AJ and Rhys return from their summer holidays with a massive firestorm of news and games to look through.

- Payne Haas to South Sydney ! We analyse the potential implications on Souths salary cap + Brisbane forward pack ramifications.

- Reynolds to retire - makes the transition to Jonah Pezet easier for Brisbane

- Lomax v Parramatta heads to court - we give you the lowdown

- Rule changes debate

- Cowboys NRL stars shine in the first half against the Dogs but when the game evened up in terms of quality, Canterbury dominated and we tell you the stars of tomorrow to keep an eye on.

- Dragons forwards get the points win against Newcastle, the Sharpe/Sandon debate but is it? We analyse the big issues for both sides as their prep for Vegas continues.

- LOLCOW of the Week returns !

AJ welcomes you back to the 2026 NRL season and we are live with reaction to the first round of trial team lists as we head to on the road to Las Vegas.

We see rookies, veterans and everyone in between get a run and we look at all the angles !

For the third season in succession, AJ and Rhys are back to analyse each club's train-and-trial prospects and those on supplementary deals (formerly development deals).

It is a long and lengthy episode but we have made some slight tweaks to the format from previous seasons to ensure that the episode is enjoyable. To make it easier, here are the best attached timestamps so you can fast-forward to a club of your choice to listen to our assessment on junior talent.

0:00 Intro

4:14 Brisbane Broncos

12:48 Canterbury Bulldogs

19:28 North Queensland Cowboys

28:06 Dolphins

35:05 St George-Illawarra Dragons

40:58 Parramatta Eels

46:33 Newcastle Knights

51:55 Penrith Panthers

56:27 South Sydney Rabbitohs

1:03:06 Canberra Raibers

1:07:40 Sydney Roosters

1:13:02 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles

1:20:00 Cronulla Sharks

1:25:50 Melbourne Storm

1:31:05 Gold Coast Titans

1:35:49 New Zealand Warriors

1:40:42 Wests Tigers

Also linked into this episode are the show notes, where you can read the same document that we are reading as we go through the mammoth lists. The change in format means we haven’t read every single player bio and analysis as opposed to previous seasons!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQi-bQZ2cSIJYerWVSZgHueml6PApDMHL7RWb5LJVYRUdfFDagD6G5kq5gGbvfORwFeH9QspEpoNoV5/pub

Thanks so much for your support in 2025 and we will see and hear from you again in 2026!

AJ and Rhys

AJ and Rhys return for the final time in our regular format for 2025 to recap a terrific international window which saw Pacifica football dominate to levels never before seen. This sets the scene for a spectacular World Cup next season.

On the program

- Coby Black on the move but will Payne Haas follow him

- Ashes recap - does Kevy deserve the World Cup as Aussie coach, while England are left with more questions than answers as their captain faces the hot seat.

- New Zealand show themselves as one of the forces with Dylan Brown giving Knights fans a taste of what to expect

- Samoa compete for the first half but they lacked the man power and momentum to compete with the Kiwis particularly in the second half

- Meanwhile, the Cook Islands advance to the World Cup with a thrashing win over South Africa while the Jilaroos showcase that the Women's World Cup could become a farce after their 40-8 rout over the Kiwi Ferns.

- Rugby League Darts with a twist... a fun game to finish the year

- LOLCOW of the Week

AJ and Rhys are here to recap the second Ashes test as England's credentials as an international powerhouse are drawn into question.

Also on the show

- November 1 carnage as Papi wants a career pause!

- Titans ownership changes!

- How the NRL shunted their own concussion protocols and the glaring loophole that allowed Eli Katoa to take the field.

- Ashes recap as England show they miss Victor Radley

- Also, PNG showcase themselves a Pacific powerhouse with a big win over Fiji.

- Tonga's credentials put under the microscope after a poor showing as the Kiwis atone for last year's upset loss

- LOLCOW of the Week

AJ and Rhys return after a three week hiatus to bring you all the recap of the first Ashes Test plus the opening fortnight of the Pacific Championships.

On the program

- Inside the Jonah Pezet deal - who wins for Parra, Melbourne and Brisbane

- First test in Ashes football; the rise of Reece Walsh and the class of Australia smash England into submission. Questions over Shaun Wane's selection linger largest!

- Cook Islands football on the way back with a spirited showing in the Pac Champs

- Fiji's big win as Jahreem Bula's contract talks speak largest

- The rise of Samoan rugby league + Tonga's collapse (what needs to happen?)

- New Zealand win but at a major price!

- LOLCOW of the Week

AJ and Rhys are back to review Grand Final Day! All three grades and NSW walks away without a singular premiership to go for it.

On the program

- Brisbane's coming of age as they learn from their 2023 grand final lessons - no Reynolds, Hunt and they still find a way to scramble.

- Reece Walsh's coming of age!

- Is the Melbourne dynasty falling apart - grand final second halves are seemingly not their forte.

- The turning points analysed minutely

- Rugby 360 - is it all a hoax or is there some geniune nature to it as they circle Haas, Papi, Munster and NAS!

- NRLW GF review - the battle of the SUPER TEAMS!

- The Roosters squad problems - did they get the team selection right or horribly wrong

- Brisbane win the premiership... but at what cost with Hufunga (potentially), Broughton and Joseph all departing to accomodate Jesse Southwell

- NSW Cup premiers dog walk the QLD Cup premiers as Tanah Boyd has a legacy game

- LOLCOW OF THE WEEK

- Future Podcast Plans for 2025-26 off-season

AJ and Rhys review a chaotic week of the NRL Preliminary Finals which see Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos book their tickets for the NRL Grand Final.

On the program

- The search for redemption for the Storm as the Sharks season falls short at the final hurdle for the second season in succession.

- Stefano Utoikamanu's trash talking - will Bellamy accept a deviation ?

- Brisbane escape the clutches as Penrith are another side to fall victim to the infamous 14-0 curse as we look at the Broncos rise and the super human effort of Payne Haas

- The uncanny comparison to Penrith and the 80's Eels

- NRLW Semi Final recaps

- NSW Cup and QLD Cup GF recap

- GF tips!

- LOLCOW OF THE WEEK!

AJ and Rhys join forces once again to recap a spectacular week of rugby league. We look at all the major codes in our great game and look ahead and give some post mortems on the teams that departed us in straight sets.

On the show

- Canberra bundled out by slick Sharks

- How big of a loss was Ethan Strange

- Are the Sharks the dark horse we believe them to be

- AJ's insane knowledge comes to the forefront

- Penrith play the FLAWLESS half to leave the Dogs DOA

- Bulldogs collapse? Who is to blame

- How does their pack look next year, can effort save Jaeman Salmon

- Paul Alamoti revenge game arc

- NRLW SF Recap

- NSW Cup + QLD Cup PF Recap

- LOLCOW OF THE WEEK!

AJ and Rhys are back to review a drama charged opening week of the NRL Finals series.

We review all the major talking points as Melbourne were too strong for the Bulldogs, while the Panthers and Sharks eliminated the Warriors and Roosters respectively. Sunday's drama charged match saw Brisbane outwit, outplay and outlast the Raiders in a game that was worthy of Survivor Glory.

From tactical masterstrokes, to disasters that we analyse and ridicule, this podcast has EVERY ANGLE.

EVERY ISSUE, EVERY MOMENT COVERED!