Rugby League Insider Launches With The Latest On Lomax And Vegas Revelations

Rugby League Insider, a new NRL podcast, has launched with a promise to cover the code’s never‑ending drama and taking listeners inside the game’s biggest stories. Host James Hooper, joined by Matt Vautin and stats guru Brandon Savage, opened the debut episode with a quick catch up before jumping into the days big Zac Lomax news.

Hooper, returning after a much‑publicised absence, did not shy away from his past. “It's been all over the media… my shortcomings, my faux pas… my stuff‑ups have been well documented,” he said. “So at the moment, we're about to try and start putting Humpty Dumpty back together again, mate.” Vautin, son of Queensland legend Paul “Fatty” Vautin, described himself as “a struggling actor” and “diehard rugby league fan”, while Savage laughed off being labelled a “Rain Man of rugby league” as “absolute overs”.​

Lomax stalemate and Storm tug‑of‑war

The panel led with the Zac Lomax saga, with Hooper describing it as “an absolute Mexican stand‑off s*** fight” that exposed “a lot of dirty laundry” between Parramatta, Melbourne and NRL head offices. Lomax currently cannot play for another NRL club until 2028 without the Eels’ written consent, despite his clear desire to join the Storm.​

Vautin said Lomax had to own some responsibility. “He kind of did it to himself really by signing such a contract,” he argued. “I think it's the fans who are really going to miss out on seeing a world‑class winger, centre or fullback… I really hope he finds a club this year.”​

Hooper said he liked the fact the NRL has softened its stance from Peter V’landys’ original hardline threat of 10‑year bans for players flirting with rival competitions. “I love that from Pete. That's strong leadership,” he said. “As the dust settled… he could see that Zac didn't want to be at Parramatta anymore… We don't want him going to rugby union because… he'll be front and back page of the paper promoting a rival code.”​

Hooper also praised the Eels for defending the value of contracts, even at significant legal cost. “They have wanted to show their fans that they do believe a contract means something and they are prepared to go to war and take a little bit of bark off along the way,” he said. While “common sense says it's Melbourne” for Lomax’s eventual destination, he warned that “every other joint… is going to be playing fantasy football on the whiteboard” trying to tempt Parramatta with a swap.​

Savage suggested the Eels may delay any release until after playing the Storm in round one and Magic Round. “Somehow whether it's Melbourne, whether it's someone else, I think he's in the NRL just a bit after that,” he said. “I actually think Melbourne are probably going to fall down a bit this year.” Hooper disagreed, insisting Craig Bellamy’s side “will be in the top four” despite personnel losses.​

Knights refresh and Cowboys pressure

Newcastle’s impressive round one showing under Justin Holbrook also drew praise, particularly the energy around Kalyn Ponga and marquee halfback recruit Dylan Brown. “It was like a breath of fresh air,” Vautin said. “It was almost like the shackles have been taken off from such a bad 2025… This first game, it was throw the ball around, let's see what can happen.”​

Hooper lauded unlucky playmaker Fletcher Sharpe, who scored early before injury struck again. “He can't take a trick, right?” Hooper said. “He competes on every play… I loved what we saw from him in that short sample of the opening 20 minutes.” With Sandon Smith stepping in and a hard‑edged pack led by Jacob Saifiti and new signing Trey Mooney, Hooper said Holbrook is following the traditional Knights formula of “tough… forward pack, gun halves and a gun fullback”.​

Vautin set a realistic pass mark: “Anywhere in that sort of ninth to 13th area, I think that's a success for Newcastle.”​

By contrast, North Queensland’s loss to the Knights raised fresh questions over Todd Payten. Hooper called the Cowboys 'bitterly disappointing' given a roster featuring Reuben Cotter, Jason Taumalolo, Tom Dearden and rising star Jackson Purdue. He warned that, with Payten off‑contract and defence a recurring weakness, “the pressure is going to come anyway because if they don't win games, it's going to be a narrative”.​

Savage was even blunter. “I think he's done this year,” he said. “It just reminds me of last year where Adam O'Brien just got really stale and then a set of fresh eyes… I feel like Jackson Purdue especially will be what they build the club around in the future.” He argued the Cowboys must embrace their attacking strengths rather than trying to reinvent themselves as a defensive side.​

Vegas “best ad since Tina Turner”

The panel was largely enthusiastic about the NRL’s Las Vegas venture after a drama‑free third instalment and a golden‑point thriller between the Bulldogs and Dragons. “The story line to come out of this year was the footy,” Vautin said. “The footy was great… The footy was the talking point.”​

Hooper said he sees the concept as a landmark marketing play. “It's just such a brilliant spectacle and launchpad to showcase rugby league,” he said. “I actually think… this Vegas experiment is the best advertisement for the game since Tina Turner in the late 1980s… Vegas is exactly the same concept right here and right now.”​

With talk of future games in Abu Dhabi, Japan, Hong Kong and Miami, expansion was never far from the conversation. Savage floated the idea of a Perth side debuting in Vegas – “you pretty much got two bites at the cherry” – while Vautin, a self‑confessed Perth Bears fan, cautioned against depriving locals of a first home game on their own turf.​

Spoons, premiers and Origin

The episode finished with predictions, including a brutal verdict on Manly from both Vautin and Savage. “I think they might be getting a wooden spoon this year,” Vautin said, warning the Sea Eagles are “an injury short of potentially coming last” due to depth issues. Savage agreed, saying “a couple of injuries and they're gone”, also flagging the Cowboys as spoon contenders.​

On the premiership, Vautin tipped the Roosters to beat Penrith in the grand final, arguing Daly Cherry‑Evans is “what they needed”. Savage went for Panthers over Roosters, saying Penrith now have “a chip on their shoulder to chase and be the hunters, not the hunted”. Hooper also chose Penrith, predicting the Panthers to beat Brisbane on the back of Nathan Cleary, “the best halfback in the game” at club level.​

State of Origin loyalties remained firm. “Obviously I go for Queensland because I was brought up to go for Queensland… Queensland 3–0,” Vautin declared. Savage backed New South Wales but called for a new approach at fullback, while Hooper threw his support behind Blues coach Laurie Daley and said Mitch Moses’ game, "suits Origin better than Nathan Cleary​. He's had better results at Origin than Nathan Cleary, up until this point. Hopefully Nathan's got a chip on his shoulder and he can get the job done."

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