This week we have seen a media backlash against the game in regards to access to players and coaches. In some ways it is understandable. I’ve talked before about the almost paranoid stance the game takes to the media at times, mostly driven by coaches. A lot has been written about Darius Boyd over this…
This Sunday afternoon, Coffs Harbour will play host to the annual City Vs. Country event. Whilst the concept is a fun one and brilliant for the local area hosting the game, its fast losing credibility as a genuine Origin selection tool. The presence of Origin certainties Jennings and Hoffman takes up 2 spots that could…
Despite some distasteful trash talking at the scrum base and some disobedient novelty Steedens, another coat of restoration polish was applied to St George Illawarra on Sunday thanks to a blue-collar negation of the Wests Tigers. Now with three straight wins, the famous Red V jersey is once again returning to being more palatable as…
I can not wait for this weekends clash between the only two undefeated team in the NRL, the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Melbourne Storm. These are the two teams I tipped to make the Grand Final. So far this season, they both seem to be set to make yet another of my predictions come…
Roosters fans get upset when you say there isn’t many of them. Looking past the trumped up crowd figures or the fact that the club only survives because a handful of rich old men like having a play thing to occupy their time on the weekends now that playing Golf is out of the question,…
So, we’re three days removed from the ‘Showcase of the Immortals’ Wrestlemania 29. It’s time to look back and rate the matches. The show closed with John Cena winning the WWE title after a night which featured matches that ranged from the enthralling all the way to the disappointing. The event mixed the WWE’s best…
New Zealand’s hopes of scalping rivals Australia in the Canberra test next Friday have been dented after playmaker Benji Marshall was confirmed injured for at least a month with a toe injury. Marshall, 28, picked up his toe ligament strain during Wests Tigers’ 26-12 defeat to Melbourne on Monday night. Although the extent of the…
Wakefield fullback Richie Mathers took commitment to the next level last weekend when he ruptured a testicle against against Wigan and played on despite the pain. It was a knee to his right testicle that did the damage…and yes, it feels kinda strange to know exactly which testicle it was. Like we need any more…
In 2008 Sonny Bill Williams walked out on the Canterbury Bulldogs in the middle of the night. He left the club at the worst possible time and he did it without a second thought. He took the most cowardly way out any sportsman could possibly take, and he has zero remorse ever since. In 2013…
Monday night saw the banality of the universe maintained with another two competition points to the Melbourne Storm, a result which took the club to a record-equalling 13th consecutive win. Yes siree, 2013 so far has been enterprise as usual for Craig Bellamy and his cartel of systemised androids. Death, taxes, yada yada yada. Like…
Queensland currently reigns over the most dominant period of State of Origin since the concept’s inception in 1980. Coach Mal Meniga has arguably the greatest pool of talent to choose from and has built a team that has at times destroyed the best NSW could muster in the past 7 series. Billy Slater, Cameron Smith,…
5 rounds into the 2013 season and it looks like it’s a three horse race for the Minor Premiership in the form of Melbourne, South Sydney, and Manly. Newcastle, Roosters and Cowboys fans would argue that their sides are well within the running but general consensus is that the top 3 sides are a class…
Are you looking for somewhere new that you can argue about Rugby League without worrying some precious moderator is going to ban you because you bagged their favorite team? Well you need to join my brand new forum: http://www.leaguefreak.com/Forums/ These forums are fully integrated with the LeagueFreak.com web site. That means that if you are a member…
Going into the 2013 NRL season you would have been hard pressed to find someone that didn’t have the Canterbury Bulldogs down as one of the premiership favorites. Their less than idea start has horrified some within their fan base and it begs the question, is it already time to start worrying about the Bulldogs…
Not too long ago there was a time where Queensland were considered to be selecting players from a much smaller player pool than New South Wales had at their disposal. Back before Queensland decided to turn its back on born and bred Queenslanders and started selecting players from Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Fiji, Northern…
There are two types of British Rugby League players. The first type are the ones that like to play make believe that they are something they are not. They talk a good game, but at the end of the day their goal is to be the most famous person in their local pub. Now, that…
The Daily Telegraph is reporting today that the Penrith Panthers inquired about the availability of Wigan fullback Sam Tomkins and were blown away by the price demanded for the youngsters services. After chasing Johnathan Thurston, and missing out, the Panthers now find themselves with over $1 million to spend under the salary cap and yet with no…
New South Wales, we need a Todd Carney contingency plan. It seems a rambunctious youth of whiskey and lead-footing combined with the rusting capabilities of the Shire’s ocean air is slowly beginning to render his body brittle and unreliable. Right now, our incumbent five-eighth is sidelined with a busted ankle that will keep him out…
First up let me say that Sam Thaiday had EVERY right to blow up over the decision to award Billy Slater a try last Friday Night but he had NO right to touch a referee in his protest. One of the first rules you are taught as a child in any sport is respect the…
The season may only be a month old but already some players have enraged fans by their complete inability to have any impact on their teams performances. Some of these players are highly paid stars while others are has beens that should have been put out to pasture a long time ago. Rugby League is…
I know you can’t get enough League Freak in your life, you’re only human! The good news is that now you can get your dose of League Freak on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeagueFreak I’m looking to get a heap of new followers on this Facebook page and to do that, I need my readers to share the…
From the point of view of a card carrying pessimist such as myself, the major talking point from last weekend’s round of NRL will not be the glorious half-ton that my re-tootled Roosters poured on to the outstripped Eels at Allianz Stadium on Monday night. Inside my cynical headspace, this titillating 80 minutes of tri-coloured…
An attacking player that is not in possession of the ball is not allowed to obstruct a defender. It is a really, really simple rule that has been over complicated. Do you know who is to blame for that? Coaches. You see for some reason when rules come up for review in Rugby League, we go and…
He was supposed to be one of the games best players, and he was paid accordingly, but Jarryd Hayne has gone missing and I for one am concerned for his well being. Jarryd Hayne used to be the fullback for the Parramatta Eels. A big, athletic player with a lot of skill. He had the ability…
Once again The Glorious League Freak has caused waves on both sides of the planet, and all I needed was my mobile phone. In announcing my EXCLUSIVE news that Josh Dugan would be signing for St Helens, I managed to dupe thousands of people into believing that it was true. The reactions to my April…
When the NRL signed its billion dollar broadcasting deal, Rugby League fans knew there would be a few comprimises. People don’t hand over that type of money and not ask for something in return. After years that saw the game under funded, the ARL knew it has to get the maximum amount of money it…
Former New South Wales and Canberra Raiders fullback Josh Dugan will be playing for St Helens, possibly as soon as next weekend, after contract talks with the Brisbane Broncos broke down on Sunday. Dugan, who was recently sacked by the Canberra Raiders, became embroiled in an argument with Raiders fans on social media on Saturday…
Phil Gould doesn’t like the prominence that the Under 20’s or National Youth Competition gets within Rugby League these days. He has talked about it for years! He feels as though too much emphasis is played on the NYC and that the traditional reserve grade competitions in the NSW Cup and QLD Cup don’t get the attention…
The Manly Sea Eagles are proud of the fact that they are the MANLY Sea Eagles, and everyone else can simply go fuck themselves. That’s fine. Lets face it, that attitude has been very successful for them. I would suggest that the Sea Eagles need to start thinking ahead though. They need to start thinking…
New Zealand Warriors fans are just starting to feel it now… After three straight losses to start the season, Warriors fans are already asking how things could go so wrong so quickly. This time last year the Warriors were starting a new season with a new coach. They had played in an NRL Grand Final…