After a much-needed week off due to sickness in the Paladin household, the boys are back!  And what a story to come back to regarding Brandon Smith…  he’s alleged to have supplied a drug dealer with inside knowledge of Bunnies’ team selection to place a bet, as well as hooking up some former Roosters teammates with ‘nose candy’.  Allegedly!  Blairy & Goran talk about the sensational headlines that seem to follow the Hectic Cheese throughout his career, and wonder what the deterrent is for players to avoid scenarios like this?

Away from that, the focus turns to Warriors v Eels on Friday night, pitting Goran’s two favourite teams against each other.  The boys talk about where Parramatta are most dangerous, the temporary role Dylan Brown finds himself in at left centre, and how it has the potential to be a long night for RTS and Adam Pompey with Mitch Moses kicking to Zac Lomax - one of the best in the NRL under the high ball.

There’s a stroke of genius from Ivan Cleary (or is it a big middle finger to the fans?), a possible return to the NRL for Kiwi winger Will Warbrick, and we predict Round 26 with Betcha This Happens!

00:00  Intro + Did Blairy screen-record Goran on his sick bed?!

02:11  Brandon Smith’s unwanted headlines

05:00  Why do NRL players get caught up in undesirable scenarios?

08:05  CREDIT TO THE WAHS! Top 4 with 2 rounds to play!!

10:54  A trip to Canberra?  Or Home Final Week 1?

12:20  Wahs v Eels = Goran’s nightmare

15:04  Shutting down Mitch Moses and the kick to Zac Lomax

18:26  Dylan Brown… the left centre! 

21:12  Wahs kicking game vs Ryley Smith’s kick pressure

22:46  Rocco Berry’s return, and Tanah Boyd gets running!

26:00  Is Tanah vs TMM no longer a thing?

28:56  Betcha This Happens + Panthers rest EVERYONE for Bulldogs clash

31:45  Welcome back WILL WARBRICK

36:29  Goodbye!

Following a disastrous loss to the Bulldogs, the NZ Warriors now sit outside the NRL’s top 4.  The record of late has not been pretty; 3 straight defeats, and only 2 wins from their last 7 appearances.  Outside of the obvious (injuries to Luke Metcalf and Mitch Barnett) Blairy & Goran discuss the deeper reasons for the worrying slide, and then attempt to plot a path back into the 4 by regular season’s end.

Wayde Egan returns to action this week which is a massive relief for everyone… bar former All Blacks fullback and winger Israel Dagg.  On radio this week he stated that Sam Healey “offers a little bit more” than Egan.  While we are extremely encouraged by Sam’s efforts after 4 games of first grade, and a grand total of 154 minutes in his burgeoning NRL career, Blairy explains why Egan is the go-to guy for the Wahs in the 9 jersey!

And after being dropped last week to NSW Cup, Tanah Boyd is back wearing the 7 jersey against the Dragons in place of Te Maire Martin, who is going through his return-to-play protocols (concussion).  Is the superior kicking game of Boyd better than the X-Factor Martin offers?  And when TMM is back in the selection mix for the final 3 weeks of the season, is it Tanah or Te Maire leading the Warriors’ charge to finals…  who have you got!?

And inspired by Mitch Moses, Blairy reveals his all-time favourite spray!

00:00  We need sponsors!  As our high tech set-ups are revealed…

01:55  Blairy’s best spray. Shock horror: it involves Craig Bellamy!

05:43  “Just effing have a crack!” - a message for outside backs.

08:08  OUT of Top 4: How worried should Wahs fans be?

13:22  What’s happened to the Warriors’ footy style?!

16:58  Can the Warriors make it BACK to the Top 4?

26:33  ISRAEL DAGG: Sam Healey offers a bit more than Wayde Egan.

32:53  Rocco Berry returns next week…  or not?

36:15  Te Maire Martin over Tanah Boyd - who ya got!

39:31  Betcha This Happens for Round 24

The NZ Warriors go into Round 23 knowing they could slide down the NRL ladder as far as SEVENTH if results go against them, but thankfully some of the cavalry returns for an all-important match against the Bulldogs.  Jacob Laban however may have played his final minutes of the season, fracturing his leg last week against the Dolphins.  Blairy & Goran talk about the role Felise Kaufusi played in this, and wonder how he’s only been banned for two matches?  Shouldn’t we expect much better from such a seasoned professional?!

We give credit where it’s due, handing out bouquets all over the place - one goes to NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster for his team selection in Round 22.  It begs the question though:  why didn’t he shift Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad to centre previously?  Roger Tuivasa-Sheck picks up some flowers also - he ran for 335 metres against the Dolphins.  Is he shaping up as the NRL’s Dally M Winger of the Year…  and will he add another Simon Mannering Medal to his trophy cabinet at season’s end?  Or perhaps that gong will find a different home in the forward pack?

Meanwhile on the other wing, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak produced his best performance of the season in arguably a match he shouldn’t have been selected in.  He’s done enough to earn selection against the Dogs…  is the ‘noise’ beginning to quieten down around him?

Can you believe it… if the loss to the Titans wasn’t bad enough, the Warriors have received MORE injury news.  They’re heading into the Dolphins clash this Friday without James Fisher-Harris, Wayde Egan and Chanel Harris-Tavita, joining Mitch Barnett, Luke Metcalf, Rocco Berry and Ali Leiataua in the casualty ward.  Half of their first-choice starting side - GONE!  Blairy & Goran pose the question: Can they retain their spot in the Top 4 come season’s end?  After the Dolphins, it’s a visit to the Bulldogs which won’t be easy.  With the Panthers running red hot, it’s an uncomfortable ride to the finish line!

Somehow through it all, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak retains his place on the right wing.  And it’s shaping up to be a tough day at the office for DWZ against the slick left-side attack of the visitors, especially given that Kodi Nikorima returns from injury.  Watch him unleash Herbie Farnworth and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow on Dallin and Kurt Capewell!  Oh dear.  Or perhaps DWZ can rediscover his best form in the nick of time?

Melbourne’s Jahrome Hughes has a dislocated shoulder, and while he WILL return for the Storm around finals it’s looking like the Kiwis will be without his services… if the club says he needs end-of-season surgery.  So, who is the Kiwis halfback in the absence of the reigning Dally M Medalist?  All this and more in League Of Our Own!

Wahs fans have seen enough and they are letting their feelings be known: Dallin Watene-Zelezniak must be dropped from the NZ Warriors.  On Tuesday night, the team to face the Gold Coast Titans was revealed featuring a returning Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and immediately there was a strong online reaction from the fans… how has DWZ retained his place in the side over Taine Tuaupiki?

Blairy and Goran discuss why Andrew Webster would prefer Dallin over Taine, his defensive struggles, and how rapidly the Flying Mullet’s stock has dropped in 2025.  What do you think?  Let us know in the comments!

Also on the agenda?  Leka Halasima and yet another star turn against the Knights!  What a stunning solo try it was.  We review the efforts of Tanah Boyd in the same game, the role of the bunker in a few try/no try situations, and talk about Kieran Foran’s kiwi farewell as an NRL player as his Titans come to Auckland.

Kalyn Ponga…  is he a Kiwi, an Aussie, an All Black-in-waiting in a rugby league superstar’s body?  Who better to ask about all of the recent column inches and viral pundit videos dedicated to KP than Blairy, who has a reasonably close association with the Knights skipper.  Blairy’s hunch for ‘what happens next’ with Kalyn might surprise you!

An interested spectator for all of this might be Kiwi’s five-eighth Dylan Brown, who signed a 10-year deal for the Knights earlier in the season and may not get the chance to play with Ponga upon arrival.  Complicating matters for Dylan and the Knights, is that last week the soon-to-be halfback played only limited minutes at hooker and lock… and this week he’s 18th man for the Eels!  Not great for the Kiwis either, as Brown faces the prospect of 3 months without footy before the end of year tests.

And of course, there’s the Warriors!  We review Tanah Boyd’s performance on club debut against the Tigers, lament yet another injury to Rocco Berry, and ask if there is anyone else who scores THAT short-side try from Leka Halasima?! 

Warriors coach Andrew Webster has put us all out of our misery and selected Tanah Boyd to play halfback in the injury absence of Luke Metcalf.  Is this the right or wrong call?  Te Maire Martin had heavyweight support, including the rugby league god himself Phil Gould, but it’s the former Titans playmaker that gets the nod.

Benji Marshall brings his Tigers to NZ to face Tanah and the Wahs, happy to get a win at long last against the Roosters, and probably even happier to get out of Australia.  ‘Benji-Bashing’ is a daily occurrence in the Aussie media and on social media too.  Not all of us would experience life as a high profile player or coach in the NRL, so Blairy speaks about constant negativity in the media, personal attacks from ‘fans’ and how that impacts a sports person… and their family.

Elsewhere, the Brandon Smith comeback was short lived, and it’s opened up the weekly discussion about hip drops as well.  How come Matt Lodge wasn’t charged, yet Scott Sorensen was (and banned for two games) for his tackle on Dallin Watene-Zelezniak?  And how in the world is DWZ listed to play this week?!  He was supposed to be stuck in the casualty ward until Round 22!! 

And for a laugh, we go again with Betcha This Happens for Round 19.

It's the news no Warriors fan wanted to hear:  Luke Metcalf’s season is OVER.  Has his ruptured ACL also dashed the NZ Warriors’ hopes of a Grand Final appearance?  And who takes the #7 jersey in his absence?  These are the two HUGE questions Blairy & Goran hope to provide answers to!

The halfback battle looks to be a straight shootout between Te Maire Martin and Tanah Boyd.  But what are the factors at play causing possible confusion for Andrew Webster?  We weigh up the pros and cons.

By comparison, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad’s injury news was so much better than Luke Metcalf’s - he’ll only miss TWO matches.  But he joins Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Ali Leiataua in the casualty ward all the same.  So the boys look at a possible backline for the short term: where and how does Taine Tuaupiki fit into it?

Blairy & Goran also try to find the silver lining to Luke’s injury, talk about Ed Kosi’s efforts against the Broncos, and have another crack at Betcha This Happens for Round 18.  Get well soon Luke!

Plenty of burning topics on the pod this week after the Warriors lost to an understrength Panthers outfit at home.  Blairy & Goran discuss the hip drop that has ruled Dallin Watene-Zelezniak out of action for 4-6 weeks with injury, and given fellow kiwi Scott Sorensen a 2-game holiday.  Was it as bad as the ban suggests?

And in the wake of DWZ’s early exit against Penrith, did coach Andrew Webster shuffle his deck correctly?  The boys suggest a different looking backline that may have had more success.

Moving to this week and the Warriors play the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium, a classic matchup that Blairy has been in, and on both sides!  He tells us why it’s such a brilliant fixture to be part of, and looks forward to the battle of the best big men:  James Fisher-Harris going one-on-one with the great one, Payne Haas!

Jacob Laban has been named to start against Brisbane while Leka Halasima is on the bench.  Given Blairy’s time working with the youngsters at the Wahs, Goran asks who has the highest ceiling of the two?  And of course, there’s another Betcha This Happens Multi ahead of Round 17!

Thanks to Origin 2 being in Perth and the Wahs hosting the Panthers so soon afterwards in Auckland, the match is missing not only Kurt Capewell but FIVE Penrith players!  Now, it sounds like a guaranteed win for the Wahs, but as a league fan are you happy to miss out on some of the best names in the game…  thanks to what seems to be a rogue scheduling error?  Blairy & Goran discuss this, and despite the encounter missing some rockstars it’ll be a huge occasion for James Fisher-Harris facing his old club, and our boy Te Maire Martin who brings up 100 NRL games.

A League Of Our Own viewer by the name of Alex Hirini commented on our video last week about elevating the international game through the State of Origin period.  We liked the comment so much, we thought we’d talk about it!  So: How do we get the Kiwi side in action against England (or Samoa, or Tonga) through the NRL season and bring New Zealand’s national side back to prominence?

We talk about the sickening hit on Taine Tuaupiki, there’s a shout out for an NRL team in Christchurch, and we give the Betcha This Happens Multi yet another go.  Cheers for watching and listening!