The Grapple

The Grapple
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Welcome to The Grapple! Broadcasters, thespians and shameless sports geeks Joel Spreadborough and Johnny Manning take a deep, irreverent tumble into the world of Rugby League, sport, life in general..and god knows what else.

  1. 1D AGO

    Episode 2/6 + 1.0 : ANONYMOUS HEROES

    As a new season sets in and the NRL sets its sights on a possible Friday night footy adventure into Sarajevo or Constantinople, our heroes emerge from the gloom with a belated but brazen return to the microphone for 2026. An off season deemed not really worth coming back early for is swiped left quicker than an undesired Tinder approach, and the introspection sorely missing from the current sporting agenda is bombarded with the podcast equivalent of a barrage of unsolicited d**kpics. Our heroes have 3 main issues on their mind around the Why Brisbane Broncos: why have they always been fibbing about Payne Haas and coach Michael Maguire's friendship, why Brisbane media scribes are fibbing about his apparently stated desired longevity at the club, and- to quote the 90's cult classic Hot Shots2- why did we bring helium instead of air? Moving the crosshairs onto NRL Hq, John Mannings attempt at an measured and un emotionally impacted take on State of Origin eligibility changes holds about as much credibility as Australia's T20 cricket squad, who don't escape a spray for combined ineptitude and failure to capitalise on its enormous talent pool. But, aka Mark Waugh, it's easy to throw stones at the setup when you're not a selector anymore. BY THE WAY ORIGIN, why don't you just say you want to see Kiwis and Tongans spending hard earned on $160 synthetic blue and maroon jerseys and talk less about your version of the games fabric?  S****y newscorp headlines claiming non existent beefs are cross examined with prejudice, as is the ABC Sport claim that Australia is the moguls capital of the world. In short- both are BS. But how good is winter sport when all of our would be cereal box heroes have their faces mostly covered by ski masks? 'Look honey, it's Jakarta Anthony.. oh wait no, shit, this is a home invasion!' Six nations rugby adulation rounds out a romp worthy of several replays, with a sprinkle of some classic stories from our heroes alter ego existences as prolific (but never spared from the wrath of a withering director) actors. These idiots are just getting started baby.  2026, the year of the Grapple. Look it up.

    58 min

  2. 11/26/2025

    Litigious Arbitratious

    As Summer descends and the Mercurio rises our heroes muse over the mere concept of a new world order. One where athletes can play for whomever they wish, where ever they wish and the threat of life long bans is a campfire horror story told by broken down old footballers to their wide eyed offspring.  In this NWO, Les  Kiss is currently coaching the Wallabies and making the hard selection calls that this podcast alone endorses, the Broncos logo is just that and not some hundred million dollar statement on the ghost of Brisbane’s past, present and future and PVL wears a taylor made suit.  When finally the day dream breaks and reality sets in we congratulate Big H and Len on their inclusion in the world VX, we break down the pitches down under and wax lyrical about an Aussie pace attack still 2 prongs short of a nightmare.  A much needs semi hiatus awaits our battle weary righteous warriors.  When it’s all done bar the shouting, the only thing left to do is Grapple.

    47 min

  3. 11/20/2025

    THE EMBRYONIC FLEDGE

    Australia bloods more bats.. England phones it in Vlandys struggles to put the entire NRL playing group in the bin The Wallabies are a game away from rugbys greatest sin AND the CELTIC COUNTRIES CAUS CHAOS with dramatic last minute wins Alllll happening in the world of sport and our heroes are padded up and ready to take on the new ball, unlike the poms, who’ve played less cricket than the SCG gets every rained out summer in the build up to the ashes.  Peter V’Landys continues to derive inspiration from Eastern politics as he carves out an even deeper divide between the NRL and the rest of the sporting world, while the wallabies need to work out how to be less Herschelle Gibbs and more Steve Waugh under the high ball, once they catch their collective breaths from a test schedule clearly inspired by the summer routine of a Guantanamo Bay prisoner.  Meantime, the sporting purity of Ireland and Scotlands gargantuan leap into the FIFA World Cup reminds us all of what really matters. Kicks from halfway over a 10 year ban any day of the week.  Live. Laugh. Grapple.

    1h 2m

  4. 11/07/2025

    Andrew and Peter challenge the Klingons for total interstellar rule

    Andrew and Peter challenge the Klingons for total interstellar rule Crawleys crying that Kev leaving out the Emus is cruel… The Wallabies slip to seventh but do not despair While Josh Giddey now sits in Rarified  This week Grapplers call for action on the NRL. The only consistent is the inconsistency and hypocrisy. Andrew and Poiter are giving  off a “Bond Villain” like vibe…… absolutely hell bent on global, nay universal domination. Next story will be NRL HQ has relocated to a hollowed out volcano containing sharks with fricken laser beams……. In other news it seems  the independent doctors at the PAC nations got their degrees from the same cornflake box Poiter reckons R360 originated from. #prayersforeli Kevvie comes under fire for selecting his strongest 17 for an Ashes Tets  - only in a Rugby League!  #everyonegetsacar  And the Wallabies are on the precipice of having to deal with a top 6 team in the group stages of RWC. #playJAS15 As the mercury rises in the southern hemisphere the grappling gets real.

    41 min

  5. 10/31/2025

    Chapter BS: Reading the Reader

    It’s chaos as always as the rugby logo moidia dishes up the same number of shoddy headlines, only with less personnel on the tools. Our heroes call into question some of the analytical reads read out by B. Read to millions of mainstream readers. Short version: they stink. Assistant coaches are moving and shaking, rugby league is trying to dine out on the English Super League, as the English team deals with the apparent anxiety and stress of what their own coach described poor buildup to a first test fizzle. As one coach spouts the doldrums, across hemispheres another takes a Fifita sized gamble at the Rabbitohs offer a lifeline to the much maligned Lou Ferrigno doppleganger.  The wallabies need serious work and international windows are seemingly sealed against Australian prosperity. Bring them all in whenever they’re available says we.  And we can deal with a crash back to earth from our usually all conquering women’s cricket team. A World Cup semi final defeat with 338 on the board batting first doesn’t impact the belief this team remains our country’s best across all codes and comers. Besides, winning in front of a packed Indian home crowd is a treacherous prospect. Spare a thought for the 2 NRL teams who might just end up playing a season opener there if Peter ‘Napoleon’ Vlandys gets his way.  Life is for staring down 10 year bans, seeking releases, Pappling, and Grappling. Declare it to be dug,  It shalt be dugeth  Because life will always be a grapple

    1h 7m

  6. 10/23/2025

    Episode CENSORED: F the Effin' Eff Off

    The sun rises on an all new ashes series The Kangaroos team has raised a couple of vexing queries Our women’s cricket team continues in their merry way The Wallabies, the NFL, The NBA and Shohei Otahn-ey Our heroes assess international eligibility and the role of the Kangaroos assistant coach who calls himself a Bull and confronts many targets of his media crosshairs ahead of the Rugby League Ashes. Perhaps a more credentialed and active coaching appointment might have made sense? Meantime.. the buildup to Crickets Ashes- the actual and only Ashes- continues, but buildup attention turns to Australia's all conquering womens team. Are they the best womens team across any sport, including our all conquering Diamonds? Yes. Amid it all.. the Grapplers are grappling with a swearing ban, and might still let a few slip, not unlike Ange Postecoglou when he lost a job inside 40 days. Like Ange though, the swears will never really go away. Unlike him, they wont likely win us any trophies though. DIG IT.

    56 min

  7. 10/17/2025

    The Slightest Sniff of Context

    The Slightest Sniff of Context In the off season you think there’s nothing to do Why not stay up late and watch the Kangroos Whilst we can always rely on a scandal to keep things spicey Just don’t listen to the media… they info can always a tad  The N and L have been removed as prefixes to 360 and this new mob have deeper pockets than Long John Silver. But PVL is his winsome had gone all Don Corleone on players and agents who choose to “ go against the family. Lomax, Papi and Payno will be checking their beds for horses heads.  The Roos are clashing for the ashes and the Wallabies have a new 10….. another one….. mad Marky Mark still has his Wallabies carry on.  Craig may be giving Hannay a Bellyache but as always the story often gets in the way of truth. Truth seekers honour keepers. Life is definitely a Grapple this week

    55 min

  8. 10/07/2025

    EPISONCO BRONCO: WHIP IT TIL ITS HOARSE

    We will fly way up high Where the cold wind blows The Wallabies leave their worst til last And you will free the beautiful bird That's caught inside your heart Oscar Piastri falls afoul of the favourite child at McLaren And that's the way it's gonna be, little darling We'll be riding on the horses yeah, yeah Noone's talking about it, but we will. For the majority of the episode if you don't mind. Forget about Melbourne's inexplicable stage fright, sponsorship nuances for the Dolphins because of a crosstown rivals latest explosion, the worst dressed boss in world sport, Wallaby fizzlesd and formula 1's worst ever bro-feud. Forget about all of it. Because the Brisbane Broncos and Reece Walsh. That is all. DIG IT.

    1h 14m
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About

Welcome to The Grapple! Broadcasters, thespians and shameless sports geeks Joel Spreadborough and Johnny Manning take a deep, irreverent tumble into the world of Rugby League, sport, life in general..and god knows what else.

Information

  • Creator
    The Grapple
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    82
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Grapple
  • Show Website
    The Grapple