As you may or may not know, there is not an official push to remove the Challenge Cup from a list of protected sporting matches so that it does not have to be shown on free to air TV in the United Kingdom. The Challenge Cup may have its critics, but the fact is it…
Everyone knows I love the concept of an Aboriginal All Stars team taking on an NRL All Stars team. It will make for a great game, it will be a great way to kick off the season and it will celebrate the fact that Rugby League has a higher percentage of Aboriginal players than any…
I always think that going into a season, you can get a feel for what direction a club is heading in by the little subtle things they have been doing over the last few months. Some things are good. For instance, have you heard much from the Melbourne Storm? No. Thats a good thing, more…
At what point do you realize you have had enough? For some people its when they start to feel a bit under the weather. For others, its when they start to slur their words. Some people go even further than that. When they can’t stand up on their own, when they throw up, or when…
Paul Gallen is a real top bloke! For years Gallen has forged a reputation on the field as a grub, and in 2009 he pushed that reputation to new heights through his stupid behavior, on and off the field. It all started well when he was fined $10,000 for a racial slur he made towards…
A Christmas, don’t you just love this time of year? Its stinking hot, beach weather, thunderstorms rolls out of the west from over the Blue Mountains, you put up a Christmas tree and decorate your house. You go into debt buying presents, you send cards to people. I have to say my favorite part is…
Another day, another off field disgrace for Rugby League fans to deal with. This time its Newcastle prop Danny Wicks who has been charged with supply and possession of prohibited drugs. Serious? Well, he’s been refused bail. Even Greg Bird got bail… It just makes you wonder what goes through the head of some of these…
There is a difference between doing something stupid, and being stupid. We’ve all done something stupid in our lives thats made us look back and think “What the hell was I thinking”. However there are people that just don’t get it, who don’t look back and ask that question. These people are morons, they are…
Every day I like to jump online and do my rounds of all of my favorite Rugby League news sources. I hit up the Daily Telegraph in Sydney, the Sydney Morning Herald, I sometimes see if the Australian and anything good to read, and then I’ll take a quick look at the BBC. Then I…
It is always fantastic news when we see the game expanding, and you all know I’m all for spreading the word and getting new areas into the games higher levels. This ones got me asking some questions though…. The BBC is reporting that a South Wales consortium have made a bid to enter a Bridgend-based team…
Greg Bird is free to negotiate with NRL clubs. Most have turned their back on him, but now it seems long time rumours that the Gold Coast Titans want him are true. The Titans are in a tough position in some regards. As a footballer, Bird is just what the Titans needs. For a team…
Running a web site is a very interesting experience. You get funny e-mails, weird e-mails, threats, offers, and generally its all a bit of a laugh. In running this web site I try and do two things. First, I want to entertain. Second, I want to make people think a bit more deeply about the…
We all know how terrible the 2009 season was for the Sydney Roosters. In fact by the time you are finished reading this article its likely that one of their players will commit another crime against humanity. So the club doesn’t know how to handle itself, that much is clear. They have continued to allowed…
I can not wait for this game between the Indigenous All Stars and NRL All Stars earlier next year. I’ve wanted there to be a game for the best Aboriginal players in our game for many years now, and I think the NRL has just about got it right in terms of who they will…
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…
The Telegraph in Sydney is today reporting that Sonny Bill Williams is getting home sick and wants to come back to Australia or New Zealand to resume his football career. You may remember that Williams had a five year contract with the Canterbury Bulldogs. Into the first year of that deal Williams got on a…
Melbourne is set to host next years mid season Test between Australia and New Zealand as well as next years Four Nations tie between Australia and England in a bit coup of the game in Victoria. The Victorian Government has worked closely with the ARL in recent years to give the game a good presence…
This move has been on the cards for a long time but finally, Matt Orford, who is off contract in 2010, well play in the UK for the Bradford Bulls. The Manly Sea Eagles still have a few players off contract for 2010 that they have yet to sign, Orford being the most expensive of…
Tony Smith has quit his England coaching job just minutes after his side lost the Four Nations Final by a scoreline of 46-16. Smith said the idea of spending six weeks away from his family was a major decision for him to stand down, as well as commitments to his Super League job at Warrington….
Feels good man, feel’s real good. Australia has blown England off the park in the Four Nations Final in Leeds by a scoreline of 46-16. The fight half was a beauty, with both teams swapping the lead for the entire 40 minutes. Australia were under pressure early, giving away stupid penalties, and had to hold…
You probably already knew it was time for a big final between Australia and England. You would have received the e-mail from the RFL asking if it was ok for them to put your name up as a possible referee for this game! In what is shaping to be a very big end to the…
The Melbourne Storm have agree’d to release workhorse lock Dallas Johnson freeing him up for a lucrative move to the Catalan Dragons in Super League. Johnson has played well at club, State and Test level over his entire career and won his second NRL Title in 2009 with the Melbourne Storm. Johnson is only 26…
Under Matthew Elliotts coaching the Penrith Panthers have yet to have a winning season in his three years on control of the club, Despite this the Penrith Panthers management decided to give him a three year contract extension. Now, during the 2009-10 off season the Penrith Panthers have been spending a lot of money. Penrith…
Well the Rugby League International Federation awards were held last night. I know, I know….I didn’t know they were on either! Look, I’ll be honest with you, I look at this awards list and I don’t really know what to make of it. Does it just take in the international season, I would suggest it…
I’ve been very critical of England for a very long time, I’ve give my opinion on changes that needed to be made, and so when those changes have come into being, I shouldn’t be surprised by Englands improvement. England beat New Zealand 20-12 in a good old fashioned test match! New Zealand started well and…
Australia has not been all that impressive but still manage to run out big winners against France, winning 42-4 in Paris. The first half for Australia was very unimpressive, France played well as they have done throughout the competition and the Australian side once again looked disjointed and out of sync. This game really confirmed…
This is a very strange week for all teams in the Four Nations Tournament. Australia is through to the Final, we know that much. We also know that France is no chance of making the final. These two teams play each other while England take on the World Champions in the New Zealand Kiwi’s with…
New Zealand have beaten France 62-12 in a game that was actually pretty close at one point. France showed they can put in a good 60 minutes (Better than Australia ATM!) however their fitness really lets them down and they bled points late in the game against the Kiwi’s. It was a good hit out…
Twenty minutes of easy, untouchable football, sixty minutes of complete and utter garbage. That pretty much sums up Australia’s performance in their 26-16 win over England in Wigan this evening. Australia looked like they would easily rack up the massive scoreline I expected them to in the first quarter of the match. As I predicted,…
Its been a week of hysterical poms and over the top statements as we work into what I call the “48 Hours Of Honest Reflection” that comes following another massive Australian win over a terrible English side. We’ve had all but one Pom in the press doing the cheerleading thing this week, some ridiculous, simplistic statement, and…