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Expert
Joined January 2015
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Stuart Thomas is a sports writer, freelance journalist and copywriter who made the jump from Roar Guru to Expert in 2017. A former trainee professional golfer, his sporting passions are broad with particular interests in football, AFL and rugby league. His love of sport is only matched by his passion for gardening and self-sustainability. Follow him on Twitter @stuartthomas72, connect with him on Facebook and LinkedIn and see his work at https://www.stuartthomas.com.au
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If COVID-19 has taught us anything it is to be prepared for the unexpected. The pandemic has shown quite clearly that what at first may have seemed improbable, is in fact anything but.
On Sunday evening, the Bulldogs redefined mediocrity in an inept performance against the Wests Tigers at Bankwest Stadium.
Rarely has Australian football experienced such a collective ‘stacks on’ as it did late last week.
The old adage ‘you get what you pay for’ may well be applicable in car yards, supermarkets and hardware stores, yet it appears to be well off the mark when it comes to the Brisbane Broncos and Anthony Milford.
Beggars cannot be choosers and as such, Football Federation Australia has accepted Foxtel’s new and less financially rewarding deal to cover A-League football for the next 12 months.
I have an app for most things. From spirit levelling to sports scores and fuel prices to Flybuys, there is an app for just about everything a human being could desire in 2020.
Compared to many nations around the globe and perhaps thanks to our relative geographical isolation, Australia appears to have weathered the worst of the coronavirus storm.
The North Queensland Cowboys have a considerable home-ground advantage on their side in tonight’s meeting with thew Cronulla Sharks. Stay up to date with the match with live scores here on The Roar from 7:35pm (AEST).
The most popular word in Australian sport right now appears to be hub.
It was a treat to sit back and enjoy the 1970 World Cup Final that SBS slotted into its programming last week.
Australia’s interest piqued last week when FIFA’s determination to push on with the formal process of deciding a venue for the 2023 Women’s World Cup became clear.
With Hyundai now severing $6 million worth of ties to the FFA and Foxtel circling ominously with a likely intention to lessen its commitment to football, some Australian fans of the beautiful game have been concerned and jumpy over the past week.
Halving any household budget would automatically cause significant change. At my place, Foxtel would most likely be the first in a series of culls.
For those under the age of 50, Terry Lamb and Steve Mortimer are unquestionably the two greatest players to have worn the famous blue and white of Canterbury-Bankstown.
When I asked Roar readers to select the Socceroo squad they believed Graham Arnold should take into the 2021 qualifiers, I knew the responses would be varied.
With the worst kept secret in Australian sport now well and truly out of the bag, Australian football at an elite level appears to be just months away from being on its knees.
Last week, I challenged Roar readers to nominate the events that are on their sporting bucket lists.
The Socceroos’ World Cup qualifiers set down for late March against Kuwait and Nepal, as well as June match-ups with Chinese Taipei and Jordan, have been logically postponed.
The currently silent and vacant sporting landscape has brought on much reflection. Many Australian competitions appear likely to go to ruin in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and concerns around what our sporting face will look like in a few months are genuine.
When you read a headline such as ‘It’s all on the table: FFA boss foreshadows change’, you realise just how different football may look in a few months’ time when, hopefully, people are permitted to play the game once again.
It is now! Thanks, might take a while though.
Climb aboard the World Cup bandwagon, there is plenty of room!
Most have said they have “exciting new” adventures ahead, yet haven’t confirmed what they are. Bossi still active in Sydey. It appears we will be seeing more from Slater, Speed and Harper. No doubt, the next three years will see the major papers on the hunt for freelance stuff as employing someone full-time is now an antiquated concept.
Climb aboard the World Cup bandwagon, there is plenty of room!
I don’t agree with having the Dog’s list ahead of those teams, but you may be right. If you are, then that bodes even worse for Pay, because he is getting even less out of his squad that we thought and what their talent should allow.
Should Dean or the players Pay?
In reality, six or seven wins would be a decent result for a team so thin on talent. However, that has been the case for three years now, so potentially that expectation should have be upped somewhat by now.
Should Dean or the players Pay?
They simply do not have the organisation via a play maker in attack; someone who calls and then initiates the play required. In search of an 80+ completion rate, the forwards continue to work on tackle 4 and 5, the stats look okay, yet the line is rarely crossed.
Should Dean or the players Pay?
No doubt you are right if paying out the coach is the only escape clause. Few clubs could afford to do that right now, if any. I called a four year rebuild about three years ago. It is looking like seven now.
Should Dean or the players Pay?
Rumours this morning of the players the club intends to target and discussions at board level on Thursday about a possible extension of Foran’s contract. Wow!
Should Dean or the players Pay?
I’m glad you saw through that James. Smithies and Kemp also gone. Gatt not replaced at the Australian and then the obvious losses of Hill and Foster. Scary times for media generally really. To top it off Gardening Australia is on a break until spring! Unheard of and no doubt a result of budget cuts. Sadly, the more cuts that are made, the more streamlined and narrow content becomes.
Climb aboard the World Cup bandwagon, there is plenty of room!
Interesting to follow the trail of money in these mega-events. I’ve always wanted to see a clearer picture of just how the pie is sliced up.
Climb aboard the World Cup bandwagon, there is plenty of room!
A realistic chance of 50,000 plus at all Matildas matches during the tournament. Depending on where they are played of course. They could go close to filling ANZ on each occasion and the financial attraction of that may be too much for the organisers to resist. The pressure on the team will be immense.
Climb aboard the World Cup bandwagon, there is plenty of room!
Gladys had me in stitches. I thought she was going to pop at one stage. Tourism dollars bring out the best/worst in our pollies. In saying that, football can be a big financial winner as well. Already some announcements about funding and investment have come through which is great news.
Climb aboard the World Cup bandwagon, there is plenty of room!
Never said that all had come from GG, was responding to the original comment that used it and the Mariners CEO as evidence that it was the right move. I’ll need a lot more than that to convince me that a move back to winter is going to do anything other than drive crowds down and decrease the quality of play.
A-League’s winter move fraught with danger
It is quite simple. As others have pointed out above, football is not an exclusively winter sport. A vision for the domestic game needs to come from a far more informed and eclectic place than the golden generation alone and as I have written about before, and have done so tomorrow for another publication, the reasons for the original move away from winter were done for very sound reasons. Research makes that abundantly clear. There are many clear thinkers on the game in the same camp.
A-League’s winter move fraught with danger
I will rarely be able to attend a match in winter time. As a man with a press pass, that is particularly sad.
A-League’s winter move fraught with danger
Enjoyed reading yet football is not played in winter all over the world. If the golden generation are determining direction I am very concerned and perhaps people need to investigate the ASF’s original decision to move the game to summer. Perhaps talk to some of the people involved. Heaven forbid, that would be silly.
A-League’s winter move fraught with danger
Firstly, your suggestion that football articles are always doom and gloom is false. After writing nearly 1000 over the last 5 years for numerous publications I can assure you there is a healthy mix of celebration and concern.
Your assertion that there is no doom and gloom in NBL copy is rather silly, current climate proves that and I’d dare suggest football fans do indeed defend the game and feel it is the “best sport in the world.”
Ps – “when great things are happening”, exactly what are they right now?
A-League’s winter move fraught with danger
Voice of reason there Mark. An interesting idea.
A-League’s winter move fraught with danger
A-League fan, you strike me as someone without the memories of the NSL days, where appalling surfaces often hosted matches. There were specific reasons why the game moved to summer. Look them up. A move to winter will see a frightful drop in A-League crowds.
A-League’s winter move fraught with danger
No need to add anything at all to that. Spot on.
A-League’s winter move fraught with danger
I agree, nowhere near the player required in the 6.
Time for the Broncos to move on from Milford
If Guerra plays the Blues might win by fifty!
Time for the Broncos to move on from Milford
Sadly for Milford, that is indeed the case.
Time for the Broncos to move on from Milford
Yep, same as Russia. I had phone calls from the BBC asking, “are you in Russia?” Being here in Australia means we can all answer yes. Should be a good six month lead up to the event. Team profiles, stadiums, the draw, cultural aspects of the country…….plenty to explore.
Climb aboard the World Cup bandwagon, there is plenty of room!