After the performance yesterday, please spare a thought for the loud coach and captain critics, they’d be doing it a bit tough. Time to Restump Podcast the confidence boosting season opener over the Lions. 

What a magnificent performance to get over the Lions and set the season up on the right note. There were shades of 2022 about the defence first pressure display. It wasn’t pretty and the skills weren’t pristine but there was a cohesion, a buy in and a body on the line manner that has been missing. 

The captain Alex Pearce played a magnificent Captain’s game and, while you could probably say it about a number of players on the day, we may not get that emphatic win without his performance. 

Serong was ridiculous, Nat Fyfe… please stay fit and healthy and it was vintage 2022 Andy Brayhaw. Treacy was cracking skulls, Sonny was throwing himself around like a 20-year-old, Switta was conjuring up his rare Switta magic and then Jye put the polish on it all. 

We could go on and on…. few, if any players are unmentionable in regards to their contributions yesterday.

Tragically the host of injuries brought us back down to earth. Karl Worner was grabbing his opportunity before getting concussed, Oscar McDonald was doing a wonderful job before his seemingly serious knee and the man so vital to us, Brennan Cox, is done for two thirds of the season with that horrendous hammy. 

It’s taken some gloss off the win and it presents a bunch of challenges for the injured players themselves and the team going forward. 

The contracted extended Justin Longmuir critics will be conspicuously quiet, but they’ll be keeping their bitter powder dry, ready to reappear at the first sign of a loss. 

The carnage from yesterday’s game has created a shedload of mixed emotions, but through adversity comes opportunity. Plenty to unpack, work through and celebrate so let’s get into it all in greater depth on the pod. 

As always if, like us, you subscribe to the philosophy that too much purple prattle is never enough, then you’ve come to the right place. Come along, get involved and join us in the purple pool, the water is warm. 

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