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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.
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God knows I was willing to give Tim Paine a chance. When he was made captain I had my doubts, but as a proud…
I knew a girl in high school who was a serious Christian, from a serious Christian family. So seriously Christian were they that at…
I don't know who the new Wallabies coach will be, and I don't know who it should be. Maybe it will be this guy…
We have to talk about referees. By which I don't mean that I want to talk about referees, or that we haven't already talked…
There's no use pussyfooting around: rugby league has become soft. In stark contrast to the good old days, when every weekend you could depend…
The celebrations had barely even begun at Old Trafford when a sobering note was struck. Across the media, and especially on social media, wise…
As I watched Steve Smith hit his third century of the current Ashes series, I was struck by the similarities between this brilliant modern…
Yes yes, very good innings. Yes yes, revived the Ashes. Yes, one of the greatest Tests of all time, what Test cricket is all…
Cricket is an amazing game. After one Test it seemed certain that these Ashes would be the Summer of Steve. With just a few…
You know, I've seen New Zealanders do some underhanded things in my time, from hands in the ruck to tricking Greg Chappell into ordering…
I will be the first to admit, I do not possess the same level of rugby league knowledge as Ricky Stuart. I never played…
How many passes does a rugby league halfback throw in their career? Thousands. Long ones and short ones, quick bullets and looping floaters, cut-outs…
Remember last week when I wrote about how great it was that New South Wales was panicking? Wow, I sure would look stupid now,…
Fellow New South Wales fans: this is not the time to panic. Or to put it more precisely, this is the time to panic,…
Apparently the AFL is rapidly becoming a police state. Apparently passionate footy fans are being persecuted for their enthusiasm, harassed and ejected from games…
They're running scared. You can tell. The signs are everywhere, from the hunted look in Kevin Walters's damp, jellylike eyes, to the desperate insistence…
I was devastated when Cooper Cronk announced he was leaving Melbourne. I saw him as crucial to my team's success and 12 months later,…
As his one-time Storm teammate Greg Inglis ends his career in a shower of tributes, Israel Folau seems to be ending his in a…
Sport isn't about feelings or impressions; it's about cold hard facts. For example, Essendon defeated Hawthorn in the 1985 VFL grand final. That's a…
Names and numbers on players' backs in Test cricket? What a great idea! But if you'll indulge me for a moment, I think I…
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: Star Rooster out, Cleary delays comeback, Lomax switches, NAS, Lodge back
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
Makes you proud.
WATCH: Liz Cambage ejected in Chinese league after elbow to the face, still gives ref a gobful
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
Bayern Munich was stymied by soccer’s introduction of limited tackles.
NRL Round 6 Talking Points: Concussion sub needs a fix, learning about 'disruption', why does everyone hate Gutho?
True, but there’s no particular reason why that has to be, if your ball-playing FB isn’t actually the best man to have at the back.
Five and a kick: Joey Manu is not the Roosters' best fullback, unless they want to run him into the ground
Both Manu and Mitchell make me think that if modern coaches could let go of the dogma of positions and think more creatively about centres, teams would benefit. The idea that centres must remain in their channel on one side of the field is not a law of nature, and if we could let go of it then talented attacking players might let go of the idea that they must be put at fullback lest they be wasted.
Five and a kick: Joey Manu is not the Roosters' best fullback, unless they want to run him into the ground
But then, the article included unearned Dally M points as part of the overrating. (I disagreed of course)
NRL Round 6 Talking Points: Concussion sub needs a fix, learning about 'disruption', why does everyone hate Gutho?
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