1982 signalled the arrival of the Canberra Raiders who were responsible for unearthing some of Australian Rugby League’s greatest ever players. With a team containing Mal Meninga, Laurie Daley, Bradley Clyde and the Walter brothers, the Raiders achieved back to back Premierships in 1989 and 1990, before succumbing to the Panthers in 1991. Since then, times have been difficult for the Raiders with injuries and player exodus often plaguing the club’s Premiership aspirations.
Former Canberra star Adrian Purtell scored the clincher as Penrith withstood a spirited second half fightback from the Raiders to start their NRL season with a 34-16 victory at CUA Stadium.
The Panthers should have had the match in the bag after they led 22-0 at halftime but the Raiders threatened to turn the tables with [...] Read article
Patience and composure will be watchwords for the young Canberra Raiders side this season. While missing the NRL finals last year was a disappointment, Raiders coach David Furner saw enough over the second half of the season to be optimistic about 2010.
“After reflecting on the season both visually and talking to players, there were chances [...] Read article
The Canberra Raiders will once again approach an NRL season as one of the teams expected to attain the wooden spoon, but a closer look at their roster, however, suggests the Green Machine have all the parts necessary to fight for a place in the top eight.
Despite finishing last year in 13th position, Raiders coach [...] Read article
Canterbury coach Kevin Moore was a relieved man in more ways than one after his side’s rugged 22-12 NRL trial win against a gallant Canberra in Dubbo on Saturday night.
In front of a crowd in excess of 8,000 people at Apex Oval, the Bulldogs stretched their way out to a 22-0 lead with just under [...] Read article
Patience and composure will be watchwords for the young Canberra Raiders side this season. While missing the NRL finals last year was a disappointment, Raiders coach David Furner saw enough over the second half of the season to be optimistic about 2010.
“After reflecting on the season both visually and talking to players, there were chances [...] Read article
Sweet-stepping teenager Corey Norman upped the ante in the battle for Karmichael Hunt’s vacant fullback spot with an eye-catching trial performance for Brisbane against Canberra at Ballymore on Saturday night.
Brisbane coach Ivan Henjak used the trial to experiment with his fullback options which included playing representative Israel Folau at custodian in the second half of [...] Read article
Well footy fans, it’s that time of the year again. Time to dust off the jersey, time to shake out the flag, time to apply for temporary divorce, citing irreconcilable differences for 30 weeks.
But most importantly of all, it’s time for the second annual Sports Fan’s Life NRL Season Preview. Here goes;
Brisbane Broncos
This season for [...] Read article
Only a brave man would call 194cm, 112kg NSW Origin forward Tom Learoyd-Lahrs soft. But the Canberra Raiders giant revealed on Wednesday that was the tag he and his fellow Indigenous All Stars forwards would be trying to ditch in their historic clash at Skilled Park on Saturday night.
The strikepower of the Indigenous team ahead [...] Read article
St George Illawarra firmed as NRL premiership favourites after a Brett Morris hat-trick propelled the red and whites to a 26-6 win over Canterbury at WIN Stadium on Friday night.
The Dragons proved last week’s win over Parramatta was no fluke as they produced another flawless display to record their first win over Canterbury in Wollongong, [...]
South Sydney’s miserable start to the NRL season has continued with a heart-breaking golden point extra time 19-18 defeat at the hands of Gold Coast at ANZ Stadium.
Titans captain Scott Prince calmly slotted an 80th minute penalty goal to level the scores at 18-18 before landing the winning field goal in the second minute of [...]
Another Dragons game on the box, so another date with my nemesis. If rugby league is all about rivalries, well, as they say, “it doesn’t get any bigger.”
I’ll cut to chase. What is the story with the Saints fan who holds up the “GST, Great St George Team” sign?
Fair dinkum, it is driving me [...]
Melbourne Victory have turned to Melbourne Storm’s NRL premiership skipper Cameron Smith for advice ahead of Saturday night’s A-League grand final against Sydney FC at Etihad Stadium.
Smith, who has captained the Storm to two NRL titles, including last season’s win over Parramatta, spoke ahead of Thursday’s training session.
“It was fantastic, he’s a well respected guy, [...]
League legend Brad Fittler has bobbed up as an interested spectator at St George Illawarra training.
The former Test star and Sydney Roosters coach sat through the NRL club’s session on Thursday before chewing the fat with coach Wayne Bennett, assistant Adrian Lam and Dragons players.
“It was good to have him down here,” Lam told AAP.
“I [...]
Sydney Roosters coach Brian Smith has moved to hose down talk young guns Todd Carney and Mitchell Pearce could be the solution to NSW’s State of Origin woes, calling on selectors to give them another year to prove themselves.
The Blues are looking down the barrel of an unprecedented fifth-straight Origin series loss this year as [...]
NRL preview panel for this weekend’s round-two matches (all times AEDT).
FRIDAY
ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA v CANTERBURY at WIN Stadium, 7.35pm.
Head to head: Bulldogs 12, Dragons 6
Last clash: Dragons 20 bt Bulldogs 18 at WIN Jubilee Oval (Rd 10, 2009)
TAB SportsBet: Dragons $1.50, Bulldogs $2.50
FootyTab: Bulldogs +5.5.
The Dragons followed coach Wayne Bennett’s game plan to the letter [...]
Bulldogs prop Ben Hannant has approached the club and requested an early release from his contract on the grounds that he is homesick and wants to return to QLD.
Club CEO, Todd Greenberg has had discussions with the Brisbane Broncos but has stated that he will only release Hannant if he receives the equivalent playing [...]
Well there has been plenty of debate over what chance a World Cup bid has if the NRL and AFL will be left out of pocket. Is this the case though?
An ideal situation for the rugby league and AFL during a World Cup would be as follows.
Host 4 NRL rounds over 5 or 6 weeks [...]
Brisbane’s first-up win over the Cowboys last weekend obviously failed to impress one big better who on Wednesday tossed $100,000 on the Broncos to miss the top eight.
Brisbane have made the finals for the past 18 seasons straight but the NSW punter claimed TAB Sportsbet for $100,000 to $80,000 (odds of $1.80) about Ivan Henjak’s [...]
