The Sports Playbook - Weekly Sports News Podcast

The NSW Blues have won the 2026 State of Origin series in the most dramatic fashion — ambushing Queensland at Suncorp Stadium in their own backyard to claim the shield. Nathan Cleary was named Man of the Match in a performance that reminded everyone why he is the best player in the game. Daniel breaks down exactly how the Blues pulled it off, what it means for the series and the legacy of this NSW...

What a weekend for Australian sport — and The Sports Playbook has every story covered. The Australian Women's cricket team are T20 World Cup champions, defeating England in the final to claim another global title. It continues Australia's remarkable dominance of the women's game and is one of the great sporting moments of 2026. A team that came into the tournament undefeated and left the same way....

The FIFA World Cup Round of 16 is here — and Daniel is joined again by football expert Coach Dan from NXT Football for a full preview of every single knockout game, plus the bold predictions that could define their World Cup legacy. The big call: Argentina and France in the final. Two of the most dominant nations in world football, both carrying the weight of their superstars — Lionel Messi at 38...

One of the stories of the sporting week — 23-year-old Australian Maya Joint defeated Serena Williams in the first round of Wimbledon in three sets, ending the 44-year-old's singles comeback after four years away. A remarkable moment in tennis history on both sides of the net, and a huge result for Australian tennis. At the FIFA World Cup, the draw just got significantly more open. Germany were eli...

The biggest media rights deal in Australian sporting history. Channel 9 and Foxtel have reportedly signed a new broadcast deal with the NRL worth close to $5 billion — Daniel breaks down what this means for the game, the players and where rugby league goes from here. In a shock State of Origin call, Brian To'o has been dropped from the NSW Blues side. Daniel unpacks the selection decision and what...

Latrell Mitchell has been ruled out of State of Origin Game 3 — Daniel breaks down who steps in and what it means for the Blues as they chase a series win. [Add specific injury detail and replacement candidates once confirmed in recording.] Serena Williams has been granted a wildcard into the Wimbledon singles draw — a stunning addition to her tour return after her doubles win at Queen's Club. [Ad...

The Adelaide Thunderbirds have booked their spot in the Super Netball Grand Final after a statement performance in the Major Semi Final against the Melbourne Vixens. Daniel breaks down how Adelaide got the job done and what it means as they chase the premiership. The Fever and Mavericks meet in the Minor Semi Final with the winner earning the right to face the Thunderbirds for the title. The Gold...

Queensland levelled the State of Origin series in devastating fashion — winning Game 2 44-24 in what was the Maroons' highest score in 11 years. A dominant second half performance saw Queensland pull away with multiple tries to Sam Walker, Selwyn Cobbo, Jojo Fifita and The Hammer as NSW struggled to get out of their own half. Mark Nawaqanitawase scored on debut in a rare highlight for the Blues. D...

One of the greatest weekends in recent sporting memory — and The Sports Playbook has every story covered. Lewis Hamilton won for Ferrari at the Spanish Grand Prix. Starting from the front row, Hamilton capitalised on a Virtual Safety Car to get ahead of teammate George Russell and hold on for a historic victory — the first British podium at that race since 1968. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli...

Serena Williams stepped back onto a WTA tour court for the first time in almost four years at Queen's Club — and she won. Partnering Victoria Mboko in the doubles, Williams and her partner won in straight sets. At 44 years old, the 23-time Grand Slam champion is back and the sporting world is paying attention. In one of the most emotional moments of the sporting year, the South Sydney Rabbitohs ha...

What a weekend across the sporting world. Kimi Antonelli delivered a dominant performance at the Monaco Grand Prix — winning from pole position for his fifth consecutive victory of the season. Every driver who has won five races in a row in a single season has gone on to win the championship, and Antonelli is firmly on that trajectory. Lewis Hamilton equalled the great Ayrton Senna with eight podi...

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is here — 48 teams, 3 countries, 4 time zones and the biggest tournament in football history. Daniel is joined by football expert Coach Dan from NXT Football for a 57-minute deep dive into everything you need to know before the first ball is kicked on June 11th. The Socceroos have landed in one of the most fascinating groups of the tournament — drawn alongside the USA (rank...

One of the biggest stories in tennis in years — Serena Williams is back. The 23-time Grand Slam champion has accepted a wildcard for the doubles competition at Queen's Club in London at 44 years of age. The tournament is a Wimbledon precursor and Serena's return is the story the entire sporting world is talking about. Kieran Foran — dubbed FozBall by rugby league fans this season — has signed with...

What a weekend of sport. The St George Illawarra Dragons ended one of the longest losing streaks in recent NRL history, stunning the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium after racing out to a 30-8 lead — their first win since Round 23 of 2025. Carlton produced the upset of the AFL season, defeating third-placed Geelong by four points in three wins in a row under interim coach Dean Solomon, with cap...

We break down Game 1 of 2026 State of Origin. QLD Maroons rushed out to a 20-0 lead before halftime. Before the NSW Blues mounted a come back after Kalyn Ponga got sent off with 23 minutes to go. Qld lead by 20-6 at this point, but NSW won the game 22-20 in the final minute through a James Tedesco special try off the back of a Nathan Cleary clutch kick. A week of significant news across Australian...

What a weekend in sport — the AFL was handing out records like confetti. North Melbourne completed the second biggest comeback in AFL history, overturning a 43-point deficit to win after the siren. Scott Pendlebury broke the all-time AFL/VFL games record in Collingwood's win over West Coast. The GWS GIANTS scored 86 points in a single quarter — the highest third quarter score in AFL history. And F...

This week in sport has been nothing short of extraordinary. Scott Pendlebury is set to break the all-time AFL/VFL games record on Saturday — surpassing 443 games in his 21st season in front of the Collingwood faithful at the MCG. A moment the entire football world will stop for. In heartbreaking news, NRL star Jai Arrow has been forced to medically retire after being diagnosed with Motor Neurone D...

The biggest story heading into State of Origin Game 1 just got bigger — Latrell Mitchell has been ruled out of the NSW Blues opener through a back injury, throwing the fullback debate wide open before a ball has even been kicked. Is this the moment Laurie Daley goes back to James Tedesco? Daniel breaks down what Mitchell's absence means for the Blues and what both squads are shaping up to look lik...

he greatest coach of the NRL modern era is stepping down. Ivan Cleary has announced he will leave the Penrith Panthers at the end of the 2027 season — closing the chapter on one of the most dominant coaching dynasties the game has ever seen. With 18 months left and a stack of key players off contract, what comes next for Penrith? In the AFL, Michael Voss has resigned as Carlton coach after eight s...

What a weekend in sport. Cricket Australia has tabled a $4 million per year offer to Pat Cummins in a bid to keep their Test captain away from franchise cricket — and it's not the only big money move on the table. In the AFL, Fremantle produced one of the comebacks of the season, overturning a 19-point deficit in the final quarter to win their 8th straight. In Super Netball, Paige Hadley returned...

Episode 2 of The Sports Playbook Thursday Preview is packed. Steph Gilmore has made history winning her 7th Gold Coast Pro title — 21 years after her first — while Queensland's Ethan Ewing claimed the men's event on home soil. The West Tigers are building something real under Benji Marshall, with Jahreem Bula signing through to 2030. Australian Athletics delivered bronze and a national record at t...

What a weekend in sport. The first AFL draw of 2026 arrived in stunning fashion as Hawthorn kicked after the siren to share the points with Collingwood — and the Adelaide Derby delivered one of the moments of the season. In F1, Miami saw records broken as Kimi Antonelli joined Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher in elite company. In the NRL, Cody Ramsey's return to the field after over 1,000 days...

The Socceroos have qualified for the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup, but their group is incomplete. The USA and Paraguay have also qualified, but one final spot is up for grabs, this is where the World Cup Qualifiers come in. Turkey, Romania, Kosovo, and Slovakia will all fight to get the final spot in Group D. The Sports Playbook & Coach Dan from NXT Football will break down these matches.

The 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ Is Almost Here! Australia will be hosting the football giants of Japan, People's Republic of China, South Korea and Many more. The Matilda's haven't won any silverware since 2010 at the Asian Cup and will be hoping to change this at their home tournament. #football #womensfootball #asiancup #matildas #sportsnews #sportspreview

In this episode of The Sports Playbook Spotlight , we shine the spotlight on Australia’s most successful Winter Olympics campaign ever at the 2026 Games , with five medals and dominant performances in moguls skiing and snowboarding . ❄️🇦🇺 We break down: • How Australia’s medal haul compares to previous Winter Games • The stats behind the moguls success • What this means for Australia’s winter spor...