News that the Penrith Panthers tried to buy the Western Sydney Wanderers came as a shock to me. I am in the unique position of being a supporter of both the Penrith Panthers and the Western Sydney Wanderers. I’ve lived in Western Sydney all of my life and grew up playing both sports. I would…
The Sydney Daily Telegraph is reporting that the Penrith Panthers made an expression of interest to a company charged with finding a buying for A League club the Western Sydney Wanderers, only for the FFA to step in and deny the the move. The move is a curious one when you consider the amount of…
In 1999 Rugby League in Australia wasn’t in a very good position. It was still recovering from the Super League War, it was cutting back on spending, it was looking to kick teams out of the competition…basically it was in damage control. At the same time Rugby Union in Australia was starting to come to…
Centrebet has join the web site as a sponsor and as a result they will be providing odds for NRL matches and representative games for LeagueFreak.com readers. Teams are positioning themselves for their finals run now. This is when its gets interesting! Here are the current head-to-head betting markets for Round 24 of the NRL…
In an exclusive, League Freak’s news department can reveal that the Rugby League Players Association has identified contractual agreements between clubs and their players as the biggest threat to footballer’s rights in the modern era. Whilst acknowledging that player burnout, pharmacological experimentation and wet balls are all definitely on the association’s radar as pertinent issues,…
The Daily Telegraph is reporting that the Brisbane Broncos negotiations with the Canterbury Bulldogs for the release of fullback Ben Barba is likely to cost the Queensland based club around $300,000. On top of that the Broncos will look to double Barba’s current salary when he joins the club, meaning that Barba’s move north for…
I’ve never really rated David Furner as a coach. I think when you look at the Canberra Raiders talent and depth as well as their erratic performances…something wasn’t working. Having said that, the Raiders find themselves in the finals race. In a few weeks time they could be challenging for the NRL title. I’ve written…
Andrew Webster of the Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that the Wests Tigers need a $1 million cash injection to survive. The good news is that the Western Suburbs side of the joint venture is ready to step in and provide the funding, but only in exchange for the controlling votes on the Wests Tigers…
Benji Marshall is one of my favourite Rugby League players. I’m not a Wests Tigers fan but over the years I have watched nearly every game Marshall has played. His combination of incredible footwork and skill is something you rarely see from a playmaker. Marshall has been the best player on the field in so…
As a life-long die-hard Bulldogs member and fan, it pains me to be sitting here writing this letter. Ben Barba, the Canterbury superstar that the club raised and nurtured from a very young age when no other club wanted a bar of him, has asked for a release to return to Queensland. From a selfish…
The Canberra Raiders are investigating reports that Blake Ferguson was out drinking while injured according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The Raiders, like most team, have rules against players drinking while they are out injured. While Ferguson has admitted being at a pub, but denied drinking while there, you just have to wonder at what…
You know who doesn’t get belted by ground security at Super League games? People that are behaving themselves. There is a rapidly growing problem within British Rugby League. Crowd behaviour issues are becoming more and more common. Almost every club has had to deal with some sort of off field issue caused by their own…
The Newcastle Knights have been caught red handed wetting the ball before kicking off in an effort to make it more slippery for the reviving team to catch. It is a low, cynical move, and one that isn’t even all that original. This is something that started off in Super League not that long ago…
For well over a decade now there has been talk of an exhibition match between the Australian Kangaroos Rugby League team and the Australian Rugby Unions Mustard Disgrace. The money is supposedly being put up by ANZ Stadium and a mystery broadcaster. The money on offer is supposedly huge. It is something that is brought…
Ben Barba’s move back to Queensland for family reasons is set to be a very lucrative one… The Brisbane Sunday Mail is reporting that the Brisbane Broncos are ready to table a four year deal Ben Barba that will also see the club pay compensation to the Canterbury Bulldogs for the right have the 2012…
Sydney Morning Herald writer Adrian Proszenko is reporting that the Salford Reds have made a huge offer for Sonny Bill Williams. The deal is said to be worth over $1 million per season, a figure that would simply be unworkable under the current Super League salary cap. While it seems extremely far fetched, I think…
You won’t believe this, but after watching his Manly Sea Eagles get beaten by the South Sydney Rabbitohs 22-10 in Gosford on Friday night, Geoff Toovey blew up about the referee’s! “We need to have an investigation into this!” Toovey whinged to gathered journalists who were gleefully waiting to poke the angry bear with a…
Betfred has come on board as a sponsor of the web site and they will be offering UK fans fantastic odds on Super League game for the rest of the season. To take advantage of Betfred’s £50 free bet by simply clicking here and joining their service! Betfred are also are running a £10 no…
Former Australian test lock Bradley Clyde has made the extraordinary claim that he was anally penetrated by the fingers of Great Britain player Garry Schofield in a test match in 1992. Clyde made the claims this week in the wake of Sam Burgess now famous squirrel grip on Will Chambers. These claims will no doubt…
There are reports that North Queensland Cowboys fullback Matthew Bowen is on the verge of signing a contract with Wigan for the 2014 season. Bowen has been unable to get one last contract extension out of the North Queensland Cowboys who are worried about a degenerative knee injury that has been a constant concern over…
Aussie forward, Brett Delaney, has ruled out a return Down Under in order to commit his long-term future to Super League champions, Leeds Rhinos, after signing a new five-year contract, effectively committing himself to the club for the remainder of his career. The former Gold Coast Titan had two years left on his existing deal,…
Hull FC owner Adam Pearson has said he and the clubs he owns will stand by winger Jason Crookes after the winger was convicted of slapping one woman and punching another in the face. Pearson said “We feel the player has been harshly dealt with and we stand by him.” Every single woman that supports…
Centrebet has join the web site as a sponsor and as a result they will be providing odds for NRL matches and representative games for LeagueFreak.com readers. Teams are positioning themselves for their finals run now. This is when its gets interesting! Here are the current head-to-head betting markets for Round 23 of the NRL…
The Daily Telegraph is reporting that State Of Origin representative Blake Ferguson will ask the Canberra Raiders for a release from the remaining two years of his contract on compassionate grounds. It is believed Ferguson wants to return to Sydney so that he can be closer to his uncle, Anthony Mundine. The Raiders will no…
John Hopoate is a moment in time. A living legend. A man that made word wide headlines for shoving his fingers as far up the arse of opposing players as his knuckles would allow. With all of that in mind, I believe that when John Hopoate speaks, people should listen. Hopoate has posted a video…
In less than 12 months Mick Potter has faced more hurdles than Tim Sheens did in 10 years. Firstly let’s compare Tim Sheens’ first year with Mick Potter’s. When Tim Sheens took over from Terry Lamb the club had just finished 13th in a 15 team competition. Sheens was forced to blood eleven, yes eleven…
I’m not entirely sure what makes a grown man decide he wants to grab another man by the ball sack. I wasn’t a good enough footy player to be able to make a tackle AND have the time to reach for tackle. Even if I had been, its just not something I would personally do….
The New Zealand Herald is reporting that the NZRU has tabled a three year offer to Sonny Bill Williams and that they are quietly confident of securing his services for the 2014 season. The NZ Herald states that Williams has privately told those close to him that he is leaning towards a move away from…
Benji Marshall is one of the highest paid players in the National Rugby League. Even without the upgrade to his contract that he wanted, Marshall gets paid more to play for, and represent the Tigers, than 99% of players that play in the NRL. A component of his contract with not only the Wests Tigers,…
The Melbourne Storm have beaten the South Sydney Rabbitohs 26-8 in a game that showed the Rabbitohs have a a way to go if they really want to mix it with the contenders come finals time. While the Rabbitohs were missing John Sutton and Greg Inglis, two of their better players, there were signs throughout…