2025 Season Review and the Power of Rugby League Folklore
In the final Primetime episode for 2025, Paul Kent is joined by Warren Livingstone and veteran player manager Steve "Chimes" Gillis to reflect on a monumental year in rugby league. The trio dives into the evolving landscape of the sport, the importance of history, and the personal challenges Kent faced during his return to the media spotlight.
The Resilience of Paul Kent
The episode begins with an introspective look at Kent’s return to the industry after a highly publicised hiatus. Kent takes a pragmatic approach to his professional journey, noting that while he takes ownership of his own actions—famously quipping, "I take responsibility for my mate the tree... that's all on me"—he felt other aspects of his departure were handled poorly by others. Reflecting on his 35-year career, Kent admits, "it was unfair how it all started... I think there was weakness in parts from people I didn't expect weakness from," but ultimately concludes that the best path forward is to "pick yourself up and go again."
History and the "Aussie Way" of Storytelling
A major theme of the discussion is the way rugby league preserves its past. Kent compares the Australian approach to history with that of American sports, arguing that "a sport is only as rich as its history" and that the NRL often fails to document its greatest tales. He suggests the "Aussie way" is often to shy away from difficult or embarrassing stories, noting, "I don't want to be the here talking and telling a story about someone in front of them because they sort of get embarrassed by that." This reticence, he believes, prevents the game from fully celebrating the colourful, and often chaotic, moments that define its culture, such as the legendary Rothman’s Medal nights where "literally blokes be wrestling over tables and glasses be smashing."
The 2025 Season: Defined by the Grand Final
As the panel looks back on the year that was, Kent argues that the ultimate legacy of the 2025 season remains unwritten until the Grand Final concludes. He points out that fans remember seasons through the lens of their final games, referencing the 1970 broken jaw of John Sattler and Scott Sattler’s 2003 tackle as the types of moments that create "rugby league folklore." According to Kent, the quality of a season is often tied to the "audacity" and "unpredictability" of its finish, warning that "if it's a stinker... no one other than Manley fans like to talk about Manley winning 40-0 against Melbourne... the game was over very early in the piece."
Crystal Ball: The 2026 Outlook
Looking ahead, Kent offers a bold prediction for the following year, placing his faith in a long-suffering club. Despite the cyclical nature of the league where "you find a reason for every club to be better than what they were last year," Kent officially puts his neck on the line for 2026: "the West Tigers will make the eight." While acknowledging that teams like the Titans "collapsed unbelievably" in 2025 after high expectations, he believes the Tigers are finally poised to break their drought and return to finals football.
Watch the full episode on Fanatics TV.
