The Melbourne Storm became the first rugby league club to represent Victoria when they were introduced to the NRL in 1998. It only took a year for the Storm to win their first Premiership with victory against the Dragons in front of over 100,000 people at Stadium Australia. Since then, Melbourne have become the dominating force in the NRL, winning their second Premiership in 2007 and making two more Grand Finals in 2006 and 2008.
NRL preview panel for round 21 matches (all times AEST).
Friday
Canterbury Bulldogs v South Sydney Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium, 7.35pm
Head to head: Bulldogs 72, Rabbitohs 63, drawn 4
Last clash: Rabbitohs 38-16 at ANZ Stadium (rd 4, 2010)
TAB Sportsbet: Bulldogs $2.30, Rabbitohs $1.60
FootyTab: Bulldogs +2.5
Souths appear to be back after a rough match of mostly narrow losses [...] Read article
The Greg Inglis circus continues to roll on with Brisbane again emphasising they are not interested in indulging in a bidding war with the Gold Coast to secure the Melbourne Storm star’s signature.
The Titans are reportedly ready to weigh in with a $1 million package once Inglis is granted a release by the Storm.
It’s understood [...] Read article
Furious Penrith coach Matt Elliott stormed out of the coach’s box before the final hooter, unable to watch his side sink to their third successive defeat as Melbourne triumphed 18-10 in an ugly NRL clash at AAMI Park on Saturday night.
In a frustrating, error-ridden affair, Storm skipper Cameron Smith kicked a conversion from the sideline [...] Read article
Only Melbourne Storm fans can now win the battle with the NRL over massive salary cap penalties after the club dropped its legal action against the league.
The News Limited owned Storm announced on Thursday it would be dropping the case against the NRL, which is half-owned by News Limited.
The case, which sought an injunction on [...] Read article
Chief executive David Gallop says NRL officials are in the process of determining whether player agents implicated in the Melbourne salary cap scandal have a case to answer.
League staffers met with Deloitte investigators on Wednesday and Gallop revealed it was “quite possible” offending agents would be referred to the agent accreditation committee as a result.
This [...] Read article
New Melbourne chief executive Ron Gauci hasn’t given up hope of retaining superstar centre Greg Inglis as he vowed that the Storm’s next NRL premiership would be won fair and square.
Just hours after taking on the toughest job in Australian sport — with the Storm’s books a mess and their reputation in even worse state [...] Read article
Melbourne Storm have announced the appointment of Ron Gauci as new chief executive of the embattled NRL club.
The Victorian businessman replaces Frank Stanton, who has been acting chief executive since revelations of the club’s salary cap rorting became public in April.
Storm chairman Stephen Rue said Gauci had the skills required to rebuild the club following [...] Read article
Melbourne NRL captain Cameron Smith has again pleaded his innocence in the Storm’s salary cap scandal and said the two contracts he signed were identical.
Smith said on Tuesday that the salary on both contracts was identical, and that he was under the impression the contract he signed was going to be under the salary cap.
The [...] Read article
The NRL should be absolutely fuming about the mini-exodus of Melbourne Storm players to England. Some of the brightest stars of the NRL are bound for dreary England, as the fallout of the Melbourne Storm salary cap drama continues.
In a major blow for the NRL, Ryan Hoffman, Jeff Lima and the uncontracted Brett Finch have [...] Read article
With news this week that Brett Finch, Ryan Hoffman and Jeff Lima will be leaving Melbourne to play for Wigan in the English Superleague next year, only the most ardent and uncritical supporter of the salary cap will deny that “something” has to change.
Much has been written about the deficiencies of the current system.
One [...] Read article
A group of supporters are likely to take over Melbourne Storm’s legal action against the NRL if the club’s new directors decide to drop the case.
Melbourne’s new directors will decide by Wednesday whether to continue the action against the NRL over its salary cap penalties.
The Storm’s former directors were all sacked by owner News Ltd [...] Read article
With five wins in a row, the Warriors have notched up their longest winning streak in almost a decade and squeezed into the NRL top four, but the Kiwi side aren’t getting carried away.
A consistently strong defensive effort saw Ivan Cleary’s men emerge with a 13-6 win over a disappointed Melbourne side on Saturday night, [...] Read article
The Sydney Roosters have proved four playmakers are better than one, bursting Parramatta’s bubble in a red-hot 48-12 thrashing of the Eels at Parramatta Stadium.
Halves Todd Carney and Mitchell Pearce, lock Braith Anasta and fullback Anthony Minichiello – who bagged two tries – ran riot as the Roosters scored eight tries to two and notched [...]
Wests Tigers survived a bombing barrage to consolidate fourth spot on the NRL ladder with a hard-earned 24-22 win over Cronulla at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday night.
Second rower Liam Fulton bagged a double as the Tigers outscored the Sharks five tries to four in a patchy performance against a spirited Cronulla side.
The Tigers sparkled only [...]
This years Four-Nations promises to be the best held in the Southern Hemisphere. Well, let’s put it out there and say ever.
With the double header and the new Eden Park, Papua New Guinea on the international scene to show their stuff against the best – also reminding the NRL that they are around for admission [...]
South Sydney’s finals charge copped a debilitating double blow with star import Sam Burgess put on report as Canterbury registered a stunning 32-12 upset NRL win at ANZ Stadium on Friday night.
As Bulldogs fullback Luke Patten scored his 100th try in the top grade to cap a mixed night, the Rabbitohs left themselves with plenty [...]
Penrith winger Michael Gordon delivered the inspiration his team has been seeking to get their NRL campaign back on track on Friday night.
Locked 16-all with North Queensland at a damp CUA Stadium, Gordon scored a sensational 55-metre solo effort to snap the Panthers’ losing streak and seal a dramatic 24-16 win.
The Panthers were made to [...]
At the start of the year I made a resolution not to blast referees this season. My resolution was made partly through a feeling that it was a tough job and having some no name blogger tapping away in fury did little to reach a productive solution of improved refereeing and two.
If the improvements that [...]
I’ve just seen the replay again of Matai’s supposed ‘high hit’ on Robbie Farah last Sunday, and need to vent. I was at the game right in front of the incident. Farah was rolling around on the ground pretending to be concussed in a performance that the Italian football team would have been proud of.
The [...]
NRL preview panel for round 21 matches (all times AEST).
Friday
Canterbury Bulldogs v South Sydney Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium, 7.35pm
Head to head: Bulldogs 72, Rabbitohs 63, drawn 4
Last clash: Rabbitohs 38-16 at ANZ Stadium (rd 4, 2010)
TAB Sportsbet: Bulldogs $2.30, Rabbitohs $1.60
FootyTab: Bulldogs +2.5
Souths appear to be back after a rough match of mostly narrow losses [...]
Rugby league legend Benny Elias has been appointed to the board of A-League club Perth Glory.
Elias played 234 games for Balmain, 22 State of Origin games for New South Wales and 14 internationals for Australia and in 2005 was named one of the 25 greatest ever NSW players.
“Benny Elias brings a winning culture and attitude [...]
Parramatta believe they’ll be the more desperate side, the Sydney Roosters says it’s their “biggest test yet” – either way, it promises to be one of the NRL games of the year.
The league’s two form sides will clash in what is expected to be a sell-out at Parramatta Stadium and has been unusually scheduled as [...]
