As the NRL looks to expand the competition ahead of the next broadcasting deal a number of locations are being looked at across Australia. The problem is, I think we need another team in New Zealand sooner rather than later. The New Zealand Warriors would benefit from having a little bit of competition in New…
In episode 2 of Fergo and The Freak Andrew and League Freak talk about the history of Rugby League expansion in Australia, the loss of clubs, what clubs could be relocated to new areas and which areas are ripe for expansion. You can now subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and Spotify, otherwise you can…
English Rugby League is dying. If you have been reading my web site for any length of time you knew that years ago. I was the first to write about the financial implosion and mass death of clubs that sadly eventuated. I wrote about Rugby Union swamping the game in its so called heartlands when…
The Gold Coast Titans joined the NRL in 2007 at a time when Rugby League was still recovering from the Super League War. At the time the game was terribly underfunded with terrible broadcasting deals in place and a lack of corporate infrastructure holding the game back in a big way. As we head into…
A couple of years ago a great idea was put forward to enter a Fijian team into the NSW Cup lower grade competition. The basic idea was to have a Fijian club in the NSW state cup competition that mirrors the PNG Hunters involvement in the Queensland Cup. The depth of talent Fiji produces in…
As a rabid Rugby League expansionist I was very interested in news that came out this week that the Chairman of the Canadian Rugby League Eric Perez would lead a bid to have a Toronto based club play in the RFL’s National League One. The team will be called the Toronto Wolfpack. They will be…
Lets not get too far ahead of ourselves just now. Jarryd Hayne did very well in his first pre season match for the San Francisco 49ers but he still has a long way to go. It was important for him to show the club he had raw athletic talent, and he more than did that….
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…
This is very clearly an unpopular opinion that I am about to put forward, but I love the idea of having a State of Origin game in Melbourne every three years. I am originally from New South Wales, but have grown up in AFL-mad Melbourne. I will not deny that above all else, Melburnians love…
I always find it funny when some Rugby League supporters believe they are more important than others. That just because they occupy a patch of dirt in a certain area they are more entitled to be listened to the games administrators. I am a Penrith Panthers supporter that lives in Penrith. I’m a New South…
The Federazione Italiana rugby Football League (FIRFL) is growing visibly and has now officially announced another bead to their international stature: the Federleague, in fact, has signed an agreement with the “Kenya Rugby League Federation” for the creation of an “Rugby Academy”, which will be launched in the Watamu area, the location where the Italian…
The following is an interview conducted with new Spanish Rugby League coach Darren Fisher that has been sent out by Espana Rugby League. Enjoy! Darren Fisher, Spanish Rugby League coach, responded to his first Rugby League questions in Spain on the Balon Oval website with Juan Maria Garcia Talona. 1. Good morning Mr Fisher, the…
It wouldn’t take much for the situation at the Cronulla Sharks to go south very quickly. If the Sharks have to deal with players being suspended, a fine, and the aftermath of what would be a very difficult period for the club, the Sharks would need financial support from the NRL to survive. Many within…
When Rugby League gained independence and gained control over its own destiny, it was seen as a great day for the sport in Australia. The game was once again able to stand on its own two feet. It was able to set its own agenda. It was able to control its own future and it…
Why Expand? Expansion gives the NRL an opportunity to create a truly National Competition to expand into new markets and compete for the hearts, minds and dollars of AFL, Union and Soccer fans and future players. Allowing the entry of another 2 NRL teams will allow the NRL and Clubs to gain more revenue from…
First of all let me say this. We need a decent Super League team playing out of London. Super League needs it. Every team in Super League needs London to have a Super League presence. This article is not about the health of Rugby League in London. Rugby League is doing quite well in London,…
Kevin Rudd has pledged $500,000 of Federal Government money towards Central Queenslands NRL bid team. The money will be used to carry out a feasibility study into a new Rugby League stadium for Rockhampton. With the NRL looking to expand the competition in the next few years you will see a number of NRL bid…
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…
A big crowd in Perth to see the Bunnies and the Warriors has relit the calls for the NRL to expand with a return to the west the main topic of discussion. Earlier Brad Fittler suggested that the Melbourne Storm be relocated to Perth, regarding that I’m not sure what his thinking was as the…
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…
A few weeks ago I wrote an article titled What To Do With The London Broncos. I am a passionate supporter of Rugby League in London. Rugby League across Great Britain simply needs a Super League presence in London. Recently the Rugby League Down South Podcast had an in depth look at the London Broncos,…
Once again the International Origin match has failed to provide the game with what it needs. England has not got the hit out it wanted, the Exiles team is getting worse and worse as the quality of Super League imports falls, fans are simply staying away and not buying into the concept…there is simply no…
With just 3 wins from their 17 games, the London Broncos find themselves on the bottom of the Super League ladder. As someone that has stressed for years the importance of the London Broncos to the future of Super League, even I find myself questioning the future of the club. Where are they headed? What…
This weekend see’s Super League clubs take an entire round of games to one stadium, Etihad Stadium, home of Manchester City. The concept was born as a way to try and open up expansion markets in Wales and Scotland. The Rugby Football League would take over a major stadium for one weekend and put on…
Right now there is a lot of talk about restructuring the Super League and Championship competitions. Some of the idea’s on the table seem alright. Others are completely ridiculous and should not even be up for consideration. The problem with all of the options being put up for discussion right now is that they do…
I have held back from commenting on the investigations by the Australian Sports Anti Doping Authority and Australian Crime Commission because up until now, there were not a lot of facts to go on. I simply didn’t want to say anything about the investigation until we knew more about what was going on. Now, I…
The Federazione Italiana Rugby Football League (FIRFL) presented the 2013 Rugby League season competitions on Saturday 26 January. On the occasion, FIRFL President David Massitti showed the exponential growth of our Rugby a Tredici in recent years. “Our Federation is walking on its own feet – says David Massitti – since November 2011 in fact…
For well over a decade now the game of Rugby League in Australia has been crying out for a strategic plan. Something that the game can work towards to give fans, players and various investors in the sport something they can look forward to. Basically the game needed to build towards something, and so today…
With Rugby League in Australia now predicted to generate an average of $270 million dollars per year the game administrators have an opportunity to do something they have not been able to even think about for a very long time. Building a legacy. While clubs grants will be raised along with the salary cap, Rugby…
A words of advice kids. If every you find yourself in a position where by you have the financial clout to sponsor a football stadium and use its naming rights to promote various companies that you own, don’t buy the naming rights to a stadium that doesn’t have a major sporting team as its number…