News that covers Rugby League in Australia.
After the resignation of Stephen Kearney this week, the Daily Telegraph as well as Fox Sports are reporting that Ricky Stuart will coach the Parramatta Eels from the beginning of next season in a move that all but certainly ends his reign as New South Wales State Of Origin coach. I tend to think this…
Luke Lewis has asked for, and received an early release from his contract at the Penrith Panthers sighting a desire for a new challenge at another club. Lewis is a local junior and has played for the Panthers for 11 years. He was stripped of the club captaincy earlier this year in a move that…
Queensland has wrapped up its 7th straight State Of Origin series with a thrilling 21-20 win at Lang Park. A field goal from 45 meters out by Cooper Cronk ended up being all that separated the two sides in a win that see’s Fijian born Petero Civoniceva retire as the most capped forward in Origin…
The Western Australia Rugby League has announced that the name they will use for their National Rugby League expansion team will be the West Coast Pirates. Previously the Western Australia Rugby League had used the name Western Reds, Perth Reds, then WA Reds, but obviously they decided to go in a different direction for their…
A player moves from one club to another during the middle of the NRL season and predictably, the media runs around telling everyone that the sky is falling. The same old reactionary bullshit we have come to expect over the years. Then they wonder why they are all getting sacked! I personally have no problems…
In front of over 83,000 screaming New South Wales supporters the Blues have defeated the Maroons 16-12 to level up the State Of Origin series 1-1. It was an unsettled start to the game with both sides looking nervous. New South Wales settled first through and early on had the best of the chances, although…
We are heading into a must win, possibly series deciding game two of the State Of Origin series, and you know what the big talking point is? Whinging. Both Mal Meninga and Ricky Stuart have carried on like a couple of fucking idiots. Neither one is better than the other. Between the planet sized chip…
In what is being described as a “mutual decision” made in conjunction with the Australian Rugby League Commission, David Gallop has decided to stand down as the CEO of the NRL only 4 months into a four year contract. I think it was time. David Gallop took over, reluctantly, as the NRL CEO in 2002…
At the beginning of the year the Penrith Panthers were a club looking to reinvent itself. It needed to happen, they needed to draw a line in the sand and put an era of complete and utter failure firmly in the rear view mirror. One of the major moved forward was that the club announced…
So the NRL Referees have used Brad Fittler to get around their bosses, Bill Harrigan and Stuart Raper, to contact NRL CEO David Gallop and tell him they no longer have confidence in Harrigan and Raper. Hmmm… Firstly, what is David Gallop doing even sitting down at that meeting. Aside from the fact that Brad…
Game one of the 2012 State Of Origin series was a very interesting game for a number of reasons. I personally didn’t think it was the highest quality game, I think neither side played at their best, but both probably learned a lot from that first game and I think both teams will be thinking…
Game one of the 2012 State Of Origin series was a very interesting game for a number of reasons. I personally didn’t think it was the highest quality game, I think neither side played at their best, but both probably learned a lot from that first game and I think both teams will be thinking…
Josh, Josh, Josh…. You know, Canberra Raiders fans don’t ask for much from you. They kinda know what the deal by now. Basically, you’re a good fullback, but every time you get tackled you get up slower than Apollo Creed in Rocky II. You’re more injury prone than Mr Glass from Unbreakable. Hell, you missed…
Is it unreasonable to suggest that the biggest domestic sporting event in Australia would generate enough money to see the participants in that contest earning $50,000 each? No, not really? That is the situation we face right now with the State Of Origin series. The Rugby League Players Association is pushing for a pay increase…
The Queensland Rugby League has announced the Maroons side for game one of the State Of Origin series and there were basically no surprises what so ever. The Queenslanders have a big production around the announcement of their side and its pretty funny if only for the fact that you have so many journo’s who…
The NSWRL has announced the Blues State Of Origin side for game one and I have to say, its a lineup I really like and one that looks like its been selected to attack the Maroons and really go after a win rather than trying to defend its way to a series. When you have…
Earlier this year on Twitter Phil Gould was answering questions put to him by Penrith Panthers fans and tried his best to convey the terrible position the clubs previous management had left the club in in regards to the salary cap. Gould didn’t beat around the bush either. He basically said that the club was…
As many of you know I have complained a number of times about the money wasted in Sydney on stadium developments at venues that are no where near the standards required for top level sport these days. I have talked about the need for some sort of stadium rationalization for years now. Today came news…
It has been a bit of an interesting week in the National Rugby League with different different teams facing different issues that really come back to personal responsibility. In Canberra, the Raiders season has once again got off to a terrible start and there is talk that an alcohol ban imposed by the club went…
I love a good grudge match and tonight’s Bulldogs vs Sea Eagles match is about as good of a grudge match as you will find. It all stems back to the Sea Eagles implosion after winning the Grand Final. Their success on the field had been masking a lot of issues off the field and…
I don’t need to hear from Rugby League coaches any more. Coaches are cheats and liars. The don’t care about anything other than winning their next game. They have no interest in what is best for the game overall, they don’t care about their opposition, in fact they really don’t care about their players either….
When you get to representative level, the players you assemble are the best of the best. Bigger, faster, stronger, more skillful and with more endurance. It is that last asset that I think is seeing the bench rotation at representative level evolve into something different than what we have become accustomed to seeing over the…
After pleading guilty to bashing his pregnant girlfriend in late 2011, Robert Lui has been suspended by the NRL for the remainder or the 2012 season. Lui will be allowed to resume playing for the North Queensland Cowboys next season, who signed him knowing the charges he faced, because if he can go for 12…
Nathan Tinkler formed Hunter Sports Group with the long term goal, according to him, of building a sporting legacy for the Newcastle and greater Hunter region. His first move came 18 months ago when he purchased the Newcastle Jets Soccer club and saved them from folding. Last year though, he claimed his biggest prize when…
When Ben Te’o blasted Matthew Groat last Friday night and knocked him unconscious, I knew what was to follow. Pure hysteria, stupidity and talk of an unfair playing field. The NRL came out just a few days ago to reassure everyone that the shoulder charge was here to stay. That didn’t stop the media from…
Queensland’s winning run at State Of Origin level burns away at me every single day. When I watch games I rate the form of possible Origin players, as well as the Queenslanders. I think that New South Wales are in a much better position than they were say two years ago. Now we know who…
As a Penrith Panthers fan, I didn’t want to see Cooper Cronk leave the Melbourne Storm. Having been talent scouted by the Storm, developed, given his first grade debut and blossomed into a super star of the game at the club, I thought it would have been tragic to see Cronk leave the Storm and…
The Wests Tigers come into the 2012 season as Premiership favorites. They had made a number of big moves in the off season and many felt that they would kick on and go all the way this year after falling just short the last few seasons. Things don’t always follow the script. After starting the…
The NRL Players Association will push for the NRL to fund the cost of having Income protection for players that suffer career ending injuries. This is a good move and one that you would hope is easy to implement and doesn’t cost too much. It is something that we need too. I think of players…
On Wednesday night I sat down at 8:30pm to watch NRL On Fox. Just before the show started, I checked my Twitter timeline and saw a message from Wests Tigers hooker Robbie Farah that said this: Just got ambushed on NRL on Fox. Pretty fired up ATM to be honest and pretty pissed off. Wanted…