The Good, The Bad & The Rugby

Fresh off an NRL Grand Final win with the Sydney Roosters, Wallaby, Olympian, Kangaroo and State of Origin winner Mark Nawaqanitawase joins us in the studio. At just 26, he’s one of the hottest properties in world rugby.We hear about fainting on day two of Roosters pre-season, why league is a game of “finding comfort in the darkness”, and the incredible skills that went viral. He also explains what he plans to bring back to union.We also get into his mum’s brutal verdict on his career, his Fijian and Italian roots, Ferraris, and life with the Roosters. Then there’s his move to Japan with the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights, the 2027 Rugby World Cup, and which jersey he’ll be wearing. Get yourselves into the comments for your chance to win some stash, and make sure you are subscribed. ───────────────────────────── 🔗 LINKS 🎤 Off-Road Live Tour: https://myticket.co.uk/artists/the-go... 📗 The Good, The Bad & The Rugby: Unloaded: https://lnk.to/GBRUnlocked/waterstones 💻 NordVPN - To get 4 extra months head to: https://nordvpn.com/goodbadrugby 🍺 O'Neill's Live Show - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gbr-x-oneills-nations-championship-preview-show-tickets-1999374452810 ───────────────────────────── 📑CHAPTERS 00:00 🛞 Series 7 Is Sponsored By Continental Tyres 03:04 💪 Mark Takes On Grip Strength 05:49 🌟 Growing Up and Heroes 07:54 🏫 School Sports and Mum Rules 15:49 🔥 NRL Fitness and Skills 31:01 🇯🇵 Japan Move and Next Steps 36:22 🦘 Wallabies Debut and Eddie 39:55 👕 Choosing A Jersey 48:02 🤝 Roosters Brotherhood 53:43 🏎️ Ferrari Dreams 56:50 🌏 Fijian & Italian Roots 01:01:50 🏆 World Cup Ambitions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Payno is joined by two England captains: Courtney Lawes and Ellis Genge for a players’ perspective on the state of the game.They cover whether player salaries should be made public, the Prem cap versus the Top 14, and the Henry Pollock million-pound debate. They also discuss England players moving to France, player welfare and why rugby matters to them. ───────────────────────────── 🎤 Off-Road Live Tour: https://myticket.co.uk/artists/the-go... 📗 The Good, The Bad & The Rugby: Unloaded: https://lnk.to/GBRUnlocked/waterstones 💻 NordVPN - To get 4 extra months head to: https://nordvpn.com/goodbadrugby 📊 90% off Xero for 6 months. Visit https://Xero.com/goodbadrugby 00:00 🏉 Season 7 Is Sponsored By Continental Tyres 04:57 💷 Wages and Salary Transparency 11:46 🔥 Pollock Hype and Player Branding 16:04 🎭 Personality V Performance 27:39 🎤 Roc Nation and Commercial Deals 32:13 🤝 EPS and Life After Rugby 34:33 📱 Social Media Risks and Marler 36:28 🧠 Can Courtney Name His First XV 41:08 🇫🇷 The France Debate 43:57 ✈️ Ellis On Going Abroad 47:52 📋 Cap Rule Compromise 49:59 🥖 Courtney’s French Lessons 55:45 🩹 Player Welfare 01:00:33 🧢 Concussion And Kids 01:03:33 ❤️ Why Rugby Matters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, DIY SOS TV star Nick Knowles joins Alex Payne, James Haskell and Mike Tindall and he’s got some great stories to tell. Now part-owner of the Cornish Pirates, Nick talks about his Welcome to Wrexham-inspired documentary and his ambitious 10-year plan to take the club all the way to the top of the Prem. He also opens up on the realities of making it happen, from the stadium and budget to the challenges of travel to and from Cornwall. From American investment and pirate-themed stadiums to pasties and cannons, this episode is top drawer. 00:00 🛞 Season 6 is Sponsored By Continental Tyres 04:27 💪 Grip Strength Challenge 07:03 🏉 Rugby Roots 11:02 🚪 Nick’s Career Breaks 14:15 🧠 Rugby Life Lessons 19:03 🎬 Pirates Documentary Vision 27:07 🌊 Love Letter To Cornwall 33:23 🔴 Saracens Visit 35:52 🍒 Gloucester Hype Check 38:14 🏴‍☠️ Pirates Ten Year Plan 43:37 🏟️ Stadium Vision 49:29 💥 Pirate Matchday Spectacle 51:53 🛠️ DIY SOS Legacy 01:04:11 👀Richmond Rising 🎤 Off-Road Live Tour: https://myticket.co.uk/artists/the-go... 📗 The Good, The Bad & The Rugby: Unloaded: ⁠https://lnk.to/GBRUnlocked/waterstones 💻 Nord VPN - To get 4 extra months head to: https://nordvpn.com/goodbadrugby 💰 Shopify - You don’t need anyone’s approval to make a living. Build your own business with a free trial at shopify.co.uk 📊90% off Xero for 6 months. Visit Xero.com/goodbadrugby   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

England's Player of the Season, Joe Heyes, joins the GBR lads for one of the most honest interviews we’ve ever done. Joe talks us through Leicester's opening-weekend defeat to Saracens, before opening up on a much tougher chapter as a teenager, a battle with his mental health and the journey back to become England's best scummager. We also dig into Joe’s passion for history, his family's sporting heritage, his smoked-fish side hustle and where England go after a tough 12 months. ... Jonny May eventually made it in too. Links: 🏰 Follow Joe’s History channels on TikTok & Instagram: @Heyestory 🚴 Support the RFC500 Challenge. Find them on @RFC500 on Instagram. 💻 Nord VPN - To get 4 extra months head to: go to nordvpn.com/goodbadrugby 💰 Shopify - You don’t need anyone’s approval to make a living. Build your own business with a free trial at shopify.co.uk 🎤 Off-Road Live Tour: https://myticket.co.uk/artists/the-go... Chapters: 00:00 🏉 Season 7 Is Sponsored By Continental Tyres 01:12 💪 Grip Strength Challenge 02:50 🔍 Leicester V Saracens Review 13:04 🏆 Player of Year Mindset 17:57 📜 Joe’s History Channel 26:00 🔄 Rugby vs Football Culture 30:48 💔 Academy Pressure and Mental Health 37:01 🎭 England Mindset and Team Quirks 46:50 🏟️ Gameday & Family Support 52:56 🏃 Jonny May Arrives Late Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New season, same chaos. The wheels are rolling on Season 7 of The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, and we're kicking things off with our wildest preview yet. Payno, Hask and Tins run through everything ahead of a huge year of rugby: the headlines you need to know, the signings that'll shake up the leagues, the fixtures already circled in the calendar, the kits we're loving (and the ones we're not), the coaches we'd love to play for, and a full set of "Massive Punt Predictions" for 2026/27 that we absolutely do not expect to age well. Thank you as always to Continental Tyres, official tyre partner of England Rugby and proud sponsors of the Continental Tyres Schools Cup. With a World Cup in Australia around the corner, the lads hit the road for another Live Tour! Tickets are on sale Thursday 24th September at 10am. 🎤 Off-Road Live Tour: https://myticket.co.uk/artists/the-good-the-bad-the-rugby 00:00 🛞 Season 7 is Sponsored by Continental Tyres 03:15 📰 The Biggest Headlines Ahead of the New Season 10:06 🎟️ The Fixtures We Can't Wait to Watch 12:20 ✍️ Signings That'll Shake Up the Leagues 18:52 🏆 Who We Want to Win Silverware 22:43 👕 Best & Worst Kits of the New Season 32:42 🌟 The Rock Star We'd Pay to Watch 37:23 🚀 The Kid Ready to Make an Impact 44:18 🧠 The Coach We'd Love to Play For 53:41 🎲 Massive Punt Predictions for 2026/27 01:00:57 🧡 A Tribute to Tins' Dad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the last show of the season, and what better way to sign off than with a brand new member of Team GBR joining the panel, Courtney Lawes sits down with Tins to break down a chaotic, controversial final weekend of Nations Championship rugby. England scrape past Argentina in one of the most chaotic games we've seen in years, four yellow cards and all. Courtney gives his verdict on whether England were simply "too aggy" against a scrappy Pumas side. We also round up the rest of the weekend: New Zealand's impressive win over Ireland, Scotland's near-miss against Fiji, and a dominant Springboks side that Courtney says are "operating like a religion" under Rassie Erasmus. It's been a mammoth season of GBR — thank you to every single one of you for watching and listening. See you next season! ───────────────────────────── 🔗 LINKS 🛞 Win two tickets to a Gallagher PREM match: https://purespectrum.decipherinc.com/survey/selfserve/53b/260718?list=1 📗 The Good, The Bad & The Rugby: Unloaded: ⁠https://lnk.to/GBRUnlocked/waterstones 💸 Refund Club is a trading style of Sandsford Law Limited, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA no. 8008114). Checking is free. A fee is payable only if your claim is successful. Eligibility: car finance taken out in the UK between 2007 and 2021. The average claim is around £829 per agreement; this is an average and not a guarantee of the amount you will receive. You can also claim yourself for free by contacting your lender or the Financial Ombudsman Service. https://refundclub.co.uk/gbr ───────────────────────────── 📑CHAPTERS 00:00 🚗 Season 6 Is Sponsored By Continental Tyres 01:51 💥 England vs Argentina Chaos 03:26 🟨 Discipline Yellow Card Crisis 07:17 🏉 Breakdown Strategy Debate 10:10 📈 Positives and Player Progress 15:52 💸 Refund Club 16:51 🎥 TMO Drama 22:31 🔥 Borthwick Pressure and Roadmap 32:33 🤔 Selection Stability Debate 33:17 🔒 Locking In Core Roles 34:32 ⭐ Should Pollock Start 35:56 🌍 England World Cup Outlook 38:55 📺 Harvey Norman RGB TVs 40:38 ⚡ All Blacks vs Ireland Controversy 47:54 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland and Fiji Check-In 53:43 🏆 Boks Dominance and Season Sign-Off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mike Brown, former England fullback turned commentator, brings player insight and touring experience. He critiques selection choices and a controversial fullback pick. He argues for Henry Pollock starting and warns about Buenos Aires atmosphere. He frames the Argentina match as a crucial test for England’s progress.

John Barclay, former Scotland captain with sharp tactical nous, and Mike Brown, ex-England fullback known for incisive analysis. They dissect South Africa's terrifying squad depth and ask if anyone can stop them before 2027. They debate Scotland's encouraging signs despite defeat, assess England's attacking identity and Henry Pollock's rapid rise, and argue over 9-10-12 backline picks for Argentina.

Alex Payne and Mike Brown run the rule over Steve Borthwick’s selection ahead of England’s game against Fiji. The pressure is on Steve Borthwick following a 5th straight defeat this year. 00:00 🚗 - Season 6 Is Sponsored By Continental Tyres  01:26 🏉 - England v Fiji Build-Up  02:49 📋 - England Team Sheet Analysis  06:11 🎙️ - Brown On England’s Backline  10:47 💷 - Refund Club  11:46 🤔 - Who Should Play 15?  14:20 💥 - How Will England Deal With The Pressure?  17:57 🧠 - The Value Of Experience  20:14 🍻 - O’Neills Pubs  20:58 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 - Come On England Refund Club is a trading style of Sandsford Law Limited, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA no. 8008114). Checking is free. A fee is payable only if your claim is successful. Eligibility: car finance taken out in the UK between 2007 and 2021. The average claim is around £829 per agreement; this is an average and not a guarantee of the amount you will receive. You can also claim yourself for free by contacting your lender or the Financial Ombudsman Service. https://refundclub.co.uk/gbr Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They dissect England’s heavy loss in Johannesburg, focusing on costly yellow cards and defensive system issues. A heated debate questions whether defensive coaching changes are masking deeper problems. Quick takes cover the new Nations format, Ireland’s thriller in Australia, New Zealand’s fresh start under Rennie, and Japan and Wales springing surprises.