Blues assistant John Cartwright joins the the show and preview Game II
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Let's check in with the New South Wales Origin team. Their assistant coach is John Cartwright and he's on the line. Hey Carty. Good afternoon boys. Mate, you're still up in the Blue Mountains freezing your backsides off. No, it's beautiful up here, Mark. Not a cloud in the sky. No, it's freezing cold to be honest with you. How's the week been, mate? Obviously the team was named earlier this week. You've sort of ramped up training and everything else. Everybody good to go? Yeah.

Yeah, you're a little bit further advanced with your second camp. We haven't had to change a hell of a lot as far as players are concerned and

Dylan's got to spend a bit of a hiccup in the first one with Dylan missing out and Teddy coming in, but it's been none of that so far, touch wood. As I said, second week in, the combinations just naturally are a little bit better. Cardi, because of the situation that we saw, obviously, in game one, and we probably don't need to go back there, but

Off the back of that game and seeing New South Wales play with 12 men, was it hard to take some stuff out of that for the game too? Or as you said, do you just stick with the plan that you had in game one and go on with game two? Yeah.

Yeah, you've got to take the good bits out of it, Biggie. There was a lot of effort. It's very hard to defend a scoreline like it was. It certainly was disappointing, some of the tries that were scored. We sort of dissected it and it didn't matter with a few of them that we only had the 12 men out there. It came down to just some missed tackles.

The second half, you know, there was a lot of effort that went in to get us back to, you know, 20-10. It was game on. We were attacking their line. We come up just short and we let a runaway try go, which is, you know, again, I don't think that come down to us having 12 men. We just missed the mark. So a lot of positive come out of it, but a lot of honesty. And, you know, even though we had 12 men and probably...

It was always going to be tough to win. I really thought we had some chances to stay in the game a little bit longer. Carbond, I'm going to ask you a very technical question. When do you decide you've got to go to Melbourne? And what is the process here? Do you feel as though you go, it's the thought amongst the coaches and the brains there, you go later or earlier or what? What's the process of travelling to Melbourne?

It's sort of all around your training, does. So we probably had our main day today. We had a day off yesterday and a pretty tough day the day before. You know, they'll stay here tonight, a bit of just a team night, dinner together. And we don't have to rush tomorrow. Tomorrow's a day off. So it's pretty much all around your training, mate. We can travel on our day off, take our time. They'll get a sleep in. I think

I think we fly up in the afternoon, but down there in plenty of time to get them settled into the hotel, some dinner, and then a light run the following day. Carter, you've had plenty of origin series, but Michael McGuire, this is his first one. I actually thought he'd done a really good job this week of what he said earlier in the week of taking some pressure off the players. But how's he handled the whole situation in your opinion? I came in...

You know, on what I was really looking forward to was working, you know, alongside a coach that's done what Madge has done in the game. And, mate, I've learned a hell of a lot, to be honest with you. I couldn't have been more impressed with...

how he's prepared the team. We've got the best footballers, you know, both teams have got the best footballers in the country. It's, you know, it's not about the football as much. It's more about, you know, bringing them together. So that's where I think, from what I've witnessed, mate, it's a huge strength of Madge's. He's constantly, you know, mentally just getting them ready for the night, bringing them together. And it's...

For me, it's been a great learning experience to watch how he's done it. John, do you, I'm assuming people like yourself and Daryl, look at the modern-day players and think, geez, times have changed from back when we were playing the game. Do you find yourself looking at their preparation and going, we probably would have had about 20 beers by now, but it's all about preparations, ice baths and all these different things?

Well, Darryl was a great mentor of mine. I was like that before I met Darryl. No, mate, you're dead right. There's more time now spent in getting ready

for the game, getting ready for training, finishing training and winding down and getting ready for the next day. It's pretty much just a continuous cycle of getting ready for the next day, you know, and being able to give your best. And then from the moment they walk off the field, it's all about recovery and eating well and sleeping well. And the next morning, getting ready for that training session, it's a

To say it's changed a hell of a lot would probably be understating it. Hey, Cardi, I just want to congratulate you, mate. Obviously, next season, head of Hull FC, head coach. That's exciting for you to get back into it. Yeah, it is, mate. I sort of was in, I suppose...

At the end of the day, I was just a little bit tired of being an assistant coach. I'm fortunate enough to have been a head coach in the past. And I've had great experiences working under different coaches. And I just felt the time was right, mate. I'm probably towards the end of doing what I'm doing. And if I waited any longer, I might not have got that opportunity. So it's just a bit of an itch that I've always wanted to get rid of and

You know, I played over in England at the back end of my career and I really enjoyed it. So, you know, I'm looking forward to it. Got the young bloke over there as well, eh? Is he playing this weekend? Nah, he's not there later in the week, mate. He's...

Yeah, they've got to buy next week, so they thought it was probably better just to have him a couple of weeks over there, get some train under his belt. I think they've got to buy next week. He'll have his first game the following week. Nice. One more, Darrell. I'm particularly pleased. You did mention I was a mentor of yours over the years. I feel as though I maybe did my best work for you when we were in Hawaii on our trips away on occasions. Would you agree with that?

Yeah, well, you were my first ever roommate, Darryl. How was he? That I picked up along the years, they all started with you. How was he, Cardi, as a roomie? Outstanding. Funnily enough, buddy, he was very good. I've got to say, talk about learning under Badger, I never stopped learning under Darryl.

And you're a quick learner, Cartwright. I like that. Good on you, John. Good luck on Wednesday, mate. I'm sure the boys will do the state proud. Thanks, boys. Good on you, mate. John Cartwright, one of the good men in rugby league and obviously working under Michael Maguire as an assistant coach with the Blues.