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 Saifiti send-off, whether Newcastle were on top before it happened, and the wider debate around the NRL’s send-off rules. We also look at Jett Cleary’s debut and what comes next for the Warriors.

Then Boldo reacts to the Sharks’ latest stumble, we assess the now-confirmed Top 8, look back on the seasons of Manly and the Bulldogs, and make an early call on which team outside the eight can bounce back into the finals in 2027.

Plus: is the NRL season too long, what might be hiding inside Brisbane’s 14-point review, and our Round 27 Upset Alerts and tips.

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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 look at how the Top 8 could still shift before September.

Adam Reynolds has played his final NRL game, so we look back on his career, where he sits among premiership-winning halfbacks and the debate around Brisbane deciding not to give him one last game. We also get stuck into the controversial new kick-off rule being trialled in Broncos v Storm, Joey Manu’s move to PNG and Corey Horsburgh signing with the Bears.

And, after going 0-from-3 last week, the pressure is firmly back on for our **Round 26 Upset Alerts** — Canterbury over Penrith, Newcastle over the Warriors and Parramatta over the Sharks.

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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 race for the Top 8, ask who goes first between Madge and Benji, cover the latest on DCE and Walker, and finish with Round 25 Upset Alert and full tips.

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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 the whole thing?

For Penrith, the questions are growing. Injuries are mounting, Isaah Yeo could be missing until deep into the finals and the Panthers continue to start games slowly. But with Nathan Cleary holding the keys, can you ever really put a line through them?

The Roosters keep winning and closing in on the minor premiership, setting up a huge Round 24 showdown with Penrith.

Then there’s Cronulla. After talking up the Sharks as genuine premiership contenders, Boldo has to face the music after an awful loss to the Dragons. Was it simply a bad night, or has the defeat exposed bigger problems for the Sharks heading into September?

We also celebrate the Dolphins securing their first ever finals appearance, look at Newcastle’s charge towards September, debate Ricky Stuart’s extraordinary public criticism of Corey Horsburgh and discuss Brian To’o’s expected move to the new PNG franchise and how that roster is beginning to take shape.

Then the podcast takes a turn.

Some questionable refereeing decisions lead into a fiery discussion about reports the NRL wants broadcasters to be less critical of the game. Should commentators like Phil Gould be free to hammer referees and the NRL when they think something is wrong? And are there bigger concerns around player managers simultaneously working as prominent rugby league media personalities?

Plus, the hottest segment in rugby league returns with Upset Alert before the boys run through all their Round 24 tips.

It’s another big edition of Down the Sideline with Boldo, Adrian and Tim.

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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 Whyte is now among the game’s best props and whether Trent Robinson’s side can carry this form into September.

Adrian celebrates Newcastle’s huge win at Suncorp Stadium as the Knights strengthen their finals position and seemingly end Brisbane’s season. The boys debate what has gone wrong for the Broncos, whether Michael Maguire can survive and whether both Brisbane and Melbourne are reaching the end of their premiership windows.

Cronulla continue their winning run against South Sydney, but Craig Fitzgibbon refuses to buy into the growing Sharks hype. Is he right to remain cautious, or have the Sharks joined Penrith and the Roosters as the teams to beat?

There is also a full wrap of the remaining Round 22 results, the race for the final positions in the eight, Laurie Daley’s decision to step down as NSW coach and the leading candidates to replace him.

Plus, history beckons as Liam Jenkins chases the single-season try-scoring record and Nicho Hynes closes in on Hazem El Masri’s record for consecutive successful goals.

The episode finishes with Upset Alert and the full set of Round 23 tips from David, Tim and Adrian.

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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 closing in on the consecutive-goal record, but they are yet to prove they can overcome the Panthers and Roosters when it matters most.

The Warriors are beginning to wobble as the Bulldogs and Dolphins apply pressure in the top-four race, while Newcastle’s finals hopes have been rocked by another agonising defeat and serious injuries to Dylan Brown and Dylan Lucas.

We assess Canterbury’s late-season charge, Stephen Crichton’s move into the halves, and whether Melbourne and Brisbane can now be officially ruled out of finals contention.

There is also a closer look at the developing PNG and Perth Bears rosters. Is PNG assembling a team capable of immediate success, and has Perth already fallen behind before playing a game?

Plus, Upset Alert and our tips for the upcoming round.

Down the Sideline examines rugby league through the lens of media, money and market share.

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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 Canberra force their way into September?

The panel also debates whether the Roosters are now Penrith’s greatest premiership threat, where Boldo’s earlier predictions were right and wrong, and what Manly’s slide says about the club’s decision to appoint Kieran Foran.

There is also a heated discussion about Benji Marshall, Jarome Luai and the Wests Tigers, the proposed sale of the Melbourne Storm and whether private-equity ownership would be good for one of Australian sport’s strongest franchises.

Finally, the boys address another weekend of controversial refereeing decisions and ask whether inconsistent officiating is beginning to damage the competition.

Plus, Upset Alert and the complete Round 21 tips.

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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 Tigers, Daniel Tupou’s 300th game and his place among the Roosters’ all-time greats, Manly’s struggles, Cronulla’s push towards the top four, Newcastle’s costly loss and whether Melbourne can still force their way into the finals.

We also answer a listener question about the reported $700 million-a-year broadcast deal. If the networks valued the rights at closer to $500 million, what drove the price so much higher, and what exactly was the “silly buggery” behind the deal?

Plus, we ask whether lower-ranked teams such as the Titans get the rough end of refereeing decisions, before finishing live with Upset Alert and our tips for the next round.

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