As the 2014 Rugby League Four Nations edges closer, excitement has been rapidly building following the squad announcements of all four teams. This year’s tournament – involving Australia, New Zealand, England and Samoa – will be the fourth time the event has been held, and thrilling conclusions to the Super League and NRL seasons has…
From the eye-popping virtuosity of Jonathan Davies to the stupefying mediocrity of Jon Gallagher, countless Rugby Union players have crossed the great divide to Rugby League with varying results. But how well have personalities from other sports fared when entering the blood and thunder of 13-a-side? Liam Botham – Cricket Probably the only godson of…
Another end-of-season, another round of clubs fines for breaching the salary cap. This time it was Sea Eagles, Knights, Roosters, Tiger and Tigers named as offenders. The breaches date back to the 2013 season, and the Titans aside, seem like minor offenses at worst. For instance the Tigers over spent on their Holden Cup cap,…
I can’t think of too many other sports in the entire world that sees top of the line players depart at the peak of their careers to pursue “dreams” of doing other things. Rugby League should be very proud of the fact that it produces world class athletes that can even consider switching to other…
First of all let me say that it is a very brave decision for a player on well over $1 million a year to walk away from all that money to chase any dream. Jarryd Hayne obviously has a real drive to try his hand at becoming an NFL player and if he feels that…
NRL CEO David Smith has made some interesting statements in the aftermath of news that Jarryd Hayne would be leaving the NRL to pursue his dream to play in the NRL. Smith has explained that he was in contact with Hayne’s management as late as last night and was willing to do what ever it…
Hands up if you thought at the start of 2014 that Blake Austin would be a sought after recruit and that a club’s fans would celebrate upon signing him? Anyone with their hand up needs to be called in for questioning, because you’re telling fibs. Austin began the year not only behind Braith Anasta for…
By now I’m sure you have all heard the massive news this morning that NRL superstar, and current Dally M medalist Jarryd Hayne has announced he is headed to the USA to try his hand in the NFL. Sighting the fact that he felt he had ‘done it all’ in the NRL, one of the…
The Rugby Football League have suspended Wigan forward Ben Flower for 6 months for his vicious assault on St Helens playmaker Lance Hohaia in the opening minutes of the 2014 Super League Grand Final. The majority of this 6 month suspension will be served during the off season, meaning Flower looks like he will miss,…
Ben Flower’s vicious attack on Lance Hohaia in the 2014 Super League Grand Final has raised an interesting argument. There is a lot of speculation that Police are looking into the incident. In these sorts of situations you sometimes need a complaint to be made or pursued by the victim for anything to gain momentum,…
Australia has named a brigade of fresh new faces in their 2014 Four Nations squad. Injuries have really taken their toll on the Australian team and while people have been quick to say that players have pulled out of the squad a little too easily, I think most people underestimate the brutal grind the NRL…
Ben Flowers vicious attack on Lance Hohaia in the 2014 Super League Grand Final is the most vicious, cowardly act I have ever seen on a Rugby League field in all my life. That Flower was sent off just two minutes into the biggest game of the year, without hesitation, says it all about how…
For all the good in Rugby League, the big hits, the length of the field tries, the emotion, one aspect of the game that needs urgent attention is the rule that says players signed before round 10 can simply change their mind at any time. When a player ‘signs’ with another club prior to the…
With news breaking that superstar five-eighth Johnathan Thurston has withdrawn from the upcoming Four Nations Tournament, the door was well and truly thrown open for the New Zealanders and English in terms of possibly winning the tourney. With Thurston joining the likes of Matt Scott, Paul Gallen, Billy Slater, James Tamou, Nate Myles, Brett and…
Check out this fantastic infographic that takes a look at both St Helens and Wigan as we head into the 2014 Super League Grand Final:
When the most successful club in the history of the game adds to their success, the history books all need rewritten. The South Sydney Rabbitohs triumph on Sunday evening was a proud moment for Rugby League. For the vast majority of Australian Rugby League history a club with it’s sights set on winning the title…
With news coming out of yet another unfortunately disruption of Kurtley Beale’s promising but troubled career, reports now indicate that Kurtley Beale may be headed to Rugby League in 2015. It looks as though it may be the best move for both the ARU and Kurtley himself as despite his obvious talents and ability, Beale…
When I was in high school I had a friend that supported the South Sydney Rabbitohs. It was something he didn’t mention too much though. This was when George Piggins was running the club and they looked like they did not belong anywhere near the top level of the game. After high school I remember…
Cynical. I can’t help it! When I read that Leeds Rhinos boss Gary Hetherington urged the RFL and its clubs to block Todd Carney’s move to the Catalan Dragons on the grounds that it damaged the reputation of the game, I knew right then and there that I should go through all of the players…
Do you remember when the Gold Coast Titans first entered the NRL? They were a new team with a new name, new jerseys, a new stadium, a new centre of excellence…the future looked bright! They gave their new coach a long term deal because he was going to lead this new team of players to…
There is a phenomenon that occurs among sports fans who follow a team for many years, especially a team that struggles to win games for a long time and then turns things around and becomes successful. You see, these people will follow their team through thick and thin. Through the good times and the bad….
Although the Manly/Dogs, Sharks/Dragons, Broncos/Titans rivalries, and there are plenty of others, have plenty of history and venom behind them, make absolutely no mistake about it, league’s biggest rivalry is between the Rabbitohs and the Roosters. This Friday night the latest chapter in this heated rivalry will be written as two of the NRL’s foundation…
It’s true. I was there. I saw it all. Call me a witness. Call me a fly on the wall. Call me maybe. It doesn’t matter because I was there. So we all walked into a large room with a round white table in the middle of it. Around it sat all the bad guys,…
I know it’s been about 20 hours since it last happened in Rugby League but….it’s happening again. THE SKY IS FALLING!!! When the Canterbury Bulldogs kicked the ball through the defensive line and it’s hit the referee it enacted what is possibly my favourite rule in the entire game. When the ball hits the referee…
As a Penrith Panthers supporters it is rare that I get to see my team play I. A semi final at all. When it does happen, my reaction is a little bit strange compared to other people whose football teams make it this far in the season. I don’t get nervous at all. Not one…
News recently broke that Cowboys enforced Tariq Sims has been slapped with a five week ban following his shoulder charge, off the ball, on Broncos star Justin Hodges from Saturday Night. Although there have been some calls from the far North that the ban was far too harsh, I for one am glad the NRL…
The boss of Channel 9 has told the Daily Telegraph that he is open to broadcasting Sunday afternoon football games live on the proviso that it works out in terms of the advertising he can sell during those broadcasts. Channel 9’s delayed coverage is a relic of a bygone era. Supporters of the match have…
The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that St George/Illawarra Dragons winger Brett Morris has asked the club for a release so that he can join his brother at the Canterbury Bulldogs. Incredibly the Herald suggests that the Dragons told Morris to look around for a new contract at other clubs, feeling that his current contract…
When a referee makes a mistake I expect a good commentary team to discuss the decision. I want them to break down why the decision was wrong, show evidence that it was wrong, and then talk briefly about the possible ramifications that will follow from that wrong decision before going back to calling the football…
The Canterbury Bulldogs did it again. They came into the NRL Finals Series looking busted. No one gave them a chance. No one was mentioning them at all when they spoke of the Premiership favourites. They were supposed to be one and done. What followed was an old fashioned ambush!!! The Melbourne Storm didn’t know…