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…
The Penrith Panthers came into the 2019 season full of confidence that they had a big season ahead of them. After a great 2018 season, which still wasn’t enough for the club, everyone at the Panthers was looking for more heading into this season. The club had gone out of its was to pick up…
Phil Gould is set to depart the Penrith Panthers, with a club board meeting set to make it all official tomorrow. Gould came into the club as General Manager at one of the lowest points in the clubs history. At the times the Panthers were a complete basketcase. Gould took his time consulting with officials,…
In episode 8 of Fergo and The Freak the boys talk about the opening of the magnificent Bankwest Stadium, the Parramatta Eels demolition job against the Wests Tigers, the season long struggles of the Penrith Panthers and then finish up talking about the two weirdest school excursions in Australian history! Make sure you subscribe to…
When Greg Inglis announced his immediate retirement from the NRL and the South Sydney Rabbitohs questions were raised about the affect on the Rabbitohs salary cap. Inglis made it clear he would not be receiving the remainder of his salary for the remainder of the 2019 NRL season. This gives the Rabbitohs over a million…
In this episode we look at Greg Inglis’ retirement and the drama surrounding the possible salary cap implications for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Eye Gouging allegations and how they are handled, what should happen when a player is badly injured on the field and play is allowed to continue, and the rising retirement age among…
The Canterbury Bulldogs have had to deal with a lot of media bias against the club over the years. Whether it be due to falling out with the media by denying access to coaches or players, or just the fact that the large supporter base of the club gives the media a big potential readership…
Fergo and The Freak, hosted by Rugby League historian Andrew Ferguson and Rugby League writer League Freak is the best Rugby League podcast you can listen to. With so much buzz surrounding the podcast it is time to show you all of the places you can download and subscribe it! Below is a list of…
Despite the not so subtle whinging by the Wests Tigers, no one can deny that the brand new $300 million dollar Bankwest Stadium venue at Parramatta belongs to the Parramatta Eels. Built on the Eels traditional home ground that was once Cumberland Oval, and then Parramatta Stadium, Bankwest Stadium sits smash bang in the heart…
In this episode we talk about Israel Folau’s sacking and the virtue signalling surrounding it, the ARL’s hypocrisy in shutting down a possible return to Rugby League, the media’s attacks on Valentine Holmes, Greg Inglis’ future and Anthony Mundine’s Anti-Vax comments. This is a stacked episode so make sure you subscribe and give us a…
The Brisbane Broncos second post Wayne Bennett era hasn’t exactly got off on the right foot, with the clubs slow start to the NRL season compounded by a number of high profile out of form stars and constant criticism by former club legends. Going into the 2019 NRL season online casino sites had the Brisbane…
As the NRL looks to expand the competition ahead of the next broadcasting deal a number of locations are being looked at across Australia. The problem is, I think we need another team in New Zealand sooner rather than later. The New Zealand Warriors would benefit from having a little bit of competition in New…
Great players don’t have the same career trajectory as everyone else. Their highs are much higher than every one else, and their lows are sometimes not all that low. How great players deal with different parts of their careers can be telling, and they all seem to have different ways of coping with the fact…
Journalist Matt Attard joins the podcast to talk about the Canterbury Bulldogs, how the clubs 2019 NRL season is shaping up, Dean Pays contract extension, the future of the club, his thoughts on Belmore Sports Ground and how the mainstream media treats the Bulldogs. Subscribe to the podcast and give us a five star rating!…
In this weeks episode Andrew Ferguson and League Freak look back at the fight by Dennis Tutty to fight for the rights of players to be able to move between clubs freely, how that lead to the modern day Rugby League contract, failed moves to bring a draft into the NRL, and why an NRL…