The Grapple

Sometimes you need to make up or invoke far fetched hollywood movie plots or fairytales to try and translate some of the NRL's decision making; and in the case of the backflip on a would be Nicho Hynes finals missing hip drop charge, look no further than the 1999 Crime Thriller 'Double Jeopardy;' with Tommy Lee Jones and Ashley Judd basically explaining why a hip drop that's alread...

This week our Humble Heroes are back on deck in the bunker and spewing forth truth bombs for those whose ears are lucky enough to bath in the self-righteousness. Only the most critical of questions being asked in a forum that has zero space for whim, levity or hoopla. Does Madge have the Broncos cherry ripe, or has he run the arse out of Ghem, Dunny Drinker and friends too early? Will Nicho miss t...

Our heroes reunite for a fearless and graceful series of pirouettes through an array of Winter ending sporting shenanigans. The NRL's penultimate round has penultimately proven that the NRL actual top 4, which is actually a top 3, is penultimately better than anything below it- especially the Raiders and Penultimate-rith. The Broncos and Cowboys submitted the final evidence required for such a...

This week the NRLs very own Friday Night Lights. Heidelberg United are giving the Aussie Cup an almighty fright Tino hitting the open market to make a quid and this week redemption is pronounced Joe Schmidt! The team sees their linchpin goes down to short term injury and once again the next man up policy is enacted with Luttsy steeping into the fray. As is the case with the great man Olympics are...

The Grapplers are BACK after a mid winter hiatus AND bugger me drunk if a a cavalcade of narratives dont await us THE NRL irons out its contenders with a weekend of truly chaotic stuff The Boomers cant win the Olympics, but sure as shit cant lose the Asia Cup SO STEP ON UP… DONT BE SHY… TIME TO GRAPPLE WITH TWO GOOOOOOOD LOOKING GUYS This week Our heroes wax lyrical about the beginning of somethin...

Roll on, roll on, the footy is rolling into a new phase of wild interpretation Kevs gone from the outhouse to the hopping heart of the nation Frizelle gives Des the ultimate lack of endorsement So constable hasler might look for a gig back where it all started… in law enforcement This week our heroes grapple with the questions that are tugging on your shirt and curl us during those lonely week nig...

The Red Coates descend upon Brisbane – Independent fire at will The Wallabies rue the loss of Robbie V Another Red team, A finals appearance for the  Dolphins could be on the Bill.. The Open Championship at Port Rush.. Aussies struggle on that Irish Tee… Time to Grapple..and yes indeedy it is the grappliest of times. A rush of roaring red in Brisbane and a gush of it from Broncos head knocker Bren...

EPISODE MAROON 5: THE ORIGIN STORY OF ORIGIN STORIES Another Origin series goes to plan Big Pappi showed he is the man, The Lions played the Brumbies, Canberra Stadium was full And Christian Horner finally given the ass by Red Bull.. It’s important to be balanced and resist bias in the world of sports podcasting. So we will discuss the Lions, formula one, maybe even a bit of cricket. We might even...

The Lions are roaring… and Owen Farrell is never boring 4 tours of duty.. and the Wallabies are in the crosshairs The decider countdown is on.. Who's gonna be happy.. In Origin 2 the Blues were crappy.. Will they handle the comeback of big Papi. In an age of constant media scrutiny and attention this week our heroes delve into the real reason why Super Gaffa  Billy Slater did an Uncle Wayne an...

We love Selwyn, according to Madge Yet here’s 2 signings… wearing the same badge.. A bloodbath in Barbados.. Or just a slow start.. And Wayne redefines working into the grave.. Cos hes a bit of an old fart. The future of wayward Broncos star Selwyn Cobbo is revealed by the Grapplers, who have both joined dots and gleaned insights from the very innards of the Brisbane Broncos publicity (or lack the...

The Maroons live to fight another day Cant wait to hear what Woodsy has to say  Fort the rest of the Rugby League media, Crow is on the menu  And where the hell was Spencer Leniu? Plenty to Grapple with as our heroes digest a significant Queenslands bounceback on a sodden and miserable Optus Stadium, honouring the ‘born for it’ nature of freshly minted skipper Cameron Munster. The West ignites in...

Billy names anew skipper and he’s on the Munny The blowback on DCE hasn’t been real funny Wayne hoses down rumours of Cobbo becoming a bunny… Socceroos go straight through on a Metcalf strike… sweet like honey This week our heroes tackle the topics of Origin selections,  Aaron Woods words and the second coming Lachie Galvin. Forwards passes and all. Players meeting coaches and coaches denying meet...

It’s the sound of footy right now.. and its nothing new Gus plays us all… we collectively stew The prospects of the maroons… look decidedly blue So lets distract ourselves with lachlan Kennedys very fucking fast SHOES TIME TO GRAPPLE.  The optics of the NRL’s relationship with key broadcasters and club hierarchies is more blurred than ever. Not even Fred Hollows could fix this one. Enter our heroe...

 The Autopsy of the Queensland Corpse will be conducted by Johnny  and special guest host Shane Muspratt  It's the day after the night before. Our heroes, fresh from an evening that began with confident anticipation and ended with deep, dark depression, have the unenviable task of picking over the bones of another lost Origin. Searching for answers, pouring over replacements, speculating on fu...

As one of our heroes takes a sabbatical his seat is filled by a special Guest Host. Regaling tales of Paris, Osaka, Suncorp Stadium and nights on the jars with Alf, Luttsy places his feet in the sizable shoes left by Joely. The Origin teams have the rule run over them and surprisingly the consensus of all in the room is QLD victory. Media training for the wayward Broncos shapes as a secondary sour...

An overcast Queensland Autumn Tuesday evening , on the roof of a Leagues on Fulcher Road Red Hill, a solitary man cuts a forlorn figure as pulls the cover off a large spot light pointed into the Brisbane sky and grits his teeth as he flips the switch….. he sighs as sparks shoot from the steampunk switch….. a moment of silence and anticipation…almost gives way to concern that the spot light has fai...

It is a time of great upheaval. The NRL.. obsessed with its quest to flood players' veins with hyperdrive fuel and create the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy, have created a paradox of umbilical proportions. Referees are afraid not to blow the whistle, while also being terrified of its piercing shrill. The Get Square narrative around football means penalties not blown in one game are now bl...

As player safety continues to be the number one issue in Rugby League today our heroes are buoyed with confidence knowing the NRL will not.... ever.... compromise...... if there's a fire. Our heroes provide the CSA that there has been no crackdown, none...Crackdown here, no...  The 18 sin bins last week was the eventuality of an anomaly, which despite our sincerest efforts we have been unable...

As any Statistician on a juicy consulting wage from the NRL will tell you, records are made to be invented, and it's with this gusto that our heroes grapple with yet another glorious 'crowd record' declaration issued from Pyongyang. That, alongside the scheduling of a double header to take on the British and Irish Lions tour opener, assures us all the leadership coming from HQ remains-...

The only thing Grappling harder than our heroes this week isLachie Galvins Instagram algorithm.  Withthe young man being essentially boned this week by Benji our heroes doingsomething no other media outlet is doing...provide an opinion on the Tigers/Galvin saga..... but wait there's more. Despite the East Coast of Australia thinking that's the onlystory worth our intrepid  raconteurs will regale w...

Join our heroes for a crucial investigation, as they try and work out exactly WHO started the ugly, damaging smear campaign against outgoing Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans. A long list of suspects and a longer list of clickbaity dickheadery; let’s just say it’s an investigation breaching deep inside the walls of the NRL ‘moidea.’ Even more intriguing is a preview of the nuclear fallout on its way...

This week a dagger has thrust into the heart of our heroes. Not only do they have to deal with continuous, rubbish “6 again” calls and dubious at best “on reports… now the news arrives that the weekly briefings from the great and powerful, the Hard Running Graham Annersley have been discontinued. Zero foresight for the upcoming broadcast rights deal, this weekly segment had the potential for Gold,...

Never before has Bills 16 Century  ominous foreshadowing of Caesar’s been more pertinent than right here, right now… after one round of the NRL season. This week our Grapplers go ahead and Over- React-lle in a way only the true Ruggest of Rugba Loigers know how.  The NRL Media. Who can and can’t win the comp after a full 80 minutes of the season. Who’s happy as Larry and who wants to get the hell...

Yes, your heroes are idiots. Big enough idiots to record an episode on the cusp of a cyclone? You better believe it. Because dont we all need something other than Alfred to discuss?

On this 1st Birthday Graptacular,  our heroes  bemoan and empathise with the victim of one of sports biggest scandals of the last decade. When this kind of thing happens to a person the road back to some assemblance of a normal life is hard, laden with trauma and hardship. However, the commitment to self improvement and to be a role model n to future generation"S" can only serve to allay...