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Brett McKay is one of The Roar's good news stories and has been a rugby and cricket expert for the site since July 2009. Brett is an international and Super Rugby commentator for ABC Grandstand radio, is the voice of ACT club rugby, has commentated on Under-20s Championships, Women's Uni Sevens and National Rugby Championship coverage, and has written for magazines and websites in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UK. He tweets from @BMcSport.
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There’s no doubt that coming into the last week of October without a broadcast rights deal in place for 2021 is less than ideal for Rugby Australia. But developments over the last week or so suggest that whatever deal is done from here is going to be a whole lot better than expected.
Here we go then, Super Rugby Aotearoa has been run and won, and now Super Rugby AU takes centre stage for the next five weekends.
I didn’t get to see the Reds-Rebels game live on Saturday night, but was getting regular score updates. And when those score updates didn’t change for more than half an hour in the second half, you naturally start asking the subconscious questions.
At the time of asking the guys for their tips and even at the time of writing these intro paragraphs the two matches scheduled for the final round to complete Super Rugby Aotearoa were and are still going ahead.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote of Round 3 being the weekend that made Super Rugby AU, the round in which Queensland and the Western Force played out a belter on the Friday night, and New South Wales and the Brumbies followed up with a one-point thriller on the Saturday night.
You’re going to hear a lot of talk about ultimate pens this weekend, being the second-last week of competition in Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Every now and then, something is said in a press conference that immediately breaks free of the standard cliché and routine.
Three rounds to go in New Zealand, the halfway point about to be reached in Australia. Have we learnt anything yet that we didn’t already know?
Once upon a time, not that long ago in fact, it was sites like this one and others that were the domain of theoretical new rugby competition formats.
Last week was bound to be disappointing and it mostly was for those of not answering to the name ‘Digger’. But this week looks a bit more clear-cut and that is every bit as nerve-wracking.
After all the sky-is-falling discussion after the Rebels and Reds played out ‘The Draw We’d Rather Forget’ in Round 2, it was great – nay, bloody fantastic – to see Super Rugby AU dish up two really, really enjoyable games across the weekend for Round 3.
The resumption of Super Rugby AU introduced too many variables into our tipping for my liking, and with the Crusaders having this week off, it feels like Week 6 is sitting there in front of us just waiting to decide how many ways it can go south.
We’ve only had four games played with the new law variations in place, and the Brumbies and Western Force have only played one game each over the first two rounds.
In a year of Australian rugby that’s seen a coup led by ex-captains, player payment disputes, mutiny because of said dispute, a CEO rolled, a new Chair and interim CEO installed, all with the backdrop of a nervous broadcaster, you would have been excused if you expressed extreme doubts over the likelihood of any actual […]
For someone who doesn’t officially start his new job for another week, incoming Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has sure done a mountain of homework already.
Honestly, it’s like we’ve been reading about a different sport over this last week, with the dramatic change in tack around the reporting of rugby in Australia.
With Super Rugby Aotearoa due to kick off this weekend, and Super Rugby AU still aiming for the first weekend in July, there’s no coincidence that the closed competitions will take the opportunity to try a few law variations.
Three significant boxes were ticked over the last few days, as Australia’s domestic Super Rugby replacement for the 2020 season edges closer to its yet-to-be-announced but widely accepted July 4 start date.
On the surface, a joint statement from both SANZAAR and the Six Nations around long overdue discussions on the alignment of northern and southern seasons should be seen as a good thing.
As the magnets continue to be shuffled around different whiteboards in different countries to work out if and how and when a resumption of professional rugby might be possible for this year, attention is also being cast forward to see if workable solutions for 2021 can also be found.
How is he possibly still only 33?!? 😱
Didn’t he debut in the amateur era!?!
Frans Steyn drops jaws with utterly gigantic kick
The Wade comparison is simply as the incumbent no.6. Green is obviously going to bowl more, because he’s a bowler.
Regardless, I didn’t realise what you were actually enquiring about is Green’s current bowling restrictions..
Justin Langer confirms Cameron Green will debut in Adelaide - if he's fit
Likewise RT. Feels like it’s been some journey to get to Christmas this year!
The Roar's 2020 Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup end-of-year awards
Biggest surprise for me in all this is that Koroibete polled as well as he did..
Michael Hooper wins third John Eales Medal
Back to back championships will do that.. 😉
Marianna Tolo and the Capitals pushing for historic three-peat
They’ll have to take the hard road to get there, Mary, after slipping up to Townsville and Southside over the last week.
But they won a Championship the hard way last season and still have a lot of that group together this year – so if anyone can do it, it’s the Caps..
Marianna Tolo and the Capitals pushing for historic three-peat
It’s pretty obviously a tongue-in-cheek reference to the reaction around Foster, just as Swinton’s inability to finish his debut game was. If you can’t recognise light hearted writing when everyone pretty obviously can, then I’m not sure I can help you…
The Roar's 2020 Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup end-of-year awards
Merry Christmas, Cass! 😁
The Roar's 2020 Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup end-of-year awards
You’d imagine so, Rellum.
Realistcally, he only has to bowl more than Wade to effectively ‘add more to the side’. And he has been gradually increasing his bowling load in recent weeks..
Justin Langer confirms Cameron Green will debut in Adelaide - if he's fit
This is really good, Highlander, so many good points here.
I’m glad you mentioned kicks for touch being well in front of the mark, and it’s become chronic within the game, Or more to the point, it has been allowed to become chronic.
He’s not the only one, but I first noticed Reece Hodge doing this years ago – watch how often he makes the mark in clear view of the ref, and then takes one or at most two steps backwards. Then count how many steps he takes in his run-up to kick. It’s usually four, sometimes six.
Looking forward to Part 2..
An open letter to World Rugby: Part 1
In any other season, you might wonder about the desperation to play a fifth bowling option, but that’s hand forced by Green’s superlative form, isn’t it.
Will be really interesting to see what they name tomorrow – Langer’s comments (not included here) and his continued public backing of Burns seems to suggest Harris is there for emergency only. I can’t imagine they’d have bought Henriques into the squad if they were content with Harris opening and Wade staying at 6. Feels like it will be Burns-Wade at the top and an allrounder at 6..
Justin Langer confirms Cameron Green will debut in Adelaide - if he's fit
It was some top shelf finishing, wasn’t it Saopy..
The Roar's 2020 Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup end-of-year awards
That’s some distance you’ve gone to completely miss a point, Jacko…
The Roar's 2020 Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup end-of-year awards
I feel like I need to come and watch rugby at your place, Ricco, just for the spread! 😛
Hope it’s a great Christmas for you and yours..
The Roar's 2020 Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup end-of-year awards
Yes, he kicked something like 14 from 18 over the last three games, which is pretty bloody good for a guy who has never been a first choice kicker for any great length of time..
The Roar's 2020 Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup end-of-year awards
Can imagine Wright was thinking something similar when he scored with his first touch!
“How easy is Test footy?!?”
The Roar's 2020 Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup end-of-year awards
Loving these Barry!
The Crushers somehow managed to combine one of the truly great rugby league playing strips with a god-awful rugby league team…
The forgotten players: South Queensland Crushers
Are the time-outs in play again this year? I honestly can’t remember..
I wonder how far away we are from having the captain and coach mic’d up in games, and we can hear their interactions?
Sub-plots aplenty as the Big Bash begins once again
I’ll be curious to see how the teams and captains adapt to the rule changes, regardless of their merits.
Can imagine there will be a fair amount of trial and error over the next week and a bit at least…
Sub-plots aplenty as the Big Bash begins once again
Yeah, all good. The end of a pretty busy year is in sight
A promising Wallabies start leaves us with the same unanswered questions
I hope you can just one day answer a question… 🙄
You’re making the claims, so knock yourself out: https://www.theroar.com.au/contribute/
Feel free to outline all the cover-ups and collusion.
A promising Wallabies start leaves us with the same unanswered questions
You’ve ranked ‘solid’ and ‘serviceable’ at the same level now!! 😂
A promising Wallabies start leaves us with the same unanswered questions
That’s still 18 players JC. That’s still more than a full team of players you now want to ignore..
A promising Wallabies start leaves us with the same unanswered questions
Seventy metres on the fly!
Frans Steyn drops jaws with utterly gigantic kick