# NRL Year in Review | Paul Kent, James Hooper & Steve Gillis | Fanatics TV

An episode of [Kenty - Paul Kent NRL Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1800126846), 2 Oct 2026, 1 h 35 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/67c1357206f2d3a9f81c861a/e/6abf497b5d8272f2e76e2a0d/media.mp3

The big guns are together for a full NRL year-in-review. Paul Kent, James Hooper and Steve “Chimes” Gillis look back on the biggest stories, controversies, players and moments from the season then turn their attention to what’s ahead. From the media debate, rule changes and the commission, to recruitment, expansion, Origin, the game’s best players and plenty of banter, this is the full-length Fanatics TV rugby league wrap. Timecodes: 0:00 - Welcome and the year’s biggest talking points 1:00 - NRL media scrutiny and the “media cop” debate 5:00 - Broadcast rights, criticism and the media landscape 10:00 - Back in the game, FanAxe TV and Vegas 15:00 - The year’s controversies and league entertainment 20:00 - The NRL’s big-event approach and public reaction 25:00 - Peter V’landys, the commission and power in the game 30:00 - Six-again, fatigue and rule-change debate 35:00 - Breakout players, Origin and season standouts 40:00 - Judiciary calls, suspensions and dangerous tackles 45:00 - Club spending, development and roster-building 50:00 - Penrith’s recruitment and retention model 55:00 - Tigers, coaching pressure and player movement 1:00:00 - Payne Haas, South Sydney and Wayne Bennett 1:05:00 - Expansion: Queensland, New Zealand, Perth and Adelaide 1:10:00 - The game’s best players and premiership windows 1:15:00 - Super League, rugby union and international opportunities 1:20:00 - Leaks, media narratives and PNG’s entry 1:25:00 - State of Origin: Billy Slater, Laurie Daley and the future 1:30:00 - Off-field stories, recovery and closing banter 1:35:11 - End Head to www.fanatics.tv for more insights & banter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them.