Amid an injury crisis in the NRL, Lee sheds light on the situation that has struck down a growing number of players early into the 2026 season. Penrith’s stellar start has earned more praise, with the Panthers’ defence on record pace, while the Warriors also get their flowers. Plus, the team unpacks the Ryan Couchman-J’maine Hopwgood incident ahead of this week’s judiciary hearing.

Loose takes on real news, Loose Carry is Zero Tackle’s weekly show discussing and dissecting all the hottest talking points in the world of rugby league and the NRL, featuring host Phoenix Trinidad, Zero Tackle’s Darren Parkin and Rugby League Coach Lee Addison.

⬇️ Today's Rundown:

00:00 Intro

03:03 NUMBER UP with Darren Parkin

08:28 Teams that are going well

14:53 Couchman in hot water

18:55 The mental impact of injuries

28:39 Coach's corner: Breaking down edge defence

🏉 Want to take your Rugby League Coaching to the next level?

https://rugbyleaguecoach.com.au/coachmentor/

Recorded on 23/03/2026

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Hoffy and Chad analyse the current issues with the state of the NRL’s player movement mechanisms, and whether it could be time for a dedicated trade period or draft off the back of the situations surrounding Zac Lomax and Bronson Xerri. Chad discusses how his sudden switch to North Queensland came to be, while Hoffy raises the idea of a free agents draft for the end of each season.

Hosted by NRL premiership players Ryan Hoffman and Chad Townsend, The Boardroom NRL Podcast takes a wide lens look at the state of rugby league, delivering big picture, no nonsense views on the NRL.

⬇️ THE AGENDA:

00:00 Welcome to the Boardroom

02:09 The Zac Lomax Situation

04:26 How do NRL contracts work

07:57 Player Commitment vs. Contract Negotiations

10:54 The Stress of Contract Negotiations

11:50 CBA Negotiations and Free Agency Perspectives

17:02 The Fan Perspective

20:19 Trade Period

22:57 Exploring a Loan Systems

27:35 Would a draft work in the NRL?

34:12 Free agent draft?

Recorded on 17/03/2026

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Rugby League Coach Lee Addison and Zero Tackle writer Magdalena Murdoch break down the issues embedded in Manly’s winless start to the 2026 NRL season off the back of the Sea Eagles’ loss to Newcastle. Analyst Darren Parkin breaks down some of the figures behind Alex Johnston’s rise to the try scoring record in NUMBER UP, and more pressure is placed on the Broncos after their defeat to Parramatta.

Loose takes on real news, Loose Carry is Zero Tackle’s weekly show discussing and dissecting all the hottest talking points in the world of rugby league and the NRL, featuring host Phoenix Trinidad, Zero Tackle’s Darren Parkin and Rugby League Coach Lee Addison.

Timecodes:

00:00 Intro

01:35 Manly's issues

09:11 Winless Broncos

16:38 NUMBER UP with Darren Parkin

22:11 Contradiction with the rule changes