In this episode Matt Attard joins us once again as we talk about our love for The Starting Bloc, Nathan Cleary playing Origin, DWZ on his way out at Penrith, Mitchell Moses, Clint Gutherson and much, much more! Subscribe to the podcast and give us a five star rating! To ask a question on the…
No NRL club ever signs a coach thinking about the day they will have to sack him. Then again with some of the deals NRL clubs have done recently, they might not have been thinking at all! After guiding his Parramatta Eels team to a terrible 64-10 less, the Parramatta Eels re-signed Brad Arthur to…
The hits keep coming for the Penrith Panthers in 2019 as back Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has asked for an immediate release according to a report in the Sydney Daily Telegraph. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has been one of the Penrith Panthers highest rated young stars in recent years, having played in first grade on the wing, in the…
He is one of the hottest properties in the NRL and already in demand by a number of clubs looking to capture his signature, but Tevita Pangai Jr has his sights set on one thing right now, playing for Tonga in international Rugby League. Pangai Jr was born in Sydney and as such is eligible…
He Penrith junior player who would join the Sea Eagles early on in his playing career and he would go on to play over 250 games for the club. Des Hasler might not have started out at the Manly Sea Eagles, but in some way, it just seems to be where he belongs. It wasn’t…
It is a system that English sporting supporters hold near and dear to their hearts. Promotion and Relegation. How does it actually work out for the teams it effects the most? With lower league clubs pushing themselves to the limit to reach the top level, and top league teams scrambling to avoid the trap-door, promotion…
On this episode we review the coaching performance of all 16 NRL head coaches. We look at who is doing a great job and who could be doing a whole lot better! We also have a major love-in for The Starting Bloc, who we love, so very much! Make sure you subscribe to the podcast…
In this episode the boys consider the question, should NRL clubs consider Trent Barrett as a potential head coaching candidate. We go into as much detail as needed in this episode, it is one not to be missed! Trent Barretts coaching record: http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/coaches/trent-barrett/summary.html Make sure you subscribe to the podcast and give us a five…
On this episode we look at Promotion and Relegation, we lined up Super League against other high profile sporting leagues that use the system, we look at the dramatic changes that would have been made to the NRL if they had promotion and relegation in place and we talk about the damage it does to…
The Parramatta Eels have handed coach Brad Arthur a two year contract extension, and fullback Clint Gutherson a three year contract extension, just days after the club was thrashed by the Melbourne Storm by a scoreline of 64-10. Arthur, who had just a 46% success rate in 137 matches as the Eels head coach, becomes…
BOOK LAUNCH: In this very special episode Andrew Ferguson talks about his book – The Story Of Rugby League Covering the history of the game in Australia, it is a fantastic read for all Rugby League fans and a brilliant gift idea! You can buy the book directly from the publisher by clicking the link…
After coaching the Parramatta Eels to a 63 win and 74 loss record at a 46% winning rate, the Eels have reportedly signed Brad Arthur a contract extension. In this episode Andrew and Freaky take a look at this decision. The Eels lack of improvement, their current squad, and alternative coaches the Eels should have…
Its almost that time of the season again so Andrew and League Freak sit down and name the sides they would select in the 2019 Rugby League State Of Origin series. Who did they select? Who did they leave out? Listen and find out! Make sure you subscribe to the podcast and give us a…
In this episode we look at Stephen Kearneys coaching record in the NRL. The Warriors haven’t had a great season in 2019 so we ask the question, is it time for a coaching change? We talk about who is available, who would be the right type of coach for Warriors, and who they should avoid!…
It is an idea ripped off from the Rugby Football League in England and now the National Rugby League had taken it and run with it. Magic Weekend! A whole round of games played at one stadium. What might be a decent idea in England makes absolutely no sense at all in Australia. With so…
In this episode we talk about the drawn-out saga involving Israel Folau and Rugby Australia, we discuss why the NRL Magic Weekend is a stupid idea, we talk a little bit about promoting the game in new areas and promoting Rugby League in the bush!
As we head towards the disruption of the State Of Origin series, at the one third mark of the season, we have seen enough of each and every NRL clubs to know where the form starts, where it ends, and which teams are legitimately struggling in 2019. Some teams, like the Penrith Panthers, looked like…
On this episode we go through a review of each and every NRL team now that one third of the season has now been completed. Which teams have struggled, which teams have impressed, who is playing above expectation, who are the dark horses, and who we think are the favourites to face off in the…
Latrell Mitchell was once again outstanding for the Sydney Roosters last night, scoring 26 point as the Roosters put the hurt on the Wests Tigers at the Sydney Cricket Ground. There has been a lot of speculation about Mitchell’s future, with South Sydney said to be ready to offer him the huge money they have…
It was the heavyweight showdown between two old guys to decide who would be victorious over the other. There was also a footy game to be played between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Brisbane Broncos! More and more we are seeing mainstream media focus on NRL stories that just do not resonate with the…
Yesterday I took my first trip to Bankwest Stadium in Parramatta to call the NSWRL Junior Rep Grand Finals as part of the SWR Sports Rugby League call team. I haven’t been to Parramatta Stadium in many years. I use to go there all the time as a teenager as most of my friends were…
In this episode we talking to Brien Seeney who runs the NRL Physio twitter account. We discuss NRL injury rates, the treatment of injuries from the past to the modern day, concussion, player equipment, how to deal with injured players on the field during a match and much, much more! Follow Brien on Twitter at…
A life award is a special ward that is given to experienced athletes with several lifetime achievements. Established rugby unions honor rugby legends who had a successful rugby career. They include Mick Doyle, Jack McGrath, Pio Tikoisuva and Ratu Tuisese. Punters win a mansion bet bonus code when they correctly predict rugby players who will…
In this episode of Fergo and The Freak we look at the disconnect between what the mainstream media finds interesting and what the majority of Rugby League supporters find interesting. We look at the changing media landscape, the way the reporting of the game has evolved, and talk about how things may change into the…
When you look back over the last 15 years of the Cronulla Sharks the club has offered up a bit of a mixed bag of results. Going from a team everyone would like to see win its first NRL title, to being one of the most disliked clubs across the game due to the ASADA…
On this episode we look at the long and varied history of repetitive and systematic cheating of the salary cap rules in the NRL. From the very first season of its existence to the 2019 season. Did your team break the cap? Listen to find out! If you enjoy this episode make sure you subscribe…
The 2004 season was one full of turmoil for the National Rugby League. With off field scandals, rule changes and talk of big name players going to Rugby Union, it seemed like 2004 was a whirlwind of media noise that in many ways the game still feels the repercussions of to this very day. In…
Former Australian Rugby Union player Ben Darwin from Gain Line Analytics joined the Fergo and The Freak podcast to talk about how his company uses Rugby League statistics to measure team cohesion and find the holy grail of analytics use in sports. Team chemistry. Team chemistry has been a bit of a blind spot in…
Former Wallaby Ben Darwin from Gain Line Analytics joins us to talk about the the use of Rugby League statistics, the importance of cohesion on the outcome of NRL games, as well the affect cohesion has across all sporting codes as well as in the workplace. This was a fascinating discussion and is an episode…
On the latest episode of the Fergo And The Freak podcast journalist Matt Attard joins us once again as we take a look back on the 2004 season, one full of controversy and change. We look at some of the rule changes that have been brought into the games since then including two referees, the…