Western Weekender

Troy Dodds and Nathan Taylor preview Penrith's clash against the Roosters in Round 4 of the NRL. Visit www.westernweekender.com.au or download The Western Weekender App.

Troy Dodds and Nathan Taylor preview the Round 3 NRL clash between Penrith and Brisbane. Hear from Ivan Cleary and Billy Walters as we deliver the final preview of the Grand Final re-match. Visit www.westernweekender.com.au or download The Western Weekender App.

Former Defence Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne joins us 'On The Record' to discuss her extraordinary career in politics. A Federal Senator from 1997 until her retirement in 2023, she has held several high profile positions in Government and become a trailblazer for women in politics. Marise speaks about her passion for the Liberal Party, how a car accident changed her direction...

Troy Dodds and Nathan Taylor provide your last minute Panthers v Eels Preview ahead of the Round 2 NRL clash at BlueBet Stadium. Visit www.westernweekender.com.au or download The Western Weekender App.

Troy Dodds and Nathan Taylor provide a last minute preview of the Round 1 NRL clash between Penrith and Melbourne. Visit www.westernweekender.com.au or download The Western Weekender App.

Currently the President of the Penrith Valley Chamber of Commerce, Richard Fox's career has had many chapters. He rose to prominence as one of Great Britain's best paddlers in the 1980s, and competed at the Olympics in 1992. His move to Penrith became pivotal - and he played a critical role in the Sydney 2000 Olympics, before raising his family here. As the father of prolific paddlers Jess and Noe...

Gina Field is a trailblazer in the security industry - defying gender stereotypes to succeed in an industry so often dominated by men. Gina speaks to us about why she entered the industry in the first place, how a redundancy resulted in the launch of her business Nepean Regional Security, and why it's tougher owning a business now than ever before. A great business success story, Gina speaks about...

Former Panthers Group CEO Glenn Matthews opens up about his life and career. Glenn speaks about his rise through the ranks of Panthers, including surviving making a $1 million mistake early in his career. He opens up about the controversy surrounding 2003 Premiership winning coach John Lang's departure from Penrith, including the infamous 'broken promise'. Glenn also speaks about being charged by...

Kyra Quinlivan has positioned herself as a domestic violence victims' advocate in Penrith, a city plagued by the issue. She speaks to us about the current domestic violence situation, and what changes are needed to help victims. Plus why she doesn't want to be remembered as the 'DV advocate' in years to come. Visit www.westernweekender.com.au or download The Western Weekender App.

World War II veteran David Trist recounts his experiences at war, and his involvement in Legacy for many decades. A long-time St Marys resident, David speaks about his career in banking, and what went wrong when he organised a home loan for music great Col Joye. Visit www.westernweekender.com.au or download The Western Weekender App.

Former St Marys Local Area Commander Ray Filewood had a stellar career in policing, with the local area always intertwined. He speaks to us about his role in responding to the Glenbrook Train Disaster, the Bathurst Motorcycle Race Riots and the Sydney 2000 Olympics. After more than 40 years in the police, Ray certainly has some fascinating stories to tell. Visit www.westernweekender.com.au or down...

Born and bred in Penrith, Bruce Turner had a stellar career in accounting and internal auditing. In his later years, he has become an author - telling stories of Penrith's extraordinary history, and the people who laid the foundations for the modern city we have today. At its core, Bruce's story is one of a passionate Penrith family man who has watched the city grow and evolve to what it is today....

Alan Whiticker has written more than 50 books, covering everything from rugby league to true crime and biographies. Born and bred in Penrith, he has a fascinating story about growing up in a changing city, becoming a teacher and following his true passion in writing. Visit www.westernweekender.com.au or download The Western Weekender App.

Gai Hawthorn is the CEO of the Penrith CBD Corporation. She has a long history in Penrith - her Dad helped build the Leonay Golf Club - and has worked for major local organisations including Panthers and The Good Guys. Gai is also a passionate charity advocate, working closely with Penrith Community Kitchen, Penrith PCYC and the McGrath Foundation. She chats about her roles in Penrith, working wit...

Stanton & Taylor is the longest-running real estate business in Penrith. Director Greg Taylor joins us as we kick off series three of On The Record. Greg speaks about studying to be an accountant, how he got into the family real estate business, and how his firm has survived where others have fallen. Greg has a fascinating story to tell about surviving in a cut-throat industry, and thriving in...

Troy Dodds and Nathan Taylor take a look back at Penrith's 2023 season, which culminated in an historic NRL three-peat. Plus, they look ahead to next year at some exciting things in store for the Panthers and the NRL. Visit www.westernweekender.com.au or download The Western Weekender App.

Troy Dodds and Nathan Taylor take an early look at Grand Final week, and preview the 2003 NRL decider between Penrith and Brisbane. Visit www.westernweekender.com.au or download The Western Weekender App.

Troy Dodds and Nathan Taylor take a look at the 2023 NRL season for the Penrith Panthers. There's a few bold predictions, a couple of laughs and lots of footy talk ahead of the new season. Visit www.westernweekender.com.au or download The Western Weekender App.

Troy Dodds and Nathan Taylor take an in depth, light-hearted look at the 2022 NRL Grand Final between Penrith and Parramatta at Accor Stadium. Visit www.westernweekender.com.au or download The Western Weekender App.

Fiona Scott served as the Federal Member for Lindsay from 2013 to 2016. In this podcast, she opens up about Tony Abbott's infamous 'sex appeal' comment and how much it impacted her, reveals unknown details about the shock 2016 election defeat and talks about how she handled the loss. She also reveals her personal journey with trying to start a family through IVF. Visit www.westernweekender.com.au...

Born at a private hospital on High Street, Jim Mason has had Penrith in his blood since birth. He started working with Penrith City Council in 1960, and embarked on what would be a 45-year career in local government. Fresh from celebrating his 80th birthday, Jim talks about his long career, the changing face of Penrith and his involvement with the time-honoured Penrith Show - among many other loca...

Born in Penrith, Belinda Wollaston dreamed of a career on stage from a young age. She has gone on to perform in dozens of major musicals, eventually moving to London where she's performed on the West End. Musical theatre has taken her all over the world, but it is a life and career that began here in Penrith. Belinda speaks about how she forged a career from humble beginnings in the suburbs of Syd...

Peter Collins is the current Chair of Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, which oversees Nepean Hospital. But his link with Nepean Hospital dates back several decades, when he became a key figure in installing the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Peter had a long career in politics, including as NSW Opposition Leader. In recent years, his role at Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District a...

Bernard Zuel is one of the most respected music writers in Australian journalism, best known for his 25 years with The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper. But it is Penrith where Bernard learned his craft, especially during a stint with the Penrith Press newspaper in the early 1990s. In this fascinating chat, Bernard speaks about his career, the music industry, journalism and difficult confrontations...

Ross Free has the honour of being the inaugural Member for Lindsay. He speaks about his time in the Hawke and Keating ministries, about Penrith's growth in the 1980s and 1990s, and about that infamous 1996 election, when he lost the seat. Ross is a long-time Labor Party member and his life in politics is both intriguing and insightful. Visit www.westernweekender.com.au or download The Western Week...