News that covers Rugby League in Australia.
I’m really looking forward to tonight’s match between the Penrith Panthers and Canterbury Bulldogs. After a disappointing start to the season I think we are going to see how good the Panthers really are this year in tonight’s match. They are at home, they need a big turn around if they don’t want to start…
Seven News is reporting that domestic violence charges against former Bulldogs player Hazem El Masri have been dropped ahead of a hearing on Monday. El Masri was charged with common assault, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, in 2015 after an alleged altercation with his estranged ex wife. El Masri pleased not guilty to the…
The Parramatta Eels have found themselves in a new round of salary cap drama after revelations that the Eels board allegedly rewarded third party sponsors of their own players with free corporate hospitality. This was discussed at board level and is completely against the NRL’s salary cap rules which state that third party sponsors for…
Andrew McFadden isn’t too happy with Graham Lowe after the former Kiwi coach claimed the Warriors were suffering from a “bro culture”. McFadden said the club didn’t have any problems and claimed that Lowe was only saying as much in an effort to get himself back into the game. “He’s obviously very keen to get…
News Limited is reporting that Paul Gallen is upset at what he called “disrespectful” Sharks supporters in the wake of news that he will be on the sidelines for a month with a knee injury. Gallen said the he was hurt that Sharks supporters would question his loyalty to the club after some of them…
Fairfax Media is reporting that the St George/Illawarra Dragons have offered Benji Marshall a one year contract extension, believed to be worth around $300,000. Marshall joined the Dragons after a very brief stint playing Rugby Union in New Zealand. There has been a few rumours that he would re-join the Wests Tigers next season if…
Adam Reynolds has suffered a suspected broken jaw as South Sydney got off their season off to a great start with a dominant win 42-10 over the Sydney Roosters at the football stadium. Played in oppressive heat, the Rabbitohs looked the better team right from kickoff. They dominated possession and field position thanks to mistakes…
News Limited is reporting that former Cricketer Nathan Bracken quit his post as a Parramatta Eels ambassador and threatened to sue the club after his sister-in-law was unable to proceed past the first round of auditions for the Parramatta Eels cheer-leading squad. Bracken has denied these allegations on his Facebook page: Before everyone jumps up…
Corey Norman did not play in the second half of Parramatta’s 17-4 loss to the Brisbane Broncos last night. Nearing the end of the first half last night Norman landed awkwardly in a tackle and slammed his face into the ground. During the second half of last nights match Norman was shown in the dressing…
There was not much entertainment on show in the NRL season opener between the Eels and the Broncos. The Broncos methodically ground away at the Eels to come away with a 17-4 win against an Eels team that was desperately missing the influence of a halfback. The game made headlines for what happened in the…
Mitchell Pearce has been suspended for 8 matches and finned $125,000 for his behaviour on Australia Day which has been the subject of so many headlines. The fine is the largest in Australian Rugby League history, and which $50,000 of that fine is suspended, I still think it is way over the top. I think…
ARLC Chairman John Grant has blocked any hopes John Hopoate has of coaching the Manly Sea Eagles SG Ball team any time soon. Hopoate’s legal team has threatened to take the matter to court arguing that it is the NSWRL that has juristiction over the SG Ball competition and not the NRL. They asked the…
Channel 9 is reporting that the NRL is furious at the Sydney Roosters for the way they have handled Mitchell Pearce since his return to Australia from rehab. Pearce has participated in a number of media interviews since his return and to be fair to Pearce, he seems to have been very open and honest…
The 2016 NRL season is here! I want to know who my readers think will be NRL Premiers by the end of the season. You can select your own team if you like or you can select a different club. It is totally up to you! So…VOTE: FYI, if you selected a team other than…
There are few teams in the National Rugby League that suffer from the weight of expectation that the Parramatta Eels carry every single season. While the Eels have come close on a couple of occasions, they have never been able to recapture the glory days of the 1980’s that saw the club become one of…
NRL Womens Adviser Catharine Lumby believes that Mitchell Pearce’s behaviour is unacceptable that and he should not be allowed to play in the NRL ever again. Now before everyone loses their minds it must be stated that Catharine Lumby is allowed to hold this opinion. We are all allowed to hold different opinions on what…
Sydney Roosters player Shaun Kenny-Dowall has been found not guilty of charges that included assault, damaging property, stalking and using a carriage service to offend. The charges were brought against Kenny-Dowall in July 2015 after allegations were leveled against him by his ex partner. Magistrate Gregory Grogin found Kenny-Dowall not guilty on all charges. This…
There is nothing better than turning up to an NRL game only to find yourself being preached at because you are in the middle of another theme round. Theme rounds are a pain and rarely have anything to do with Rugby League itself. So why doesn’t the NRL have theme rounds that actually celebrate parts…
Wouldn’t it be fantastic if once in a while you could turn up to a game of Rugby League and the major focus of the event you have turned up to was Rugby League? I don’t know about you but I am sick to death with every single round of the Rugby League season needing…
The Sydney Morning Herald today has revealed that the NRL spent $101,095,000 on marketing in 2015. This is obviously a massive blowout and it has seen the NRL start to move people on from its front offices because you simply can not justify spending that much on marketing. That got me thinking, what could the…
When you’ve spent ten years talking about your desire to bring NRL football back to North Sydney and the Central Coast, it becomes a bit awkward when you then decide that you want to control an NRL club on the Gold Coast. That is the scenario in play today as the North Sydney Bears, or…
It is official: Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Sam Burgess will take to the field on Saturday after being named as part of the South Sydney Rabbitohs second row for their game against the Gold Coast Titans. Much has been made of the return of Sam Burgess from England where he spent a year playing rugby…
In 2015, the NRL was graced with an all-Queensland final that pitted the Brisbane Broncos against the North Queensland Cowboys. The Cowboys had fought intense battles throughout the season with their star player Johnathan Thurston leading the team to NRL glory. While there is no clear-cut favourite, the NRL betting odds should favour these top…
With the NRL All Star game coming up there is a lot of talk that the NRL may be looking to cut the event to help ease the workload on players. The NRL All Star Game is very important for the Indigenous All Star, that is something that can not be overlooked at all. It…
Should Mitchell Pearce be sacked by the Sydney Roosters and deregistered by the National Rugby League? I tend to think a fine and suspension is enough in this case with a warning that one more incident will be the end of his NRL career, but a lot of people feel that is not enough. So…
Sydney Roosters halfback Mitchell Pearce is in a lot of trouble right now after video emerged of him highly intoxicated at a private party. During the video Pearce admits to pissing on the couch of the person that owns the home, before briefly simulating a sex act with her Poodle (Ironically a little bit of…
Anthony Mundine has told The Locker Room Podcast that he believes he was a very similar player to Johnathan Thurston, but more explosive. Mundine said “Thurston was very similar to me but way slower”. He went on to add “I think I had twin turbos. If he had twin turbos he’d be very similar to…
As the National Rugby League continues to negotiate its next broadcasting agreement news has emerged that Fox Sports wants to shake up the current broadcasting schedule by adding an early Friday Night match at 6pm AEST and buying Channel 9’s Saturday Night Game, giving Fox Sports its “Super Saturday” back while moving Channel 9’s match…
Are you a Rugby League fan, or are you just a fan of your club? Do you want to see the best talent in the world on show every weekend in the NRL, or do you only care that your team wins and very little else matters to you? Personally, I’m a Rugby League fan…
Sam Burgess has officially made the decision to leave Rugby Union and return to the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Many will suggest that Burgess’ stint in Rugby Union was a failure. Considering how much money he made in his short stint there, and the fact he walked into the English Rugby Union test team, I find…