Soapbox Sermons by NRL Soapbox

NRL Soapbox
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Full of NRL takes you’ll love and hate from NRL Soapbox (Soapy). This podcast isn’t just game previews and reviews but a meta-level analysis of the game for rugby league fans.

  1. Sep 29

    It was a SEND OFF but it's still a Newcastle Knights Fairytale - FIRST TAKE: Soapbox Sermons 022

    First Take: Roosters Roll the Dolphins, Knights Knock Out Penrith The Roosters didn't beat the Dolphins on the goal line. They beat them from 50 out. It was brutally direct footy through the middle, and by halftime the third-placed side was gassed. Radley set the tone, DCE's jamming defence and that kick to Mark changed the game, and the Toia try was the dagger. We also get into why the Dolphins waited until the last 10 to shift it, and how too much Hammer at first receiver made them pedestrian instead of electric. Then it's Newcastle. Sandon Smith's tap, big nights from Graham and Talagi, and a hip drop that should've been a send off. Holbrook proved belief beats tactics, Cleary looked like he almost didn't care at the presser, and Ponga is one win away from announcing himself as a legacy player. Plus the refereeing calls everyone's arguing about, what these results say about both clubs, and whether the Roosters and the Knights can do it again next week. Timestamps: 0:00 I saw a fairytale 01:30 Adam Gee 05:40 Roosters vs Dolphins 22:49 Knights vs Panthers

  2. Sep 22

    Can the Newcastle Knights fairytale continue? FIRST PICK - Soapbox Sermons 021

    Prelim Finals Preview | First PickTimestamps:0:00 Cinderellas vs. Godzillas01:17 Referees05:35 Dolphins vs. Roosters22:04 Knights vs. PanthersTwo Cinderellas, two Godzillas, and one spot each in the Grand Final up for grabs.We break down both preliminary finals, starting with the Roosters and Dolphins. Are there too many cooks in the Roosters kitchen? The Dolphins have won both games this year, but the Roosters' form line tells a different story, and so does the difference between the first 20 and the last 30. Plus the key match-ups: Toia vs Farnworth, DCE vs Katoa, and Watson vs Donoghue.Then it's the Panthers and Knights. Penrith have won 17 of their last 20, but if this turns into a shootout, it's the Knights' game. The problem is, do they have the defence to beat the Panthers? We look at the missed tackles and why short balls at Cole and Cogger could decide it.Also: the referees (Klein and Butler), team ins and outs, head to head records and our predictions for both games.

  3. Sep 20

    Were Warriors ROBBED or was it just karmic justice for the Knights + The Roosters have too many cooks in the kitchen - FIRST TAKE: Soapbox Sermons 020

    The finals didn’t need to end like this. Timestamps: 00:00 Were the Wahs robbed?01:30 Roosters vs Sharks29:14 Warriors vs Knights Were Warriors robbed or was it just karmic justice for the Knights + The Roosters have too many cooks in the kitchen. Two semi-finals, two very different stories. Roosters vs Sharks: The Roosters finally get a win, and it's enough to land them in a prelim. We break down how they went after the Sharks' right edge, the Watson try that came out of nothing and swung the whole game, and DCE's night: the choices, the control, and yes, the trip. For Cronulla it's the same old story. Brutal injuries to Nicho and Hiroti, Trindall carrying the attack but bombing two tries, and another finals exit for an excellent regular-season team. Five different teams have played in a grand final in the last five years and none of them are the Sharks. Is Fitzy starting to wear the same criticism as Nicho Hynes? And is a team with one win from its last five really a premiership contender? Robbo's got a six-day turnaround and a Dolphins side that hasn't lost to them this year. The Roosters were the Dolphins' first-ever opponent, and now they're their first-ever prelim opponent. Only this time nobody's underestimating Redcliffe. Knights vs Warriors: Kalyn Ponga tearing them up again, Crossland's desperation when it mattered most, Capewell's insane start to the second half and Leka defying physics in the corner. Plus the Warriors' kicking problem, Laban's missed tackles on the edge, and 70 minutes of calls going one way before the last three swung it back. A brave, maximum-effort performance from Newcastle.

  4. Sep 15

    MIRACULOUS returns for Knights and Warriors, Roosters worries overblown and the hope of the Sharks. - FIRST PICK: Soapbox Sermons 019

    First Pick: NRL Semi Finals Team Lists — Roosters v Sharks, Warriors v Knights | Predictions Team lists are out for NRL finals week 2, and there are two returns nobody expected. Dylan Lucas is back for the Knights and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak is back for the Warriors, and both change what those sides can do on the weekend. We also get into why the criticism of the Sydney Roosters has been overblown — they weren't exposed last week and the takes since haven't held up — and why Cronulla still have a real shot at this finals series as long as Braydon Trindall is out there. First Pick is the Tuesday show: straight reaction to the team lists, a look at the footy ahead, and predictions on both games. WHAT'S COVERED – Team list reaction: Roosters v Sharks – Team list reaction: Warriors v Knights – Dylan Lucas back for Newcastle and what it does to their pack – Dallin Watene-Zelezniak's return and the Warriors back three – Why the Roosters criticism doesn't stack up – The Trindall factor and why the Sharks aren't done – Predictions for both semi-finals #NRL #NRLFinals #NRL2026 #NRLSoapbox #RugbyLeague #Roosters #Sharks #Warriors #Knights #TeamLists Tags: first pick, nrl team lists, nrl finals 2026, nrl semi finals, roosters vs sharks, warriors vs knights, nrl preview, nrl predictions, nrl tips, dylan lucas, dallin watene-zelezniak, braydon trindall, sydney roosters, cronulla sharks, new zealand warriors, newcastle knights, rugby league podcast, nrl soapbox

  5. Sep 13

    Upsets Galore! FINALS REVIEW: No Team is Safe but No Team Was Ripped Off - FIRST TAKE: Soapbox Sermons 018

    Timestamps: 0:00 Round Recap 0:48 Souths vs Knights 18:49 Warriors vs Dolphins 36:33 Sharks vs Cowboys 41:42 Panthers vs Roosters No team was ripped off. No team is safe. Finals week one, all four games, no fence-sitting. KNIGHTS v SOUTHS – The Bud Sullivan no-try and what the bunker is actually for – Latrell v Gagai: matched, not dominated, and what it cost Souths – Bennett going Dufty over Gray, and Humphreys – Losing Walker – Ponga, Gagai, McEwen WARRIORS v DOLPHINS – The play-the-ball speed nobody's mentioning: 3.12–3.17s here, 3.37–3.46s in the Sharks game, 3.4–3.6s in Souths–Knights – Five penalty goals and whether the Wahs ever got their flow back – Farnworth's night, and Hammer's try off Laban's miss – Cracks in Webster's system? SHARKS v COWBOYS – Hynes, clutch, and what it does for Cronulla's run – Why nobody ran at Trindall (10 tackles to Hynes' 15) – Drinkwater's worst game of the year, and Billy Slater's defence of him – Taki's cameo – Were the Cowboys ever a finals team? PANTHERS v ROOSTERS – Penrith kicking to the post and what it did to the Roosters' back three – Liam Martin: every team needs the mercenary – Edwards under the high ball and leading once Cleary's hammy went – The crack — Savala's forced pass, game over – Jenkins not backing himself for the corner, and the missed high tackle in the 69th – Cleary's brain snap, and why he can't be running on the fifth – Radley left out there too long – Tedesco's quiet night #NRL #NRLFinals #NRLSoapbox #RugbyLeague #Knights #Souths #Warriors #Dolphins #Sharks #Cowboys #Panthers #Roosters

  6. Sep 8

    FINALS PREVIEW: Dolphins upset? Penrith inevitable? Knights are injured & is Trindall the saviour? FIRST PICK - Soapbox Sermons 017

    Timestamps: 0:00 Six again chaos 1:20 Trell vs Teddy 3:10 Rabbitohs vs Knights 8:58 Warriors vs Dolphins 17:46 Sharks vs Cowboys 23:08 Panthers vs Roosters Finals is finally here and so we launch a new show on Soapbox Sermons: FIRST PICK. An immediate reaction to the team lists and a prediction on who will win each match. NRL Soapbox (aka Soapy, aka Alex) previews all four Week 1 finals of the 2026 NRL finals series, with tips, predictions and the calls nobody else wants to make. We go through the lot: Rabbitohs v Knights, Friday September 11, 7:50pm at Allianz Stadium. Warriors v Dolphins, Saturday September 12, 4:05pm at Go Media Stadium. This is where I'm hanging my hat. I'm tipping the upset. The Dolphins go to Auckland, silence Mount Smart and take the week off while the Warriors drop into a home semi they should never have needed. Every man and his dog has the Warriors here. I don't. Sharks v Cowboys, Saturday September 12, 7:50pm at Allianz Stadium. Fifth versus eighth, sudden death, and only one of these teams deserves to be there. Panthers v Roosters, Sunday September 13, 4:05pm at CommBank Stadium. Minor premiers against the most finals-hardened roster in the comp. Plus the bit everyone pretends doesn't matter until it decides a final: the Bunker, the whistle, and whether the officiating holds up when the games get tight. FIRST PICK drops every week the teams do, through to the Grand Final on October 4.

  7. Sep 6

    Panthers, Warriors, Dolphins and Souths will be STOKED they didn't rest their squads - Soapbox Sermons 016

    Timestamps:00:00 Intro04:56 Panthers12:49 Warriors23:30 Dolphins30:26 Roosters34:38 Sharks38:40 Rabbitohs43:07 Knights46:13 Cowboys50:25 OutroFirst Take: Finals Week One preview. Every team still alive, one take each.We start with the resting question. In the last 20 years, only three premiers have rested key players in the final round — Panthers in 2022, Storm in 2020, Dragons in 2010. So the teams that ran out last weekend are the ones carrying the advantage in, and the Sharks and Roosters are the two that have to find their momentum from a standing start.Then it's through the eight. Penrith's stamina and whether they have the creativity to match it. The Warriors' pack and bench against edges Webby still hasn't fixed. The Dolphins' backline and their first 20 minutes. Teddy, experience and the Roosters' consistency problem. Trindall's yardage and Cronulla's game management. Cam Murray, the Souths left edge and their composure. Ponga's attack carrying a light Newcastle pack. And the Cowboys, where Taumalolo's pace and spontaneity comes packaged with the errors and the ill discipline.Plus a player to watch for every side — Casey McLean, Leka, Plath, Whyte, Blake Brailey, Tallis Duncan, Sharpe and Chester.Subscribe for more sermons from the Soapbox.

  8. Aug 30

    The Warriors Edge Problems, The Roosters Slide and The Dolphins Announcement - FIRST TAKE: Soapbox Sermons 015

    No one can win the comp!FIRST TAKE: One crack at every team from round 26 in the NRL. Timestamps: 00:00 No one can win the comp 02:19 Broncos 03:59 Storm 05:13 Manly 08:06 Dragons 09:34 Panthers 12:26 Bulldogs 13:02 Souths 15:23 Titans 17:22 Roosters 18:57 Dolphins 22:17 Cowboys 23:53 Tigers 26:18 Warriors 35:43 Knights 37:58 Sharks 40:00 Eels 41:34 Final thoughts FIRST TAKE: One crack at every team from round 26 in the NRL. The Broncos' season has fallen apart and everyone's got a theory, but the numbers say it isn't injuries. The Storm finally get some good news in Sua Fa'alogo. The Dragons put in one of their worst games of the year and showed exactly why they're getting the spoon. The Panthers found 16 offloads and an extra gear of creativity to beat the Bulldogs, who spent the whole year robbing Peter to pay Paul. The Titans let another opponent own the first 20 minutes. The Roosters are sliding and the loss of Walker makes the premiership a whole lot harder. The Cowboys are chaos and you may as well lean into it. The Tigers got done by the whistle and the kicking game. And the Warriors clinched a top two spot with a halves pairing that has two games between them, but their edge defence is a problem Webster has to fix. Plus Manly, Souths, the Dolphins and the Knights. Subscribe to make sure you always have footy to listen to on Monday morning.

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Full of NRL takes you’ll love and hate from NRL Soapbox (Soapy). This podcast isn’t just game previews and reviews but a meta-level analysis of the game for rugby league fans.

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