The NRL remains to be the pinnacle for rugby league players around the world, but sometimes Australians fancy a change and move to England to compete in the physical Super League format. While some have failed on their challenge to achieve success in the UK, some have had overwhelming success. But which Australian players have…
Cynical. I can’t help it! When I read that Leeds Rhinos boss Gary Hetherington urged the RFL and its clubs to block Todd Carney’s move to the Catalan Dragons on the grounds that it damaged the reputation of the game, I knew right then and there that I should go through all of the players…
With less than 2 weeks until the Super League 2014 Season, I thought we’d have a look at the 3 clubs that will surprise us the most in the 2014 season. Obviously you have the teams that will always be fighting for the top spot in the Super League table, but I think there could…
LeagueFreak.com guest writer Sam McCulloch lists then things he believes would help Super League prosper once more. 1. Start Playing Double Headers Double Headers is something both NRL and Super League need to look at not just as a revenue exercise but as away of attracting more fans through better fan experience and value. Take…
The Rugby Football League has announced that Super League will be cut from 14 teams in 2014 to 12 teams in 2015. There are more decisions to be made over the coming months about competition structure and how the relationship between Super League and The Championship will work. All of the decisions being made come…
Ancient monument to wingers across the land, Francis Meli, will leave St Helens at the end of the season and join the Salford Red Devils on a one year deal for the 2014 season. Meli, best known for his time at the New Zealand Warriors a decade ago, is 34 years old and his signing…
The NRL has a responsibility to take over and mentor the Super League whilst clubs could create an alliance or sister club in the UK. Super League is the 2nd biggest market but with the right promotion could be the new golden goose of Rugby League and it really wouldn’t take much of an outlay…
England v Exiles, what’s that all about? England v NRL rejects more like. Don’t get me wrong Super League has some good Australian / New Zealand rugby league players that either used to play in the NRL and / or could play in the NRL. Unfortunately those players are very few and far between now…
When Dr Marwan Koukash took over the Salford City Reds, he clearly wanted to do everything possible to make the club a success. It didn’t take him long before he was making changes to the clubs management, including getting rid of the coach to bring in Brian Noble and making changes to the front office,…
Jamie Soward has been released by the St George/Illawarra Dragons with immediate effect. The move will allow him to join Super League club the London Broncos as a replacement for Craig Gower who recently left the club. Soward’s fall from grace at the Dragons has been dramatic, and I think unfair. While his form was…
If you are rich and you buy a Super League club, try to get people that can run that club for you who know what they are doing. That would be the advice I would give to Salford Reds owner Marwan Koukash after the UK’s Daily Star ran a story suggestion that Salford plan to raid…
Known by most as the man who scored a hat-trick for Cronulla against the Raiders in the 2008 semi -finals, Misi Taulapapa has continued his try scoring exploits in England. Now playing for the Sheffield Eagles, Taulapapa scored a try in the 2012 Championship game helping his side to claim the title. Having represented Samoa…
Penrith Panthers halfback Luke Walsh could find himself playing for Super League club St Helens as early as this season. News that the St George/Illawarra Dragons may be willing to release half Jamie Soward early from his contract to join the Penrith Panthers this season could open the door for Walsh to also leave early….
The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that Penrith Panthers prop Mose Masoe will join St Helens in 2014. Masoe, who joined the Panthers in the off season from the Sydney Roosters, is one of the biggest players in the game today and a player I rate fairly highly. he has good mobility for a big…
Confirmed By St Helens: Walsh To Become A Saint It is a move that has been doing the rounds of the rumour mill for a few week now. Luke Walsh may be contracted to the Penrith Panthers, but it is all but a done deal that he will be released from his contract and will…
There is a stark reality that Super League fans and clubs need to accept. The days of buying decent players from the NRL are over. The days of picking and choosing who they would like to have in their sides are long gone. The days of big name imports have gone the way of the…
Gary Hetherington is a complete moron. There, I said it. And this quote from him is why. “The increase in the NRL’s salary cap, the current exchange rate and various changes made by the government are going to make it very, very difficult to attract top-quality, international standard overseas players,” Hetherington said. The Yorkshire Post…
I always find it funny when Super League Imports talk up the quality of Super League and its players. The vast majority of the time I think its just about knowing who butters your bread. Other times I think it just comes down to a player or a coach trying to convince themselves that they are no…
As I write this, Willie Mason is getting ready to play the first Rugby Union game of his life. The previous conversion record for a Rugby League players to switch codes, play a game and walk into a Rugby Union representative team had been held by Iestyn Harris at 11 days. Mason has walked straight into the…
I’ve written so many article about the changed that need to be made within the game of Rugby League in Great Britain. If you want to read them, go looking through the site archives. What if you started to think outside the box though? What if you stopped thinking about the basics, and went after…
After being told by the Sydney Roosters (Of all clubs!) to just go away and not come back, Willie Mason made the decision to head over to England and play for a Super League club. It took many months and a lot of hassles over his visa, but eventually, a month into the 2011 Super…
The Leeds Rhinos have made some very strong statements in regards to the treatment of Rugby League Players by the UK Border Agency. After winger Weller Hauraki finally had his visa granted, Leeds were obviously upset by how long the process took. He missed last weeks game against the Bradford Bulls. This prompted Leeds Rhinos…
They days in which the RFL could suggest that player contracts are a club issue and nothing to do with them are well and truely over. This week it has emerged that the Bradford Bulls have signed Matt Orford despite the fact they had already filled their overseas quota. Once they signed Orford, they told…
I really enjoy it when the Poms decide to award Rugby League players. It is always worth a giggle to see who they rate and who they don’t, after all these are the same people that gave Andrew Farrell an award as the best player in the entire world at one point! This time around…
One of two I can understand, but for six players from the Celtic Crusaders to be deported because of Visa violations, something is terribly wrong here! I’ve spoken a few times about the Celtic Crusaders on this web site. I gave them a honeymoon period to get over a few teething problems, but it became…
Death, Taxes, Super League clubs dying to sign an import… Ah yes, its that time of the year again, silly season in England just throws up so much comedy value. Whether its Sean Long’s utter desperation in his voice as he tries to convince people he wouldn’t be crushed if St Helens didnt re-sign him,…
St Helens has announced that it has signed Sydney Roosters center Sia Soliola on a three year deal. The top team in Super League has signed Soliola from the second last placed side on the NRL ladder and will feature two overseas born centers next season. Now normally, a Super League club signing an overseas…
Ive been supportive of the Celtic Crusaders and the push to fast track them into Super League. Rugby League needed a professional club in Wales in 1995. If the powers that be had used their brains at that time and get things going back then we’d probably have more expansion clubs and Super League would…
Are the days of England being an easy out for trouble making players coming to an end I wonder? Right now a number of players who have signed with Super League clubs are still waiting back home in Australia and wondering if their past behavior has finally closed a door on them. British officials have…
Well, Leeds beat St Helens in the Grand Final and made it back to back titles. I have to confess that I haven’t watched the game yet and to be honest, I don’t think I will be chasing it down. There has been a bit of whinging because St Helens players didn’t wait around after…