What made you fall in love with rugby league?

Souths vs Valleys grand final 1979. First sporting event I can remember and I have been a Souths fan every since.

Geography. Growing up in central qld it was 2 tv channels and only the abc played league. It was tough to reconcile the rules my brother kept preaching vs that show on 7 (afl or vfl at the time) But then came some game where a team in reddish purple played a team in sky blue, the crowd erupted when some stocky bald guy ran out. Now I’m based overseas and travel back to oz for atleast one origin a year. And I’m less likely to defend my mother’s honour than that of the stocky bald guy (on field obviously, he was a bit of a see you next Tuesday off it)

There's no real one singular moment for me. Just always loved the competitiveness and spirit of the game. No better feeling than knowing a new season is right around the corner.

The 1995 finals games had the curse of the Super League affecting them. The guys who had signed with the ARL for $11Million just happened to get a helping hand from the refs and were able to get away with things like obstruction.

True Danno - Cliffy Lyons was magnificent, ET sets up a brilliant try with a kick (how many wingers do that?) and the try scored by the Aussies after it is passed around like a hot potato through about 10 sets of hands is one of the greatest of all time. The TV commentary is great as is the atmosphere provided by the passionate English crowd - just a wonderful occasion and brilliant ending. If I feel like a lift after another close loss to the Raiders or a break between seasons this is my go to game.

Some players seem very resistant to injury. The bloke at school who injured me in a tackle and put me in a hospice for a while went on to play some first grade in Sydney for Norths and then country football for years never got injured apparently. The only problem he's got is shin splints from those long road runs they used to do in training. Rambo was frothing at the mouth playing touch footy, crazy human that one.

I just remembered another reason l love it. Before kiddies, my mates and l would go down to watch the preseason trials just to see if the new talent was as good as the rumours. I remember Ewen McGrady put on an absolute freak show against Manly. Four tries, plus countless set ups. It was an absolute joy to watch, and there was the thrill of being the "insider" who knew the upcoming talent...just wait till you see so and so....

It was a sensational game all the way through, Cliffy and ET were also outstanding...one of the all time great finishes...especially for an Aussie

1. Watching Broncos v Manly in first game of unified NRL, Brisbane featuring Langer, Walters, Renouf, Tallis and Sailor running out 22-6, most of the crowd bellowing out "Toovey's a (something that rhymes with tanker)." In general, QE 2 stadium was a shocking ground to watch league but it's one thrill was the metal grandstands which gave renditions of "We will rock you" that extra oomph, which could only be topped with a Mexican wave once Brisbane got past 40, with a Drumstick wrapper or chips box thrown up in the air for good measure. 2. Watching Mark Tookey, Troy Pezet, Clinton Schifcofske and Trevor Gillmeister keep turning up for the South Queensland Crushers in their 3 years of ARL, amongst the regular thrashing some (rare) memorable moments included knocking off a Joey Johns-led Newcastle in their first season 28-18 and their last ever game, seeing off a finals-bound Western Suburbs 39-18, in doing so racking up their biggest ever win. 3. The Friday night football intro from the mid-90s - "Friday night's a great night for football" - classic 4. 1996 - Andrew Willis landing a wobbly last-minute field goal from halfway to get Wests home over Norths 23-22. 5. '97 ARL grand final - Manly having made the last 2 grand finals and boasting Menzies, Toovey, Lyons and Carroll, Andrew Johns playing with a punctured lung (and that dyed red hair), Manly ahead 16-8 and Newcastle somehow clawing back, and then THAT try from Darren Albert with 6 seconds to go, even for a Broncs die-hard still chuffed about seeing off Cronulla the week before in the Super League gf, this was about the most enthralling game I've ever seen

A mate of mind played one of the early nines tournaments, was Sharks v Manly, marking Rambo he moved in to put a real shot on him. Next he was taken off dislocated shoulder ++ damage. Never played grade again.....it's a tough old game

Do you remember the 68 GF when Ron Coote knocked Bill Bradstreet out with a coward 's punch? Col Pearce didn't send him off but just cautioned him.

So they won a close preliminary final after losing a close major semi after losing the minor premiership by one win showing how close it was. The only reason they were internationals was because Souths won many games in 67 & 68 on the back of the great kicker Eric Simms who got so many penalties. The game had just changed to 4 tackle rule to give teams a chance against teams who could hold the ball for a long time. Guess who? Having Col Pearce as a referee giving Souths heaps of scrum penalties meant they would either convert them or put them into a good position for a try. You do remember all those scrums and why they changed to a 6 tackle rule in 1971. A major part of the game in those days was who could pull off the most damaging scrum punches and Souths had Sattler and O'Neill. The only argument you've got is they were internationals in an era where Qlders were ignored. It's a team game and big names don't always win.

Yes they couldn't win without Col Pearce the ref who helped them to their 1955 fairy tale.

Carlaw Park on Sunday’s back in the day - three club games.

Used to like it then as I became wiser I understood union and how scripted league is. To answer the question, the old Ashes tours against Great Britain or a Challenge Cup final with Martin Offiah. The local league was a bit like a back yard circus back then played in front of a man and his two dogs.

I was always Broncos though, following them since inception. Most were Broncos fans up home in the 90's/'00s but as the Cowboys became more successful... Haha, if your living in Bulimba and working at the refinery, you probably own it. Same as most 'inner' burbs around the city. Even my area, there are $1m house beside halfway houses.

I had been wanting to write a yarn about the soul of Rugby League (and sport in general) before I found the Roar website, because I reckon stories from the bush can be just as uplifting and inspirational as those involving immortals, internationals or foundation clubs in the big smoke. Anyway, I don't remember watching much of my two older brothers play junior league in the mid 70's, or going to many senior games, but I remember watching lots of the Brisbane and Sydney games on the ABC or following the Foley Shield on the radio. I was 8 turning 9 and our neighbour asked my mum if I could play. He was the new captain-coach of Black Stars in Mt Isa and because he also coached his son's team, I was able to get a lift to training and some games. I was a year older than his son but our teams trained in the same little park about the size of a decent backyard. Barefoot on mostly hardened dirt and gravel and a few grass tufts were our playing conditions and the same rules you would see on TV were used. I can even remember sitting in the back of a EH ute with at least 6 other kids going to games!!!! One older brother played for Brothers and then Wanderers but the oldest brother was Townies through and through. We had lots of rivalry talk while I waited for days until they were finished with the RLW. We also shared my oldest brother's leather football with a Wynnum Manly seagull on it. Brisbane's Souths and Sydney's Wests played in my team's colours, so following them taught me about the elation and frustration of competitions. Being a little, skinny Murri kid (always on the end of the row in school photos) I had a bit of zip for the first 10 metres - but would eventually get caught over a longer stretch - so I was a winger until my old man came to a game. Being on the sideline where the crowd was, I wanted to do my best. I had a big blindside to defend during a scrum, and a tall, gangly winger was obviously going to run over or around me. Nothing to do but sprint up as fast as I could, (5 metre defensive lines back in those days), drop my shoulder into his guts, wrap my arms around and slide down to his knees to pull him down. I can still hear the ooohs, aaaahs and orrrrs from the crowd. I was able to put in a similar shot on a kid running full pelt across the field and using a good fend, but this time I pushed through his guts and laid him out on his back. Later in the game, I pick up a loose ball and crashed between players to get over the try line, it didn't count due to a knock on call, but in those moments, as a kid, everything was right in the world. I may have only made two tackles, but I was named player of the match. The next game I was given the number 12 jersey and played hooker. I always enjoyed testing my physical limits and being in a team and socialising, but it is the sense of achievement when a draw and pass, or a worked move comes off or a side step fools someone that really sinks into a bloke's heart. My moment was making one tackle.

Correct. They were on fire for those 3 games, but froze up in the first half of grand final against St George, being behind 17-2. Came back with 3 tries in second half to nearly snatch it, but lost 17-13, I think. A great run of finals games, a bit like 95 and 98.

Qld toured England in 83 after the Tigers won the premiership. Wally Lewis was captain and the Australian 5/8 but played centre because he wasn't the best lock and Lindenberg was the best 5/8 in the side.

I remember watching a game with Matai in it, and it'd been a good 2-3 weeks since he'd been injured or put on report. I stated this to my mate, then it must've been about 30 seconds later, Matai puts a high shot on someone! Haha