News that covers Rugby League in Australia.
A crowd of 25,127 has seen South Sydney retain the Charity Shield in what was a really good hit out for both sides. Using extended benches and basically unlimited interchange, both sides managed to get a good look at a number of their possible playing combinations heading into the regular season. Souths looked VERY good…
Canberra’s resident idiot Todd Carney seems to be in hot demand at the moment with reported offers from the Penrith Panthers and Manly Sea Eagles topping the $1.6 million mark over a four year contract. Its been known for a while that Carney is shopping himself around despite denials, but why Penrith or Manly would…
The decision by Ruben Wiki to make 2008 his last season in the NRL has been met by a flood of interest from Super League clubs looking to sign up the 35 year old. A New Zealand Rugby League legend, he won a title an NRL premiership with the Canberra Raiders back in 1994 and has played a world…
The Sydney Telegraph is reporting that Craig Gowers management has been in negotiations with the Canterbury Bulldogs to make a return to the NRL as soon as May this year. You will remember fondly that Gower, after years of off field stupidity, had gotten fed up with the resulting attention that he got for being such a…
Word on the street is that the North Queensland Cowboys have told Graham Murray that they will not re-new his contract that ends at the end of this season. Its got to be a real kick in the teeth for Murray who coaches the Cowboys to the NRL Grand Final in 2005. Still, there have been whispers…
The South Sydney Rabbitohs have signed a ten agreement with Stadium Australia (ANZ Stadium) to play at least ten games at the 80,000 seat stadium each year. As a sweetner in the deal the Rabbitohs will have their own, personal NFL style change rooms decked out in Rabbitohs colours and paying tribute to the great…
Great news for the West Tigers today as they announced that superstar Benji Marshall has signed a contract extension to stay at the club. Originally Marshall, probably prompted by his manager, had decided to wait until the season got underway to before he held talks with the Tigers. However a change of heart saw Marshall…
Its been coming for a while but now its all official. Wayne Bennett will leave the Broncos at the end of the season. Bennett was contracted to the Broncos until the end of the 2009 season but that contract will be cut short at Bennetts request. It will end a 20 year run at the…
Todays NRL stars know they are in the public spotlight. When you earn a few hundred thousand dollars playing a game so many enjoy, you have to expect to be noticed. However there comes a point when the general interest people take in you is overtaken by media obsession, and when it comes to Willie…
Australian and Queensland Rugby League champion Petero Civoniceva has been named the captain of the Penrith Panthers for the 2008 season. Its a welcome change to have a respected leader as captain of the Panthers after years of having to put up with serial dickhead Craig Gower. Civoniceva is just the type of leader the Panthers need. A consummate professional, a…
When you heard the Titans would have to wait a year before they could make use of their brand new, made for Rugby League Stadium at Robina it was a bit dissapointing. Now……who cares…..its finally here! The Titans Stadium is not complete and boy it looks good. You can see pictures of the Titans new…
You knew this was coming… The Parramatta Eels have lifted their ban (Ban? What was he banned from?) on drunken idiot Tim Smith and have listed a number of conditions he must stick to including rehabilitation, charity work and other very vague things. Thing is, Smith was already supposed to be doing all of these…
Serial dickhead Tim Smith is all but assured of having his Parramatta contract torn up after being caught drinking just days after being banned for drinking by the clubs after a drunken tirade aimed at a family. Smith has had a number of alleged drunken episodes and has promised to stop drinking a number of…
Matthew Head will join the West Tigers in 2008 and give the 2005 Premiers the halfback they have missed since Scott Prince left the club. Head can be a handy player but he hasn’t really impressed even going back to his days at the Dragons….which to be honest feels like yesterday. The Tigers have a…
Well Willie Mason has decided to wait 12 months before he steps into the boxing ring, and I have to say, its a smart decision. Mason was going to be rushed into this boxing gig and he was going to have to do it during off season training with the Roosters. At least by waiting…
Some brilliant news for Rugby League today with the announcement that Matthew Bowen will remain a North Queensland Cowboys for at least the next 4 years. Bowen is off contract at the end of the 2008 season and with his incredible form you would have to think he would have been in high demand by…
The Sydney Roosters have just about free’d up all the salary cap space they need to sign Australian forward Willie Mason. Roosters lock Ashley Harrison looks set to leave the club and head to the Gold Coast Titans on a three year deal that would give the Roosters some room under the cap to sign…
Well it’s all happening at the Bulldogs at the moment! Fresh of having to deny rumour that CEO Malcolm Noad was about to be sacked come the news that Willie Mason wants out….immediately! While the reports about why Mason wants out vary from wanted to take time out to take up boxing to falling out…
They are undoubtably the best Rugby League team in the world, and with a brilliant season behind them where they won more games in one season than any other club in the history of the Australian game ever has, the Storm should take a nice long off season and look to become the first team…
Melbourne has won the 2007 National Rugby League Grand Final with an emphatic 34-8 over the Manly Sea Eagles. In a game thats had everything, brutal defence, amazing attack, courage and stamina, the Storm deservedly won the title as the best Rugby League team in the World with a performance that will be remembered for…
The Melbourne Storm has shown what a great side they are by beating the Parramatta Eels 26-10 in front of over 33,000 at the Telstra Dome in Melbourne. In a classic first half that showcased brutal defence, brilliant attack and two sides that where just in great form, the Storm stuck to a simple but…
A great crowd of over 32,000 has seen the Manly Sea Eagles beat the North Queensland Cowboys 28-6. Manly looked the better side for the entire game as the Cowboys just seem to be holding on for most of the match. Playing behind a beaten pack, Thurston, Bowen and Payne were just unable to get…
The Penrith Panthers have denied a report in Rugby League Week that they are making a bold bit to lure Wigan standoff Trent Barrett back to the National Rugby League. Barrett is rumoured to be unhappy in England and the Panthers have been rumoured to be ready to swoop in and sign him, however the…
Jonathan Thurston has beaten a dangerous throw charge at the National Rugby League judiciary freeing him up to play this weekends semi final against the Manly Sea Eagles at the Sydney Football Stadium. Thurston had carry over points from a charge of striking from over a year ago and unless he was found no guilty…
The best player in the world, Jonathan Thurston has led the North Queensland Cowboys to a 49-12 win over the New Zealand Warriors. Playing behind a no frills pack thats just keeps turning up in every set of six, Thurston was simply at his game breaking best and tore the Warriors apart. Thurston has found…
They used to be an odity, something different from AFL that Victorians were happy to have a quick look at before going back to their domestic code. These days however the Melbourne Storm have their own growing fan base, one thats Rugby League savvy and who have embraced “their” team. It took a long time…
The Parramatta Eels will face the Melbourne Storm next week down in Melbourne after dominating by a scoreline of 25-6 against the Bulldogs in a game that didnt really reach the fever pitch expected before the game. The Bulldogs looked flat right from the kickoff and it took a great pass by Sonny Bill Williams…
The Melbourne Storm have put on an ominous display in a crushing 40-0 win over the Brisbane Broncos in Melbourne. After a week of trash talking from the Broncos the Storm come out and did their work on the field, humiliating the defending NRL Champions and ending their season. The Storm were simply amazing in…
The North Queensland Cowboys have beaten a brave Canterbury Bulldogs side 20-18 infront of a pack crowd at Dairy Farmers Stadium in Townsville. Jonathan Thurston was simply amazing in attack and defense and proved why he was the player of the year. He was involved in everything and along with Matthew Bowen carved up the…
The Manly Sea Eagles have run out 30-6 winners over the South Sydney Rabbitohs, ending Souths amazing season and putting the Sea Eagles within one game of the NRL Grand Final. Its was a tough, close game for most of the match with South’s defense holding out Manly well, but a critical call on a…