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Write about sport here. Write about music, travel, life and the universe elsewhere. Troll me on Twitter ---> twitter.com/KrisSwales.
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When I first travelled to New Delhi to watch Australia play cricket in 2013, just leaving my hotel to confront the onslaught of this…
As we hurtle headlong towards the business end of the NRL season, coaches at the arse-end of the ladder are no doubt jumping at…
There's the cityscape peaking over the SCG’s heritage-listed grandstands. There's the mountains looming over Cape Town and Dharamshala. And then there's Galle, the cricket…
Kevin Walters has plumped for a blend of experience and even more experience for his first game picking the Maroons team for State of…
When rugby league and music cross paths, hilarity often ensues. But the times, they are a-changin'. Not that it's been all smooth sailing the…
If the hot air being generated in the Sydney press post-Origin 2 is to be believed, the Blues simply need to turn up at…
Injuries, form, and the small matter of restoring state pride at a packed Lang Park have forced Mal Meninga to ring the Queensland Maroons…
June 2, 1987. A night I'll never forget. My first time... at a State of Origin game at Lang Park. I wasn't totally wet…
There's something about rugby league attempting to push beyond its traditional boundaries that causes the collective sphincter of Australian sports fans to involuntarily tighten.…
Mal Meninga may have all but copy/pasted his Queensland Maroons team line-up for Game 1 of the 2015 State of Origin series from last…
It’s an age-old paradox – what happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object? The two can’t exist together, and in the case…
It was somewhat ironic that on the day Australia collectively mourned the loss of the voice of summer, the voice of two states' winters…
While watching the Sea Eagles and Raiders run around an Australian Rules football field in far-flung Albury on Easter Saturday, the word atop the…
In case you missed it, the MCG earlier this week waved the white flag in its battle with Tullamarine Airport for the title of…
You know a sport's grip on the nation's collective consciousness is tenuous when it only makes the headlines off the back of bad news.…
International rugby league. The most divisive three-word phrase in the greatest game of all this side of ‘Phil Gould monologue'; a concept that inevitably…
My first memory of an English footballer is David Hobbs' elbow setting Greg Conescu's tooth free from its gum at the SCG in 1984.…
In case you missed it, the XXXX Queensland Bulls are now the my FootDr Queensland Bulls. Because the boys presumably spent so much of…
On Saturday night, black wrap still covered the fence surrounding Redfern Oval as a reminder of Michael Maguire's intense grand final preparation. By Monday…
When it comes to grand final day entertainment, both the NRL and the AFL either get it very wrong or very right. Sadly, the…
Chris, any insight into what’s happening with Cam Bairstow? He seems to have dropped off the planet after last year’s injury and the Bullets are well short of inside presence of the Wildcats game is any indication.
Meanwhile, those two glaring areas lacking for the Kings could be copy-pasted from any season this decade bar the one AJ was around…
Looking at the positives with key NBL injuries
Ronan did neglect to mention that Zampa’s two wicket balls were belters! Didn’t realise he had that wrong’un in him.
One decent takeaway from the year’s exploits in India – our bowlers have what it takes to succeed here in all forms of the game.
Just got to get those batting line-ups sorted now…
Why Australia must show faith in Adam Zampa
Imagine if the Titans had some foresight, handed the Under 20s team to the Walkers after their Q Cup triumph, and gave them a couple of years to school the future of the club in their style with a view to taking over firsts a couple of years later? That would’ve been something.
The NRL is going stale, so let's blood some new coaches to freshen things up
The GOAT looked borderline unplayable at times on day one. Yet if he doesn’t bowl us to victory in either of the first two Ashes Tests there’ll be articles calling for his head, on sites remarkably like this one.
Huss clearly knew what he was doing when he bequeathed the team song. Love the GOAT.
Nathan Lyon: From near zero to hero
Best game – Round 14, Panthers 24 def Raiders 20
Actually, every second of the season from 78:30 onwards in this game was pretty much unwatchable.
The best and worst of the 2017 NRL season
Given the biggest crowd this week is likely to be in Melbourne, followed by last-placed Newcastle, then likely GC, most Sydney clubs should consider themselves on notice.
West Coast Tigers has a ring to it, with two games a year played at each of Leichhardt and Campbeltown. Theoretically they can fill those grounds twice a year if they and half fill them four times.
The NRL should be relocating, but who goes?
Tim, just taking a punt here – Raiders 1st in dropouts conceded, 16th in dropouts forced?
Six contenders but the Storm, Sharks or Sea Eagles will win in 2017
This is the Blues’ series to lose, and I hope they find a way, again.
State of Origin: NSW know they should win - the rest is up to them
To paraphrase a stray Twitter observation of a few weeks back – the more Kiwis players the Warriors sign, the worse both teams get.
Anyone who can solve that riddle can probably move on to world peace next.
Warriors concede rugby league 'isn't working for them'
RTS as captain is good in theory (future of the club, etc etc) but he’s a kid coming back from an ACL, clearly down on confidence, and if his full-time interviews are any indication isn’t much of a public speaker. Hoffmann was laying down the law in a huddle last week while RTS just stood there grinning. That captaincy call is a metaphor for the club – utterly bewildering.
Warriors concede rugby league 'isn't working for them'
It’s clear to me now that the only way to win the war on drugs is to make rugby league illegal.
The NRL responds to a weekend of elite partying and stupidity
Do Brooks and Moses have Kim Jong-un’s propaganda team putting together highlights reels for them?
Whoever tabled Moses that alleged $1m a season offer should be given an archive box and immediately marched from Tigpies HQ.
Mitchell Moses reportedly asks for immediate release to join Eels
Pretty sure he intentionally got himself out of the way of Papalii a couple of weeks back after last year’s Lecihhardt embarrassment.
Mitchell Moses reportedly asks for immediate release to join Eels
Had a scratch match in the backstreets of Varanasi a few years back with a mid-teens bowler who slung them like Malinga. I didn’t hit a ball!
India Calling: What it's like to broadcast cricket in a country with a billion fans
Great stuff Glenn. Vivid memories of that 2001 series being called down the phone line, and finally made it here just in time to hear the “Sa-chinnnn, Sa-chin!” chant in a Test series before he retired. Hoping Bangalore and Dharamshala dish out something similarly epic over the next month!
India Calling: What it's like to broadcast cricket in a country with a billion fans
I’d expect the Bangalore groundsmen are cutting a square out of MG Road to drop into the centre of the Chinnaswamy as we speak.
Look forward to seeing it all in person next Saturday. What a win!
Australia must avoid repeating the nightmare of 2001
Cannot wait for Jillaroos v Silver Ferns at the Nines. The only two teams guaranteed to rip in at 100% all weekend.
Women's sport weekly wrap: An historic week for women's sport
The Poms actually put up more of a fight then we did four years ago and still got crushed.
At least the backdrop at Dharamshala will be beautiful.
Australia in India? It will be 4-0, and it will be ugly
Just put the double sculls on. The heats would be a true war of attrition.
A test-free solution to sport's illicit drug problem
You’d also have clean athletes turning up to the recreational drugs Olympics pretending to be loose in the hope they could snatch up some easy medals.
A test-free solution to sport's illicit drug problem
Add a recreational drugs Olympics and you’ve got yourself a three-ring circus.
A test-free solution to sport's illicit drug problem
Imagine if there was an ASADA for popular music, swabbing award winners after the ARIAs and dishing out 12-week bans. Summer festival season would be missing its best local acts.
The NRL needs to consider a four-week ‘free zone’ after the grand final/4N final/WC final. Maybe get the players all together somewhere out of harm’s way, like Star City, so they can snorkel selfishly away in peace.
It worked for Bunny Colvin on The Wire. Kind of.
A test-free solution to sport's illicit drug problem
You’ll be happy to know ABC went back in time and made Drew redundant in 2014.
Prepare your ears: Nine names cricket commentary team with one big absentee
Typical tense semi-final footy. Sharks made way too much easy ground up the middle but the way the Raiders shut down most of the half-breaks was a promising sign.
Thought the Raiders played a little too conservatively with the ball. It was pretty clear the Sharks weren’t going to crack on their line, so some more of the long-range attack that has worked all year would’ve been nice to see.
Hopefully Hodgo and Ragnar are back next week. Would also love to see Vaughan in for Priest as he’s got more potential x-factor.
Great win by the Sharks though. And completely classless post-match celebration.
Five talking points from Canberra Raiders vs Cronulla Sharks NRL qualifying final
Contrast Steve’s world view with a tweet from the Sydney arm of the RLWC host broadcaster last night which breathlessly declared there are fears Mitchell Pearce’s alleged anger at the Roosters will overshadow tonight’s opener.
Not sure what’s sadder – that a media outlet would beat up a story at the risk of devaluing their own product, or that they actually believe it.
Our man Mascy: Rugby league's man of the world