The ARL and NZRL have both officially withdrawn from the 2021 Rugby League World Cup according to multiple sources on both sides of the Tasman. This decision has reportedly been made because of concerns about player welfare as Covid 19 numbers spike in the UK. Here is the joint statement from the ARL and NZRL…
In some really disappointing news the NZRL have announced that it has cancelled the Rugby League test match between the New Zealand Kiwis and Tonga that was scheduled for the end of the year. Citing restrictions in travel due to COVID19 and the need for players to have to isolate for an entire month to…
In what has to be one of the most ridiculous things a current administrator has ever said, NRL Chief Operating Officer Jim Doyle has told the Sydney Morning Herald that he would like to see Rugby League 9’s turned into a hybrid game. While speaking of the potential to expand Rugby League 9’s into a…
In life, the ability to say the word “No” is very important. In fact, I’d go as far as to say our ability to say the word “No” is what our entire society is based around. You see, for things to run smoothly you need some level of control. You need to be able to…
Last month ARLC Chairman John Grant was asked about the ridiculous situation in the State Of Origin series that saw both Queensland and New South Wales actively recruiting players who were not born and raised in Australia. His reply was pathetic and limp wristed. “I don’t think the State of Origin rules are going to…
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…
It was over 12 months ago that Christchurch was rocked by a series of powerful earthquakes that flattened buildings, destroyed infrastructure and claimed many, many lives. It was heartbreaking to watch. Our Kiwi brothers and sisters got up that morning, and it was like any other day. They went to work not realizing that some…
I’m looking at Rugby League on a world wide basis, and I can not for the life of me understand why the RFL has any influence on the decision making process at international level. The RFL and its shambolic track record. An organization that can not even properly administer its own tiny little club competition….
One day……one day, the game of Rugby League in Australia will be run by an independent commission that is set to streamline the administration of the sport. Backed by the riches that are expected to come from a billion dollar broadcasting deal, the game finally see’s a chance to do a number of things it…
Rugby League is a funny sport in that, it is controlled by just a few countries, and yet there is a will to have it become a true international democracy, even though there is no way in hell that will ever happen! In the past, many in England have felt that the international schedule is…
The 2010 Rugby League Four Nations has been disappointing. The quality of football has been dreadful and when only two of the four teams have ANY chance of winning the tournament, you have to think of other ways to grab the public’s attention. People want to see a decent contest, you can’t sell people rubbish…
The Warriors can never just settle, they always have to have something going on. We won’t go over history because we’d be here for years, so lets just look at 2009. The team is set. They had an amazing run in the 2008 finals, they got within one game of the NRL Grand Final, many…
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the international waters, the idiots running this game destroy any hope or enthusiasm you might have had. Today the RFL announced the details for the Four Nations competition to be held at the end of the year between World Champions New Zealand, Australia, France…
It was very strange seeing New Zealand doing a victory lap with what I consider to be OUR World Cup, and while it was great for the game to see it happen make no mistake, I wanted Australia to win the big one. Having said that, I think the reaction by some within the Australian…
Strap in folks, this is gonna be a long one! In an amazing game that was a fitting end to the centenary celebrations in Australia, New Zealand has beaten Australia 34-20 to claim the Rugby League World Cup! I was lucky enough to be at the game and it was very surreal to see New…
All the profits from the 2008 Rugby League World Cup will go into a fund to develope Rugby League around the world. On top of this there is $2,000,000 in prize money on offer that will be spread across all ten World Cup teams depending on where they finish the tournament. This is all fantastic…
In a recent article in The Guardian Online Rugby League reporter Andy Wilson wrote an article about England World Cup chances titled No reason to fear Folau and co. The article was typical of a lot of press thats coming out of the UK at the moment. With England having just beaten a French team thats was mostly…
He has been one of the games elite players for over ten years. He is universally respected and one of the gentlemen of the game. He is a premiership winner, he has captained Canberra and the New Zealand Warriors and been an inspirational leader at both clubs. He in one of only 6 players in…
This week has seen a tug of war between the NZRL and Super League clubs over the availability of two players for the upcoming Test match in Australia next week. Leeds fullback Brent Webb and Wigan halfback Thomas Leuluai were both selected by the NZRL. They were the only two Super League based players selected…
Stephen Kearney has been announced as the New Zealand Kiwi’s new coach. He will be helped along by Wayne Bennett who will take an “advisory role”, what ever the hell that means! This saga has dragged on for so long that quite frankly I’m sure all Kiwi Rugby League fans are over it. Its been…
Gary Kemble has resigned his position as New Zealands test coach effective immediatly. At the end of the day Gary Kemble put himself out of his own misery and quit as coach of the New Zealand Test side. After a disasterous term as Kiwi coach and with players speaking out against his lack of experience,…
Before I start I just want to ask one question. Does Wayne Bennett actually want to coach New Zealand? We all know the complete disaster New Zealand Rugby League went through in 2007. From issues with the running of the game in New Zealand, to the shambolic performance of the Test side, 2007 was a…
To state the obvious, 2007 has not been the greatest year in the history of New Zealand Rugby League. But tonight, December 1, the brighter side of the NZ game was acknowledged and celebrated with the annual awards function held at the Telstra Pacific Events Centre, Manukau, Auckland. Winners from the night were: Lion Foundation…
In 2007 New Zealand Rugby League was supposed to be celebrating 100 years of international competition. Instead, it has been brought to its knee’s as a century of incompetence hits a new low and the game in New Zealand becomes a shattered shell compared to the long awaited promise of success. With the Bardercard Cup…
The Rugby Football League has always been soft on things like gambling, drugs use and illegal play, and once again this week the English governing body has turned the game into a laughing stock. In the last 7 days we have see 3 of the worst head high tackles in International football in recent memory,…
The World Champion Australian Rugby League team has demolished New Zealand by a score line of 58-0. It took Australia about five minutes to kick into gear and once that happened they just looked three classes above New Zealand. The youngest backline in Australian Rugby League history was just oustanding showing power, speed, skill and…
There is one rule in Rugby League that you should never, ever break… SHUT UP! You never, ever give any opposition a reason to fire up by talking yourself up before a game. It always ends in tears. So when NZRL chairman Andrew Chalmers this week game about the best ammunition I have ever seen…
On the back of news that Australian selectors enquired about the Australian eligibility of Parramatta Eels forward Fui Fui Moi Moi comes word that St Helens Samoa-born forward Maurie Fa’asavalu has put his hand up to play for Great Britain. Now I could could on about the squad stacking that the ARL, NZRL and RFL…
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…
The NZRL wants an Kiwi Origin series. They also want Kiwi’s to be allowed to play in the Australian State Of Origin series. The ARL meanwhile was surprised that the first test match played in 6 years in the second biggest League center on planet Earth attracted a crowd. Because of this, they are re-thinking…