NRL Immortal - Ron Coote: Live Reaction

good day guys welcome back to the rugby league Guru podcast obviously last night we had the night of night in rugby league crowning the next mortal of our game of course Ron C the 14th Immortal of rugby league absolutely incredible scenes along with all of the Hall of Famers as well unbelievable stuff as a footy fan I absolutely loved it and we're going to get stuck in all the little details from it today this episode guys is brought to you by Neds our official partners for season 2024 make sure you jump onto the Neds app and you can follow along with our profile on all of our bets we are making a Resurgence in the back end of the season for about even we're back on top as of this week which is fantastic and we're going to bring it home so make sure you follow along on the Neds app with all of our bets each and every week uh now obviously we had the Hall of Fame last night uh and look we already knew who the Hall of Famers were uh from about two weeks ago or a week ago whatever it was uh which was tremendous to see each and every one of them get up and speak from you know male players female players referees coaches uh contributors as well which I thought was fantastic um yeah it really was a special night I love the way uh that they went about it I I love that they gave each and every one of those Hall of Famers their you know three or four minutes up on stage to talk I thought it was brilliant I saw some people online complaining that it dragged on a little bit and I just thought [ __ ] please miss me uh these are the greatest players we've ever had in our game they've contributed so much to our game and I personally loved hearing each individual story story and uh I thought that vosy did a really really good job the way that he went about it obviously for me one of the most interesting things was seeing seeing the big three back together once again you don't really see it uh anymore Cooper Billy and Cameron Smith uh obviously a lot of rumors about what's going on there and dramas and all this sort of stuff but I thought it was fantastic just to see everything put aside for a couple of minutes between the three of them and just to reflect on just how great they were and I loved how each of them spoke about how lucky they were to play with each other as well um yeah pretty special stuff there and uh yeah three guys that personally I feel so lucky uh that I was at the right age to watch their careers from start to finish and enjoy every moment of it and then you had your other guys uh I thought that Benji Marshall uh such a tremendous story I thought that his speech was fantastic uh and as I said Benji said it last week Benji isn't a guy that gets in on accolades he gets in on influence and the influence he had was just huge ji was fantastic as as well uh obviously was very nervous on stage I believe ji lost his grandmother over the last week or so you could tell how emotional that was for him same with Cameron Smith who who lost his mother recently uh so there was a lot of emotion in the room JT was fantastic he was hilarious as he always is uh Sam Burgess great to see him obviously fly over from England to be there for the event he also accepted uh Wayne Bennett's coaching uh Hall of Fame induction as well and it was um yeah it was good to see Sam in that sort of uh frame because it's it's all you know the the only bits we've seen of Sam over the last two or three years have been when there's been trouble at South Sydney or coach of waron or whatever it might be uh to see him reflect on his career gez he's a good talker as well I was was very impressed with Sam bur's speech and also just talking about um you know he had a line about how uh they had on his father's Tombstone about how his name will live on through them and to being the Rugby League Hall of Fame his mom was there as well who of course uh was you know we was sure a lot of when he was playing at South Sydney so yeah look I just thought the night was uh tremendous it was fantastic I loved every moment of it um and yeah the big moment came the 14th Immortal of our game uh I personally thought it was going to be Cameron Smith uh but you know what I I now that it's happened I like the way they've done it I like the way that they've respected the guys that have come before Cameron Smith's time will come and there will I think there will be other Hall of Famers from that group that their time will come um so I'm stoked was Ron Ron Kur very very happy for him and his family I think it is a uh tremendous thing of you know over a 100 Years of rugby league and only 14 men have been inducted into that Immortal category uh it is really really special and to be honest with out of all the guys like like obviously I wasn't old enough to watch Ron CO's career from start to finish I wasn't old enough to watch it at all obviously uh it was obviously well and truly done by the time I was born or watching rugby league uh but just going back and having a look over the last few days of you know all the players and all their accolades I I probably underappreciated um how much of an impact Ron C had uh you look at you know the the the role that he played as a lock forward he came just after or sort of as Johnny Raper career started to finish Ron Cook came along Johnny Raper considered you know the greatest lock forward we've ever seen um and you know Ron C right on his tail there and just having a look through his career like he was the first man to play 100 games for two separate clubs and those two separate clubs were the roosters and the South City rabbitors which uh is just about a mortal sin nowadays uh so for him to play 100 for both those clubs and you know he he played I think it was he played 11 Seasons uh of first class rugby league he made nine grand finals and won six premierships so more than 50% of Seasons he started he won premierships across two clubs and if you have a look at you know it's wild to me reading as well I think it's 1974 or 75 maybe 76 around that Mark uh he he breaks his arm and then off the back of that broken arm gets a staff infection and that forces him um to retire from rby League which is just wild when you think about injuries and everything and how everything happens today that Immortal of a game was forced to retire off the back of a um staff infection just crazy but um yeah like the achievements he had and obviously Captain the kangaroos as well uh I think I think he won two World Cups as a kangaroos captain and just took the there but before his last World Cup victory he actually just just took three years off uh R football just decided not not for me uh won two premierships with the roosters and I think 7475 and then that sort of reignited his passion to represent the kangaroos came back and Domin dominated there for the kangaroos again so uh very impressive career and I think that the number one thing that stood out for me last night is just how much of a genuine guy Ron could seemed to be and as I said I haven't really had any I haven't had anything to do with him whatsoever I've heard you know my my father grandparents and you know older people than me talk about how great Rono was fantastic as well for me anyway that he's a local guy a local kid that was born here uh born in Kensington I believe did he schooling around South Sydney and whatnot and even in his speech he went all the way back to that and spoke about uh his love for the game and where it all started for him so yeah brilliant stuff and look it sounds like we're going to have one Immortal every four years uh it'll be interesting to see and I I I do if if Ron C was going to be the immortal this time I do wonder why they didn't just put him in with the last group um if I was sort of organizing this and doing it I think I would start to head towards some of the more modern day players I think Ron Ron C definitely deserves to be an immortal but I would have thought maybe put him in in the group before that uh the last guy that I think isn't an immortal that I think probably deserves to be is Brett Kenny um from that older generation whether he gets in or not now we'll have to wait and see I'm not sure if ber was was there last night or not I didn't see him on The Telecast at all but he's a guy that as you guys know I think he should be an immortal and I think that probably in the next you know category and in four years time when we're doing this again I think that's when you'll start to see uh your loas your Freddy's these sort of guys come really like proper into calculations wouldn't surprise me if Brett Kenny is the next one and then we start to get into those guys uh but it will be interesting to see when we start have the conversations about Cameron Smith cuz I do stand by what I said the other day I think that Cameron Smith of all the players that are available to be elected as a morals he is the best of them he has got the strongest regime he has achieved the most so I'm very keen to see how they balance it all out I respect them going back into the past and picking someone like Ron C I respect it greatly and I think ultimately it was the right thing to do despite me thinking cam Smith is just the best player you could possibly put in there I'm just I'm very keen to see what they do over the next few years and how they go about it I'm sure the Immortals you know I'm sure it'll change and it it'll adapt over the next few years I'd be shocked beyond belief ifin 15 years it's still done today the way that it is um you obviously had uh Wally Joey and Mal there last night the last living Immortals uh I think it would also be great to see them have some sort of a role uh in who does get nominated into this group it is a very elite class and you're talking about the best of the best and you know it's it's not like you have to negotiate with 14 players it's there's only four of them that that are alive right now and I would I know um Joey kicked up a bit of a stink about it the other day and I back Joey to be honest with you I think the Immortals should be a part of it I think that they should play a role in selecting who joins that group I don't think they should be the sole people that make that decision but I think that they should be there and thereabout uh in that discussion room and they should have a say on it as well so um yeah very can to see where the Immortals go next we've got four in four years time I think some of these careers of some of the Hall of Famers that are inducted last night I think they're just going to age better and better the further we get away from the game guys like the big three I think they'll be right up there as I said Brett Kenny I think loia Freddy these sort of guys have to be in the conversation some people have JT in there as well and you can make a very good argument for JT to be an immortal as well so yeah look a fantastic night uh we only get to do it every four years I thought vosy and um yavon Samson did a brilliant job I thought that everyone spoke well um and yeah I I thought it was a great night I thoroughly enjoyed it and uh the thing I love about Ron C getting there as well obviously a champion player uh you know did achieved so much in our game six premierships in 11 years is just insane an Australian captain and whatnot but I think you could tell just by his uh speech last night the and the way that people interacted with him uh how much of a good BL is and that's what rugby league's built on at the end of the day so congratulations to Ron coot and the coot family a tremendous effort there there's only been 14 ever and Ron coup will forever be remembered as an immortal of our game Sensational stuff and uh yeah can't wait to have this conversation for the next four years who's going to be the next one when Smithy will be in there uh when locky will be in there if Freddy gets in so much to discuss and uh yeah it really is a great concept I think we could do it better in some regards uh but I think that's also just it's the peak of rugby league it's a little bit messy it's a little bit all over the place uh and that's sort of what our Sports built on unfortunately or for fortunately however you want to look at it uh but we are a very very unique Sport and do things in a very unique manner uh guys uh today's episode brought to you by Neds make sure you jump onto the app follow along with my bets for the rest of the season in about even and just my civilian bets over the weekend prices subject to change teas and seas apply and available on the website what are you really gambling with for free and confidential support visit gambling help online.org what are you really gambling with for free and confidential support call the number on the screen or visit the website