Expert
Joined August 2011
963k
Views
349
Published
2.4k
Comments
Ben Pobjie is a writer and comedian whose promising rugby career was tragically cut short the day he stopped playing rugby and had a pizza instead. The most he has ever cried was the day Balmain lost the 1989 grand final. Today he enjoys the frolics of Wallabies, Swans, baggy greens, and Storm.
Published
Comments
During the final of the women's eight rowing at the Athens Olympics in 2004, the Australian team, running fifth with 500 metres to go,…
The Olympics, of course, should not even really be on. They should surely have been cancelled, with COVID rampant in Japan, the whole world…
I guess if I'm honest, the first stirrings began way back in the '90s. When I heard about Julian O'Neill and his shoe-related adventures…
It took me a while to write about Adam Goodes. It took me a while because I was trying to come up with a…
There's been a lot of talk lately about the best way forward for Australian rugby teams in terms of a Trans-Tasman competition, given that…
Of course, we should have seen it coming. When Peter V'landys first took over as ARLC Chairman and made that famous speech wherein he…
Where would we be without sports commentators? Somewhere happy and peaceful? Perhaps. But it cannot be denied that commentary is a crucial part of…
When I was a young lad in the oh-so-nineteen eighties and nineties, I was a passionately diehard Balmain Tigers supporter. This meant, obviously, that…
Rule changes are all the rage in sport these days, which I think is all to the good. If a sport does not grow…
Ah, so the Wallabies won! Wonderful. And against the All Blacks! Excellent. Displaying grit and passion and stirring spirit. Marvellous. We cannot help but…
The Roar welcomes guest columnist Phil Gould to bring his unique take on the grand final. How does a team rise to the occasion,…
The 1968 Olympics in Mexico City were quite an event, even by Olympic standards. These were the Games that saw the Olympic debut of…
Nothing frustrates me more than ignorance, especially when it comes to sporting matters. So it pains me when I see commentators, pundits and fans…
Sport in 2020 has been, not to put too fine a point on it, weird. Cancelled comps, postponed comps, comps run in eerily empty…
Well, we had the long of it, now for the short of it. After this team's been named we can truly answer the question…
'Tis the season, it seems, for naming all-time greatest themed cricket teams, which makes it a perfect time to finally settle the question of…
I got a familiar sensation when I was reading the article by esteemed colleague Gazbo titled "The Broncos' decline is no laughing matter". That…
Ah, the Mankad. Has any single sporting action ever caused so much furious debate? Certainly there has never been any issue that so divided…
After Stacey Livingstone declared that if you stop Tayla Harris in the air, she's "useless", the AFL media set to work immediately on answering…
I have always been a big fan of George Bailey, and always thought he could add a lot to the field of selection. From…
I mean, fair enough.
'Don't interview me': Chris Fagan in tense exchange with journo after defending Cameron's contentious Tribunal escape
No, he’s far too old.
'Both were really clear': Roosters in a rage over ref's contentious calls as Storm win on the back of two dubious tries
It will be very exciting to see Lazarus rise.
'Both were really clear': Roosters in a rage over ref's contentious calls as Storm win on the back of two dubious tries
I think the reason for the minimum spend is so that a cash-strapped club can’t simply fill its roster with suburban players on minimum wage and get destroyed every week so as to save money.
The Fish that broke the Panthers’ back: Dynasty in danger with JFH the biggest blow in long list of star departures
Yes. Did you? Because what you wrote seems to be in agreement with Mary, yet you claim to fundamentally disagree.
The Kyrgios case of Latrell and Lomax: Star duo need to put what's best for the team ahead of individual interests
I still don’t see where your disagreement with Mary lies. As you say, “ It’s up to the coach and front office to question if the divergence between that and what the team wants is acceptable”. What in the article contradicts that?
The Kyrgios case of Latrell and Lomax: Star duo need to put what's best for the team ahead of individual interests
With Moses out, they should probably let him.
The Kyrgios case of Latrell and Lomax: Star duo need to put what's best for the team ahead of individual interests
I don’t understand. Where did Mary say players shouldn’t be allowed to change careers?
The Kyrgios case of Latrell and Lomax: Star duo need to put what's best for the team ahead of individual interests
Penrith annexed Fiji last year
The Fish that broke the Panthers’ back: Dynasty in danger with JFH the biggest blow in long list of star departures
But Next Man Up, right? I’ve been assured it doesn’t actually matter who plays for Penrith because of The System.
The Fish that broke the Panthers’ back: Dynasty in danger with JFH the biggest blow in long list of star departures
I confess I know nothing about Geoff Parling apart from the fact he’s obviously terrible and will destroy rugby in Australia for good.
CONFIRMED: Wallabies land final piece of coaching puzzle as ex-Lion signs on ahead of showpiece event
One coach for jumping, one for lifting, one for catching, one for throwing, one for calling, one for each member of the pack and one for general morale.
CONFIRMED: Wallabies land final piece of coaching puzzle as ex-Lion signs on ahead of showpiece event
And had the Wallabies won the RWC, 2023 would be seen as a triumph and Eddie Jones lauded as messiah. As it happens, they didn’t, and South Africa did. Maybe it had something to do with the players they had available to them, though I’m no expert, so I don’t know whether success in rugby has any correlation to who is on the team.
Scrap the Giteau Law: Rugby Australia should look to Rassie's 'Boks RWC recipe if it wants to re-join the big boys' table
What a disaster it would be if Australia had a 65% winning record.
Scrap the Giteau Law: Rugby Australia should look to Rassie's 'Boks RWC recipe if it wants to re-join the big boys' table
Life is peaceful there
Scrap the Giteau Law: Rugby Australia should look to Rassie's 'Boks RWC recipe if it wants to re-join the big boys' table
Yeah, how horrible it would be to see the Wallabies winning a World Cup final by only one point. We’d have really hit rock bottom if that happened.
Scrap the Giteau Law: Rugby Australia should look to Rassie's 'Boks RWC recipe if it wants to re-join the big boys' table
“the world’s best player to skip the Panthers’ trip to Bathurst to face the Wests Tigers”
Why would Luke Brooks have been going on the Panthers’ trip to Bathurst anyway?
NRL Round 7 Team Lists Late Mail: Des forced into spine reshuffle, Panthers and Dragons announce debutants
Amen.
Give coaches a choice: NRL post-match press conferences are mandatory, but only to say what the bosses want you to say
That’s all very well, but in my opinion, he’s not Peter V’Landys, and Wikipedia backs me up on this.
'If I'm Peter V'landys, Manu doesn't leave': Phil Gould calls the war chest 'fake news'
History shows that you must always pick on form except when you shouldn’t, stick with tried and true performers except when that’s the wrong thing to do, and prioritise speed, strength, workrate, youth, experience, toughness, flair and aggression in all circumstances apart from those in which you should do something else.
Wild idea but Blues should actually pick Origin team on form this time around - and that means Tedesco’s time is up
To be fair he’s a bit dodgy kicking in general as well.
Five things: Lesson Aussie rugby can learn from Kiwis - and why next month will determine whether SR gap has closed
Fact is when scores are tied, either in GP or the dying seconds of normal time, every single team will be offside when the opposition takes a field goal shot. It is standard practice and won’t stop until referees show some intestinal fortitude.
'F--- you': Insults fly after Des confronts Ricky as Annesley admits yet another blunder robbed Titans of victory
I don’t expect a huge number of wins in the next few weeks, but a real contest in the majority of matches will, I believe, be proof of genuine improvement in Australia.
Five things: Lesson Aussie rugby can learn from Kiwis - and why next month will determine whether SR gap has closed
Posting a video of a speeding car is the vilest thing I’ve ever heard. Lifetime ban for May, hopefully, and a lengthy prison sentence too.
NRL News: Dragon says he was 's--thouse' and should've been dropped, Panther in social media strife
Always remembering those giants of the past played in an era when Des Hasler and David Trewhella were big enough to play lock.
This current Broncos forward pack is a long way from being the best they’ve ever had - is it the biggest?