In the last 48 hours I have seen two different photos of two different players having a quiet beer at a pub. They were not doing anything wrong. They were not causing any trouble. They were just two people having a quiet drink. These players were, without their knowledge, photographed during what I would consider…
I’ve tried to reserve my judgement about Matt Elliott. I’ve tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. He certainly talks a good game, and he says the right things, so I thought there was a chance that his poor record is due to a statistical anomaly, rather than him being a poor coach….
Andrew Fifita will become one of the highest paid Rugby League players in the world when he joins the Canterbury Bulldogs in 2015. The deal, which New Limited is reporting to be worth $850,000 per season over four years, will see him join the Bullodogs, shunning offers from the Cronulla Sharks, South Sydney Rabbitohs and…
Australian test captain Cameron Smith has signed a 4 year contract extension with the Melbourne Storm, ensuring he remains a one club player. The deal which is set to be one of the richest in the games history will be the final one of Smiths playing career. Smith had been at the center of a…
It is not very often you hear Peter Sterling give his opinion on anything that happens at the Parramatta Eels. There is a good reason for that. Peter Sterling knows that his opinions hold so much weight with the Eels supporter base that he can make or break the club based on a few simple…
One of the more exciting things to watch during the 2014 NRL season is how Sam Tomkins plays in his first season in the NRL. While his performances at the Auckland 9’s were mixed, we now have a full game played in anger on which we can review Tomkins play. So, how did Sam Tomkins…
With the 2014 season about to begin the supporters of 16 National Rugby League clubs have hearts filled with hope and minds filled with dreams. Right now, anyone can win the Grand Final. Basically, everyone is too bloody happy for my liking! I could have written a normal season preview but there are only about…
LeagueFreak.com guest writer Daniel Nichols has posted an interview with South Sydney, North Sydney and South Queensland’s former captain Mario Fenech. Although Fenech is best known to younger viewers for his time at the footy show, his tough and aggressive play earned him Origin jersies and with a bit of luck he would have toured…
How It Will Finish 1. Roosters 2. Bulldogs 3. Bunnies 4. Storm 5. Sea Eagles 6. Warriors 7. Sharks 8. Panthers 9. Knights 10. Cowboys 11. Titans 12. Broncos 13. Tigers 14. Dragons 15. Eels 16. Raiders Roosters: Did a magnificent job in keeping their premiership winning side together. Luke O’Donnell is the only player…
The Spotlight is on… Bradford: this week the RFL hit Bradford Bulls with a 6-point deduction that leaves them 4 points adrift of London at the bottom of the Super League table. With the threat of relegation at the end of the season, this is absolutely disasterous for Francis Cummins and his squad. A dark…
If you are a rugby league fan in the UK who only follows Super League and not the NRL you must have had the time of your life on Saturday morning. Not because Wigan put in a respectable performance, though they did, and not because the shoulder charge seemed to reappear for a game (hallelujah!!)….
Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it! For years Rugby League was handcuffed by poor administration. The feeling was that the game needed to move away from an administration run by former footballers. The game needed to be turned into a business, run by business types, and when that happened Rugby…
The Spotlight is on… progress and improvements: Rugby League is to undergo some fundamental changes in 2015 after the RFL announced that Super League members were ‘virtually unanimous’ in voting for a 12-team competition with meaningful movement between Super League and the Championship. The Championship will also revert to 12 teams and in the latter…
To expect Wigan to fly out from the UK after just one Super League game, to arrive in Auckland for a match against a squad of New Zealand Warriors players, and then to be competitive against the Sydney Roosters is asking for a miracle. I feel very sorry for Wigan and the ridiculous schedule they…
Heading in to every season there are many intriguing story lines and talking points. This season is no different. Although we sometimes concentrate on what is happening off the field, we should remember that it’s is what the players are doing on the field that matters most. Here are my top ten most intriguing players…
For those who hadn’t heard, Cronulla Sharks and NSW captain Paul Gallen made a successful debut into the world of professional boxing last night. His second round TKO win over the young and powerful over Herman Purcell mean he now has a professional victory to go with his 2 charity victories inside the squared circle….
Our campaign scaled the new heights of reaching the home of the European Super League this week when we delivered our 12,000+ signature petition to Red Hall in Leeds. We felt the time was right and no further signatures would make that much difference to our campaign to rename the ‘Man of Steel’ award after…
The Rugby League International Federation has announced that Australia and New Zealand will jointly host the 2017 Rugby League World Cup. They beat a bid put in from South Africa who were always at long odds to host the tournament. It will be interesting to see where the final is hosted, although you would guess…
The reason you’re sitting there reading this article is because you didn’t make it as a professional sportsman. The reason I’m sitting here writing this article is because I too could never make it as a sportsman. Not that my Dad had high hopes for me as a youngster after he saw my raw motor…
So we have just had a weekend of rugby league. I’m not sure about all of you but I have been hanging out for some footy for many weeks (or months…) The NRL decided in its infinite wisdom to have a pre-season competition to whet the appetites of fans counting down to round one of…
South Sydney Rabbitohs owner Russell Crowe has opened up about the departure of forward Sam Burgess to Rugby Union, claiming that Burgess would have stayed in Rugby League had he been able to play for New South Wales in the State Of Origin series. That is all well and good, but Sam Burgess isn’t from…
If a Rugby Union web site offered me three times as much money to write about Rugby Union, I’d ditch you lot faster than Sam Burgess decided to ditch the South Sydney Rabbitohs! Sure I’d probably develop narcolepsy, I’d have to come up with some stupid back story about a fancy school I didn’t actually…
In his first outing as an NRL player Sam Tomkins performance at the Auckland 9’s would have to be described as mixed. There is a lot of interest in how Sam Tomkins goes in his transition from Super League with Wigan to the National Rugby League with the New Zealand Warriors. Some people want to…
The North Queensland Cowboys have won the 2014 Auckland 9’s with a 16-7 win over the Brisbane Broncos in the all Queensland final. The Cowboys were great throughout the Auckland 9’s tournament with Gavin Cooper, Kane Linnett and Michael Morgan all playing great football over both days. Paul Green starts his first grade coaching career…
The 2014 Auckland 9’s have been run and won, with the TEAM NAME taking out the title in emphatic fashion. Here is a look at the full list of results from day two of the 2014 Auckland 9’s: Game 17. Sharks 30 Titans 14 – 12pm Game 18. Knights 25 Tigers 0 – 12.25pm Game…
Daniel Nichols takes a look at the first day of the 2014 Auckland 9’s. Team Of The Day: New Zealand Warriors The pre tournament favourites more than lived up to the hype in their two performances today. They carved up the hapless Raiders in the first game and were much better than the 25-14 score…
Here is a look at all the results from day one of the 2014 Auckland 9’s Game 1. Sharks 15 Knights 12 – 12.35pm (local time) Game 2. Tigers 7 Titans 22 – 1pm Game 3. Roosters 11 Eels 18 – 1.25pm Game 4. Broncos 20 Bulldogs 4 – 1.50pm Game 5. Warriors 25 Raiders…
Day one of the Auckland 9’s is now in the books. It was a great day of football and Rugby League 9’s showed us that it can provide a great event for the game to showcase itself in. So what are some of the key points we can take out of today? 1. The Day…
Daniel Pettigrew previews the 2014 Auckland 9’s. He looks at the draw each team faces, some of the key players and generally talks about what we might see this weekend. Check it out:
The Auckland 9’s kick of on Saturday February the 15th and with a big prize pool on offer. It has been a number of years since the NRL embraced an abbreviated version of the game so it will be interesting to see how clubs and players adapt to playing Rugby League 9’s. So, who do…