Inside the Grind: Gus Breaks Down a Week in the NRL

Three rounds remain and the race to the finals is heating up. Phil Gould and Mat Thompson break down Brisbane’s dramatic fall from defending premiers, why Gus still has Penrith as his premiership favourite, and whether Souths can genuinely threaten the top sides. Plus, Gus gives a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at what an NRL training week actually involves, and whether conferences, trade windows and a revamped Origin period could work in a 20-team competition. They also preview Round 25, revisit one of Brad Fittler’s great finals performances and remember some extraordinary goal-kicking displays from Hazem El Masri and a teenage Nathan Cleary. 00:00 - Welcome & the Logies 02:27 - The Premiership Race Takes Shape 03:35 - Can the Sharks Recover Without Braydon Trindall? 06:17 - What Is Going On With the Cowboys? 08:48 - Bulldogs' Missed Opportunity Against Souths 09:56 - Are South Sydney a Genuine Premiership Threat? 13:12 - Will Cody Walker Play On? 14:28 - Tedesco's Kangaroos Chances 15:30 - What's Broken at the Broncos? 20:07 - The Pressure of the NRL Media 22:43 - Why Gus Still Believes in Penrith 29:08 - Are Penrith in a Mini Pre-Season? 30:17 - Inside the Week of an NRL Team 33:02 - How NRL Players Spend Their Training Week 36:17 - Travel, Captain's Runs & Game-Day Preparation 38:06 - How Short Turnarounds Change an NRL Week 40:21 - Team List Tuesday & the Six-Man Bench 42:26 - Are Five-Day Turnarounds a Disadvantage? 44:29 - What Fans Don't See About NRL Players 47:24 - Could Conferences Work in the NRL? 49:17 - Does the NRL Need a Trade Window? 51:31 - Gus' Vision for Rugby League's Future 53:38 - Should Origin Be Played in Consecutive Weeks? 55:27 - Gus' Fan Mail 56:38 - Gus Discovers Amazon 58:10 - Six Tackles Trivia: Fittler's Famous Comeback 1:02:20 - Hazem El Masri's Incredible Goal-Kicking 1:05:45 - Teenage Nathan Cleary's 10 From 10 1:07:08 - Round 25 Preview & Gus' Tips 1:17:08 - A Special Panthers Reunion Coming?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.