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AJ watches far too much sport. When he's not watching it, he's reading about it. When he's not reading about it, he's writing about it and when he's not writing about it, he's talking about it on the podcast ‘A Sporting Discussion’. Rugby league has AJ's heart, but he loves to give space to the sports that the mainstream forgets - he’ll never rest until Australian baseball gets the coverage it deserves! He’s always game for a debate in the comments section or on twitter @AJMithen - but you’d best come prepared!
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As I said yesterday, the new NRL season can’t get here fast enough.
No point beating around the bush – it’s tough to charge forward buzzing with positivity for my first NRL 2019 outing on The Roar.
Here was I, thinking I could just unwind and ease into holidays, when NRL chief executive officer Todd Greenberg takes a Christmas-wrapped baseball bat to both the Sharks and Tigers.
NRL season 2018 is finished and all the major media awards and club championships have been handed out. But that doesn’t mean there are no important prizes left to scoop – I proudly present the inaugural celebration of the NRL Crises awards!
From the editors: On Sunday night, we asked AJ Mithen to prepare two columns – one for if the Sydney Roosters won the grand final, and one for the Melbourne Storm.
At halftime last night, I was racking my brain trying to remember when I saw this Melbourne Storm side take such a beating on the scoreboard and around the ground.
After five years of potential and heart break the Sydney Roosters finally have their hands on the Provan-Summons trophy.
In the spirit of NRL season 2018, there’s been a lot of whingeing this week about the fact we’ve got a Melbourne Storm vs Sydney Roosters Grand Final.
What a classic NRL experience: 100 per cent outrage, split 50-50.
Once again, the NRL hauls itself from a week of both real and confected dreck into an incredible weekend’s football.
We’re just days away from one of the most even NRL finals series in recent memory and the historic first weekend of the NRLW too. But here we are again, copping another front page of an alleged rugby league crisis.
Conventional wisdom says you need to be a top four team to win a premiership, but there’s one team out there no one wants to be playing come finals time.
It’s been a long and gruelling season, this 2018 edition of the National Rugby League. And this time we’re actually talking about happenings on the field, not the amateur dramatics in the backrooms that occupy so much of our time.
So all the ‘Penrith in crisis’ rumours were true, and Phil Gould is happily mounting another stuffed NRL coach in his trophy display cabinet.
There’s been an awful lot of angst in the rugby league world over the past few weeks.
That’s true KK, but there may also need to be something in place to stop other clubs picking up those shipped out players at cost price…
NRL games can’t get here fast enough
Actually, the AFL is a not-for-profit organisation with tax exempt status (so’s the NRL). They’re supposed to be returning any surpluses back into their operations, making questions about why they don’t seem to want to properly fund or promote AFLW quite valid.
What do you mean AFLW starts this weekend?
To be honest Paul I wouldn’t be surprised if the Tigers 750k fine was reduced.
Don’t blame the NRL for your club’s bad deeds
It would be very convenient Reg. You’re onto something here. It’s an incredibly sophisticated operation – making Cronulla take Dank’s peptides in 2011, then making sure they flout the conditions of the coach’s suspension while allegedly rorting the salary cap at the same time and winning a premiership to divert everyone’s attention.
As Bobby Munson always used to say to Jax teller in Sons of Anarchy… “That’s a lot of balls in the air, son”.
Don’t blame the NRL for your club’s bad deeds
Good call jamesb. A wary eye for those in power is ingrained in rugby league culture and that won’t go away. But there’s not liking authority and then there’s blatantly disregarding authority…
Don’t blame the NRL for your club’s bad deeds
That’s bang on Peter P. Russell has no obligation to protect the legacies of Gorman, Keough, Flanagan, any of them. His job is to get the Sharks in the clear and back on track. It’s a hard road.
Don’t blame the NRL for your club’s bad deeds
Good piece Spinksy. Must be a bloody tough sell to keep the kids on board.
Confession of a Sharks tragic
Love it Emcie. ‘Re-illusioned’ is the word of the year.
Experts expose the heartbreaking reason why the NRL is doomed
“An elite-level scorer, who could have got more out of his career, but was relatively content with points and dollar bills.”
Perfect summary of Melo for mine. Is that what constitutes a Hall of Fame career these days?
The not-so-complicated legacy of Carmelo Anthony
Hi anonymous commenter,
Maybe check your figures.
Streaming may be the A-League's future, but is it enough to pay the bills?
That would work… I hope they’re leaning that way!
Streaming may be the A-League's future, but is it enough to pay the bills?
If they’re serious about getting people on board it can’t go above the $15-20 mark, I agree. But look at the cost of Foxtel now compared to the other streaming providers…
Streaming may be the A-League's future, but is it enough to pay the bills?
$50 a month, that should say.
Streaming may be the A-League's future, but is it enough to pay the bills?
If Foxtel launch this sports streaming service with a price of $50 or more on it then they’ll find themselves in huge trouble. I don’t hold out much hope that they’ll have a price platform that encourages high takeup.
Streaming may be the A-League's future, but is it enough to pay the bills?
Good get Scott. Nice read.
Cadel Evans talks to The Roar: Great Ocean Road Race, Tour de France and more
Jason Demetriou is also probably wondering what the hell just happened…
The NRL draw? Meh. Let’s talk coaching winners and losers
Sure Paul, expectations shouldn’t be high – but what’s the reality going to be?
The NRL draw? Meh. Let’s talk coaching winners and losers
This is great!
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter A