It would be very easy to look at the NRL’s newly announced broadcasting deal with Channel 9 and be blinded by the figures. Channel 9 currently pays $90 million per year to broadcast 3 NRL matches per round, as well as the finals series, and representative fixtures. The newly announced deal that kicks off in…
In my entire lifetime I have only ever seen the Australian Rugby League team played really poorly once. In the 2005 Tri Nations final Australia were terrible against New Zealand. They lost the game 24-0 and in that they lost their first series of any kind since 1978. In every other game and series I…
Stephen Kearney has named his lineup ahead of New Zealand’s clash with Australia in the 2014 Trans-Tasman test match. There are a few interesting selections with Issac John secure the five-eighth role and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck named on the wing rather than at fullback: 2014 New Zealand Kiwi’s Lineup 1. Peta Hiku 2. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 3….
I never really had a problem with Fifita taking the larger than life offer on offer at the Bulldogs. Sure I was disappointed that a player who had seemingly made his name at the Sharks leaving the club, however if a rival workplace offered me an extra $50,000+ a year, I’d be out of there…
The Australian Kangaroo’s Rugby League team has been named for the 2014 Trans-Tasman test match to be held in Sydney on Friday night. The team is very similar to the one that won the 2013 Rugby League World Cup Final. Official Australian Test Team Fullback: Billy Slater (Melbourne Storm) Wing: Darius Boyd (Newcastle Knights) Centre:…
New Zealand have named six rookies in their Trans-Tasman Test squad that willl take on Australia in Sydney on Friday night. Peta Hiku, Isaac John, Ben Henry, Siliva Havili, Martin Taupau and Kenny Bromwich all join the Kiwi squad for the first time in a side that has seen a lot of change since losing…
Reports suggest that Sonny Bill Williams will “boycott” the New Zealand team team if they select him in the ANZAC Test against Australia. Williams is apparently unhappy at being named in a report about the alleged abuse of prescription drugs in the New Zealand camp during the 2013 World Cup campaign. The official report found…
I think most people would agree that the SOO concept needs a bit of a revamp. Both to keep interest from a growing ‘non-Australian’ contingent of players and supporters (predominantly New Zealanders and Pacific Islanders) and to minimise the impact on NRL clubs, in a tight competition. Once again after only 1 origin game, we’ve…
Australia beat New Zealand 32-12 in the ANZAC Test Match in Canberra on Friday night. After the match the reaction from fans and the media was interesting. They talked about how strong the Kangaroo’s are and how easily they will win the World Cup at the end of the season. Me….I’m not so sure about…
Tickets have now gone on sale to the general public for the 2013 Test match between Australia and New Zealand to be held on April 19th at Canberra Stadium. This match will be important to both teams as it is really their last good hit out before the 2013 World Cup kicks off at the end of…
The New Zealand team contains an Aussie. The Australian team contains a Kiwi and a Fijian. One side was picked with an eye on State of Origin. The game won’t even be shown live into Australia. So why should I care? As a die hard Rugby League fan that grew up watching some great test…
Australia has defeated World Champions New Zealand 20-10 at Skilled Park on the Gold Coast. This was a really interesting game, a true test match, and I think it showed a lot of the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. Overall, Australia always seemed to have the upper hand in the game, especially in the…
There have been some interesting changes to both the Australian and New Zealand test sides ahead of the ANZAC Test on the Gold Coast on Friday night. The Australian team is slowly moving on from players who either have proven they can not get the job done at this level, or who will simply not…
The Australian Kangaroos have beaten the World Champions New Zealand Kiwi’s 12-8 in torrential rain at Melbourne’s AAMI Park. It was the first game played at AAMI Park, Melbourne’s brand new rectangular pitched stadium, and the rain thrashed down for the full 80 minutes. The pitch itself must have been incredible to take the battering…
Well Australia face the World Champion New Zealand Kiwi’s this Friday night down in Melbourne. It will be the first event held at Melbourne brand new rectangular stadium that will become the home of the Melbourne Storm. Looking at both lineups, I don’t think either team has gone out to experiment too much. Both teams…
Normally, I find nothing more exciting than a Test match. I grew up in an era of very good Test football where it was a real pinacle of the game. The mid season “ANZAC” Test though, its just not doing it for me any more. We throw two teams together with a five day preperation,…
Australian Test selectors have made few changes to the team beaten in last year World Cup Final. The team that wasn’t good enough will be given a chance to get some sort of false redemption against the World Champion New Zealand Rugby League team in Friday night in Sydney. New Zealand have made a few…
Well the mid season Test match is not far off now and its time to start thinking about who you would select in your Australian Test team. Its sad to think that politics will come into play when picking the actual side. The Queenslanders will not be happy untill all 17 players are from Queensland…
Australia has beaten New Zealand 28-12 at the Sydney Cricket Ground in a good, entertaining match. Australia looked like they were going to run away with the game after scoring 22 points in the first 22 minutes, but a turn of possession saw the scoring halted as the Kiwi’s floated in and out of the…
Leading into this Fridays on of Test between Australia and New Zealand, we have once again been told by anyone wearing a small, flightless bird on their t-shirt that they ar proud to play for New Zealand and to be a Kiwi’s Test player. Pull the other one! For well over 10 years now the…
Well the mid season Test Match is coming up and there is a lot of talk about who should, and shouldn’t make the side. Australia has so many form players to choose from with only prop being a bit of a problem because of injuries to Luke Bailey and Brett White being suspended. The Kiwi’s…
In an ironic move by the New Zealand Rugby League considering the name of the Test is the ANZAC Test, the NZRL has said that the 2008 game will be their last mid season test against Australia because they are unable to compete with the World Champions in the fixture. Despite the fact the game draws big…
Much has been made of the short preperations both Australia and New Zealand had in the leadup to the ANZAC Test in Brisbane last Friday night. There has been calls for players to be stood down from the preceeding club game, calls for Test matches to be played as stand alone events on a weekend…
Australia’s 30-6 win in Brisbane may not have been the best Test match in recent years, but both sides will have taken a lot out of the match. For Australia, Karmichael Hunt and Brent Tate showed that selectors did well to show them loyalty but other players failed to step up to the next level….
The New Zealand Rugby League has announced a 19 man squad for Friday nights ANZAC Test Match against Australia. There are four new caps in the Kiwi’s lineup with you fullback Krisnan Inu, Brisbanes Greg Eastwood and Warriors props Sam Rapira and Evarn Tuimavave all breaking their way into the elite squad. Its a very…
Australian Rugby League selectors have once again turned their back on form and reason by selecting a number of players that simply do not deserve to wear the Green and Gold jersey in Friday nights ANZAC Day Test match. While it is understandable some players have been selected based on experience, other selections, such as…
Injuries and form are set to shake up the Australian Test side for Friday nights ANZAC Test match against New Zeealand. A number of players who took part in the 2006 Tri Series are likely to struggle to make the side as others in great form can not be left out of the lineup. The…
Well first off, lets wrap up the first Rugby League Test match of 2005. Its wasnt the best Test match ever, but they are not all going to be gifts from God are they. I thought Australia did what they had to, they never got out of first gear and they got the job done….