The Grapple

The Grapple
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The Grapple

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. 3 DAYS AGO

    Episode 2020- Six - Sheer Vegas Gold 

    On this 1st Birthday Graptacular,  our heroes  bemoan and empathise with the victim of one of sports biggest scandals of the last decade. When this kind of thing happens to a person the road back to some assemblance of a normal life is hard, laden with trauma and hardship. However, the commitment to self improvement and to be a role model n to future generation"S" can only serve to allay fears of any permanent castigation. You've dealt with so much and even reached out a couple of times... hats off to you Ezra.   In more troubling news Tick Sergerblom doesn't quite know what kind of monster he has just created by giving everyone associated with the Vegas NRL immunity on the strip post match. Sometimes we have to learn the hard way Tick.  A hero's prediction of Wahs and Panther glory is equally matched by a hero's rebuttal of Shark and Raider dominance, but only time will tell who will be upset..... just like the England Cricket team bowing out of the Champions Trophy in invariably controversial circumstances against Afghanistan. What's the biggest sporting upset you can remember? Or What's the biggest sport you've seen upset?  All this and much much more in another swashbuckling foray into the world of sport seen through the eyes of two knuckleheads. Success is falling nine times and Grappling ten.

    1h 16m

  2. FEB 19

    Episode 2025:5 - THE SNIFF TEST

    There's a whiff in the air, a sniff perhaps.. and the tennis world is reeling. Our heroes main concern around Jannik Sinner's 3 month doping suspension- aside from the cries of foul play and uneven playing fields- are its potentially tarnishing impact on our beloved Aussie Open. Staying positive. Kyrie Irving is welcomed back to the Grapple fold, after his decision to become a Boomer. We'll forgive him for calling him 'Team Australia,' for now, so long as he brings home a medal (at age 36) from the LA games. While Ange Postecoglou never left the Grapple fold, and will have the full might of our opinions in his corner should any kind of unthinkable action be taken on his English Premier League coaching career.  The NRL trials gave us all we needed to know about the thinking of the majority of NRL coaches- with Madge Magguire, Kristian Woolf, Todd Payten, Craig Fitzgibbon, Jason Ryles- among others- very much showing their hands ahead of the season proper. We'll run the rule over the various choices and raise eyebrows accordingly, while pondering the decision of major free to air broadcasters to NOT send commentary teams to Las Vegas. While at it, our heroes have a pitch to Peter V'Landys around the scheduling of the NRL All Stars fixtures, after they apparently played out last weekend.  And just in case you forgot, Super Rugby is BACK, and the QLD Reds have signed a schoolboy with a bugger of a name to pronounce, but we should all know it, on account of his 120kg, 17 year old frame. Hat tip to what our heroes descibe as 'a return to the golden days' for the code. Tune in and find out why, Like, Share, Subscribe, and most of all- DIG IT.

    57 min

  3. FEB 13

    Volume XXV: IV - Always wait for the ref to say go.

    It's mid February, and Aussies are dominating sporting headlines across the cosmos. We now officially have our very own Australian owned superbowl ring, thanks to Jordan Mailata and the Philadelphia Eagles. We have a world where Sam Kerr is once again an extremely gifted footballer and not a walking, talking late night legal drama/ taxi cab confesser on the juice. And we have Aussies doing great things in the NBA, one of them under a doping cloud. And so, we grapple, and our heroes tred a bold path through all the noise and nuance of the sporting world most high. Also this week: - A Luka Doncic related CONSPIRACY theory to chill you to your bones - A fair and balanced take on the NRL's proposed 15 minutes later sinbin, and 'Ref says go' trial rules - A six nations that is showcasing everything the Rugby Championship isnt - A comprehensive washup of the Aussie cricket tour of Sri Lanka, taking in every angle...including the slightly questionable angle of Andrew Kuhnemann's bowling arm - The best and worst of Superbowl Halftime shows.. and the Aussie who closed down Bourbon Street It's all out there, in the great beyond that is also known as Grapple HQ. Dig it.

    1h 29m

  4. FEB 4

    Season 2 Ep 3 - Return of The Jedi

    Left in two parts last week, as if hewn down the middle by a lightsaber, the Grapple limped to the close of January. Now, as February's moon enters Jupiter's orbit the Jedi Returns to make whole what was broken. Cricket remains front and centre in our heroes' cross hairs. Michael Bevan gets his due credit after being every 90's cricket kids hero, Pup's rein at the top is discussed, Smudger's 10K, and they talk about a fella called Don. (Heard of him?) Mentioning Don's, Luka Doncic's unceremonious exit from the Lone Star State to City Of Angels is discussed and put up against its "would be like"  Rugby League equivalent. And of course  not an ep can go by without the mention of Brad Clyde.The late 880's early 90's Raiders are delved into- oh what could have been. All of this and much much more.... in your home of all cool sports stuff. The one, the only ,The Grapple. Beware of other shitty sports podcasts. When the red moon a rises.... The Grapplers come a callin......

    1h 9m

  5. JAN 30

    Season 2 Episode Deux - A Solo Man

    This week our heroes have been cleft in two, hewn asunder and separated by the stars. But Fear not, whilst their stocks are down and their manpower low  you will still get your regular does of Grappling with the sports issues of today From Smudgers record breaking one run to Pat Mahomes cloak of invisibility to Mitch Moses parting the Blue and Gold sea and leading his chosen people to the promised land. Frank Molo says YOLO and ditches training in hold out of sorts, Ezra Mam breaks his silence on his suspension ( just joking) and the talk of town is Brisbane Stadia. All this and realistically ...probably less in this week's Grapple-ation. All we are saying, is give Grappling a chance

    27 min

  6. JAN 22

    The "F" Word.

    As we usher in the new year our heroes make a Grapp-Tacular splash back into the world of sport, issues surrounding sport, pop culture references and vicious self deprecation. This we discuss failures, the failures of government, governance and The Broncos Guvna. The Failures of mainstream media to appropriately prosecute the aforementioned failure ..... and the failure of one of our guys to finish the push up challenge last year.  Yes, no sacred cows in 2025... nothing is off limits and everything is fair game. NFL is in full swing and we have a quick lesson on how the Seppo's do things, preseason injuries and much much more. 2025, in the Chinese Calendar its The Year of The Grappler.... how convenient.

    49 min

  7. 12/11/2024

    YuleTide

    The Christmas Extrava- Grappler As the festive season falls into full swing, and on Break-Up Day of all days our hero’s tackle the touchie subject of Reese Robinson breaking up with the Cowboys. No band aid pull there, more so a  long slow good night. And with Roosters bedding their new flame in 2026, does this mean a splitting of the sheets with  Brandon Smith?  Like eating too many left overs on Boxing Day, will the Roosters cut the Cheese? The Broncos,  on the other hand, have been drinking from the fountain of knowledge that is Todd  Carney. A cautionary tale perhaps but his words were delivered with pin point aim and landed like a refreshing blast of perspective on hot Sutherland night.  The 3rd  test in the AB-SG Trophy hits the Gabbatoire on Saturday and is there the scent of dissent in the Indian locker room?  Sharma tests Sharmi’s karma and a desperate Jasprit tries to untie the cramps.  NFL players as Simpson’s characters, Rugby League players as NFL characters, Golden Boots, Christmas Movies, Christmas Sweaters, Christmas beers and hug to sign off the year. Thank you Grapplers you’ve been Great.

    1h 15m

  8. 12/04/2024

    EPISODE YULETIDE: A FESTIVUS FOR THE RESTOFUS

    Christmas is calling and our heroes have failed to decorate Grapple HQ. That doesn't stop them from loading up on the jolly joy of the yuletide season with a tinsel laden extravaganza of sporting analysis and insight, as this Graptacular podcast edges toward the conclusion of its exceptionally merry  first season. Santa's workshop is abuzz with speculation about the contract of Ben Hunt and the Broncos, and these two little Elves just can't help but remind one and all that THEY TOLD YOU SO. How does he fit, who goes, who stays? It's a puzzle that would have even Clark Griswold struggling to b******t his way out of, and our noses are shining red with all the intrigue. Also stuffed under the Christmas Tree is a veritable sprawl of rugby league players vying to take one of QLD's 4 NRL teams to the North Pole of Premiership glory. The Grapplers run the rule over the top 30 squad's of each club, and speculate wildly on who fits where, when, how and what they might need to do to actually take that coveted step underneath the mistletoe of Rugby League's ultimate gift. Laurie Daley is the Marty McFly of State of Origin coaching, call us Grinches but we're not entirely sure this trip back to the future is in the spirit of the season. A semi-rare reappointment for the Blues gig has our heroes pondering if the Bellamy/Daley combo can deliver the gifts like the OG Santa, or if it's more like some old dude making a bit of pocket money by dressing up in a suit and posing for pics at the local Westfield.  The NFL is a long way from Ballymore, and it's well worth a stuff into the speculative stocking to work out just what Jordy Pataia is up against in his quest to slide down the chimney of talent identification and stick the landing. Can this ultra talented Wallaby and Red wrap himself up and nestle snugly under the proverbial tree of glory? The numbers suggest he's driving the sleigh into a blizzard, but isn't Christmas all about belief?  Also on the lunch table: Why are the Matildas the Kamala Harris of Aussie sport? And let's pop a christmas cracker to celebrate the career of Fatty Vautin, and pay tribute to the life of Neale Fraser, who becomes a spirit of Christmas past and leaves a sizeable bootprint in the snow of Australian tennis. It's merry, it's bright, it's the Grapple Podcast. Dig it.

    1h 12m
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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 - 2025
  • Episodes
    47
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Grapple
  • Show Website
    The Grapple

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