Archive for December, 2010
The Five-Point Plan to Fix the NRL
The ARL have reportedly agreed to the long awaited introduction of an independent commission. This means that News Limited and the clubs ‘only’ have to agree with the ARL’s proposal before the game can finally get what it has long needed. Contrary to popular belief, the independent commission will not solve all of the problems […]
New Zealand for the Four Nations
As with nearly every noteworthy rugby league tournament over the last three decades, Australia enters as scorching hot favourites. The Kangaroos are far from certainties, however, and those looking for value should side with the Kiwis. These are not your father’s Kangaroos, the Invincibles of ’82 and the Unbeatables of ’86, the brilliant teams chock […]
Packer Coup Bad News for Sports Fans
James Packer is back in the business of television. The son of former Nine tycoon Kerry Packer, who sold Nine a number of years back, has made a major move to control the Ten Network. This week he is said to have launched at $250-million coup on the Ten Network which gives him a 17.88 […]
Unbeatable: Archie, Bart and Don
Records, the saying goes, are meant to be broken. But there are a select few sporting achievements in Australia that are unlikely to ever be threatened, let alone broken. And here are some of them: the feats that will stand the test of time. Andrew Gaze: 101 Games with 40+ Points The icon of Australian […]
Zipping for the Cox Plate
The two maxims I was taught in regards the Cox Plate when I first hit the bookmaking side of the ledger that have stuck with me to this day are that the race is not one for favourites and it is not one for younger horses. Going back to Surfers Paradise’s win in 1991, only […]
Premiership Flood? More Like a Trickle
As the rains teemed down on ANZ Stadium on Sunday night, Dragons fans everywhere jumped wildly, hugging strangers and grinning that goofy grin that only the pure joy of a premiership can bring. For that one moment, all of the heartache and disappointment and bitterness were gone. For St George fans, this was the great […]
NRL Mug’s Guide to the Grand Final
ST GEORGE-ILLAWARRA v SYDNEY ROOSTERS, ANZ Stadium, Sunday 5:15pm Storylines: The leading storyline here is the 31-year premiership drought for the St George faction of the St George-Illawarra merger. Despite being a force over the past three decades, with the Dragons making five deciders and a further three preliminary finals, the club had lost its […]
10 Reasons Why the Grand Final Will Be a Classic
1. The Coaches: There has never been a Grand Final with a more experienced coaching match-up.Wayne Bennett and Brian Smith are second and third respectively on the most first-grade games coached list, with the duo totalling 1,158 games and 675 wins between them. Bennett has coached in seven Grand Finals, winning all six with Brisbane […]
NRL Mug’s Guide to the Preliminary Finals
GOLD COAST v SYDNEY ROOSTERS, Suncorp Stadium, Friday 7:45pm The Story So Far: The Titans have improved in each of their four seasons in the NRL and now have the perfect opportunity to seize their first Grand Final berth. The Titans have an experienced team with an average age of 27 years with four premiership […]
Glory Beckons for One NRL Battler
Dragons fans might still consider themselves the most successful rugby league team in Australian history but, 31 years on from their last premiership, that's something of a hollow boast. It has been a generation of misery for fans of the Red V since Harry Bath’s “Babes” held on 17-13 against Canterbury in the 1979 decider. […]
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