Paul Gallen steps in for Gus as Mat Thompson previews a huge preliminary final weekend.

Can the Dolphins overcome the Roosters, and can Newcastle’s fairytale continue against Penrith?

Gal gives his tips, assesses the Sharks’ season and explains why he’s returning to the boxing ring.

Plus, a classic Ricky Stuart story and a quiz testing Gal’s knowledge of his own career.

00:00 Six Tackles with Gal: Gallen replaces injured Gus
02:27 Why Gal is returning to boxing
04:03 Boxing heroes and Mike Tyson stories
06:03 Marathons, charity walks and a pie-eating contest
07:29 Graduation celebrations
08:44 Grand final entertainment and Nolsey’s Origin encounter
10:48 Yes or No
11:57 Can the Dolphins handle preliminary final pressure?
12:53 Nathan Cleary’s fitness
15:08 Why the Roosters are hitting their straps
17:47 Who deserves Coach of the Year?
20:46 Latrell Mitchell and the Perth Bears speculation
24:48 What’s missing at the Sharks?
28:48 Ask Gal: preparing for a preliminary final
32:17 Ricky Stuart’s brutal training challenge
36:09 How well does Gal know his own career?
40:02 NRLW preliminary final predictions
41:21 Dolphins v Roosters
43:41 Panthers v Knights
45:35 Gal’s boxing comeback and approach to trash talk
47:46 Farewell

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Newcastle’s fairytale meets the Roosters’ finals experience as Gus delivers his grand final verdict.

He reflects on the Knights’ extraordinary win over Penrith, Phoenix Crossland’s absence and Nathan Cleary’s season, plus shares a classic Andrew Johns story from 2001.

There’s also grand final trivia and previews of the NRLW and State Championship deciders.

00:00 Grand final week
00:46 Inside Newcastle’s extraordinary win
03:59 Penrith’s injuries and the Knights’ belief
06:54 Records set to fall
07:28 Silverchair and Newcastle’s groundswell of support
09:32 Phoenix Crossland’s absence and the hip-drop debate
12:06 Newcastle’s depth and Penrith’s painful exit
13:39 Who wins the Clive Churchill Medal?
14:43 Ali Brigginshaw and the NRLW grand final
16:52 Dally M results and Nathan Cleary’s season
19:44 Penrith’s next chapter
20:37 Grand final trivia
22:23 Gus’s Andrew Johns story from 2001
24:30 Clive Churchill winners and the Royce Simmons argument
26:52 Rugby league’s greatest grand final fairytales
28:41 Why Gus is backing the Roosters
32:52 Team news and Daly Cherry-Evans
33:28 Newcastle’s dummy-half options and defensive strength
35:33 Why the first 20 minutes matter
36:48 Gus’s final tips
37:05 State Championship preview
38:05 Grand final entertainment and season farewell

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Gus and Mathew Thompson revisit rugby league’s wild old end-of-season trips before Darrell “The Big Marn” Brohman joins them to tell the unforgettable story of Peter Kelly’s encounter with a skunk.

Plus, Gus delivers his verdict on the NRL finals, assesses the strengths and weaknesses of every leading contender and reveals why Penrith remain the team to beat.

00:00 NRL finals have arrived
01:19 Mad Monday then and now
03:47 The Bulldogs’ legendary overseas trips
06:06 Gus’s life lesson - don’t wrestle with a skunk
10:40 Rugby league rallies around Jai Arrow
13:19 Darrell Brohman joins the show
14:10 Darrell tells the full skunk story
18:02 Memories from the Bulldogs’ trip
20:30 One final warning about skunks
21:14 Yes or No - Canberra’s exciting future
24:49 Should finals be played at suburban grounds?
31:03 Isaah Yeo’s remarkable recovery
33:38 Assessing the NRL finals contenders
34:14 Penrith Panthers - strength, weakness and X-factor
42:34 New Zealand Warriors - strength, weakness and X-factor
48:03 Dolphins - strength, weakness and X-factor
56:04 Sydney Roosters - strength, weakness and X-factor
01:01:34 Can a bottom-four team win the premiership?
01:02:02 Six Tackles Trivia
01:05:59 NRLW Round 11
01:06:34 Rabbitohs v Knights
01:09:13 Warriors v Dolphins
01:11:31 Sharks v Cowboys
01:16:28 Panthers v Roosters
01:18:04 Gus predicts the finals
01:19:16 The infamous “Sic ’em, Rex” commercial
01:20:45 Gus’s final life lessons

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