There is no doubt that at representative level, Johnathan Thurston’s record is incredible. You can not deny his impact on Queensland’s historic State Of Origin winning run. Throw in his fantastic record at international level, that now include that elusive World Cup victory, and Thurston has done it all at rep level where the great…
The Cowboys are that team that will always appear in your top eight predictions but what will 2014 actually bring for them? From a fans point of view 2013 was a disappointing season with many Cowboys favorites retiring including Mathew Bowen, Ashley Graham and Dallas Johnson not to mention their finals campaign ending on a…
Claiming to be the best Rugby League playing nation in the world means very little if you don’t hold the World Cup in your possession. Australia heads into the 2013 Rugby League World Cup looking to win back a trophy they held for decades. The once dominant Kangaroo’s now have an unfortunate reputation for dominating…
The 2013 Rugby League World Cup kicks off in a few weeks time and it should be a fantastic tournament that brings people together from many different parts of the world. It should be a moment in which Rugby League celebrates the real work that has been put in to get Rugby League established in…
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…
In my living memory as an NRL fan there’s never been a year where the game hasn’t been brought into controversy because of appalling behavior by one (usually more than one) of its players. James Tamou, George Burgess and Blake Ferguson have all found themselves in trouble with the law in a short space of…
Note: Blake Ferguson was replaced by Nathan Merritt after Ferguson was charged with indecent assault. The New South Wales Rugby League has announced the team that will take on Queensland in the second game of the 2013 State Of origin series to be held at Suncorp Stadium is Brisbane. After winning game one at ANZ…
It didn’t take long for the perfect world that the New South Wales camp had created to be shattered by injuries and suspensions. With Jarryd Hayne struggling to overcome a hamstring injury and James Tamou getting taxi’s everywhere from now on, the Blues have a couple of big holes in their lineup they may have…
Castleford Tigers standoff Rangi Chase has opened up to TheSun.co.uk about the abuse he received after making the decision to play for England. Chase has described his treatment as “discriminatory” and pointed to examples in other sports where people born and raised outside of England turn out for England. You know what Rangi, I’ve got…
New South Wales will be without James Tamou for State Of Origin Two after the forward was suspended for two games after being charged with drink driving and driving without a licence according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The suspension is a step in the right direction for the NRL and shows that high standards…
Well, here we go again… New South Wales is going into another State Of Origin series hopeful it can break Queenslands winning streak. We have a coach who is untested at this level and a few new additions to the side. We hope its enough to finally get over the top of Queensland, but we…
The first game of the 2013 Origin Series is almost upon us. Betting agencies have the odds at an almost 50/50 split and the experts are just as equally divided in trying to pick a winner. Queensland are trying to win an unprecedented 8th straight Origin series whilst NSW are trying to regain that winning…
I am a NSW Blues fan in the State of Origin. Correction, I am a frustrated NSW Blues fan in the State of Origin. You see, as we haven’t won a series since 2005, my frustrations have slowly but surely built to the surface. What was once a babbling underground brook is now a raging…
Update: Kurt Gidley will miss the entire State Of Origin series. He has been replayed by Josh Reynolds for game one. New South Wales has named its team for Game 1 of the 2013 State Of Origin series. This is the first team named by new NSW coach Laurie Daley as the Blues stare down…
The New South Wales State of Origin side is set to be named on Sunday night and it seems everybody is talking about who should be selected. Some players are automatic selections (i.e. Gallen, Jennings) whilst other spots are extremely up for grabs (i.e. five-eighth, bench). In something that is sure to spark much feedback…
Before I get into the specifics I must admit that I am a huge fan of Sam Tomkins and would welcome him into the Cronulla backline today, tomorrow or yesterday. He is a world class talent and I hope to see him in the NRL next season to test his skills against the world’s best…
Johnathan Thurston will see out the remainder of his career at the North Queensland Cowboys after signing a four year contract extension worth around $5 million. The deal makes him the highest paid player in the game and signals a return of huge contracts to Rugby League, something we haven’t seen since The Super League…
A few years ago I looked at the English Rugby League team and I saw a problem. For all the talk from coaches and administrators that they were looking to build towards the 2013 World Cup, I saw a side that was being selected with no thought of its future make up in mind. In…
Award in Rugby League rain like confetti these days. You have organisations and magazines handing them out to all and sundry and forming groups of people who vote based on their own agendas or in most cases, ignorance. That is why The King Of Rugby League Awards stands out from the crowd. I am the…
What a great achievement! Australia managed to beat New Zealand in Townsville 18-10 while being led from the front by a player born and raised in New Zealand who our officials and coaches recruited thanks to the possibility of at least $10,000 for every State Of Origin game he was selected to play in. What a proud moments for the…
Week one of the finals season was sensational, it was one of the best opening weekends of a finals series I can remember. I enjoyed every single game and in week two of the finals, I think we are in for more of the game. Can the Bunnies rebound after a terrible performance? Will the…
The North Queensland Cowboys will face the Manly Sea Eagles next weeked after disposing of the Brisbane Broncos 33-16 and ending their 2012 season. This game pretty much went the way that I expected it too. The Broncos poor form leading into the finals meant they were no match against an in form Cowboys side…
The first week of the NRL Finals series kicks off this weekend and it is shaping up as the NRL marketers dream. There are so many big match ups in the first week of the finals and the new finals system should make things easier for fans to follow too. The NRL captains call was…
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…
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…
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 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…
Last night Australia selected New Zealand born and raised James Tamou to play for the Kangaroo’s. He will go on to play for New South Wales in the State Of Origin series. It is a move that has caused uproar among fans and the media. Nobody feels like this is the right thing to be…