5 Live Rugby League

George Riley is joined by Jamie Jones-Buchanan and Brian Noble to discuss the Four Nations, including the controversy surrounding England coach Wayne Bennett.

A look back at the 4 Challenge Cup QF ties with reaction from Michael Carter, Chris Chester, Shaun Wane, Tony Smith & Lee Radford whose sides all progressed to the semi-finals.

Dave Woods presents reaction to Warrington Wolves' Super League victory over Wigan Warriors.

Tanya Arnold, Kevin Brown, Andrew Henderson and John Kear reflect on a gripping Grand Final after Wigan defeated Hull KR 9-2. Victory meant the Warriors completed an incredible quadruple in 2024 and their CEO and former player, Kris Radlinski, joins the team to give an insight in to the preparations, celebrations and what now lies ahead for the most successful side of the Super League era.

It’s Grand Final week with Wigan Warriors and Hull KR battling for the right to be crowned Super League Champions. Tanya Arnold is at Old Trafford to preview the biggest night of the Rugby League year. Wigan are looking to win the Grand Final for the 7th time, whilst Hull KR are playing in their very first Super League title decider. Head Coach Matt Peet and players Bevan French and Kruise Leeming offer an insight into the Warriors’ preparations as they seek to lift their fourth trophy of the campaign. Hull KR boss Willie Peters, Captain Elliot Minchella and forward James Batchelor reveal their thoughts ahead of the big game. Rugby League legend Paul Sculthorpe and commentator Matt Newsum set the scene for what promises to be an epic contest.

Tanya Arnold and Kevin Brown look ahead to a crucial weekend of Super League action featuring the Women’s Grand Final in St Helens and the Semi-finals in the men’s competition. Zoe Harris of St Helens and York Valkyrie’s Kelsey Gentles join the podcast to talk about their preparations for the Women’s Final in which Saints will be looking to complete the Treble against the defending Champions from York. They describe their own journeys through the sport, the physical and mental demands of playing the game and their own personal motivations for Sunday’s Final. Grand Final places are up for grabs in the Men’s competition and Kevin offers his analysis of the two Semi-finals.

Warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised you can find support via the BBC Action Line at https://bbc.co.uk/actionline/

It’s Play-off time in the 2024 Men’s Super League season and six teams are still standing in the race to be crowned Champions at the home of Manchester United. Tanya Arnold is at the official launch event to preview the upcoming series with representatives from all the teams involved. Salford coach Paul Rowley and his Leigh counterpart Adrian Lam look ahead to their clash in the elimination round, where the winners will progress to the semi-finals but the loser’s season will end. It’s the same scenario for Warrington and St Helens when they meet on Saturday. Warrington Full-back Matt Dufty and St Helens Coach Paul Wellens reflect on their seasons so far and what they hope to achieve in the play-offs. Wigan and Hull KR have earned a week off in the opening round of matches and we find out from Liam Marshall, Mikey Lewis and Willie Peters how they will approach the break. Leeds’ Rhyse Martin discusses his final season with the Rhinos and Rugby League legend Paul Sculthorpe makes some predictions about how the play-off series might unfold. Tara Jones of St Helens and York Valkyrie’s Sade Rihari react to their success in the Women’s semi-finals before they meet in the Grand Final on October 6th.

As a player and coach Mike Ford has been involved at the very top level in both codes of Rugby and is currently the Managing Director of Oldham. He talks to Tanya Arnold about the recent revival at the club which has seen them promoted to the Championship, and reveals his vision for Rugby League in the town which prioritises pathways for junior players and establishing a permanent base at Boundary park. He reflects on his time as a player with Wigan, and his coaching journey through Rugby Union, including spells with Ireland, England, Saracens and Bath. He discusses why so many Rugby League players have become successful defence coaches in Rugby Union, and ponders whether it might be time to start a discussion on merging the two codes. Ford also talks about the challenges his club face in gathering enough grading points for potential promotion to Super League one day, and whether his England Rugby Union international son George might play Rugby League for Oldham in the future.

Salford Red Devils captain Kallum Watkins joins the podcast as his team continue their quest to secure a place in the Super League play-offs. After losing two of their key players before the start of the campaign Salford have defied expectations this year and enter the final fortnight of the season in fourth place. Watkins reveals some of the secrets to their success and discusses his own positional move from centre to second-row forward. He highlights the players who influenced him most during his early career at Leeds Rhinos, and responds to recent speculation linking him with a return to Headingley. He talks openly about the three ACL injuries he has suffered during his career and how he hopes that talking about his mental health challenges will help others in the future.

Leeds Rhinos’ Sporting Director Ian Blease joins the podcast to talk about his role at one of the biggest clubs in Rugby League. After an inconsistent season the Rhinos have three games left to secure a place in the play-offs and Blease discusses the decision to bring in Brad Arthur as Head Coach midway through the campaign. He talks about his short, medium and long-term goals for the club, and the pressures of trying to deliver success for the eight-time Grand Final winners. Transfer deals, the financial challenges facing the sport and development pathways for players are also on the agenda.