And gaffe of the year goes to Laurie Daley for announcing retired 46-year-old Casey McGuire in the NSW Blues team instead of Casey McLean… But anyway, the panel go into deep analysis of the NSW Blues and QLD Maroons Game 1 lineups for the 2026 State of Origin Series with some very bold moves made by Laurie Daley and Billy Slater for some selections, as well as some notable debuts, absentees and the unlucky ones to miss out… The boys also cover the 7th edition of Magic Round as the NSW Blues Women take out the 2026 Women’s Origin Series!

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Intro

15:49 - Episode Overview

16:11 - Bunker Review: NSW Blues Game 1 Lineup Analysis

50:30 - Bunker Review: QLD Maroons Game 1 Lineup Analysis

1:20:41 - Bunker Review: State of Origin Game 1 Predictions

1:25:52 - NRL Round 11: TSS Tipping & Supercoach Comps

1:28:02 - NRL Round 11: Overview

1:44:26 - NRL Round 12: Rapid Fire Tips

1:47:05 - ATG: NSW Blues take out the Women’s Origin Series

1:49:01 - ATG: Super League Round 11 Results

1:49:29 - Outro

——

Click the link to follow us on Instagram, Facebook & TikTok, or to listen on your preferred podcasting platform:

https://linktr.ee/thesidelinestoryrlpodcast

——

Hosted by Daniel Tassone, Nicholas Guild & Ryan Clarke.

Podcast distributed to all major listening apps.

Music credit ‘Chase’ [prod. Yrii Semchyshyn from Pixabay].

Logo designed by Tahlia Tassone.

© The Sideline Story: Rugby League Podcast, 2021.

——

“You're listening to The Sideline Story Rugby League Podcast: The Greatest View of Rugby League from the Sideline”

The boys are fed up as the NRL product continues its on-field decline in 2026, with the game’s transformation into all-attack-no-defence proving to be a sore-point for NRL fans everywhere (this leads the boys to protest their NRL coverage this episode into a more condensed format). This episode is largely dedicated however to the upcoming State of Origin Series, with the panel selecting their Game 1 lineups for both the NSW Blues and QLD Maroons. In the NRL the Bulldogs lose 4-straight, Roosters win in controversial circumstances, Eels score first ever 3-point golden point victory, Dragons STILL winless, Fozball is in full-effect, Storm break their 7-game losing streak, and Panthers defeat a gallant Raiders in the game of the week.

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Intro

07:50 - Panel Protest: “We don’t like the NRL in 2026”

18:30 - Episode Overview

19:05 - Bunker Review: NSW Blues Game 1 Lineup Predictions

57:52 - Bunker Review: QLD Maroons Game 1 Lineup Predictions

1:11:03 - Bunker Review: The Sideline Story combined Origin team selections

1:16:01 - NRL Round 10: TSS Tipping & Supercoach Comps

1:21:38 - NRL Round 10: Overview

1:54:34 - NRL Round 11: Rapid Fire Tips

1:57:55 - ATG: Challenge Cup Semi-Final Results

1:58:33 - Outro

——

Click the link to follow us on Instagram, Facebook & TikTok, or to listen on your preferred podcasting platform:

https://linktr.ee/thesidelinestoryrlpodcast

——

Hosted by Daniel Tassone, Nicholas Guild & Ryan Clarke.

Podcast distributed to all major listening apps.

Music credit ‘Chase’ [prod. Yrii Semchyshyn from Pixabay].

Logo designed by Tahlia Tassone.

© The Sideline Story: Rugby League Podcast, 2021.

——

“You're listening to The Sideline Story Rugby League Podcast: The Greatest View of Rugby League from the Sideline”

The boys analyse the one-third point of the 2026 NRL season and dissect the NRL ladder and each team’s status, but not before discussing comparisons of the 2026 season to that of the 2021 season which was one of the worst on-field products in recent memory. We also have another edition of player transfer news and rumours (PNG Chiefs, Perth Bears, May brothers and Bula commit to Tigers, Josh Schuster, and more). In the NRL the Bulldogs decline becomes all too evident, Cowboys win 6 from 7, Storm lose the most games in a row in the club’s history, Tigers cop the 50-point curse, Knights-Souths another 80-point battle, and much more. Around the Grounds saw NSW Blues Women take a 1-0 lead in Origin, the Super League Round 10 Results and the NSWRL Junior GFs!

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Intro

07:47 - Is the NRL product declining in 2026?

21:05 - Episode Overview

21:51 - Bunker Review: NRL Ladder Review at one-third point of the season

1:06:48 - Bunker Review: NRL player transfer news and rumours

1:26:25 - NRL Round 9: TSS Tipping & Supercoach Comps

1:28:17 - NRL Round 9: Overview

1:39:36 - NRL Round 10: Rapid Fire Tips

1:42:28 - ATG: Women SOO Game 1 (NSW def. QLD; 1-0 lead)

1:44:01 - ATG: Super League Round 10 Results

1:44:22 - ATG: NSWRL Junior Grand Final Results

1:45:05 - Outro

——

Click the link to follow us on Instagram, Facebook & TikTok, or to listen on your preferred podcasting platform:

https://linktr.ee/thesidelinestoryrlpodcast

——

Hosted by Daniel Tassone, Nicholas Guild & Ryan Clarke.

Podcast distributed to all major listening apps.

Music credit ‘Chase’ [prod. Yrii Semchyshyn from Pixabay].

Logo designed by Tahlia Tassone.

© The Sideline Story: Rugby League Podcast, 2021.

——

“You're listening to The Sideline Story Rugby League Podcast: The Greatest View of Rugby League from the Sideline”