ABC NRL Daily

It's grand final eve and the excitement is building. Brett Sprigg has assembled the best rugby league minds (available) in Luke Lewis, Michael Carayannis and Ruan Sims to look back at the season, dissect the headlines and preview the big games on tomorrow.

On InZane Rugby League this week Zane Bojack, former Raiders halfback Sam Williams and ABC Online rugby league reporter Mick Doyle discuss if Payne Haas is the greatest prop of all-time after playing 80 minutes in Brisbane's come-from-behind win over Penrith. 

Dual premiership winner Luke Lewis joins Brett Sprigg to dissect the preliminary finals and take a first look ahead to the 2025 decider featuring the Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos.

He might be best known for his songs poking fun at the great and good of Rugby League. But this week it's a deeply personal journey into the soul of the ABC Sport's Man of Sound as he attempts to make sense of the Canberra Raiders season. Denis Carnahan turns to the Commodores for his song of the week - You Won, Twice.

Ryan Hoffman (33:35) has seen more of the Storm than most this season and he reckons they probably not hit top gear since the 1st half of the 1st round pummelling of Parramatta. But the Storm legend thinks they're in great shape going into the NRL Grand Final. Hoffy reckons one of the biggest pluses is that they should be starting the big one with the Fab Four of Papenhuyzen, Munster, Hughes and G...

It's getting down to the pointy end of the season and the finals match-ups this weekend have Quentin Hull and Ryan Hoffman licking their lips in anticipation. The Broncos are hoping to stop the Panthers from making their sixth grand final in a row and Corey Jensen spoke to Quentin Hull about their preparations and the impact of Madge. The team also speak to Melbourne CEO Justin Rodski and Sharks a...

On InZane Rugby League - Zane Bojack and former Raiders halfback Sam Williams are joined by Broncos and Panthers legend Petero Civoniceva to preview the Grand Final Qualifier between Brisbane and Penrith at Lang Park on Sunday. 

Brett Sprigg is joined by premiership winner Dene Halatau to reflect on disappointments for Canberra and Canterbury, the unshakeable belief of Cronulla, and the bare reality of the Panthers' push for a fifth straight premiership.

Cronulla produced a powerful performance to end the campaign of Minor Premiers Canberra with back rower Billy Burns (34:32) scoring an all-important try. It's been quite the season for a player who was released from the Dragons and wasn't sure if he would keep playing. Now he's in a Preliminary final which, as he told Quentin Hull and the team, is a shock because he could scarcely believe he was p...

There's no rest for the wicked as they say and despite 2 trips to Canberra in 7 days to watch his Raiders crash out of the finals in straight sets Denis Carnahan was back on the tools to deliver an updated version on one of the scourges of the modern game - Takin' a Dive. He pulled up his pants - probably a little too high from the sounds of this  - to knock out this Bee Gees inspired track in hon...

On Inzane Rugby League this week - Zane Bojack was joined by Daily Telegraph rugby league reporter Michael Carayannis and AAP NRL writer Joel Gould. 

Extra, extra time. A Reece Walsh headbutt. Multiple sin bins. A disallowed, match winning try. A Ben Hunt redemption subplot. It was utter chaos in Canberra and the repercussions are enormous for the NRL finals picture as top ranked Canberra heads for elimination week and the Broncos head for a home preliminary final. We unpack a wild clash full of flow on effects.

Denis Carnahan is always telling anyone who will listen "I can do an excellent Scotch accent" and he puts his bold claim to the test with his Proclaimers themed tribute to the Brisbane Broncos bus based issues at Canberra Stadium. 

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo (30:41) is happy with the way finals are shaping up - but not too happy. He told Brett Sprigg, Luke Lewis and John Gibbs that he's always looking at ways the game can be improved - although he loathe to be too critical of the Bunker. He thinks that's something people lose perspective on at times at all levels of the game. Plus Cronulla hooker Blayke Brailey (1:05:34) told the t...

10 years on from one of the all time great NRL Grand Finals the emotions associated with that memorable day are still clear in the memory of Lachlan Coote. The Premiership winning North Queensland full back told Brett Sprigg how advice from Ivan Cleary persuaded him to join the Cowboys and how he quickly realised what a good team he was part of. He also explains how the match played out and the be...

While the top 8 teams are playing finals there's a bit of reflection for those teams who didn't make the 8 and the coach of the 9th placed Dolphins - Kristian Woolf (1:20:16) - isn't really sure what to make of the season just gone. He told Brett Sprigg, Luke Lewis and Michael Carayannis that there were so many positives from 2025 that it was frustrating to ultimately miss finals. But the injuries...

It's been a season of incredible upsets, mind-blowing tries and wild comebacks, so what do the finals have in store? Quentin Hull, Luke Lewis and Ryan Hoffman chat to Raiders halfback Jamal Fogarty about their preparations for September, how big Papa is and the lessons he's learned from footy.

On InZane Rugby League this week Zane Bojack and former Raiders halfback Sam Williams are joined by ABC Sport commentator Quentin Hull for a three-tiered look at the finals. 

Brett Sprigg is joined by dual premiership winner Luke Lewis and Manly great John Gibbs to close the book on 27 rounds of footy and look ahead to our first week of finals.

For his song of the week Denis Carnahan reached deep into his closet, pulled out his tightest pants and open neck shirt and went all Latin for his tribute to the Human highlight reel - Mark Nawaqanitawase

It's ominous for the rest of the NRL but after winning 4 Premierships in a row the Panthers are primed for another big September. Back rower Scott Sorensen (31:17) told Brett Sprigg, Luke Lewis and John Gibbs that his Penrith team mates love this time of year and sense there's a buzz in the air. Plus you can catch a wonderful chat with Andrew Moore (1:13:33) talking to the ABC's acting head of Rug...

Andrew Moore has given us an update to his health battles while detailing the moments of his heart attack chatting to Michael Carayannis.  Andrew is continuing his recovery after being released from hospital, and is now resting around family and friends. 

It has been a rollercoaster season for Michael Maguire but he's now preparing his Brisbane side for a Qualifying final in Canberra next Sunday. Madge told Quentin Hull, Luke Lewis and Michael Carayannis how happy he was to see his team find the sort of game they displayed in beating the Storm on Thursday night. He also sang the praises of full back Reece Walsh but said it's not surprise when you s...

Rooster James Tedesco (26:57) fittingly finished off the regular season guiding his team to a win over rivals South Sydney and picking up 3 points in the ABC Player of the Year award. That clinched that particular title for him although in reality he's had it in the bag for a while after a stellar season. He joined Quentin Hull, Luke Lewis and Michael Carayannis and admitted that one of the benefi...

The final round of the home and away season has started with a bang as the Broncos defeated the Storm and locked in their top-four spot. Quentin Hull, Dene Halatau, and Michael Carayannis discuss all the big talking points.