Kalyn Ponga…  is he a Kiwi, an Aussie, an All Black-in-waiting in a rugby league superstar’s body?  Who better to ask about all of the recent column inches and viral pundit videos dedicated to KP than Blairy, who has a reasonably close association with the Knights skipper.  Blairy’s hunch for ‘what happens next’ with Kalyn might surprise you!An interested spectator for all of this might be Kiwi’s five-eighth Dylan Brown, who signed a 10-year deal for the Knights earlier in the season and may not get the chance to play with Ponga upon arrival.  Complicating matters for Dylan and the Knights, is that last week the soon-to-be halfback played only limited minutes at hooker and lock… and this week he’s 18th man for the Eels!  Not great for the Kiwis either, as Brown faces the prospect of 3 months without footy before the end of year tests.And of course, there’s the Warriors!  We review Tanah Boyd’s performance on club debut against the Tigers, lament yet another injury to Rocco Berry, and ask if there is anyone else who scores THAT short-side try from Leka Halasima?! 

Warriors coach Andrew Webster has put us all out of our misery and selected Tanah Boyd to play halfback in the injury absence of Luke Metcalf.  Is this the right or wrong call?  Te Maire Martin had heavyweight support, including the rugby league god himself Phil Gould, but it’s the former Titans playmaker that gets the nod.Benji Marshall brings his Tigers to NZ to face Tanah and the Wahs, happy to get a win at long last against the Roosters, and probably even happier to get out of Australia.  ‘Benji-Bashing’ is a daily occurrence in the Aussie media and on social media too.  Not all of us would experience life as a high profile player or coach in the NRL, so Blairy speaks about constant negativity in the media, personal attacks from ‘fans’ and how that impacts a sports person… and their family.Elsewhere, the Brandon Smith comeback was short lived, and it’s opened up the weekly discussion about hip drops as well.  How come Matt Lodge wasn’t charged, yet Scott Sorensen was (and banned for two games) for his tackle on Dallin Watene-Zelezniak?  And how in the world is DWZ listed to play this week?!  He was supposed to be stuck in the casualty ward until Round 22!! And for a laugh, we go again with Betcha This Happens for Round 19.

It's the news no Warriors fan wanted to hear:  Luke Metcalf’s season is OVER.  Has his ruptured ACL also dashed the NZ Warriors’ hopes of a Grand Final appearance?  And who takes the #7 jersey in his absence?  These are the two HUGE questions Blairy & Goran hope to provide answers to!The halfback battle looks to be a straight shootout between Te Maire Martin and Tanah Boyd.  But what are the factors at play causing possible confusion for Andrew Webster?  We weigh up the pros and cons.By comparison, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad’s injury news was so much better than Luke Metcalf’s - he’ll only miss TWO matches.  But he joins Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Ali Leiataua in the casualty ward all the same.  So the boys look at a possible backline for the short term: where and how does Taine Tuaupiki fit into it?Blairy & Goran also try to find the silver lining to Luke’s injury, talk about Ed Kosi’s efforts against the Broncos, and have another crack at Betcha This Happens for Round 18.  Get well soon Luke!

Plenty of burning topics on the pod this week after the Warriors lost to an understrength Panthers outfit at home.  Blairy & Goran discuss the hip drop that has ruled Dallin Watene-Zelezniak out of action for 4-6 weeks with injury, and given fellow kiwi Scott Sorensen a 2-game holiday.  Was it as bad as the ban suggests?And in the wake of DWZ’s early exit against Penrith, did coach Andrew Webster shuffle his deck correctly?  The boys suggest a different looking backline that may have had more success.Moving to this week and the Warriors play the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium, a classic matchup that Blairy has been in, and on both sides!  He tells us why it’s such a brilliant fixture to be part of, and looks forward to the battle of the best big men:  James Fisher-Harris going one-on-one with the great one, Payne Haas!Jacob Laban has been named to start against Brisbane while Leka Halasima is on the bench.  Given Blairy’s time working with the youngsters at the Wahs, Goran asks who has the highest ceiling of the two?  And of course, there’s another Betcha This Happens Multi ahead of Round 17!

Thanks to Origin 2 being in Perth and the Wahs hosting the Panthers so soon afterwards in Auckland, the match is missing not only Kurt Capewell but FIVE Penrith players!  Now, it sounds like a guaranteed win for the Wahs, but as a league fan are you happy to miss out on some of the best names in the game…  thanks to what seems to be a rogue scheduling error?  Blairy & Goran discuss this, and despite the encounter missing some rockstars it’ll be a huge occasion for James Fisher-Harris facing his old club, and our boy Te Maire Martin who brings up 100 NRL games.A League Of Our Own viewer by the name of Alex Hirini commented on our video last week about elevating the international game through the State of Origin period.  We liked the comment so much, we thought we’d talk about it!  So: How do we get the Kiwi side in action against England (or Samoa, or Tonga) through the NRL season and bring New Zealand’s national side back to prominence?We talk about the sickening hit on Taine Tuaupiki, there’s a shout out for an NRL team in Christchurch, and we give the Betcha This Happens Multi yet another go.  Cheers for watching and listening!

Even in a BYE week for the NZ Warriors, there’s still SO MUCH to talk about!  Starting off with Kurt Capewell’s selection to the Queensland Origin team for Game 2.  While some would say that his form warrants the call up, others would point to his unwanted league-leading stat - 75 missed tackles - and wonder how that translates to good defending.  So Blairy explains it!  All the best to Cape-Wah in Perth against NSW.Refereeing & Match Review Committee decisions are in the spotlight, with Benji spraying the ref after the Tigers were beaten by the Panthers…  and Kiwi Dylan Brown accidentally contacts the ref during the Eels’ loss to the Dogs and cops a one match ban!  WTF?  As Mitch Moses says, the MRC are just making up charges these days.And there’s been so much chatter over the last year or so about Kalyn Ponga; will he play for the Kiwis?  And how soon could it happen?  Blairy & Goran wonder if he should be forced to pick between State of Origin and New Zealand - perhaps he, and others like him, should be allowed to do both!

Since the NZ Warriors confirmed the extent of co-captain Mitch Barnett’s season-ending ACL injury, we can’t help but wonder how it’s going to hinder the side for the rest of the campaign.  So, with that in mind, we ask the BIG question: Has the Premiership window closed on the Wahs for 2025?Without Mitch however, it provides an opportunity for not only Jackson Ford to start against the Sharks, but a number of others to come into the selection frame during the backend of the season.  Tanner Stowers-Smith is on the bench, Tom Ale in the extended squad…  and what about Bunty Afoa?Rocco Berry can’t catch a break, because he’s broken down again.  The Real Big Dog has tweaked his hammy.  When will he be injury-free and get a decent run of games?!And because we are at the halfway point of the regular season, we reveal our Form Kiwi 13, as picked by League Of Our Own selectors Blairy & Goran.  Our choice of dummy half is what we’d call an innovative choice!

Blairy returns home this week, which means he and Goran are reunited - in person - for the first time this year!  Blairy talks about the significance of his journey back to Aotearoa, leading a team of young men from Australia with Maori heritage to not only play rugby league, but to develop an understanding of their identity and culture.  Wish him well in the comments!!On the menu for discussion this week: Is DALLIN WATENE-ZELEZNIAK doing enough to hold his wing spot, given TAINE TUAUPIKI’S solid start to the year?  Why is LEKA HALASIMA on the bench for the Bunnies this week - he was a locked and loaded starter last week!  What on earth were the RAIDERS up to post-match when they were giving it to the NZ Warriors FANS?And the big one…  if he isn’t satisfied with the minor minutes he’s playing, we’ve found TE MAIRE MARTIN a new home.  Welcome to Parramatta!!

Following four matches on the road, the NZ Warriors are finally back at Mt Smart Stadium to face the Canberra Raiders in a 2 v 3 battle!  But there’s no James Fisher-Harris through suspension, and his co-captain Mitch Barnett has been rightly selected for New South Wales in Origin One.We can’t say the same though for Wayde Egan who has missed the Blues squad entirely.  Blairy has a theory as to why, and who specifically is to blame!  Despite being in career-best form, and the Wahs in 2nd spot on the ladder, the crafty hooker will roll out against the Green Machine instead.  Which is probably a relief for Warriors fans given the key absentees in the front row!Who likes the left edge of Halasima, Pompey and RTS?  Who gets frustrated with DWZ jamming in?  And how about this for a hypothetical: if the 2025 Warriors had Shaun Johnson, Tohu Harris and Addin Fonua-Blake…  would they be this high up the ladder?!Another week, another hopeful Betcha This Happens multi from Goran…  but at least there are only 5 games to pick this week!

Blairy & Goran begin by thanking the many viewers who provided feedback and ideas around the first-choice NZ Warriors’ backline. But then, the discussion morphs into the makeup of the back row.  The question this week:  Has LEKA HALASIMA - after 13 first grade games - become a definite starter if everyone is fully fit?  Have your say in the comments!With State of Origin One just around the corner and squads set to be picked, we look at our WAH-rigin hopefuls.  Mitch Barnett, Kurt Capewell, Wayde Egan, Jackson Ford and even Dally M Medalist-in-waiting Luke Metcalf!  Who’s picking up the good news phone call?Lewis Brown’s made an awesome Wahs jersey, Brandon Smith is bouncing off to the Bunnies, and the Fossil returns!  As well as another (potentially poor) attempt at the Betcha This Happens Multi.