Footy IQ

NRL Round 10 delivered a genuine Knights statement, a steady Roosters machine performance and a few big Queensland Maroons selection questions – so we’re breaking it all down on Footy IQ. Newcastle smashed the Dragons 44–10, with Greg Marzhew crossing for five tries and Kalyn Ponga steering a left edge that looked absolutely untouchable. We dig into how Justin Holbrook has transformed the Knights’ attack and whether this is officially a “from spoon to September” season.

Then we swing to Gosford, where James Tedesco’s double helped the Sydney Roosters grind past the Titans 28–12 for their sixth straight win – not always pretty, but very much a top‑four type victory. Finally, we zoom out to Queensland’s Origin picture: who’s locked in, who’s pushing their way into Billy Slater’s plans, and which Round 10 performances actually move the needle for the Maroons

With Canterbury falling to their third-straight defeat and struggling to score points, Blake Austin questions whether it's time for a rebuild at the Bulldogs. Meanwhile, the Footy Gods come down hard on the Wests Tigers, Penrith and Nathan Cleary are playing possum, the referees are hedging their bets on hip-drop tackles and there are some tough State of Origin calls to be made. All this and more in the latest episode of Footy IQ.

The Dragons changed the coach, but the result stayed the same. In the latest episode of Footy IQ, we take a look at where it all went wrong for St George Illawarra in their 46-point Anzac Day loss to the Roosters, which featured a baptism of fire for young halfback Kade Reed. The Tigers chalked up another win, this time against the Raiders, but did the Leichhardt faithful tempt the footy gods? We also cover the Storm's sixth straight loss, Jarome Luai's fact-finding mission to PNG, Kalyn Ponga's contract extension with Newcastle and more.0:00 - Where's Danksy?0:55 - Dragons Anzac Day autopsy10:55 - Tigers fans rejoice in win over Raiders15:12 - Doueihi and/or Luai for Origin?18:37 - Jarome Luai the PNG Chief21:14 - Melbourne's sixth straight defeat26:10 - Can South Sydney win the comp?31:06 - Defending your line early33:30 - Kalyn Ponga's contract extension37:00 - Foran's Sea Eagles move to 4-0#nrl #rugbyleague

Seven straight losses, another coach gone, another head of football moved on – and a fan base that’s been promised “this is the reset” more times than they can count. This episode we sit with what just happened at the Dragons and ask the honest question: is this club uniquely broken, or are a decade of rule tinkering, set restarts and chaos‑ball seasons starting to cook everyone – fans, players, coaches and refs included?

We talk Flanagan and Haran, Dragons supporters’ fatigue, and why so many people feel like they don’t recognise the sport week‑to‑week anymore. 

The Melbourne Storm have dropped four in a row and the easy narrative is “they’re gone”. We go deeper. Has Craig Bellamy actually fallen behind the modern game, or is this just the price of a roster in transition? We unpack the Storm’s systems, the changing strengths of their squad, and the tweaks Bellamy may need if Melbourne are going to stay a genuine force

Dragons fans are restless, Kade Reed’s name is getting louder every week, and plenty of people reckon Shane Flanagan has already hit rock bottom. This chat looks at where the fan‑base has it wrong; why simply throwing a young half in isn’t a magic fix, and why Flanno being punted would set the club back even further.

Kieran Foran is suddenly the head coach of the Manly Sea Eagles – but is he special enough to skip the traditional assistant‑coach apprenticeship and keep the job beyond 2026? In this Footy IQ episode, we break down Manly’s shock sacking of Anthony Seibold, how Foran ended up in the hot seat, and what the tape says about his chances of turning the Sea Eagles around.

The NRL’s new interchange rules are already separating the planners from the passengers.
In this episode we break down which coaches are nailing their rotations, who looks lost with the new tempo, and how the changes are reshaping momentum, fatigue and game style.
We then dive into the 3–0 start for the Warriors – what’s actually sustainable, what’s schedule‑driven, and how their bench and middle rotations are quietly becoming a weapon.
Finally, we talk Panthers: three rounds in, has anyone really put their hand up as the team to stop them, or are we watching another slow march to September where Penrith are still the standard?

The New Zealand Warriors might have built the best talent “production line” in the NRL – and Andrew Webster is quietly turning unheralded guys like Jackson Ford and Tanah Boyd into genuine weapons.
In this episode we break down how Webster is developing role players into starters, why Ford and Boyd are perfect examples of the new Warriors identity, and whether this pipeline can actually keep them near the top long term.
We also get stuck into the “set restart” rule – how it’s warping momentum, what’s broken about the current interpretation, and a few ideas to fix it without killing ruck speed.
Plus, a look at the Tigers’ surprise win over the Cowboys: how much was genuine improvement, how much was soft opposition and perfect conditions, and what – if anything – it tells us about both teams going forward.

The Canberra Raiders have kicked off 2026 with a wild 29–28 golden point win away to Manly – coming from 14–0 down, leaning on a young core and a brand new No.7 who nailed the match‑winning field goal.
In this episode we break down how they did it, what Ethan Sanders and the kids showed about Canberra’s ceiling this year, and whether it’s fair to start talking about the Raiders as genuine threats or if it’s just Round 1 noise