Join The Roar
Become a member to join in Australia's biggest sporting debate, submit articles, receive updates straight to your inbox and keep up with your favourite teams and authors.
Oops! You must provide an email address to create a Roar account
When using Facebook to create or log in to an account, you need to grant The Roar permission to see your email address
By joining The Roar you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions
Login and get Roaring
Oops! You must provide an email address to create a Roar account
When using Facebook to create or log in to an account, you need to grant The Roar permission to see your email address
Expert
Joined February 2011
1.81m
Views
492
Published
7.8k
Comments
"Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence: in other words, it is war minus the shooting." - George Orwell
Published
Comments
After the Melbourne Storm’s victory over the Penrith Panthers in the NRL Grand Final on Sunday night, it was unfortunate that a significant chunk of the chatter was dedicated to the commentary of the game – specifically Gus Gould’s – rather than the game itself.
After a couple of seasons of blistering-hot form with my annual fearless predictions, I think I’ll come falling back to earth with an almighty thud this year.
On Saturday night, Joey Leilua gave away a crucial penalty that led to a field goal by Penrith’s Nathan Cleary.
2020 will go down in history as a very strange and unique year.
With 5 rounds of the 2020 NRL Premiership now played, there’s one blatantly obvious question that needs asking: where exactly did all the talent go?
Can you smell it? It’s in the air. No, not the false optimism emanating from every team’s fan-base. That’s a given at this time of year, before dreams are inevitably and brutally squashed.
On Saturday, notorious motor-mouth Draymond Green was it again. Never shy of giving an opinion or trash-talking someone, this time it was NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley in his sights.
At 6:30am this morning, my (nearly) four-month old baby stirred in his cot. I got up to check on him, and though he immediately went back to sleep, I knew he’d probably be waking up soon.
As we’re now at the halfway point of the 2019-20 NBA season, it’s a good time to take a breath, step back from the frenetic offensive pace that’s being set, and objectively look at a few things happening around the league.
You would assume that when an Australian team returns from an away Ashes series with the urn in tow for the first time in 18 years, said team would be settled, stable and with close to eleven automatic selections.
Another NRL season is now over, and as the realisation dawns on many fans that they won’t get a chance to whinge about the refs for another six months, the only comfort I can offer is that it also means it’s time revisit my fearless predictions.
The NRL season is sadly over, with the Sydney Roosters claiming the premiership on Sunday night, unfortunately under controversial circumstances.
As the Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm played out a brutal, tough and entertaining preliminary final on Saturday night, much of the Harbour City breathed a large sigh of relief when the final siren eventually sounded, due to the realisation that a grand final between two interstate teams was an impossibility.
Last week I did something embarrassing and out of character. Unfortunately, after years of ripping into people that rip into referees, I inadvertently did the exact same thing.
The opening round of the 2019 NRL finals was dominated by touches. Well, two and a half touch-ups and one touch judge controversy, to be precise.
We’re finally at the business end of the season, with eight teams playing in the NRL finals this weekend, and the other eight probably nursing grade-one reckless hangovers all morning, courtesy of their Mad Monday celebrations.
Ben Stokes’ incredible innings didn’t just save the Ashes for England, it completely reinvigorated the series – not to mention the England versus Australia rivalry.
With two rounds remaining in the 2019 NRL season, the team all the way down in twelfth spot is still in contention for the finals series.
Last Saturday, I had a stupid idea. I’ve often been told there is no such thing as a stupid idea, but I assure you, that’s not true.
I rate England Test skipper Joe Root highly as a batsman, but I’ve always found it a bit silly that he often gets included in the same sentence as Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson.
NSW to win game 1 by 132 points, and the series 4-0.
REVEALED: NSW Blues and Queensland Maroons teams for State of Origin 1
Whilst I admit it was also a shocking “admission”, I of course, meant a shocking omission”.
On fire today!
Who are we hiring - and firing - for the best rugby league TV coverage possible?
Gordy was a bulletpoint under The Matty Johns Show, but looks like it was included (or I removed it)!
Who are we hiring - and firing - for the best rugby league TV coverage possible?
Hannah Hollis is indigenous, as is Gordon Tallis.
However, I admit, that didn’t come into consideration and is post-rationalisation!
In all honesty, I chose the people from the existing cohort of commentators and analysts that I think are the best. But we do need better representation, however I think that’s a vastly different article/point.
Who are we hiring - and firing - for the best rugby league TV coverage possible?
I thought you meant they need to lay off the red wine!
Who are we hiring - and firing - for the best rugby league TV coverage possible?
As I said, we all have our own tastes!
Who are we hiring - and firing - for the best rugby league TV coverage possible?
Gang, I deliberately said at the end that I may have overlooked someone, and I most definitely did, and have been called on it. Billy Slater is great, and shocking admission from myself!
Poor form!
Who are we hiring - and firing - for the best rugby league TV coverage possible?
That’s actually scarily apt.
Welcome competition in the rugby broadcast rights race - and a farewell, for now…
We did a podcast?
Welcome competition in the rugby broadcast rights race - and a farewell, for now…
Yep! You’re words, not mine:
My not so fearless picks:
Roosters three-peat
Tedesco to double down on the Dally M and Wally Lewis medals and add a Churchill
Manly top three and GF appearance
Souths to miss the eight
Sharks AND Broncos to make the eight
Revisiting my five fearless predictions for the 2020 NRL season
What’s even better is that you admitted they weren’t even fearless!! (It’s a mug’s game, this prediction business.)
Revisiting my five fearless predictions for the 2020 NRL season
Ah, but I said “the season”, not “his season”.
Checkmate!
Revisiting my five fearless predictions for the 2020 NRL season
You’ve actually made me feel a bit better about mine, Duckie!
Revisiting my five fearless predictions for the 2020 NRL season
NSW to win the series 4-0.
Revisiting my five fearless predictions for the 2020 NRL season
I spoke to Gus, and he has Penrith winning Powerball. He say they’re right on top, despite not having picked any of the correct numbers.
Ask Buzz, he’ll let you know!
Revisiting my five fearless predictions for the 2020 NRL season
Good riddance. On your bike.
????
Welcome competition in the rugby broadcast rights race - and a farewell, for now…
There’s a part of me that’s impressed by the bravado to write the following sentence:
“Does Tedesco hate the bright lights? I think so . . . yes, he scored the winning try in Origin last year and yes, he scored the winning try in the grand final last year, but . . . “
There’s a larger part of me that’s extremely unimpressed. But hey, I read the piece and commented, so well done! You win! Of course, the modern coverage of sports loses once again though . . .
Smith remains the game’s best player because Tedesco disappears in big moments
I certainly respect him coming back from a serious injury. Though it’s touch difficult for me to call him a “good team player” when he came back from the off-season overweight and lacking fitness. That was the beginning of the end of him in Canberra, apparently.
Joey Leilua the “worst signing by any club in the NRL era”? Hmm, he may well be
Excuse my ignorance, but how is that “being a team player”?
Joey Leilua the “worst signing by any club in the NRL era”? Hmm, he may well be
Touche!
Joey Leilua the “worst signing by any club in the NRL era”? Hmm, he may well be
But not the coach, apparently, who said he wasn’t good enough for the team.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/leilua-reveals-fallout-with-stuart-led-to-raiders-exit-not-scott-arrival-20200127-p53v6e.html
Joey Leilua the “worst signing by any club in the NRL era”? Hmm, he may well be
Haha! Touché!
Joey Leilua the “worst signing by any club in the NRL era”? Hmm, he may well be
That’s not quite the way it was reported . . .
(Coach Rick Stone:) “Culturally, we have made a decision and made a bit of a stand for what we think is acceptable at our place. I know it’s a hard one to pull the trigger on and possibly, it mightn’t make our team any better but we think for the long run, it will be better for our club.”
The breakdown in the relationship between Leilua and the club can be traced back to Stone’s public criticism of the centre in The Daily Telegraph back in February after he returned to pre-season training from the Four Nations tournament a few weeks prior badly out of shape and weighing 111kg.
At the time, Stone fired a rocket at Leilua because of his poor attitude to training and suggested he was no certainty to start the season in the NRL.
Around the same time, Leilua also had a run-in at training with senior player Beau Scott, who accused him of not putting in.
Leilua’s reaction to the criticism was to seek an immediate release which was when his management first put feelers out with other clubs.”
Joey Leilua the “worst signing by any club in the NRL era”? Hmm, he may well be
Exactly. So what a great interviewer he’d make.
Who are we hiring - and firing - for the best rugby league TV coverage possible?