In this week’s episode of the League Express Podcast, Editor Martyn Sadler and Host Jake Kearnan break down all the action and talking points from the men’s and women’s Rugby League World Cup semi-finals.

They start with the controversial clash between Australia and Samoa, debating whether Samoa were robbed of a place in the final and discussing Spencer Leniu’s sin-binning for dissent.

They also analyse New Zealand’s impressive performance against Tonga, questioning whether the wet-weather conditions played a part in limiting Tonga’s chances of reaching the final.

Away from the action, Martyn and Jake discuss some major news surrounding the future of the Rugby League World Cup. Could the 2030 tournament adopt a Magic Round-style format, with matches staged across multiple locations including Hawaii and Utah? They also examine plans for a 12-team World Cup and the proposed extension of the heritage eligibility rule to include great-grandparents. Is this the right direction for international Rugby League?

The pair also discuss the NRL's investment in French Rugby League, France's proposed tour of the Pacific next year and the latest developments in the ongoing NRL–RFL negotiations.

Finally, they look ahead to this weekend's men's and women's Rugby League World Cup finals, discussing the match-ups and giving their predictions.

In this week’s episode of the League Express Podcast, Editor Martyn Sadler and Host Jake Kearnan dissect England’s disappointing exit from the Rugby League World Cup, asking where it all went wrong and what needs to change if the national team is to compete with the best in the world.

With England failing to reach the semi-finals for the first time in their World Cup history, the pair discuss the independent review involving former greats Paul Sculthorpe, Adrian Morley and Gareth Ellis, and what questions need to be asked about the state of the English game.

Martyn and Jake also take aim at the tournament format, England’s extraordinary journey to Australia and the lack of preparation time afforded to Brian McDermott’s squad. Were England put at an unfair disadvantage before they even took to the field?

They also look back on the dramatic final round of group matches, including Lebanon’s remarkable victory over France in a controversial thriller and another historic encounter as Tonga defeated Samoa.

With the semi-finals now set, Martyn and Jake preview Australia v Samoa and New Zealand v Tonga, assessing the four remaining teams and predicting who will book their place in the World Cup final.

Finally, they discuss the latest developments in the Josh Addo-Carr false-positive drug test saga and what the situation means for the former Kangaroos winger.

In this week’s episode of the League Express Podcast, Editor Martyn Sadler and Host Jake Kearnan break down all the action from Week Two of the Rugby League World Cup.

The pair begin with England’s huge victory over France, assessing their response to the opening-round defeat to Tonga and exactly what they now need to do to keep their World Cup campaign alive and book a place in the semi-finals.

Martyn and Jake also review the rest of the weekend’s action, including New Zealand’s dominant win over the Cook Islands, Australia’s narrow escape against Fiji, Samoa’s big victory over Papua New Guinea and Tonga overcoming a brave Lebanon side.

Away from the World Cup, they discuss the latest surrounding the London Broncos and whether the club will be playing in Super League next season, as well as the ongoing NRL–RFL negotiations.

They also turn their attention to the NRL, with the Sydney Roosters pulling out of contract negotiations with Sam Walker’s management. What does it mean for Walker’s future, and where could the star halfback end up next?

The pair also discuss Tom Starling signing with St Helens and what he could bring to the Saints before looking ahead to Week Three of the Rugby League World Cup and the crucial matches that will determine who progresses to the semi-finals.