Six Tackles With Gus

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 week00:46 Inside Newcastle’s extraordinary win03:59 Penrith’s injuries and the Knights’ belief06:54 Records set to fall07:28 Silverchair and Newcastle’s groundswell of support09:32 Phoenix Crossland’s absence and the hip-drop debate12:06 Newcastle’s depth and Penrith’s painful exit13:39 Who wins the Clive Churchill Medal?14:43 Ali Brigginshaw and the NRLW grand final16:52 Dally M results and Nathan Cleary’s season19:44 Penrith’s next chapter20:37 Grand final trivia22:23 Gus’s Andrew Johns story from 200124:30 Clive Churchill winners and the Royce Simmons argument26:52 Rugby league’s greatest grand final fairytales28:41 Why Gus is backing the Roosters32:52 Team news and Daly Cherry-Evans33:28 Newcastle’s dummy-half options and defensive strength35:33 Why the first 20 minutes matter36:48 Gus’s final tips37:05 State Championship preview38:05 Grand final entertainment and season farewellSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Gus02:27 Why Gal is returning to boxing04:03 Boxing heroes and Mike Tyson stories06:03 Marathons, charity walks and a pie-eating contest07:29 Graduation celebrations08:44 Grand final entertainment and Nolsey’s Origin encounter10:48 Yes or No11:57 Can the Dolphins handle preliminary final pressure?12:53 Nathan Cleary’s fitness15:08 Why the Roosters are hitting their straps17:47 Who deserves Coach of the Year?20:46 Latrell Mitchell and the Perth Bears speculation24:48 What’s missing at the Sharks?28:48 Ask Gal: preparing for a preliminary final32:17 Ricky Stuart’s brutal training challenge36:09 How well does Gal know his own career?40:02 NRLW preliminary final predictions41:21 Dolphins v Roosters43:41 Panthers v Knights45:35 Gal’s boxing comeback and approach to trash talk47:46 Farewell  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With four preliminary final spots on the line, Gus and Mat Thompson preview Roosters v Sharks and Warriors v Knights. Can the Roosters bounce back from their bruising clash with Penrith, and will Kalyn Ponga inspire Newcastle to an upset in Auckland? Gus reveals the two key inclusions that could swing his Warriors tip, assesses the Dolphins’ premiership chances and discusses Nathan Cleary’s fitness. Plus, a look inside Canterbury’s end-of-season review and another chapter in the infamous skunk story. 00:00 Welcome: finals week two01:22 Wests Tigers’ NRLW turnaround02:51 Ranking the opening weekend of finals04:40 Gus: let the game breathe13:25 Can the Dolphins win the premiership?14:34 Herbie Farnworth and the Hammer’s strike power18:42 Will finals fatigue hurt the Roosters?20:02 Nathan Cleary’s injury concerns22:24 The science behind the skunk story23:39 Yes or No: Millie Elliott and Corban Baxter’s legacy25:45 Kalyn Ponga’s brilliance and leadership33:29 Are finals tickets too expensive?39:03 Ask Gus: which teams will regret their season?42:22 Inside the Bulldogs’ end-of-season review52:10 Gus shares his data and graphs56:13 Six Tackles Trivia58:45 NRLW finals and NRL preview59:36 Roosters v Sharks1:03:22 Warriors v Knights1:10:07 Potential preliminary final matchups1:10:23 Weekend coverage and farewellSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 arrived01:19 Mad Monday then and now03:47 The Bulldogs’ legendary overseas trips06:06 Gus’s life lesson - don’t wrestle with a skunk10:40 Rugby league rallies around Jai Arrow13:19 Darrell Brohman joins the show14:10 Darrell tells the full skunk story18:02 Memories from the Bulldogs’ trip20:30 One final warning about skunks21:14 Yes or No - Canberra’s exciting future24:49 Should finals be played at suburban grounds?31:03 Isaah Yeo’s remarkable recovery33:38 Assessing the NRL finals contenders34:14 Penrith Panthers - strength, weakness and X-factor42:34 New Zealand Warriors - strength, weakness and X-factor48:03 Dolphins - strength, weakness and X-factor56:04 Sydney Roosters - strength, weakness and X-factor01:01:34 Can a bottom-four team win the premiership?01:02:02 Six Tackles Trivia01:05:59 NRLW Round 1101:06:34 Rabbitohs v Knights01:09:13 Warriors v Dolphins01:11:31 Sharks v Cowboys01:16:28 Panthers v Roosters01:18:04 Gus predicts the finals01:19:16 The infamous “Sic ’em, Rex” commercial01:20:45 Gus’s final life lessonsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Phil Gould and Mathew Thompson break down the final round of the NRL regular season as the Warriors and Panthers battle for the minor premiership. Gus explains why Lachlan Galvin’s rapid rise is unlike anything he has seen from a young half, assesses the legacies of Adam Reynolds, Payne Haas, Josh Papalii and Jarome Luai, and names his team of the year. The pair also revisit their preseason predictions, examine whether Cronulla can recover in time for the finals and preview every Round 27 match. 00:00 Round 27 and the minor premiership race01:06 Bulldogs finish the season with promise03:06 Lachlan Galvin’s remarkable season03:26 Why young halfbacks need development time07:19 Galvin’s extraordinary leap into the NRL09:45 When halfbacks reach their prime10:48 Adam Reynolds’ Brisbane legacy13:11 Payne Haas prepares to leave Brisbane17:05 Josh Papalii’s Canberra legacy19:28 Jarome Luai’s complicated Tigers legacy22:25 PNG and the changing player market25:06 Can the Tigers replace Luai?27:39 Six Tackles team of the year41:46 Revisiting Gus’ preseason predictions44:24 Can Cronulla recover before the finals?48:48 The danger of resting players51:03 Six Tackles trivia53:01 NRLW news and Round 27 preview54:27 Titans v Dolphins57:21 Rabbitohs v Roosters and Jai Arrow’s milestone01:00:58 Warriors v Sea Eagles01:02:51 Cowboys v Raiders01:03:31 Sharks v Storm01:05:04 Dragons v Eels01:06:31 Panthers v Tigers01:08:24 The selection debate turns to golf01:09:04 Gus’ Bob Fulton golf-cart storySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.