Sportscafe

Murray Mexted joins Ric Salizzo and Marc Ellis, who still remembers the day his hero pulled up at the park and told him “good kick, lad” when he was eight years old. Murray tells how Graham Mourie tracked him down in France with a whiteboard and changed how he played No. 8. He covers months alone in a French town where nobody spoke English, packing down beside Cowboy Shaw, and the 1981 test at Eden Park when the flour bombs fell. He also explains why switching off matters as much as switching on. Plus: Stu Wilson driving golf balls down Tawa’s main street at 5am, the day Murray took ten years off his age, and how he met his wife at an airport baggage carousel. Sportscafe Legends is brought to you by Sal's Pizza and Southern Alps Lager.

At 13 he was 128kg, two metres tall and couldn’t do a chin-up. Straight out of school he gave himself two years to make it. Brodie Retallick joins Ric Salizzo and Marc Ellis live from Kobe. Brodie opens up on the 4.30am rowing sessions in Amberley that built him, the Chiefs pre-season where fights broke out every week, and the rivalry with Sam Whitelock that kept them both in the black jersey. He also covers the one thing he regrets about his career, whether a World Cup comeback is on the table, and why his daughters have seen him cry. Plus: the muscle car show he bought, the All Black bus rule nobody tells you about, and Ric’s Japanese business dinner that ended on a hot plate. Sportscafe Legends is brought to you by Sal’s Authentic New York Pizza, Southern Alps Brewing Co. and Gull.

Connor Watson has waited 11 years for his first NRL grand final – and on Sunday he'll (hopefully) line up against the Knights and his old housemate Kalyn Ponga. It's the last Sportscafe of 2026, and Marc Ellis joins the crew for the season finale. Connor talks grand final week and facing Ponga's Knights, while the panel debates the hip-drop that cost Newcastle Phoenix Crossland, and whether the NRL needs an orange card. Lenny relives the Lions' four-minute grand final comeback from the MCG, Wharfie Time and all, along with the Norm Smith debate. Tayla hands out our end-of-season awards, Macca shares his hard-earned advice for a big night out, and two of the year's fan favourites return: the back-fence king and the Talbot Bay Birdwatching Club. Travelling this summer? Get 15% off your first Saily eSIM with code SPORTSCAFE. Download the Saily app and enter code SPORTSCAFE at checkout, or head to saily.com/sportscafe Stay connected in 200+ destinations with no roaming fees and no physical SIM needed.

It's finals season across both codes, and we've got the perfect guests for it. Brownlow Medallist and three-time Brisbane Lions premiership player Simon Black joins us to gives us insights into AFL Grand Final, where he has the honour of presenting the premiership cup. He talks through what grand final week is really like, what he got wrong in his first one, the Lions' shot at three in a row, and why premierships are built over years, not a single season. Knights great Kurt Gidley breaks down Newcastle's rise from last year's wooden spoon to a preliminary final, the Justin Holbrook effect, and what finals footy means to the town. Plus: Connor on the semi-final win and Sam Walker's return, Chur Ma Bro demands an apology for Warriors fans, Joey's legendary 40-nil road graffiti, and the panel picks their AFL Grand Final winners. 🌎Go to https://saily.com/sportscafe and use the code SPORTSCAFE to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase. Here is your code for free access to Saily: promoCBr3HVigz94sSf4CDWX8 (1GB code)

Connor breaks down the Roosters' qualifying final loss to Penrith, what has to change against Cronulla on Saturday night, and where Sam Walker's recovery is at. Plus the crew debates the Sydney Sweeney betting ad, meets a 17-year-old who kicked the winner two weeks running, and our debate about the greatest sports movie of all time goes off the rails. Timestamps: Chapters 00:00:00 Teaser 00:00:59 Connor Watson on the Panthers loss 00:04:54 Do-or-die against the Sharks 00:08:46 That pregame praying video on the NRL account 00:10:28 Joey on the Warriors: "I'm fine" 00:14:38 The Sydney Sweeney betting ad debate 00:20:10 Riley Carter: two clutch kicks, two weeks 00:26:24 Who'd you pick for the grand final pregame? 00:30:18 Greatest sports movie of all time 00:39:11 Chris Lynn on Cricket Australia's privatisation push