Matty Stewart links up with Knights legend Kurt Gidley for a brand-new season of The Don’t Argue podcast! Breaking down the biggest NRL headlines, match-winning plays, and their Best Bets. Watch and listen each week and stay one step ahead.
Matty and Gids are back for Week 2 of the NRL Finals Series, and after a dramatic opening weekend of September football, just six teams remain in the race for the 2026 premiership. The Dolphins and Penrith Panthers booked their places in the preliminary finals, while the Warriors, Roosters, Knights and Sharks all get a second chance to keep their campaigns alive.
The boys look back on a fascinating first week of finals, including the Dolphins’ historic 26-16 victory over the Warriors in Auckland and Penrith’s hard-fought 19-12 win over the Roosters. They also discuss Newcastle’s upset victory over South Sydney and Cronulla’s professional performance against North Queensland as both clubs survived sudden-death football.
Attention then turns to the two semi-finals that will decide the final four. The Roosters host the Sharks in an all-Sydney showdown, with the winner progressing to face Penrith and the loser eliminated. The boys debate whether Cronulla can continue its run after knocking out the Cowboys, or if the Roosters’ big-game experience will prove decisive.\
As always, Gids delivers his honest assessment of the remaining contenders, the teams under the most pressure, and who is best placed to challenge the Panthers and Dolphins. The boys discuss whether Penrith remains the team to beat, if the Dolphins can complete a fairytale run to a Grand Final, and which semi-final winner is most capable of causing an upset.
To wrap up the episode, the boys lock in their tips for both semi-finals and reveal which four teams they believe will still be standing next week. If you’re after all the biggest NRL talking points, finals analysis and premiership predictions, The Don’t Argue has everything you need heading into a massive Week 2 of the finals.