AJ Mithen
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Joined August 2010
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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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Presenting the 2018 Crises awards
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!
The column you were never meant to read: What if Melbourne won?
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.
The Storm didn’t get stage fright, they just got destroyed
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.
Five years on, the Roosters finally meet their expectations
After five years of potential and heart break the Sydney Roosters finally have their hands on the Provan-Summons trophy.
If you can’t get up for this grand final, you’re dead inside
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.
Billy lives: Thank god that’s over
What a classic NRL experience: 100 per cent outrage, split 50-50.
Rugby league saves itself from itself… Again
Once again, the NRL hauls itself from a week of both real and confected dreck into an incredible weekend’s football.
What a waste of a front page
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.
Top four or not, the Sharks can win this
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.
The NRL season is far too long
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.
Lies, corporate speak and audacious coach poaching
So all the ‘Penrith in crisis’ rumours were true, and Phil Gould is happily mounting another stuffed NRL coach in his trophy display cabinet.
Time to spread some rugby league love
There’s been an awful lot of angst in the rugby league world over the past few weeks.
Constant crisis is boring, but rugby league needs a spotlight
I’ll admit it, I’m conflicted. I hate clickbait. I hate the constant ‘NRL in crisis’ narrative.
The next Origin generation is just getting started
With the State of Origin series in their pocket and a sunny outlook on life, the Blues head to Queensland saying all the right things about achieving their first 3-0 whitewash since the turn of the century.
Injuries blow up the Maroons’ plans
Just when Kevin Walters thought he was settled on a team for game three, Greg Inglis breaks his thumb and all hell breaks loose.
Rugby league’s standout year for whingeing
Whingeing and rugby league go hand in hand. It’s a tradition that crosses club loyalties, international borders and sometimes even media outlets.
To clarify Con – I’ve got no issue with the sleeves, it’s the putrid blue side striping I’ll die in this ditch over!
The NRL’s ‘stats’ just kill me. It’s trash and throws up different numbers to fox sports and other places which makes it almost impossible to research and compare.
It’s a sad day when the game’s stats are hoarded for things like supercoach. A supposedly professional, billion dollar organisation should be offering much better options for supporters to enjoy its product.
My 2019 NRL wishlist
Scott Drinkwater – he’s going to be very, very good isn’t he Randy
Churning the next cream of the crop
Nice one Nat! Brimson is a jet. But the Titans need to look after him properly. 20-year-olds have no business playing busted like he was. There’s plenty of other teams who would be more than happy to look after him and treat him right…
Churning the next cream of the crop
Let a man retire in peace Ray! Billy has more than enough awards. That’s why he was ‘only’ an honourable mention this year.
DISCLAIMER: I love Billy Slater. Love him.
Presenting the 2018 Crises awards
We’ve got the same outfit on Dane! Yours is funnier though. I reckon if we joined forces we could out-crisis anyone.
The crisis merchant's memorable moments of 2018
If you leave a huge crises mega-sludge ball out in the sun for a month, it makes a great children’s playground.
Presenting the 2018 Crises awards
Paul – I had Gus clearly leading both the ‘Coach of the year’ category and the ‘nuke your joint and theirs’ category
Presenting the 2018 Crises awards
Thanks B McC. The Eagles were leading the ‘Shambles of the year’ category until I realised I had to submit this article…
Presenting the 2018 Crises awards
They’ll be driving the train, but will there be as many passengers?
R.I.P NRL 360. I used to love that show.
Presenting the 2018 Crises awards
That’s the thing Baz – so tame was season 2018 in the pubs and hotel stairwells I was reduced to having to look at onfield matters! Disgusting stuff.
(And your last sentence is the first nomination for ‘mental image of the year’)
Presenting the 2018 Crises awards
“trusting them to do their job with the bat.”
So you believed that too? 😉
Shane Warne calls out "the most selfish player I ever played with"
It’s common knowledge that Waugh wanted his average to be above 50. And if you didn’t know that, you just had to watch him sacrificing tailenders over and over again to preserve it…
Shane Warne calls out "the most selfish player I ever played with"
Say what you want about Warnie the human, but he’s 100% correct here
Shane Warne calls out "the most selfish player I ever played with"
Tip of the cap to you Ryan. I defy any league writer out there to show similar accuracy.
I had the Cowboys and the Eels in the top four, Panthers bottom four and Raiders much higher than 10th… Thank god I’m pretty.
Revisiting my fearless predictions for the 2018 NRL season
Stick with the day Carolyn cos it’ll be a great game.
If you can’t get up for this grand final, you’re dead inside
Hang on Rellum – that sounds like you care!! 😉
If you can’t get up for this grand final, you’re dead inside
Thanks Con. This will be fun, no matter who we hate!
If you can’t get up for this grand final, you’re dead inside
Cheers Baz. But tooheys new??!! Sheesh…
If you can’t get up for this grand final, you’re dead inside
Thanks Paul – the consistency is key. How good would it be if head office supported the refs rather than hanging them (more than once) when things get too hot.
My 2019 NRL wishlist