upcoming game?

1179.404 - 1194.41 Tyson Statovci

Isaiah Yeo knew his role. He knew what he was there to do. And it was probably the best origin footy we'd seen those guys play. But then you go to this year and, like, we can't even put our finger on what roles are, what certain positions on the field need to do to be successful.

0

1194.471 - 1201.483 Denan Kemp

I will say, let's say I put, I just give as much grace to the lorry as possible in regards to his point of view.

0

1202.594 - 1222.324 Denan Kemp

Could you make the argument the game has changed so dramatically in such a short amount of time that you can no longer go into games with set game plans because of HIAs, because of how fast it is, because of injuries, and also because the game is so fast, especially this year, it is much better to have small players on the field?

0

1222.523 - 1241.613 Tyson Statovci

Yeah, well, I think you can go in. I think you're still going with set game plans. We probably have a couple more set game plans because of the six-man bench. You have to cover more. Whereas the four-team, for example, used to be like your four-team could make or break this team because you need them to slot in certain places on the field and how do you use them.

0

1241.934 - 1247.603 Tyson Statovci

But now you're probably actually playing with more game plans than you were before. You probably have to come up with a –

1247.583 - 1269.697 Denan Kemp

I guess my point is this, is Laurie Daly, there's been so much critique of his game plan because, and I know people are going to say, think I'm taking the piss. I'm genuinely not taking the piss here because it is actually so modern, his game plan. Like, is it because he is truly going all in on, I need small forwards out on the field. So you think he's ahead of the game? Almost.

1269.757 - 1282.712 Denan Kemp

I'm not saying, I'm just saying, I'm trying to like fully give him as like, he's a genius. In my head, I'm saying he's a genius and he actually knows footy. Like he doesn't know footy way more than me. He's fucking Laurie Daly. But you know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying?

1282.732 - 1302.952 Denan Kemp

Is there a world where, because it's so fresh and new to us, we're sitting here going, okay, like that really small bench, because the game's so fast these days, it's actually better. Because I will say, again, in Laurie's defense, What have we been complaining about? You know, not complaining about, but critiquing all year long. It's like the big hit and big bop of jamming blokes.

1302.972 - 1320.276 Denan Kemp

That's like gone essentially. Like sometimes you're better off not even trying to wrestle in the tackle. You're better off just getting off the deck and sprinting back to a marker. Yeah. And so I'm saying like, does it look a bit weird to everyone? And it's not a traditional bench because Laurie is sitting there going, I am all in on small forwards.

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