What a Load of Bowls

World champions, European gold and a wrong bias on the live stream… Episode 85 has plenty to unpack! 🎙️

DJ and Simon are back with another episode of What a Load of Bowls, covering the latest international action, stories from around the greens and new opportunities to develop your game.

DJ shares his experiences from the commentary box at the World Champion of Champions in Barham, including Mandy Boyd’s path to the women’s title and Iain McLean’s victory in the men’s event. There are standout performances from smaller bowls nations, memorable characters and a reminder that even national champions can send one down on the wrong bias!

We also round up the European Championships, celebrate Ireland’s golden run and the Netherlands’ success, and check in on the Australian Nationals.

Plus, Simon introduces two new developments from The Bowls Academy: expressions of interest for on-green Player Development Sessions and a Remote 1:1 Coaching program offering ongoing support across four sessions.

In this episode:

🏆 World Champion of Champions finals and stories from Barham.
🌍 Smaller nations making their mark on the international stage.
🇮🇪 Ireland’s European success and medals for the Netherlands.
🇦🇺 Australian Nationals updates and a tribute to John Green’s state career.
🎯 Help shape where TBA’s on-green development sessions go next.
💻 Remote 1:1 Coaching and a structured approach to improving your game.

All that, plus the usual DJ and Simon banter!

🏆 The Bowls Academy

Unlock Your Bowls Potential.  Play With Confidence

👉 https://www.thebowlsacademy.com

🎽 SSA (StarSub Apparel)
Australian-made custom apparel for clubs, teams, and events.
👉 https://www.starsub.com.au 
Follow on Instagram: @starsubapparel 

🏟️ MakMax Australia
The leaders in architectural shade and canopy structures — including iconic bowling club canopies across Australia.
👉 https://www.makmax.com.au 
Bowling Canopies: https://www.makmax.com.au/projects/bowling-club-canopies 

🚗 Newcastle Car & Truck Rental
Locally owned and operated, providing affordable and reliable vehicle hire for individuals and businesses.
👉 https://www.newcastlecarrental.com.au 

🏛️DACCA Architecture

The experts when its comes to club renovations, re-fresh and new builds - Speak to Tony and the team

👉🏼 https://daccaarchitecture.com.au/

Got a question, topic idea, or want to get involved in the show? We’d love to hear from you!

📩 Simon Lyttle – [email protected] 
📩 DJ – [email protected] 

Explore our full range of coaching content, blogs, and gear:
🌐 https://www.thebowlsacademy.com 
🛒 https://shop.thebowlsacademy.com 

If you enjoy What a Load of Bowls:
⭐ Rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
📢 Share the episode with your teammates and bowling friends
💌 Send us an email or tag us with your feedback — we might read it on the next episode!

Simon’s back from Canada, DJ’s claiming credit for opening international doors, and normal service has well and truly resumed!

In Episode 84 of What a Load of Bowls, we celebrate Lisa Phillips and her team’s impressive victory at the Dubbo International Fours, unpack the Queensland Premier League finals, and discuss why expanding to four rinks could benefit more players and clubs.

With DJ heading to Barham for commentary duties, we also preview the World Champion of Champions singles, pick out contenders in the men’s and women’s fields, and debate whether Simon has already put the curse on his favourite.

In Coach’s Corner, Simon tackles a small detail that could be creating a big inconsistency in your game: where you stand on the mat. Discover how a more consistent starting position and release point can help you better understand and adjust your line.

Also in this episode:
🎙️ Simon’s Canadian adventures and the inevitable welcome-back roasting.
🏆 A memorable win for the women at the Dubbo International Fours.
🔥 Queensland Premier League results, standout performances and four-rink competition.
🌍 World Champion of Champions predictions ahead of Barham.
📰 Discussion of Neil Dalrymple’s announced retirement plans.
👏 Bowls NSW awards nominations and recognition for those helping the sport thrive.
🚗 Merimbula and Taren Point joining the NSW Platinum Pennant field.
🎯 TBA’s plans for face-to-face development sessions, with expressions of interest coming soon.

All that, plus moths, mountain running and the usual questionable professionalism.

Hit play and join DJ and Simon for another episode of What a Load of Bowls!

🏆 The Bowls Academy

Unlock Your Bowls Potential.  Play With Confidence

👉 https://www.thebowlsacademy.com

🎽 SSA (StarSub Apparel)
Australian-made custom apparel for clubs, teams, and events.
👉 https://www.starsub.com.au 
Follow on Instagram: @starsubapparel 

🏟️ MakMax Australia
The leaders in architectural shade and canopy structures — including iconic bowling club canopies across Australia.
👉 https://www.makmax.com.au 
Bowling Canopies: https://www.makmax.com.au/projects/bowling-club-canopies 

🚗 Newcastle Car & Truck Rental
Locally owned and operated, providing affordable and reliable vehicle hire for individuals and businesses.
👉 https://www.newcastlecarrental.com.au 

🏛️DACCA Architecture

The experts when its comes to club renovations, re-fresh and new builds - Speak to Tony and the team

👉🏼 https://daccaarchitecture.com.au/

Got a question, topic idea, or want to get involved in the show? We’d love to hear from you!

📩 Simon Lyttle – [email protected] 
📩 DJ – [email protected] 

Explore our full range of coaching content, blogs, and gear:
🌐 https://www.thebowlsacademy.com 
🛒 https://shop.thebowlsacademy.com 

If you enjoy What a Load of Bowls:
⭐ Rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
📢 Share the episode with your teammates and bowling friends
💌 Send us an email or tag us with your feedback — we might read it on the next episode!

Simon’s away in Canada and apparently can’t make the time difference work… so DJ finds another bloke in Canada who can!

In Episode 83 of What a Load of Bowls, DJ catches up with Canadian international John Bezear for a chat about comebacks, World Championship medals and the opportunities bowls can create.

John shares his journey from taking up bowls in Canberra with a broken arm to playing for NSW, chasing an Australian spot and eventually moving to Canada. After stepping away from the sport, a phone call brought him back and he went on to win World Championship pairs bronze alongside Ryan Bester in both 2012 and 2023.

They discuss what makes that partnership work, John’s experience at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and why he believes the shorter format and shot clock can help bowls reach a wider audience.

There’s plenty for club bowlers and coaches too, as John explains his passion for player development and the coaching app he’s developing to track performance, structure practice and support more informed selection decisions.

🎙️ In this episode:
• Learning the game in Canberra and finding his feet at Merrylands.
• NSW success and the disappointment of missing Australian selection.
• Moving to Canada, stepping away and returning to international bowls.
• Playing alongside Ryan Bester on the world stage.
• Leading under pressure and adapting to the Glasgow conditions.
• Coaching, performance data and the challenges of club selection.
• The differences between Australian and Canadian bowls.
• Big ideas for attracting new people to the sport.

An honest conversation about backing yourself, helping others improve and finding your way back to the game.

🏆 The Bowls Academy

Unlock Your Bowls Potential.  Play With Confidence

👉 https://www.thebowlsacademy.com

🎽 SSA (StarSub Apparel)
Australian-made custom apparel for clubs, teams, and events.
👉 https://www.starsub.com.au 
Follow on Instagram: @starsubapparel 

🏟️ MakMax Australia
The leaders in architectural shade and canopy structures — including iconic bowling club canopies across Australia.
👉 https://www.makmax.com.au 
Bowling Canopies: https://www.makmax.com.au/projects/bowling-club-canopies 

🚗 Newcastle Car & Truck Rental
Locally owned and operated, providing affordable and reliable vehicle hire for individuals and businesses.
👉 https://www.newcastlecarrental.com.au 

🏛️DACCA Architecture

The experts when its comes to club renovations, re-fresh and new builds - Speak to Tony and the team

👉🏼 https://daccaarchitecture.com.au/

Got a question, topic idea, or want to get involved in the show? We’d love to hear from you!

📩 Simon Lyttle – [email protected] 
📩 DJ – [email protected] 

Explore our full range of coaching content, blogs, and gear:
🌐 https://www.thebowlsacademy.com 
🛒 https://shop.thebowlsacademy.com 

If you enjoy What a Load of Bowls:
⭐ Rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
📢 Share the episode with your teammates and bowling friends
💌 Send us an email or tag us with your feedback — we might read it on the next episode!

What does bowls look like when your entire country has a population of around 3,600 people?

In Episode 82, Simon and DJ are joined by Falkland Islands representative Ollie Thompson to hear one of the most unique stories in world bowls.

From learning the game on carpet rolled out in school corridors to winning an Island Games silver medal, competing at the World Indoors in Australia and representing the Falklands at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Ollie’s journey proves you don’t need world-class facilities to develop a genuine passion for the game.

A brilliant conversation about grassroots bowls, small-nation sport, community, opportunity and taking on the giants of the bowls world.

Check out some YouTube videos on Falkland Islands Bowls...

https://youtu.be/ZxGvQ5ipk4w?si=kIitZwBiavo8t0sx 

https://youtu.be/wpPixNAQ6rs?si=w_OaKTPRPpoyoOrM

🏆 The Bowls Academy

Unlock Your Bowls Potential.  Play With Confidence

👉 https://www.thebowlsacademy.com

🎽 SSA (StarSub Apparel)
Australian-made custom apparel for clubs, teams, and events.
👉 https://www.starsub.com.au 
Follow on Instagram: @starsubapparel 

🏟️ MakMax Australia
The leaders in architectural shade and canopy structures — including iconic bowling club canopies across Australia.
👉 https://www.makmax.com.au 
Bowling Canopies: https://www.makmax.com.au/projects/bowling-club-canopies 

🚗 Newcastle Car & Truck Rental
Locally owned and operated, providing affordable and reliable vehicle hire for individuals and businesses.
👉 https://www.newcastlecarrental.com.au 

🏛️DACCA Architecture

The experts when its comes to club renovations, re-fresh and new builds - Speak to Tony and the team

👉🏼 https://daccaarchitecture.com.au/

Got a question, topic idea, or want to get involved in the show? We’d love to hear from you!

📩 Simon Lyttle – [email protected] 
📩 DJ – [email protected] 

Explore our full range of coaching content, blogs, and gear:
🌐 https://www.thebowlsacademy.com 
🛒 https://shop.thebowlsacademy.com 

If you enjoy What a Load of Bowls:
⭐ Rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
📢 Share the episode with your teammates and bowling friends
💌 Send us an email or tag us with your feedback — we might read it on the next episode!

What a Load of Bowls is back for Episode 81 and DJ is firmly back in control of the intro! 

After apologising for Simon taking advantage of his Commonwealth Games jet lag last episode, DJ and Simon get stuck into another big fortnight from around the greens.

The boys wrap up the tightly contested New South Wales v Victoria Test Series, including the Open, Development, Senior and Para events, before looking at the Australian Indoor Championships, where Ben Twist claimed the men's title and Kelsey Cottrell continued her incredible indoor record with another Australian crown.

There’s also a look ahead to the World Bowls Champion of Champions at Club Barham and the newly formatted Queensland Premier League, which kicks off with a triple-header and a move to four rinks per side.

Then the conversation turns to club development.

DJ gives an update on the huge redevelopment underway at Maitland City, including the new MakMax canopy, covered greens, electronic scoreboards and a massive screen which leads into a bigger question:

Bowls clubs are investing millions into new facilities, but are we investing enough into developing the players who actually use them?

Simon and DJ discuss structured coaching, player development programs, understanding individual goals and why the next generation of bowlers may expect far more coaching support than previous generations.

Finally, there’s some controversy from the UK, with Scotland charging spectators to attend its National Championships and Bowls England introducing a paid livestream for its National Finals.

Should bowls remain free to watch online, or is paying for professional coverage simply part of taking the sport forward?

Plenty to unpack in Episode 81.

🏆 The Bowls Academy

Unlock Your Bowls Potential.  Play With Confidence

👉 https://www.thebowlsacademy.com

🎽 SSA (StarSub Apparel)
Australian-made custom apparel for clubs, teams, and events.
👉 https://www.starsub.com.au 
Follow on Instagram: @starsubapparel 

🏟️ MakMax Australia
The leaders in architectural shade and canopy structures — including iconic bowling club canopies across Australia.
👉 https://www.makmax.com.au 
Bowling Canopies: https://www.makmax.com.au/projects/bowling-club-canopies 

🚗 Newcastle Car & Truck Rental
Locally owned and operated, providing affordable and reliable vehicle hire for individuals and businesses.
👉 https://www.newcastlecarrental.com.au 

🏛️DACCA Architecture

The experts when its comes to club renovations, re-fresh and new builds - Speak to Tony and the team

👉🏼 https://daccaarchitecture.com.au/

Got a question, topic idea, or want to get involved in the show? We’d love to hear from you!

📩 Simon Lyttle – [email protected] 
📩 DJ – [email protected] 

Explore our full range of coaching content, blogs, and gear:
🌐 https://www.thebowlsacademy.com 
🛒 https://shop.thebowlsacademy.com 

If you enjoy What a Load of Bowls:
⭐ Rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
📢 Share the episode with your teammates and bowling friends
💌 Send us an email or tag us with your feedback — we might read it on the next episode!

DJ is back from Glasgow and Simon has stepped into the host’s chair to make sure DJ’s newfound international commentary fame hasn’t gone to his head.

In Episode 80 of What a Load of Bowls, DJ takes us behind the scenes of commentating at the Commonwealth Games. He shares the nerves and imposter syndrome he experienced when he first entered the commentary box, the instructions coming through his headset, the pressure of working around live broadcast graphics and the challenge of protecting his voice while commentating for up to six games a day.

The boys also discuss the impressive Commonwealth Games venue, the portable rinks, shortened sets-play format and some of the standout performances DJ witnessed from the best bowlers in the world.

DJ explains why preparation proved so important, how one bowl could completely change a match and why this type of broadcast-friendly format could be the future for bowls at major multisport events.

There is also plenty of discussion around Gary Kelly’s outstanding Games, England and Malaysia’s preparation, Australia’s performances, the possibility of bowls appearing at the Olympic Games and the moment jetlag caused DJ to call Simon “Baz.”

In this episode:

Listen now and hear what life was really like behind the microphone at the Commonwealth Games.

Thank you to everyone who continues to listen, follow, comment and share the podcast.

🏆 The Bowls Academy

Unlock Your Bowls Potential.  Play With Confidence

👉 https://www.thebowlsacademy.com

🎽 SSA (StarSub Apparel)
Australian-made custom apparel for clubs, teams, and events.
👉 https://www.starsub.com.au 
Follow on Instagram: @starsubapparel 

🏟️ MakMax Australia
The leaders in architectural shade and canopy structures — including iconic bowling club canopies across Australia.
👉 https://www.makmax.com.au 
Bowling Canopies: https://www.makmax.com.au/projects/bowling-club-canopies 

🚗 Newcastle Car & Truck Rental
Locally owned and operated, providing affordable and reliable vehicle hire for individuals and businesses.
👉 https://www.newcastlecarrental.com.au 

🏛️DACCA Architecture

The experts when its comes to club renovations, re-fresh and new builds - Speak to Tony and the team

👉🏼 https://daccaarchitecture.com.au/

Got a question, topic idea, or want to get involved in the show? We’d love to hear from you!

📩 Simon Lyttle – [email protected] 
📩 DJ – [email protected] 

Explore our full range of coaching content, blogs, and gear:
🌐 https://www.thebowlsacademy.com 
🛒 https://shop.thebowlsacademy.com 

If you enjoy What a Load of Bowls:
⭐ Rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
📢 Share the episode with your teammates and bowling friends
💌 Send us an email or tag us with your feedback — we might read it on the next episode!

With the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games bowls competition about to begin, Simon and DJ complete their Games preview with one of Northern Ireland’s leading medal hopes - Gary Kelly.

Preparing to represent Northern Ireland at his fourth Commonwealth Games, Gary joins DJ to discuss the work, travel and sacrifices required to remain at the highest level of the sport.

Gary arrives in Glasgow in outstanding form following a BPL MVP performance, a Platinum Pennant victory with Warilla, success at The Everest, two gold medals at the Multi Nations event and a second consecutive Australian Open pairs title.

Despite those results, Gary remains grounded, grateful and focused on representing his family, friends and country.

Gary discusses:

• Preparing for his fourth Commonwealth Games
• The sacrifices required to compete internationally while living in Australia
• His outstanding form leading into Glasgow
• Preparing for the indoor carpet surface
• Controlling the controllables and trusting your preparation
• The pressure of the shortened sets-play format
• Why he believes a one-end tiebreak is too cutthroat
• Representing Northern Ireland in the singles and pairs
• His ambition to complete his Commonwealth Games medal collection with gold

After the interview, Simon and DJ break down the men’s and women’s singles and pairs draws.

They identify the toughest sections, debate the leading medal contenders and make their predictions for which players and teams will progress to the semifinals.

The boys also discuss DJ’s opportunity to commentate at the Games, how Australian viewers can follow the action and the possibility of a Commonwealth Games gold medal being decided by a single-end shootout.

Episode 79 also celebrates the podcast passing 20,000 downloads and The Bowls Academy reaching 5,000 Facebook followers.

Thank you to everyone who continues to listen, follow, comment and share the podcast.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Follow What a Load of Bowls Podcast, leave us a rating and share the episode with another bowler.

🏆 The Bowls Academy

Unlock Your Bowls Potential.  Play With Confidence

👉 https://www.thebowlsacademy.com

🎽 SSA (StarSub Apparel)
Australian-made custom apparel for clubs, teams, and events.
👉 https://www.starsub.com.au 
Follow on Instagram: @starsubapparel 

🏟️ MakMax Australia
The leaders in architectural shade and canopy structures — including iconic bowling club canopies across Australia.
👉 https://www.makmax.com.au 
Bowling Canopies: https://www.makmax.com.au/projects/bowling-club-canopies 

🚗 Newcastle Car & Truck Rental
Locally owned and operated, providing affordable and reliable vehicle hire for individuals and businesses.
👉 https://www.newcastlecarrental.com.au 

🏛️DACCA Architecture

The experts when its comes to club renovations, re-fresh and new builds - Speak to Tony and the team

👉🏼 https://daccaarchitecture.com.au/

Got a question, topic idea, or want to get involved in the show? We’d love to hear from you!

📩 Simon Lyttle – [email protected] 
📩 DJ – [email protected] 

Explore our full range of coaching content, blogs, and gear:
🌐 https://www.thebowlsacademy.com 
🛒 https://shop.thebowlsacademy.com 

If you enjoy What a Load of Bowls:
⭐ Rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
📢 Share the episode with your teammates and bowling friends
💌 Send us an email or tag us with your feedback — we might read it on the next episode!

The Road to Glasgow continues as DJ sits down with three of the leading women in international bowls: Australia’s Kelsey Cottrell and New Zealand representatives Selina Goddard and Teri Blackbourn.

Kelsey is preparing for her fourth Commonwealth Games after previously winning bronze, silver and gold on the Commonwealth stage. She discusses the challenge of earning selection in a reduced Australian squad, balancing international competition with family life and preparing to skip under the pressure of a 30-second shot clock.

She also explains why her preparation has become highly specific, from practising on carpet and using her Glasgow bowls to working on quick decision-making, pre-shot routines and the tactical demands of the shortened format.

Selina returns to Glasgow, where she made her Commonwealth Games debut in 2014. She shares why her preparation remains firmly process-focused rather than outcome-focused and explains the importance of adaptability, deliberately practising on unfamiliar rinks and making every minute of limited preparation time count.

Teri prepares for her first Commonwealth Games after an incredible rise through the outdoor game, which has already included a world championship and a World Cup singles silver medal. She discusses balancing bowls with work and family, the value of her indoor bowls background and what it means to have her two boys travelling to Glasgow to support her.

Simon and DJ then break down the major lessons club bowlers can take from these elite athletes, including:

• Being event-specific with your practice
• Focusing on your process rather than the result
• Training yourself to adapt quickly
• Changing rinks, lengths and conditions during practice
• Preparing for the pressure moments before they arrive
• Trusting your technique and established routines
• Making every bowl count in a shortened format

With the Glasgow Commonwealth Games fast approaching, this episode provides a fascinating look behind the scenes at the preparation, sacrifice and mindset required to compete on one of bowls’ biggest stages.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Follow What a Load of Bowls Podcast, leave us a rating and share the episode with another bowler.

🏆 The Bowls Academy

Unlock Your Bowls Potential.  Play With Confidence

👉 https://www.thebowlsacademy.com

🎽 SSA (StarSub Apparel)
Australian-made custom apparel for clubs, teams, and events.
👉 https://www.starsub.com.au 
Follow on Instagram: @starsubapparel 

🏟️ MakMax Australia
The leaders in architectural shade and canopy structures — including iconic bowling club canopies across Australia.
👉 https://www.makmax.com.au 
Bowling Canopies: https://www.makmax.com.au/projects/bowling-club-canopies 

🚗 Newcastle Car & Truck Rental
Locally owned and operated, providing affordable and reliable vehicle hire for individuals and businesses.
👉 https://www.newcastlecarrental.com.au 

🏛️DACCA Architecture

The experts when its comes to club renovations, re-fresh and new builds - Speak to Tony and the team

👉🏼 https://daccaarchitecture.com.au/

Got a question, topic idea, or want to get involved in the show? We’d love to hear from you!

📩 Simon Lyttle – [email protected] 
📩 DJ – [email protected] 

Explore our full range of coaching content, blogs, and gear:
🌐 https://www.thebowlsacademy.com 
🛒 https://shop.thebowlsacademy.com 

If you enjoy What a Load of Bowls:
⭐ Rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
📢 Share the episode with your teammates and bowling friends
💌 Send us an email or tag us with your feedback — we might read it on the next episode!

Episode 77 of What a Load of Bowls continues our Commonwealth Games build-up with three brilliant interviews featuring Ryan Bester, Corey Wedlock, Ali Forsyth and Kelly McKerihen.

Ryan Bester joins us ahead of his seventh Commonwealth Games, reflecting on his incredible longevity, what it still means to represent Canada, and his pursuit of a first Commonwealth Games gold medal.

Corey Wedlock shares how he is preparing for Glasgow after a huge Australian Open, his partnership with Aaron Teys, the importance of BPL-style experience, and why the shot clock and short format could make this one of the most unpredictable Games yet.

We also sit down with Ali Forsyth and Kelly McKerihen for a fascinating look at preparation from two elite bowlers representing different nations. They chat about selection, carpet preparation, adapting to the indoor surface, team-first mentality, and how they support each other while competing for New Zealand and Canada.

Plus, Simon and DJ chat about the growth of The Bowls Academy delivery analysis, the NSW State Championships, and welcome DACA Architecture as a new partner of the podcast and The Bowls Academy.

As always, keep that little disc on the inside and good luck in those greens.

🏆 The Bowls Academy

Unlock Your Bowls Potential.  Play With Confidence

👉 https://www.thebowlsacademy.com

🎽 SSA (StarSub Apparel)
Australian-made custom apparel for clubs, teams, and events.
👉 https://www.starsub.com.au 
Follow on Instagram: @starsubapparel 

🏟️ MakMax Australia
The leaders in architectural shade and canopy structures — including iconic bowling club canopies across Australia.
👉 https://www.makmax.com.au 
Bowling Canopies: https://www.makmax.com.au/projects/bowling-club-canopies 

🚗 Newcastle Car & Truck Rental
Locally owned and operated, providing affordable and reliable vehicle hire for individuals and businesses.
👉 https://www.newcastlecarrental.com.au 

🏛️DACCA Architecture

The experts when its comes to club renovations, re-fresh and new builds - Speak to Tony and the team

👉🏼 https://daccaarchitecture.com.au/

Got a question, topic idea, or want to get involved in the show? We’d love to hear from you!

📩 Simon Lyttle – [email protected] 
📩 DJ – [email protected] 

Explore our full range of coaching content, blogs, and gear:
🌐 https://www.thebowlsacademy.com 
🛒 https://shop.thebowlsacademy.com 

If you enjoy What a Load of Bowls:
⭐ Rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
📢 Share the episode with your teammates and bowling friends
💌 Send us an email or tag us with your feedback — we might read it on the next episode!

Episode 76 launches our build-up to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, with two of the Northern Hemisphere’s leading players joining DJ for an inside look at their preparations. 

Welsh international Ross Owen is heading to his third Commonwealth Games, where he will contest the men’s singles and skip the pairs alongside two-time defending champion Daniel Salmon.

Ross discusses the lengthy Welsh selection process, the sacrifices required to remain indoors during the UK outdoor season, the importance of competitive test matches and the responsibility of representing Wales across two disciplines. He also reveals how focusing heavily on singles over the past two years helped him secure one of the biggest opportunities of his career.

England’s Sam Tolchard is preparing for an incredible fifth Commonwealth Games and another opportunity to claim the elusive gold medal missing from his collection.

Sam explains England’s selection process, the challenge of stepping away from outdoor competition, learning to incorporate structured drills into his preparation and the difficulty of preparing for an unknown portable indoor surface. He also shares his thoughts on the brutal short format, set jack lengths, the shot clock and why every small moment will matter in Glasgow.

Simon and DJ also recap all the major results from the 2026 Australian Open, including another remarkable tournament from Corey Wedlock, singles victories for Jamie-Lee Worsnop and Aaron Teys, and the outstanding performances across all 18 events.

The boys discuss:

-Simon’s player development weekend at Goulburn Railway Bowling Club
-Delivery analysis for 40 club bowlers
-The latest milestone in Maitland City’s new covered-green development
-The Australian Open champions
-Corey Wedlock’s extraordinary tournament record
-The contrasting preparation of Australian and UK players
-The challenges of limited practice on Glasgow’s portable rinks
-Why the short Commonwealth Games format could produce some major surprises

With unfamiliar surfaces, limited preparation time and some of the world’s best players competing under a cutthroat format, Glasgow 2026 is shaping up as one of the most unpredictable bowls events we have seen.

🏆 The Bowls Academy

Unlock Your Bowls Potential.  Play With Confidence

👉 https://www.thebowlsacademy.com

🎽 SSA (StarSub Apparel)
Australian-made custom apparel for clubs, teams, and events.
👉 https://www.starsub.com.au 
Follow on Instagram: @starsubapparel 

🏟️ MakMax Australia
The leaders in architectural shade and canopy structures — including iconic bowling club canopies across Australia.
👉 https://www.makmax.com.au 
Bowling Canopies: https://www.makmax.com.au/projects/bowling-club-canopies 

🚗 Newcastle Car & Truck Rental
Locally owned and operated, providing affordable and reliable vehicle hire for individuals and businesses.
👉 https://www.newcastlecarrental.com.au 

Got a question, topic idea, or want to get involved in the show? We’d love to hear from you!

📩 Simon Lyttle – [email protected] 
📩 DJ – [email protected] 

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