The Kangaroo Tour, Code Wars & Kenty’s Toughest Fight

In a special 2026 season premiere of Kenty Prime Time, Paul Kent is joined by close friends Warren Livingstone and player manager "Chimes" for a raw, unfiltered return to the screen. The episode covers everything from the state of international rugby league to the "Cornflake" rebel union threat, but is headlined by Kent's deeply personal disclosure regarding his health.

Kenty's Personal Battle: "It's Cancer"

Speaking for the first time since news of his diagnosis broke at the end of last week, Kent said he initially began feeling off while following the Kangaroos tour of the UK at the end of last year, believing he wasn't dealing with the effects of jetlag as he usually would. Upon his return he noticed a lump on his neck and called his doctor, South Sydney stalwart Jimmy Lahood.

"Long story short, he came back and we had a biopsy and all the rest of it, and it was cancer," Kent said. "They couldn't find it initially, that's the secondary, it's travelled to there. It's at the back of my throat, started out back there. The prognosis is pretty good, it's going to just be a tough couple months."

Kent explains that his treatment, which involves daily radiation and chemotherapy, will coincide with the start of the 2026 NRL season. He warns viewers that he may not be on camera for Round 1 due to the physical side effects of radiation, including potential feeding tubes and skin irritation. Despite the road ahead, Kent remains characteristically stoic, stating he wanted to be transparent with his audience to avoid speculation during his absence.

The Kangaroo Tour Autopsy

Reflecting on his time in the UK, Kent offers a grim assessment of English rugby league. He argues that England has become a "poor copy" of the Australian game, attempting to mimic the NRL's "spine-based" structures without the necessary cattle to pull it off. Kent notes that while the Kangaroos looked clinical, the international game is suffering from a lack of tactical diversity. He suggests that instead of failed Australian playbooks, international teams need to rediscover unique styles of play — like the flat attack patterns of the past — to truly challenge the green and gold.

"Cornflakes" and the R360 Rebellion

The off-season was dominated by rumours of the R360 rebel rugby union competition — hilariously codenamed "Cornflakes" by the hosts to avoid legal or media fatigue. Chimes, whose business partner Clinton Schifcofske was labelled the "mastermind" by some outlets, attempts to set the record straight. He defends the role of agents, noting that if a player like Zac Lomax or Ryan Papenhuyzen expresses interest in another code, an agent is professionally obligated to explore those options. The panel debates Peter V'landys' aggressive "10-year ban" threat for agents involved with R360, with Kent labelling the move as "Trump-esque" — effective in its intimidation but legally questionable.

The Stranded Star: Zac Lomax

The discussion turns specifically to Zac Lomax, who appears to be the primary casualty of the R360 delay. With the rebel competition pushed back to 2028 to accommodate the Rugby World Cup, Lomax has been left in a difficult position. The hosts question the "integrity of contracts" in the modern game, noting that Lomax's situation highlights the risks players take when they attempt to navigate code-swapping deals that aren't yet set in stone.

Looking Ahead to 2026

As the show wraps up, the team expresses gratitude to their returning sponsors and reaffirms their commitment to delivering the hard-hitting analysis fans expect. While Kenty's seat might be filled by guests in the coming weeks as he focuses on recovery, the message is clear: the show goes on, and the veteran journalist plans to be back in the thick of the footy season as soon as his health permits.

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