News that covers Rugby League in Australia.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are leading the way in Rugby League in terms of membership numbers after breaking through the 27,000 members mark. The milestone comes just a few months after the club broke through the 25,000 members barrier. It was not all that long ago that clubs discouraged people from becoming members of football…
Because a knee jerk reaction from the NRL has seen an issue (fighting) that was under control blow up to dominate discussion in the game, it has allowed crazies to come out of the woodwork and put forward ideas that do not pass the ten second test. What is the ten second test? Well if…
The Manly Sea Eagles have finalised a proposal to play at least one game in China over the next three years according to the Sydney Morning Herald. With the Sea Eagles and Canberra Raiders having major sponsors that both have ties to China, the game is seen as a great way to promote the game…
The teams have been selected. The referees have been told that both sides are cheating. Queensland drank some beer. New South Wales didn’t drink some beer. The stage has now been set for an epic conclusion to the 2013 State Of Origin series. So, what would I like to see happen in this game. You…
He was a star athlete that people would watch play any sport. He was a player that the founding fathers of Rugby League knew was a key to getting punters in through the turnstiles. We name an award after him, and over a century after his first Rugby League game his name still carries so…
When Paul Gallen put a combination on Nate Myles chin in State Of Origin one, it was a major talking point in the game. It didn’t matter what else happened in the contest, the way Gallen went after Myles was a moment every single person that watched the game wanted to talk about. The reaction…
In what has to be one of the dumbest ideas I have ever read, former test captain Brad Fittler has tossed up the idea that the NRL should look at moving the Melbourne Storm to Perth in the future. Fittler, who was trying to talk up the prospects of a having a National Rugby League…
The Queensland Rugby League have named their lineup for the third and deciding game of the 2013 State Of Origin series. As expected there have been no changes to the team that completely annihilated New South Wales in game two. The Maroons have brought Jacob Lillyman and Will Chambers into the squad though. The official…
You can’t say enough about the way Sam Burgess has carried himself during his time playing in the NRL. On top of being one of the best forwards in the game, Burgess has been great with the media and fans. The big Englishman has really gone a long way to opening the door for other…
Note: Jarryd Hayne, Paul Gallen and Josh Renynolds were replaced by James McManus, Aaron Woods and Boyd Cordner respectively. The New South Wales Rugby League has named a 20 man squad heading into State Of Origin game three. After getting smashed in the second game there have been a coupl of slight changes to the…
They either look like world beaters, or the worst side in the competition. There is no in between! The Raiders are a strange side in that they seem to always be struggling to take that next step. In the past injuries have killed the clubs chances, player behaviour hasn’t helped, and the club has become…
The NRL has released the following statement in regards to Manly Sea Eagles winger David Williams after he was charged by Police: The National Rugby League will await the completion of court proceedings before determining if any disciplinary action is warranted in relation to the charging of Manly player David Williams. The NRL Integrity Unit…
After being hit with a fine for breaching the 2012 salary cap the Manly Sea Eagles have made a statement on their web site. It reads: The Sea Eagles today received a fine notice from the NRL in regards to alleged salary cap breaches in 2012. The $85,000 penalty was the result of an alleged…
This is something we need to sit down and discuss now. With Ben Barba looking to leave the Bulldogs and head back to Queensland, we have now got to a point where a number of key players the club has invested time and money into have somehow found ways to leave the club. Sonny Bill…
After The Super League War the newly formed National Rugby League had a problem on it’s hands. It had more clubs than it wanted and all of them were spending more money than they had. Players salaries were completely out of control and the NRL knew it had to get spending on player salaries back…
He is one of the most marketable players in the game. When he is in form, there is no doubt Benji Marshall is also one of the best Rugby League players in the world. With the Wests Tigers ridiculously questioning whether they should upgrade the contract of the best player in their lineup, the NRL…
The Sydney Roosters have re-signed Sonny Bill Williams through to the end of the 2014 season according to the Daily Telegraph. Williams made a smooth return to the game and has managed to avoid the injury problems that have plagued his career in the past. Over the last few weeks in particular Williams has looked…
Parramatta Stadium will receive $20 million in funding for upgrades to the training, corporate and media facilities while the capacity of the ground will be increased by 3,000 to an overall total of 24,000. In the past I have been critical of the way that certain stadiums have received funding that did little more that…
The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that the Parramatta Eels made an approach to St Helens hooker James Roby to join the club for the 2015 season, only for Roby to knock them back. The Eels are on the look out for players anywhere they can find them after showing the door to over a…
After South Sydney’s exploits this season, Rabbitohs coach, Michael Maguire, looks set to become the most wanted man in the NRL at the end of the current NRL campaign. With South Sydney charging towards their first minor premiership since 1989, there is a growing concern among the Rabbitohs fans that they may lose their head…
Paul Gallen has been a fantastic leader for the Cronulla Sharks. At times he has taken opposition teams on single handedly up front, hitting the ball up without fear, making a million tackles, he has simply never let the Sharks down. At State Of Origin level it has been more of the same. Even as…
There are no excuses any more… With the NRL raking in around $300 million per season, and putting $40 million in the bank for future projects every year, there are no excuses for Rugby League to lose a single player to any other sporting code. Likewise, there is no reason why the NRL should have…
He is one of the true stars of the game, and yet the Wests Tigers are not convinced that they should pay any extra money to Benji Marshall and finalize a deal that would see Marshall remain a one club player. You get the feeling that if Benji Marshall wanted to head to another club…
Game two of the 2013 State Of Origin series was a disaster for New South Wales. Not too many of the Blues players could hold their head high after the 26-6 thrashing Queensland handed them. Two players stood out though… Aaron Woods and Nathan Merritt made their State Of Origin debuts after a groundswell of…
The Newcastle Knights have signed current Hull KR halfback Michael Dobson for the 2014 NRL season on a one year deal. Why? At 27 years of age, Michael Dobson is who he is. We know what he offers as an NRL player and we know that he isn’t about to come back and be a…
Game two of the 2013 State Of Origin series was an ambush. Queensland came out breathing fire and New South Wales simply could not stand up to the pressure. In the aftermath of such a complete and utter beat down, its always fun to rate the performances of players from both teams. I tend to…
Before he had even played first grade football, Mitchell Pearce was being anointed as the next great halfback in Rugby League. The son of former Balmain legend Wayne Pearce, he has the bloodlines of a legend. His size and ability to defend saw people compare him to Andrew Johns. This was timely as Johns career…
Queensland has blown New South Wales off the park in a dominant, devastating display to win State Of Origin 2 by a scoreline of 26-6. The Maroons ran out on the field breathing fire and the Blues simply were not prepared for the onslaught of what can only be described as perfect football. The Queensland…
It feels like a long time ago that New South Wales won game one of the 2013 State Of Origin series in Sydney. Unfortunately it didn’t take too long for the Blues to go from being on a high from winning the opening game to having to deal with one crisis after another. With Jarryd Hayne’s…
Melbourne storm five-eighth Gareth Widdop will not play again this year after dislocating his hip in the Storms 18-12 loss to the Gold Coast Titans. Widdop’s loss is a huge blow to the Melbourne Storms hopes of retaining their Premiership this season. His loss will also have a major effect on England’s World Cup plans…