Press conference showdowns to grub claims: The 25 most explosive quotes of the NRL season
From headbutting controversies to toilet-drinking explanations, rugby league's biggest personalities have delivered comedy gold throughout the 2025 season in explosive fashion.
The great game of rugby league is a never-ending quote machine that offers fans and reporters spades of drama, hilarious takes and endless pot shots.
As David Riccio blows full-time on 2025, he reveals the 25 best quotes of the 2025 NRL season.
“You’re allowed to headbutt now.’’
That’s not fog along the Federal Highway, that’s the steam still coming from Raiders coach Ricky Stuart’s ears after he produced this press conference quip loaded with sarcasm and fury after Broncos star Reece Walsh was sin-binned for headbutting Canberra’s Hudson Young during the semi-finals. Stuart was of the opinion Walsh should’ve been sent off. He wasn’t the only one.
“If you think about life, every single one of us is going to die.’’
In June, Manly coach Anthony Seibold stopped short of cracking open a bag of Fortune Cookies when he went all Confucius with the press about how he handles pressure.
Triple M’s Aaron Woods lobbed a verbal grenade towards Queensland State of Origin coach Billy Slater prior to Origin II in June.
An emotional Slater waited a few days later at a Perth press conference to hit back at Woods, stating; “I believe the character of a person is judged more on what they say about people and how they treat people, than what an individual says to create attention.”
“Try and have a laugh a little bit more.’’
Broncos fullback Reece Walsh offered this gem to TV crews in October on why he chose to drink out of a toilet.
“One of the boys had got a toy baseball bat from somewhere.”
Raiders forward Hudson Young rocketed straight to top of the best quotes of 2025 when he explained why hotel cameras in Las Vegas had caught him using a blow-up toy during a fight with teammate Morgan Smithies.
“The people that booed don’t know anything about rugby league.’’
Former Knights coach Adam O’Brien still cringes when he reads this quote back from a post-match press conference last June. To his credit, O’Brien fronted the cameras the next day to apologise for the public relations howler.
“Stick that up ya pipe, brah.’’
Emotion-charged Sharks winger Ronaldo Mulitalo doing only as he can with a colourful verbal shot at Cronulla’s critics during their run towards a preliminary final last September.
“I’m losing sleep.’’
Cowboys coach Todd Payten declared he was suffering from insomnia last July as he struggled to come to terms with the club’s fall down the NRL ladder.
“Cool your jets with accusations.’’
In April, Roosters coach Trent Robinson launched an impassioned defence of Spencer Leniu after he allegedly called NRL legend Johnathan Thurston a “f...wit” and a “f...ing c...”, with Thurston responding: “What’s your problem?”
“It was just an honest mistake.”
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary went all Justin Bieber in August, knowing deep down it was too late to say sorry, after Panthers trainer Corey Bocking ran directly in front of Titans goalkicker Jayden Campbell as he lined-up a crucial conversion attempt.
“Well how do I fix your attitude? I can’t. Can I? Can I fix your attitude? I can’t. It’s personal.’’
During a four-game losing slump in May, Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett was asked by a reporter how he could resolve the club’s form.
“He’s signed for ‘26.”
Life won’t be the same without the quirk of former Titans coach Des Hasler, who during a heated exchanged with News Corp journalist Travis Meyn in August, offered this typically short reply when asked about $1m backrower David Fifita being at the club in 2026. For the record, Fifita will be at South Sydney in 2026.
“It’s a competition out of a Cornflakes box.’’
ARL Commission Chairman Peter V’landys offered this blunt take-down in October of stuttering rebel rugby union competition R360.
“I never said we weren’t interested. What I said was we’re on a different course because he wasn’t off contract until 2027.”
Bulldogs GM of football Phil Gould pulled out the water cannon last May to try and pour cold water on the club’s interest in recruiting former Wests Tigers half Lachlan Galvin, prior to him becoming a free agent.
Broncos coach Michael Maguire’s blunt response last September over claims the club whinged over being blocked from parking their team bus inside Canberra’s GIO Stadium.
“Team First.’’
Wests Tigers marquee man Jarome Luai pushed post on his Instagram story last April. It was widely viewed as a targeted shot at former teammate Lachlan Galvin, who wanted out of the club.
“It was about ‘f...k you Lachie.’’
The Bye Round’s Jimmy Graham offered this view of the Luai post one week later.
“I think if the grounds were there for us to rip up his contract, we would have.”
Roosters chairman Nick Politis explained in September that because star forward Victor Radley wasn’t formally charged by police following a text message exchange about cocaine with former teammate Brandon Smith, the club had no grounds to sever ties with him. Instead, they banned Radley for 10 games and fined him $30,000.
“We wouldn’t do that, we respect Daly too much.”
Ex-Sea Eagles CEO Tony Mestrov pulled on the flak jacket in March to deny Manly had disrespected club legend Daly Cherry-Evans by presenting him with a low-ball offer.
“I only signed, despite what you guys think, two weeks ago.’’
We’ll have to take Cherry-Evans on his word after offering this gem at his first press conference in Roosters colours two weeks ago.
“I don’t care what other people think about the money or the 10 years,”
Knights recruitment manager Peter O’Sullivan fired off a missive last March after signing Eels playmaker Dylan Brown to a record $13 million deal.
“We love our fans. Players deserve it, fans deserve it. Super pumped.”
The pump didn’t last long for the clubless Zac Lomax, who slotted an ice-cold field goal to beat his former club St George-Illawarra in golden point last April.
“He’s putting the boots on … have him on the wing.”
Storm prankster Cameron Munster pointed to the possible selection of coach Craig Bellamy during a spate of injuries to their line-up last April.
“Committed to the end of 2027. Excited about the vision of the club.’’
Knights gun Kalyn Ponga went cut and paste on his Instagram last July with his annual call for calm to fans over his future at Newcastle. We shall see.
Reece Walsh signs off an incredible season that culminated with a Broncos premiership with a final reference to his infamous toilet water prank.
More Coverage
Originally published as Press conference showdowns to grub claims: The 25 most explosive quotes of the NRL season
NRL hands out monster bans for Katoa hits
