Rugby League Hour - Episode 7

Martin Devlin and Tony Kemp are back for episode seven of the Rugby League Hour, brought to you by MicroBio Solutions Limited. Every Monday during the 2024 NRL season on The Platform, Devlin - host of It's Only Sport - is joined by one of the best rugby league analysts going around in Kemp, the ex-Warriors coach and Kiwis representative.

Seven rounds are in the books and the competition remains a tight one. The Cronulla Sharks are the pace setters for a second-straight week, which will no doubt surprise a few, after their impressive 42-6 win over the North Queensland Cowboys at home. The Sharks have five wins from six games. Other contenders such as the Melbourne Storm, Penrith Panthers, Manly Sea Eagles and Brisbane Broncos all won to solidify their places inside the top eight, while the Dolphins caused the upset of the round with a mammoth 44-16 win over the Parramatta Eels. Four points separates first through ninth on the table, with three teams who made the finals in 2023 currently on the outside looking in. Marty and Kempy discuss and dissect the key games and what stood out to them most.

Following that, it's Up The Wahs - a segment dedicated solely to the Warriors, who were on the receiving end of an absolute thumping, losing 30-12 to the St. George-Illawarra Dragons on Friday night. Marty and Kempy question whether this performance was coming following an up-and-down draw for the Warriors against Manly a week earlier - should people panic or was it just a blip? The Warriors face the Gold Coast Titans at home on Anzac Day next, which is arguably the easiest of fixtures for them to bounce back given the Titans remain winless so far in 2024.

Next it's He's A Ledge, and this week it's Warriors CEO Cameron George who joins the show. Aside from the Dragons result it's been a positive week for the club with the news of Penrith prop James Fisher-Harris signing a four-year deal from 2025 and rumours Jett Cleary - younger brother of Nathan and son of Ivan - could be on his way to the Mount Smart club as well. George answers questions surrounding those two players, while also shedding light on how far away the Warriors-themed bar in Auckland is.

Then, Marty and Kempy go head-to-head debating six rugby league topics, including whether or not the Warriors' next clash against Gold Coast is a must-win, and which team alongside Penrith, Brisbane and Melbourne can challenge for the premiership. Kempy hands out the Effluex clean-up award for the player, coach or team who did their job better than anyone else on the weekend - someone who rolled up their sleeves and turned gunk into gold.

And to finish things off, Kempy lists his five best teams in the NRL right now on TK's Top 5.

The Rugby League Hour is sponsored by MicroBio Solutions Limited, solving environmental issues using green technologies. Visit https://microbio.co.nz/