The Progressive Rugby League Podcast

Hard Ons founding member, bassist, artist and staunch Parramatta Eels fan, Ray Ahn joins the pod to take stock of 40-plus years of the Hard Ons and the travails of being a Parramatta supporter throughout the journey.

A really engaging chat encompassing distant memories of Eels glory and not-so-distant Eels heartbreak, all while charting the rise of one of Australian rock n roll's seminal bands.

Hard Ons Bandcamp - https://hard-ons1.bandcamp.com/

Hard Ons doco trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3HgvrlDUwk

Contact The Progressive Rugby League Podcast - [email protected]

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It's time again to shove the thermometer where it needs to go to take the temperature of Rugby League in the Old Dart as we observe the State of the UK Rugby League Nation 2024.

Joining us is a panel (if two guests can be counted as a panel) comprising two fine UK Rugby League minds - Anthony Broxton, author of Hope & Glory: Rugby League in Thatcher's Britain and Gavin Willacy, author of No Helmets Required: The Remarkable Story of the American All Stars and Rugby League Bravehearts: The Official History of Scottish Rugby League.

IMG, the on-field product, broadcast market trends and more... on the table for your listening consideration.

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A reboot from 2022 of a great chat with Brendan Cowell about his novel Plum, which has just been turned into a beaut TV series. Plum is the tale about the turbulent post-footy life of Rugby League great, Peter Lum.

Brendan shared what he knows and what he's learnt about footy, fame, concussion, masculinity, the Johns brothers' reading habits and plenty more.

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Rugby League in New Zealand: A People's History is the definitive account of the people and the culture of the great game in Aotearoa.

Author and historian, Ryan Bodman joins us to chat about Rugby League's unique voyage in New Zealand, the events that have shaped its trajectory, and how it's faring in the modern day.

It's simply a brilliant book - warmly conveyed, thoroughly researched and beautifully produced.

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Newtown Jets CEO Stuart McCarthy joins the pod to give us a glimpse into what it's like running a Rugby League club away from the bright lights of the NRL. What are the spreadsheet tabs that matter? Is it possible to make ends meet? How does a rainy Saturday at Henson Park impact the bottom line? Who came up with the idea for the Beer Footy Food Festival? Oh and how close were we to experiencing the "Western Jets"?

There's nothing quite like second-tier sport. And no-one does second-tier sport quite like the Newtown Jets.

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Parramatta Eels fans have a difficult relationship with momentum. There's an actual physical limit to how much we can talk about a certain match from a certain year against a certain team with a certain 16-point lead with a certain 10 minutes to go...

...maybe it's time we try understand momentum a little better. Dr Caitlin Fox-Harding joins us to go deep on this elusive sporting concept.

Read Caitlin's article in The Conversation - https://theconversation.com/the-mystery-of-the-massive-sporting-comeback-whats-the-psychology-of-momentum-in-sports-232598

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How on earth does someone stay vital in Rugby League over six decades? What drives a man to continue coaching at the top level at an age when everyone else has either been pensioned off or has had enough?

Andrew Webster has written a splendid biography on Wayne Bennett that goes deep on one of Rugby League's most significant all-time figures. The Wolf You Feed - Wayne Bennett, The Man, The Myth, The Mayhem dissects an extraordinary life and explains how family life and family strife shaped the man and the coach that has helped shape Rugby League.

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Max Easton joins the pod to chat about his new novel Paradise Estate.

A sequel to the Miles Franklin-nominated The Magpie Wing, Paradise Estate introduces us to a Hurlstone Park share house, including Rocco, who's making a late tilt at the Italian Rugby League World Cup squad.

Like its predecessor, Paradise Estate is a brilliant Sydney snapshot, chronicling the real-life struggles of a generation as it faces up to the brutal reality of an economy and housing market totally stacked against them.

And while far from a Rugby League novel, you can betcha bottom dollar we find a way to go deep on some alluring, but fundamental questions about the game in 2023.

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We revisit our November 2021 chat with Professor Megan Davis that hopefully provides a little space and clarity amongst all the Referendum campaign din. All of course wrapped in a loving Rugby League blanket.

This is an edited version of the original, which can still be found in the feed.

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