Down the Sideline | Rugby League Podcast

It’s Newcastle v the Roosters in the NRL Grand Final — meaning two of the three Down the Sideline teams are still standing.

We unpack Newcastle’s incredible preliminary final win over Penrith, including the send-off controversy, the Knights’ resilience and what went wrong for the Panthers.

Then it’s Roosters v Dolphins: Mark Nawaqanitawase’s huge intercept, the momentum swing that changed the game ...

Does the NRL have a refereeing problem?

This week on Down the Sideline, we break down the biggest controversial calls from Roosters v Sharks and Knights v Warriors, including the missed Tyson Frizell escort, the DCE sin-bin debate and the growing frustration around six-again calls.

We also review Newcastle’s win over the Warriors, look back at the Roosters ending Cronulla’s season, and Boldo gives his verdict on whether t...

Finals footy is in full swing and the boys break down everything we learned from Week 1.

Did Penrith get the rub of the green against the Roosters? How much are the Roosters missing Sam Walker, and can DCE deliver when the pressure is on? Adrian celebrates Newcastle’s upset over Souths, including Dane Gagai getting under Latrell Mitchell’s skin, while the boys debate Wayne Bennett and just how dangerous the Knights could...

Finals footy is here — and there’s plenty to unpack before Week 1 kicks off.

The boys start with Cronulla being stripped of a genuine home final, with Sharks v Cowboys shifted from Shark Park to Allianz Stadium. Is it fair, why was it announced so late, and what does it mean for Sharks fans?

Then it’s into the officiating fallout from Sharks v Storm, including the send-off, forward pass controversy and disputed try,...

A disaster weekend for the Down the Sideline panel as the Roosters, Knights and Sharks all suffer damaging defeats heading into the finals.

We break down the fallout from the Micallef Bowl, ask whether the Dolphins are now genuine premiership contenders, and assess whether the Roosters can still win it after Sam Walker’s season-ending injury.

There’s plenty to unpack from Knights v Warriors too, including the Daniel Saifi...

The finals race is heating up with just two rounds to go — and somehow the Warriors are sitting in the box seat.

This week we break down the Warriors’ charge towards the minor premiership, the Roosters’ costly loss to the Tigers, Newcastle’s horror showing against Manly and the Sharks doing just enough to get past the Titans. We also ask whether the Dolphins are becoming a genuine premiership threat and l...

The boys are back for Round 25 — and Upset Alert has now delivered three weeks in a row, including a huge 9-to-1 result last week.

This week we break down the Sharks’ worrying slide out of the Top 4, whether the Roosters should now be premiership favourites, Penrith’s struggles without Yeo, Newcastle’s remarkable rise into the finals and the Dragons’ encouraging finish to the season.

Plus, we look at the...

The finals are getting closer and suddenly some of the NRL’s biggest contenders are starting to wobble.

The Warriors produced one of their biggest statements of the season, physically dominating Penrith 28-12 and forcing the boys to reassess just how serious their premiership credentials are. Has Andrew Webster built the competition’s toughest side, and does Luke Metcalf give the Warriors the star power they need to win ...

Sorry guys - we thought we'd uploaded this one but Boldo didn't click it.

Shame because the upset alerts were elite.

Episode synopsis

Has the NRL premiership race changed?

The Roosters have announced themselves as genuine contenders after an extraordinary 82–12 demolition of the Cowboys, extending their winning streak to six games. Tim assesses whether Sam Walker has reached elite-halfback status, whether Naufahu Whyt...

The fallout between Benji Marshall and Adam Doueihi has exploded at the Wests Tigers. Was Doueihi right to walk away from training, did Benji mishandle the situation, and can either man emerge from this without damaging the club further?

The boys also debate whether Cronulla have officially entered the premiership race after dismantling Manly. The Sharks are peaking at the right time, Nicho Hynes is producing elite football and ...

With seven rounds remaining, the race for the NRL finals is tightening, and the Down the Sideline panel is ready to make its call.

Boldo, Adrian and Tim compare the current ladder with an AI-generated projection, examine the points historically required to make the finals and reveal their own predicted top eights. Is the top four already settled, which teams are safest inside the eight, and can Manly, Melbourne, Canterbury or Canber...

We’re live as State of Origin fallout takes centre stage.

NSW have completed the comeback, Lozball finally clicked, and Queensland somehow lost the unloseable series. We break down how the Blues won it, what went wrong for the Maroons, whether Nathan Cleary has finally silenced his Origin doubters, and whether the Bunker changed the result.

Away from Origin, we look at the growing tension between Jarome Luai and the Wests Tiger...

Origin 3 is 24 hours away and the series is there to be decided.

This week on Down The Sideline, the boys preview the Origin decider, make their predictions and break down exactly what has to go right for NSW to win.

We also review a huge weekend of NRL action, including the Panthers taking care of Souths, Cody Walker’s brain explosion, Jenkins’ incredible try-scoring run, the

Dragons marching past the Tigers, and the...

Origin 3 is here and the teams are named.

This week on Down the Sideline, Tim, Adrian and Boldo break down the massive NSW shake-up ahead of the State of Origin decider, including Jack Bostock’s debut, Brian To’o being dropped, Bradman Best and Stephen Crichton returning, and whether Laurie Daley has fixed the Blues or hit the panic button.

The boys also look at Queensland’s more settled squad, the impact of Lindsay...

Upset Alert is on fire — and the boys are taking a victory lap.

This week on Down The Sideline, Boldo, Tim and Adrian review last week’s Upset Alert predictions before diving into the big rugby league stories of the week.

The boys unpack the State of Origin fallout after Queensland’s Game 2 win, asking whether Queensland are simply that much better, whether Laurie Daley is out of his depth, and what changes ...

State of Origin Game 2 is almost here, and Down the Sideline is back with a full preview of NSW v Queensland.

Boldo, Adrian and Tim break down the big Origin talking points, including Mitchell Moses returning for the Blues, Reece Walsh’s role for Queensland, Payne Haas starting, Laurie Daley’s bench decisions, and whether Billy Slater has the tactical edge heading into Game 2.

The boys also discuss the Ashley Klein gambli...

Sixty-eight nil.

That is where this episode starts, because when the Wests Tigers lose by 68 points, it is not just another bad day at the office. Boldo, Adrian and Tim unpack the Tigers’ humiliation against Penrith, what it says about Benji Marshall, whether the club is genuinely in crisis, and why blowout scorelines may become an even bigger issue as the NRL expands.

The boys then turn their attention to State of Orig...

The Down the Sideline Podcast goes live for the very first time as David Boldeman, Adrian Manca and Tim Micallef tackle one of the biggest talking points of the 2026 NRL season.

Five days after State of Origin I, the boys revisit the Kalyn Ponga send-off and ask a question few others are asking: was the controversy actually good for rugby league?

Rather than debating whether the referee got the call right, the discussion expl...

Episode 12 of the Down the Sideline Podcast is here.

This week the boys dive into the official State of Origin team announcements and ask the bigger question around the game right now… does Origin still feel as massive as it once did?

The panel breaks down the key selections, surprise calls and what the squads say about where both NSW and Queensland are heading heading into the series opener.

Plus:

• Full Origin team reactions

• ...