By Mark Geenty
November 29th 2009 @ 2:04am
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Lomu rumbles on in different languages
Getting through his first French club rugby match was the easy part. Now the big challenge looms for Jonah Lomu: a crash course in five different languages as the Jonah phenomenon continues to rumble through Europe and Asia like a steam train.
The French and Spanish classes are under way, and soon he’ll be starting on [...]
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![The most important part of any season is getting into a position to play finals, and hopefully grab that double chance. During my time at Hawthorn, we were very fortunate to play in thirteen consecutive finals series (1982-94), including seven straight Grand Finals (1983-89).
Usually a month out from September you would know that you’re [...] Robert DiPierdomenico: In finals footy, the players must do everything right](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/in-finals-footy-hawthorn-th.jpg)
![There have been several controversial suggestions recently on how to make rugby a more spectator friendly game. Most of them have centered around the ELVs.
This assumes that there is some sort of problem with the mechanics of rugby and, as such, the issue has been approached in much the same way that a mechanic [...] Andrew Logan: Forget Stellenbosch Laws. Introduce Narrabri Principles](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/waratahs-try-tries-mortlock-th.jpg)
![Only six points cover the bottom six on the A-League table with the finals series fast approaching. With five rounds left, plus three matches left to complete the floating Round 19, which clubs will book their finals place with a top six finish?
With Sydney, Melbourne and Gold Coast three points clear of the rest, and [...] Adrian Musolino: Which teams will be playing finals football?](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/jets-fury-daal-th.jpg)
![The next chapter in rugby league looks set to begin in 2010, and while the symbolism may be huge, in reality it may just mean another day at the office.
With News Ltd and the ARL set to make way for an independent commission to run rugby league, many supporters are praising the heavens that they [...] Steve Kaless: New league commission really just more of the same](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/david-gallop-th.jpg)
![ANZ Stadium is draining the lifeblood out of rugby league one game at a time.
There cannot be a worse venue to watch rugby league and in some perverse form of torture fans are being forced to turn up to the godless place with greater and greater frequency. To be precise it is 34 times [...] Steve Kaless: ANZ Stadium: The temple without a soul](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/hazem-el-masri-th.jpg)
![Yesterday’s news that the Western Bulldogs will be seeking two home games at Basin Reserve in the New Zealand city of Wellington, possibly as early as next year, is a positive for the game.
I touched on the topic of teams expanding beyond their existing support bases earlier in the week, and this is a great [...] Michael DiFabrizio: The Western Bulldogs in Wellington is a great idea](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/western-bulldogs-th.jpg)
![Dear Sonny Bill, or perhaps that should be Bonjour! I’m writing to you to congratulate you on achieving what your manager Khoder Nassar proclaimed was your goal when you left rugby league: to “transcend sport”.
Judging by the papers I think we can down tools and say ‘job well done.’
The single minded obsession that burdens [...] Steve Kaless: An open letter to Sonny Bill Williams](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/an-open-letter-sonny-bill-williams-th.jpg)
![Pohang’s 6-0 thrashing of Newcastle Jets last week may have ended Australian interest in the Asian Champions League, but the competition itself rumbles on towards the final.
All the talk this week has surrounded Luiz Felipe Scolari’s sensational decision to sign on as coach at Uzbek club Bunyodkor, but it hasn’t gone unnoticed elsewhere that [...] Mike Tuckerman: Asian Champions League battling for respect](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/asian-champions-league-masato-yamakazi-th.jpg)
![At the launch of the NSW Waratahs’ 2010 Super 14 season, officials were happy to play down expectations about how their team will perform this year, with public utterances of confidence. But privately they are convinced that this is the Waratahs’ year.
The sales pitch for Waratahs tickets reflects this, with the punchline: It’s Our Time.
Last [...] Spiro Zavos: Is 2010 finally the year of the NSW Waratahs?](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/super-14-5-horse-race-tuqiri-th.jpg)
![As a contributor to SBS website The World Game, I often find myself perusing the site’s long-standing and mildly infamous forum. A hodge-podge of nationalist flag-waving and juvenile humour, it can be a diverting way to spend a couple of hours.
They’re an unforgiving lot on the forum, quick to highlight mistakes, ready to pounce on [...] Mike Tuckerman: Time to unite ‘new dawners’ and ‘bitters’ supporters](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/time-to-unite-socceroos-th.jpg)
![On Saturday’s decisive stage of the Tour Down Under on Willunga Hill, Cadel Evans attacked. In his rainbow jersey, representing his world champion status, Evans went some way to repairing the unjust persona that the Australian public has formed of the Tour de France runner-up.
Although it wasn’t enough to snare the lead, Evans’ attack was [...] Adrian Musolino: When will Aussies open their arms to Evans?](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/cadel-evans-th.jpg)
![India defeated South Africa by an innings and 57 runs in the exciting Kolkata Test on Thursday to retain her No.1 Test ranking. What turned the Test into a cliff-hanger was the last wicket stand between Man of the Series Hashim Amla and no. 11 batsman Morne Morkel.
They stood between India and victory as a [...] Kersi Meher-Homji: India show why they’re number one in the world](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/harbhajan-singh-india-th.jpg)



