Footy IQ

Four finals, four good games, and one question the NRL won't answer: why did Cronulla lose their home final, and why is the crowd conversation being pinned on fans?Howabout...tell us the actual reason, then show us that moving it fixed anything. And if we're going to play finals in big stadiums, work out how to fill them, because $9 for a Cornetto and four kids is $36 before you've sat down.Also: Cleary cleared, defending Kalyn Ponga, the double-movement rule rewritten, and why the Warriors did everything right and still don't have a knockout punch.

NRL finals 2026 are here, and the Warriors v Dolphins qualifying final at Go Media Stadium might be the closest fixture of the lot. Two meetings this season, both decided by two points, 44-all on aggregate — and Saturday is the first time these two have met at Go Media all year. Chris Danks and Blake Austin unpack Andrew Webster's edge defence argument and whether he's right that it's the less alarming kind of problem, why the Dolphins' first 20 minutes will decide the game, and why fatigue is the thing that actually breaks an edge. Also on the show: whether Penrith have the easiest path of any minor premier in years, the 50-point rule that rules three teams out of contention, why Erin Clark and Wayde Egan still don't get the credit they deserve, how a field goal is really set up, and what the Storm did against 12 men that nobody else is doing. Footy IQ is smart footy talk — systems, decision-making and trends over hot takes.

Fitzgibbon said his side is uptight. That's an unusual thing for a coach to say out loud a week out from a final — and it raises a question we spent most of this episode on: what can a coach actually do about it in seven days? Simplify the game plan, shorten the shift, change the kicking pattern — or is "uptight" just the word we reach for after a side gets beaten? Plus Blake on what makes Cody Walker different from every other five-eighth in the game, and why Sam Walker's injury might quietly help the Roosters.

The Warriors are top of the ladder, 8-2 at home, and every pundit in the country is treating a finals trip to Auckland like a death sentence. Blake Austin isn't convinced the players see it that way — he reckons most finals sides will still turn up with an arrogance about it, and that he'd have wanted the trip himself. Plus: Adam Reynolds' career ends on a calf strain, Josh Papali'i's last home game in Canberra, why every contender is suddenly carrying a bopper on the bench, and what Blake got wrong about Penrith last week.

Penrith lost 12-6 on Thursday night and looked more like Penrith than they have in a month. The Roosters needed near-best footy and a very specific plan to beat them — hammering the Panthers' left edge until Daly Cherry-Evans found the space twice in a game that produced three tries all night. Chris and Blake break down what that actually means for both sides come September. Plus: why the Warriors' system is built well enough that Luke Hansen can start at halfback with one NRL game to his name, why everyone should want to play the Cowboys right now, and Canberra's edge speed exposing Cronulla.

Penrith say Isaah Yeo won't need surgery — but they still have four weeks to solve a problem they haven't had to solve all year. Chris Danks and Blake Austin on what actually changes without him. Also this week: Ricky Stuart's press conference after Canberra's elimination and the one decision he singled out; how the Warriors' 28-12 win over Penrith became a blueprint; why Cronulla's loss to the Dragons is less alarming than it looks; Manly's big off-season; whether the Dolphins are a genuine premiership threat (Blake isn't convinced); and the Cameron Munster MRC decision — should how badly a player is hurt change the grading of the tackle? Footy IQ is a tactical NRL show from The Sporting News — systems, decisions and trends, not hot takes. New episodes every week.

Penrith have lost just four games all season — to the Bulldogs (Rd 6), Titans (Rd 16), Cowboys (Rd 17) and Broncos (Rd 20). We break down every single one of those losses to see if there's a genuine blueprint hiding in there, or if the Panthers are just occasionally, unpredictably beatable. Plus: Laurie Daley steps down as NSW coach, Sam Walker's night with the ledger, and why Parramatta's coach wasn't happy despite the win.

Footy IQ breaks down the Adam Doueihi situation at the Wests Tigers — and takes a different angle to most of the coverage. The guys argue that most every current NRL commentator or ex-player in media was a 300-game star, and their idea of what "being a team player" means is shaped by never having to sacrifice their spot — a perspective most guys in Doueihi's position never get. We cover the full timeline (the Luai release fallout, the team-sheet snub, the judiciary hearing, the 56-10 loss to Canberra) and make the case that Doueihi could repair a lot of the fallout simply by admitting it was an emotional decision and that he's genuinely invested in the club.

NRL Round 20 is done and the Top 8 race is officially on. In this Footy IQ episode we dig into the fringe teams – Broncos, Storm, Raiders, Bulldogs and even the steadily impressive Knights – and ask whether the hype matches the ladder when it comes to finals footy If you like tactical NRL breakdowns, systems chat and real talk on decision‑making rather than hot‑take outrage, you’re in the right place. Subscribe for weekly NRL Round reviews, deep dives on key clubs, and smarter finals chat. Watch the show here, or listen on Spotify and your favourite podcast apps by searching Footy IQ – an NRL show about how teams actually play, not just who won.

What happens when a club in the middle of a reset suddenly has the chance to drop Jarome Luai next to Mitchell Moses for one year? In this Footy IQ Round 19 episode, we unpack whether the Luai‑to‑Eels move is smart list management or a short‑term band‑aid – from cap strategy to what it signals to Parramatta’s junior halves and pathways.smh.com+2 We then widen the lens: Cronulla’s 66‑0 shut‑out of the Dolphins shows what a mature system looks like, even with key backs missing, while the Roosters, Rabbitohs, Cowboys and Storm all offer clues about how elite clubs manage Origin hangovers and development pipelines. This is a tactics‑first NRL show – if you’re into shapes, systems and long‑term planning, subscribe to Footy IQ on YouTube and in your podcast app of choice.

We recorded this in Melbourne. On Origin III day. With a former Storm captain who now works at Collingwood — and the NRL had just announced the biggest broadcast deal in Australian sporting history. Christian Welch has seen both codes from the inside. He has a commerce degree, an MBA, three ACLs, and opinions on rugby league's commercial blind spots that the NRL probably doesn't want aired publicly. So we aired them. The $5.3B deal, the AFL gap, the Storm machine, Pasifika and Origin, Perth, PNG and the 20-team question. Subscribe to Footy IQ. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Did Laurie Daley just bet the Blues’ entire Origin series on Payne Haas and a chaotic bench rotation? In this episode we break down how NSW are trying to win Game 3 at Suncorp – from the minutes they need out of Haas, Fonua‑Blake and Murray to the way Teddy, Moses and the backfield have to change if the attack is going to work.

Everyone’s blaming “structure” for NSW’s Origin problems – we think that’s lazy. In this episode Blake pulls apart the real issues behind the Blues’ Game 3 headache, from selection calls to combinations and who’s actually built for Suncorp. We also get into the future: who should coach NSW next, and Blake’s own 1–17 for Origin 3 that he believes can win a decider in Brisbane. If you want more than clichés and want to understand how the Blues can actually get it right, this one’s for you. Subscribe for weekly NRL and State of Origin breakdowns, plus tactical deep dives and smarter footy chat. Audio version is available on all major podcast apps – just search “Footy IQ”.

Have the Canberra Raiders’ structures finally been found out? In this Footy IQ episode, Chris and Blake dig into why last year’s minor premiers have slumped into the bottom half of the ladder and what’s actually broken in their attack and defence. We look at how the loss of Jamal Fogarty has exposed the spine, why their set shapes aren’t giving young halves clear pictures, and what Blake would be drilling into the 1‑6‑7‑9 to simplify their roles. We also talk about where you “park” rookie halves defensively, how much the forwards can protect them, and whether this is a dip before another push or a sign the window has closed.

The Origin Game 2 team lists have finally dropped, and both coaches have swung some big selection calls. In this episode, we give our honest reactions to the Blues and Maroons squads – who deserved their jersey, who’s been a bit lucky, and what these line‑ups tell us about the game plans for the MCG. We break down the spines, forward packs and benches, and ask whether these combinations actually fit modern Origin footy or just look good on paper. Hit subscribe if you’re into Origin‑level tactics and selection chat, and find Footy IQ wherever you get your podcasts.

State of Origin 2026 Game II is coming to the MCG, and the big question for the NSW Blues is simple: where do you actually play Ethan Strange?” In this episode of Footy IQ, we break down all the options – five‑eighth, centre, bench utility – and what each one does to the rest of the Blues spine and attacking structure.We look at how Strange combined with Nathan Cleary in that wild Game I comeback, what Laurie Daley has hinted at with his selections, and how a young ball‑runner changes the way NSW attack Queensland’s edges.

State of Origin I week has been flipped on its head, with NSW five‑eighth Mitchell Moses in doubt after pulling up with hamstring tightness at training and Matt Burton called into Blues camp as cover. Laurie Daley has already named Raiders young gun Ethan Strange in jersey 18, and if Moses can’t go on Wednesday night it leaves a massive call for the Blues: do you trust Burton’s experience and left foot, or roll the dice on Strange’s X‑factor?

The 2026 State of Origin teams are IN – and both the NSW Blues and Queensland Maroons have dropped some huge selection calls for Game I at Accor Stadium. We break down the confirmed Origin 2026 line‑ups, from Laurie Daley building a monster Blues pack around Addin Fonua‑Blake, Mitchell Moses and Nathan Cleary, to Billy Slater handing Sam Walker his Maroons debut alongside Kalyn Ponga and Cameron Munster.

NRL Round 10 delivered a genuine Knights statement, a steady Roosters machine performance and a few big Queensland Maroons selection questions – so we’re breaking it all down on Footy IQ. Newcastle smashed the Dragons 44–10, with Greg Marzhew crossing for five tries and Kalyn Ponga steering a left edge that looked absolutely untouchable. We dig into how Justin Holbrook has transformed the Knights’ attack and whether this is officially a “from spoon to September” season. Then we swing to Gosford, where James Tedesco’s double helped the Sydney Roosters grind past the Titans 28–12 for their sixth straight win – not always pretty, but very much a top‑four type victory. Finally, we zoom out to Queensland’s Origin picture: who’s locked in, who’s pushing their way into Billy Slater’s plans, and which Round 10 performances actually move the needle for the Maroons

With Canterbury falling to their third-straight defeat and struggling to score points, Blake Austin questions whether it's time for a rebuild at the Bulldogs. Meanwhile, the Footy Gods come down hard on the Wests Tigers, Penrith and Nathan Cleary are playing possum, the referees are hedging their bets on hip-drop tackles and there are some tough State of Origin calls to be made. All this and more in the latest episode of Footy IQ.