Connor Watson takes us inside his next move and how he sorted his future while still pulling on the boots for the Roosters.
Plus Canberra Raiders hooker Tom Starling joins the panel, drags up the Avoca Beach childhood rivalry, and throws down a challenge ahead of the boys facing off this week.

Joey takes the reins as host (with Ric running things from the box), Taylor co-hosts, and Chris Lynn and Marc Ellis call in - fresh off Lynny's 115 not out.

Plus the wild Tim Payne saga: how the least-followed player at the World Cup went from 4,700 to nearly 4 million followers in days, Joey's quest for a blue tick, and the return of Sport of Social.

State of Origin Game 1 is done, and it was a wild one.

The Sports Cafe crew breaks down every moment, from the controversial Kayln Ponga send-off to James Tedesco's remarkable comeback performance.

Cooper Johns joins the show as a special guest, sharing stories from Magic Round, his coaching stint, and why he's currently scouting NRL cheerleaders.

Plus, Olympic gold medalist Josie Baff talks about what it actually feels like to win the Olympics, the chaos of snowboard cross, and life in the Olympic Village. And Joey makes his Sports Cafe hosting debut!

Timestamps:

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Teaser and introduction
• 00:04:25 State of Origin Game 1 reaction
• 00:09:08 The Kalyn Ponga send-off debate
• 00:11:34 Cooper Johns joins the show
• 00:13:15 Connor Watson's airport saga & the Manly rumours
• 00:20:27 Cooper on Magic Round & coaching
• 00:37:20 Josie Baff: winning Olympic gold in snowboard cross
• 00:44:15 Josie on life after winning the Olympics
• 00:45:56 Sport of Social: this week's viral videos

Legends. Chaos. Zero filter. This is the best of Sportscafe so far - every moment that had us absolutely losing it, all in one place. If you're new here, this is where you start. If you've been here from the beginning, sit back and enjoy. Back next week with another new episode!

In one of the biggest episodes of Sportscafe Australia, we sit down with Sydney Roosters star Angus Crichton and Sydney Swans midfielder Chad Warner for a blockbuster conversation covering both codes.
Angus opens up about his final season as a Rooster - eight years, 150+ games, and the emotional reality of knowing the end is coming. He gets candid about his upcoming code switch to rugby union, why the Wallabies dream has never left him, and what it feels like to become a dad during the biggest transition of his career.

Chad Warner joins fresh off Swans training to talk about Sydney's red-hot 2026 season, what makes the Swans culture different from any other club in the competition, and Sydney Sweeney visiting the locker rooms.

We also settle the NRL vs AFL debate once and for all - who actually runs more, who works harder, and which code demands more from its athletes.

Subscribe to Sportscafe Australia for new episodes every week.

In this episode, Connor Watson gives his personal account of Cody Ramsey's incredible return to the NRL after 1,337 days - including details about Cody's battle with ulcerative colitis that you won't have heard anywhere else.
We also sit down with NSW Blues Women's State of Origin winner Tiana Penitani Gray fresh off a record-breaking crowd of 20,000, and get her take on Game 2 selection, the growth of the women's game, and what it means for the next generation.

Australian medieval combat fighter Samuel Wright joins the show to explain why fighting five armed opponents at once is actually a sport, and why being short is a massive advantage.

Plus Connor's contract future, Oliver Foran's Mount Everest climb for youth mental health, and the boys rate the internet's best and worst viral sports content.

Timestamps:

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Welcome to SportsCafe
• 00:01:39 Cody Ramsey's Incredible Story
• 00:03:24 Connor Watson on the Dressing Room Moment
• 00:03:47 Connor's Private Conversation with Cody
• 00:10:55 Armoured Fighting Explained
• 00:13:32 Why Being Short is an Advantage in Medieval Combat
• 00:27:06 Tayla on Women's State of Origin Inspiring the Next Generation
• 00:39:28 Golf Ball to the Guts
• 00:42:21 Chur Ma Bro

Is Ian Roberts one of the most fearless man to ever play rugby league? The Manly and NSW State of Origin enforcer who terrified opponents for over a decade - and in 1995, became the first rugby league player in the world to come out as gay. Thirty years later, no active NRL player has followed.

This week Ian joins Connor Watson and Chris Lynn at Sportscafe to talk about the brutal era of rugby league that shaped him, the move called "Henry" designed to start all-in brawls, getting 40 stitches from Les Boyd, and what it was really like to come out in one of the toughest sporting environments on earth.

Plus the boys break down the latest NRL action, rate the best sports social clips of the week, and the Sportscafe philosopher Chur Ma Bro is back.

Carlton is under serious pressure… but what does it actually feel like when a mental crisis hits mid-game?

We talk to a legend about experiencing it firsthand, then break down the St George Illawarra Dragons coach sacking - and what happens inside a club when everything falls apart.

And Australia's top jouster shows us his weapons.

Plus:
• Tractor drives onto a cricket pitch mid-game
• Should streakers be allowed to wear clothes?
• Rugby’s chaotic origins (150 vs 150)

Kalyn Ponga joins the crew this week — opening up on his hamstring recovery, State of Origin availability, the new disruptor rule, pledging allegiance to the Kiwis, and whether the mullet era is incoming.

Connor Watson is also firmly in the NRL soap opera spotlight with his contract future up in the air.

Meanwhile Marc Ellis rocks up 20 minutes late, the great "mountaineering" debate gets settled (or does it?), Carlos Ulberg's incredible one-legged UFC title win, Warriors fans going absolutely off, and Sport of Social delivers once again.

We get diehard NRL fans and ask them the question: Are AFL fans better?
Former Australian fast bowler and double Sheffield Shield-winning coach Ryan Harris explains why batters are softer than bowlers. We also talk to someone about to conquer Everest and ask him: mountaineer or mountainer? Plus, the best leg-spin bowler in the world.

Steve ‘Beaver’ Menzies shares his take on Manly’s coaching shake-up and his views on modern headgear. Meanwhile, an angry Manly fan refuses to apologize for his heated call to Connor Watson, and Marc Ellis checks in live from Japan—right between his geisha visits!

Chris Lynn challenges the goings on at Bronco’s HQ

And Connor Watson talks about how much it hurts and how he plans to bounce back.

Marc Ellis manages to insult a Matilda’s legend 3 times while trying to give her praise.
And there is more chaos than usual as Tayla Montoya has had enough and the presenters turn on the producer.