The Grapple

The Grapple
  • 5.0 (1)
  • RUGBY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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. 3D AGO

    Episode 26.3The Symbology of Ultron

    The changing of seasons is not lost on our courageous heroes this week. As the spark of summer subsides, and the leaves begin to brown on the autumn trees, the often common bedfellows of Rugby League and Poetry  assume their natural and more favoured positions of front and centre in the cultural zeitgeist. Both lionhearted champions wax hysterical on the court cases of Lomax. He really should have had Ivan represent him.  Ryan Matterson seemingly had Ultron, The Entity and Hal 9000 pushing his wears to a southern counterpart, all unbeknownst to him. And just like Ethan Hunt he managed to put the back inot the submarine and tell the AI Bots a few words about sex and travel.  Discussed the knocking of centuries off many less balls, both on the sub continent and in Albion, the knocking of a certain coach who only 5 months ago broke a two decade premiership drought, the knocking out of a Melbourne front rower and the subsequent ban, the knocking of Bellamy putting Sua to fullback and the subsequent apology and retraction, the knocking of the vegas on field performance but the praising of all things off the field (aside from the final resting place of the games on Fox 2 in the USA Or was it Fox 8?), the knocking of the choice of apparel in the new Channel 7 Footy Show promo photos (and the duds wearing the apparel too) and the knocking of Australia's second best ever leggie. Get a grip Stu. Joel tells Johnny he's gone too far and threatens to jump across the Mic, but that part was unfortunately lost to the cutting room floor. All Grappling is done under the strict supervision of a Welsh wrestling coach.  Life is enough of a Grapple these days.

    55 min

  2. FEB 25

    EPISODE 26.2: FRYING UP THE ARTICHOKES

    As we spiral headlong into a cultural collision course with Las Vegas and its Allegiant Stadium…curiously  dubbed the Death Star…. Our heroes lifelong quest to uncover the Sith, who are really running the NRL , is realised. And you’ll be shocked who Darth Jar Jar actually is.  This explosive revelation is made all the more real when we exclusively reveal the lofty heights which Emperor Palpatine….cough.. I mean PVL believes the broadcast reach will be in PNG some 20 years in the futire!  We also can tell you the preferred play the ball speed for 2026….cue the 6 again sound FX. We also dub Ivan and Nathan Cleary the Neo and Morphius of the NRL after cracking the Judiciary Matrix….. or are the Daniel Caffey and Jo Gallowy…. You decide, but the upshot is Nathan did not order the Code Red, and hence is free to play against the Donkeys Round 1. Whilst League in America is our focus this week, Craig Tiley’s defection to Flushing Queens to join the Nanny named  Fran does not go unnoticed. For once the Sepo’s are looking Down Under to improve sports entertainment. Our two experts still need convincing he’ll have as big an impact as a suave English single dad, but only time will tell. (Oh Mr Sheffield!) More movie quotes than IMDB, more silly voices than the Mrs Doubtfire outtakes and more cliches than you can poke a stick at. Get busy Grappling or get busy dying

    50 min

  3. FEB 18

    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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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
See All (84)

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
    84
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Grapple
  • Show Website
    The Grapple

You Might Also Like