The Progressive Rugby League Podcast

PRL Classic - Happy Birthday Rugby League with Tony Collins

In August 2020, at the 125th anniversary of Rugby League's birth, Professor Tony Collins joined us to crystal ball what Rugby League could be 125 years into the future.

Did the Toronto Wolfpack actually happen? With Rob Cardno

New Ep! Rob Cardno joins the pod to confirm that no, the Toronto Wolfpack were not a figment of our wildest imaginings. Yes, it actually happened, and yes, it was a wild

PRL Classics - Queensland, Explained with Joe Gorman

PRL Classics returns with an illuminating chat about Rugby League's role in the evolution of that strange ol' state of Queensland. In June 2020, Joe Gorman joined the po

PRL Classics - The Life and Times of Ian Roberts

Candid, engaging, funny, Ian Roberts graced our little pod in March 2021 for a wide-ranging chat about his unique life on and off the field. Before this chat, we'd never

Introducing PRL Classics...

Most old podcast episodes gather virtual dust. But some deserve a second hearing. Introducing PRL Classics... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati

Philosophies of Rugby League Data with Mike Meehall Wood

How much is enough data in Rugby League? Mike Meehall Wood joins the pod to chat about how data is shaping our game in 2026. From the micro to the macro, from the NRL to

Geoff Armstrong: My Favourite Rugby League Books - Special PRL Book Club Edition

Australian sports publishing heavyweight, Geoff Armstrong, joins this very special PRL Book Club to share tales from his favourite all-time Rugby League books. As author

The Miracle of Rugby League - An Essay

Rugby League largely splutters where it exists around the world. But it's a different story in New South Wales and Queensland. What is it that has made Australia's 'north

PRL BOOK CLUB - Roy Francis: Rugby's Forgotten Black Leader by Tony Collins

Roy Francis is one of the most significant figures in British Rugby League history. A Black British sporting legend, Roy followed up a distinguished playing career with a

Steve Mascord on the question of the French connection to Super League

Independent international Rugby League reporting raconteur, Steve Mascord, gives us the lowdown on which way the pendulum is currently swinging for French involvement in

Unlucky 13. The Rugby League ban in Vichy France with Melissa McMahon

The banning of Rugby League in Vichy France continues to intrigue and appal 85 years on. Melissa McMahon, author of Unlucky 13: Amateurism as a weapon of war in Vichy Fra

PRL BOOK CLUB - Melanesia: Travels in Black Oceania by Hamish McDonald

It's a real treat to have the OG of Australian journalists with a penchant for foreign affairs named Hamish McDonald, Hamish McDonald on the pod to discuss his fascinatin

PRL 31 March 2025 - The Art of Commentary with Quentin Hull

ABC commentary doyen, Quentin Hull, joins the pod to discuss the art of commentary. This curious artform is a soundtrack to so many of our lives. Let's get under the ho

PRL 19 November 2024 - Ray Ahn from the Hard Ons takes stock of 40-plus years of rock n roll n Rugby League

Hard Ons founding member, bassist, artist and staunch Parramatta Eels fan, Ray Ahn joins the pod to take stock of 40-plus years of the Hard Ons and the travails of being

PRL 6 November 2024 - State of the UK Rugby League Nation 2024 with Anthony Broxton and Gavin Willacy

It's time again to shove the thermometer where it needs to go to take the temperature of Rugby League in the Old Dart as we observe the State of the UK Rugby League Natio

Reboot - PRL Book Club - Plum by Brendan Cowell

A reboot from 2022 of a great chat with Brendan Cowell about his novel Plum, which has just been turned into a beaut TV series. Plum is the tale about the turbulent post-

PRL BOOK CLUB - Rugby League in New Zealand: A People's History by Ryan Bodman

Rugby League in New Zealand: A People's History is the definitive account of the people and the culture of the great game in Aotearoa. Author and historian, Ryan Bodman

PRL 15 August 2024 - Behind the Royal Blue curtain of the Newtown Jets, with CEO Stuart McCarthy

Newtown Jets CEO Stuart McCarthy joins the pod to give us a glimpse into what it's like running a Rugby League club away from the bright lights of the NRL. What are the s

PRL 4 August 2024 - The NRL of the Future with Brad Walter

Time to chat NRL OF THE FUTURE. How do we get from 17 to 20? What shape will the competition take? And what will it mean for Origin, International Rugby League, the NRLW

PRL 3 July 2024 - Mo-bloody-mentum with Dr Caitlin Fox-Harding

Parramatta Eels fans have a difficult relationship with momentum. There's an actual physical limit to how much we can talk about a certain match from a certain year again