Paul Vautin had hosted The Footy Show every single year since 1994. He is the worst host in Australian television history, and that is what makes him so great! In an industry of talentless try hards who have the personality of a wet cardboard box, Fatty is still a breath of fresh air. There are…
There is something about Rugby League that really pisses some people off. I can not think of another sport anywhere else in the world that is supposed to justify its existence, as well as its ability to survive long term, despite the fact the tough old bastard has been around since 1895. It is not…
Today it has been announced that the Sydney Cricket Ground will be upgraded with funding from the Australian Federal Government of $50 million, the NSW State Government tipping in $86 million and the SGC Trust itself spending $50 million as well. This will see the venues capacity boosted from 45,758 to 48,000. Wait, what? That…
So yet again Rugby League is talking about a “super secret meeting” that happened over a coffee in public. The story is that Sonny Bill Williams met with the Sydney Roosters chairman Nick Politis and Channel Nine supremo David Gyngell at “secluded” Circular Quay to all but finalize a return to the NRL for the…
I know its been difficult, but its all back up and running now. No doubt the first question you have is “League Freak, what the hell happened to your web site over the last week or so?”. How about I tell you… So on about the 23rd of December I has written the article below…
Well its that time of the year again when Santa going on the worlds largest break and enter spree. We don’t mind it because he leaves presents. Now, Santa spends all year making a list. Then, he checks it twice. He want to find out who’s naughty and who is nice. Personally, I think the…
Gary Hetherington is a complete moron. There, I said it. And this quote from him is why. “The increase in the NRL’s salary cap, the current exchange rate and various changes made by the government are going to make it very, very difficult to attract top-quality, international standard overseas players,” Hetherington said. The Yorkshire Post…
The RFL put out and extrardonary press release last night in which they confirmed their planned 2012 tour of New Zealand had been cancelled, blamed Australian administrators for the cancellation, and then decided to change the laws of the game. You know, just because they felt like it! The stupid, pathetic, egotistical failures within the…
Watch me start off simplifying this and then making it much more complicated as we go along. NRL clubs currently receive a grant from the NRL every year. This is basically their share of the current broadcasting deal. The NRL is looking to get clubs to sign an agreement that says that next year, they…
Twitter is an incredible resource that is like a gold mine for anyone that knows how to use it properly. Personally, Twitter had been amazing for my web site. It is a completely open forum that allows me to contact a large user base of people who are interested in Rugby League. I can send…
Today on Twitter I mentioned once again that I believe the Cronulla Sharks should relocate to Brisbane. I point to the way they have struggled over their entire history financially and the way they are squeezed into a small area of Sydney with no room to grown. In Brisbane they would be one of just…
The Australian Aboriginals Vs NRL All Stars game is a great concept that ticks so many boxes. Its a fantastic focus for the kickoff to the Rugby League season. It has great fan interaction as people can vote for who they want to play in both sides online. It is a game that can be…
For the majority of the history of Australian Rugby League, New South Wales versus Queensland representative matches were a test of the relative current player pool in those two states. If you were an Australian living in New South Wales, you played for the Blues. If you lived in Queensland, you played for the Maroons….
It is a sad day in Rugby League today with news of the passing of Queensland and Australian Rugby League legend Arthur Beetson. I met Beetson once at a function at St Marys Rugby League club. I got a few autographs and he signed off with “Enjoy The Game”. That pretty much summed up the…
Imagine that you own a Newspaper based in London. London is the biggest media market in the country, and the vast majority of your newspapers sales are in the greater London region. The good people of London are like any other people anywhere else in the world. They want to be informed about what is…
Mid way through the 2011 NRL season Chris Sandow signed a massive contract to play for the Parramatta Eels that come under fire by a lot of people who said he simply wasn’t worth it. At the time I wrote an article saying Chris Sandow IS Worth It. On the weekend Brad Fittler was quoted…
Just days after the announcement that James Maloney would not be re-signing with the New Zealand Warriors at the completing of his contract in 2012 comes word that the halfback has signed a three year deal with the Sydney Roosters from 2013. Maloney is a good buy for the Roosters and will partner Mitchell Pearce…
So here we are, the 2011 Four Nations Final. Australia vs England at Elland Road in Leeds. England are full of confidence after their big win over New Zealand in Hull. I watched the game and England did play well, but New Zealand were terrible. I don’t know how much England is really going to…
I’m looking at Rugby League on a world wide basis, and I can not for the life of me understand why the RFL has any influence on the decision making process at international level. The RFL and its shambolic track record. An organization that can not even properly administer its own tiny little club competition….
So Australia gets to play the soap dodging, Stella drinking, pasty faced whingers from northern England again, and like clockwork, the Poms are talking up their chances and using words like Pride and Confidence. After their win last week against a Welsh team that included 8 part time players, the soap dodgers are on top…
Australia has defeated World Cup and Four Nations holders New Zealand by a scoreline of 24-12 in Warrington in a game that was marred by poor refereeing and a dangerous tackle that will probably not receive any punishment at all. This was an interesting, if not exciting game to watch. Both teams to me looked…
If you follow me on Twitter, you will know that this is something that I have brought up a few times and I am not happy about. As of today, the Penrith Panthers do not have a captain, CEO or a major sponsor. Earlier this week The Daily Telegraph looks at the latter in an…
Lets get right to a point that needs to be made. The Four Nations does not determine the best team in the world. We already have a competition for that, its called the World Cup. If Australia wins the Four Nations and wins every game by 50 points, the World Cup will still be sitting…
Well the last year or so has been a big one for this web site. It was around about a year and a half ago that LeagueFreak.com reached the milestone of 1 million visitors. Well, two day ago the web site ticked over the 2 million visitors mark! I’ve noticed the growth in numbers over…
The headline in the Sydney Daily Telegraph reads “Rugby league versus rugby union game moves closer to reality”. Wow, that is interesting, considering that Rugby League administrators are dealing with their own internal issues right now while Rugby Union administrators or on their New Zealand junket watching lost of fat blokes roll around on each…
First of all I want to tell British Rugby League fans to stop being so reactionary. What has happened has happened. You can blame this and that, but at the end of the day the real problem is that the foundations that the game in Great Britain is built upon are completely rotten. Until the…
The Rugby Football League have announced a team which they will run out as a representative of England today, and there are a few interesting things to come out of it. The big news of the day is that Joel Tomkins asked to not be considered for selection for “Personal reasons”. Thise personal reasons are…
Rugby League in Great Britain is complex. It is small minded and yet at the same time it has this inflated opinion of itself. It is closed off and proud of its ability to not need any outside influences, and yet pounds its chest in triumph at the capture of a foreign player or coach….
The Australian squad for the Four Nations was named today and there are some very interesting selections. I said earlier today on Twitter that I would be shocked if New Zealand didn’t win this years Four Nations tournament, and a look at the Australian squad confirms all of my thoughts. The team is made up…
The Manly Sea Eagles are the 2001 National Rugby League Premiers after a dominant display in their Grand Final showdown with the New Zealand Warriors. I was going for the New Zealand Warriors in this match and they looked pretty good early on. In fact, the first 30 minutes of the match reminded me a…