Roar Guru
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As the dust settles from the Matildas' devastating loss to England, coach Tony Gustavsson has some difficult decisions to make. There is still one…
Back in 2000, the Daily Telegraph published '100 years of Rugby League' throughout weekly newspaper articles, and then condensed it into an excellent book.…
When you combine the total wins in each of the four amateur/Open Era majors (Australian, French, Wimbledon, and US) with the three pro majors…
Alex Carey has just completed his first Test match. Many commentators made the observation that he had gone about his business so efficiently that…
I'm glad you asked, and here is the comparison. This Tuesday will mark the 80th anniversary of the shock, unheralded Japanese attack on Pearl…
For my fellow cricket lovers on The Roar, here are some composite international figures of selected great South African players from the 1970s and…
This article is in response to the recent article by Brett McKay highlighting calls by various coaches and personalities to bring back the NRC.…
Now we come to our next era, and fans will become increasingly familiar with the players. I have referred to this era as the…
Our next period is the Diehards. Although rugby union did not completely shut down during World War Two as it had during World War…
Following this era's first XV, here is the second-choice line-up. 1. Tom Davis Born 1894, 17 Tests 1920-25, Glebe-Balmain, Sydney Wests and NSW Davis…
In these tumultuous and uncertain times, I thought I would take the opportunity to look back at 121 years of the Wallabies playing Test…
In these tumultuous and uncertain times, I thought I would take the opportunity to look back at 121 years of the Wallabies playing Test…
In these tumultuous and uncertain times, I thought I would take the opportunity to look back at 121 years of the Wallabies playing Test…
There are two damning statistics about the Wallabies and Australian rugby. The first is that the Wallabies have not beaten the All Blacks in…
I'm one of those silly blokes who loves racing for the aesthetics – what I want most of all is watching champion horses with…
Last weekend I finally got around to clearing my study of unwanted books, magazines not revisited in many years and reams of scrap paper…
Former boss of Australian rugby John O'Neill's abrasive style is both grating and polarising, but there's no doubting his success rate. You can argue…
The Australian sporting landscape is becoming incredibly crowded, especially with national women's comps starting in most of the major sports. Let's look briefly at…
Ric Charlesworth is a man with plenty of experience inside and outside the sporting arena. Olympics gold medallist coach in women's hockey, Olympics silver…
Last Thursday past at The Roar Xmas drinks I was thrilled and honoured to be chatting with legendary septuagenarians David Lord, Spiro Zavos and…
Tufanoo,
That’s an extraordinarily ignorant comment from someone who doesn’t know me. If you think social media mates are true friends, you are the deluded one.
NRL News: Leniu pleads guilty to monkey racial slur, apologises to Mam - 'I said the word but I didn't mean it in a racist way'
Jimmy,
You’re right! Social media just drags everyone down eventually to the gutter.
NRL News: Leniu pleads guilty to monkey racial slur, apologises to Mam - 'I said the word but I didn't mean it in a racist way'
Red Rob,
Look at my record. Your ignorance of my achievements on The roar is not my problem. Maybe you were in nappies when i started on the roar in 2007.
In any case, my apologies, it appears I’ve accidentally stumbled upon the bleeding hearts society.
NRL News: Leniu pleads guilty to monkey racial slur, apologises to Mam - 'I said the word but I didn't mean it in a racist way'
Nat – my apologies, it seems I have stumbled on the bleeding hearts society by mistake.
NRL News: Leniu pleads guilty to monkey racial slur, apologises to Mam - 'I said the word but I didn't mean it in a racist way'
Tony – Troll? That’s original, not…
NRL News: Leniu pleads guilty to monkey racial slur, apologises to Mam - 'I said the word but I didn't mean it in a racist way'
Red Rob,
Public forum, deal with it. I don’t type to please anybody. I type what I believe to be the case.
NRL News: Leniu pleads guilty to monkey racial slur, apologises to Mam - 'I said the word but I didn't mean it in a racist way'
Phil,
Some people can’t take a bit of robust bagging, it seems. I’m fine, I just stopped being polite!
NRL News: Leniu pleads guilty to monkey racial slur, apologises to Mam - 'I said the word but I didn't mean it in a racist way'
Eyecancu,
This is a public forum. If you done’t like my comment, you can take a hike. Or go to your cry corner.
And I’m not your mate!
NRL News: Leniu pleads guilty to monkey racial slur, apologises to Mam - 'I said the word but I didn't mean it in a racist way'
Meathead league, coming to a streaming device near you anytime now….. 😂
NRL News: Leniu pleads guilty to monkey racial slur, apologises to Mam - 'I said the word but I didn't mean it in a racist way'
Peter Darrow,
Ah yes, “the almighty dollar”, where a square peg can be smashed to fit into a round hole for the means to justify the ends!
There's no way rugby's 'greatest ever try' would be permitted these days
What does Warner Brothers have to say about this? As we all know the Tasmanian Devil was created back in 1954. It’s an American invention, as we all know.
Who are these blowhards from this place called Tasmania claiming it’s an animal native to their island? Where is Tasmania anyhow?? Off Nicaragua somewhere???
AFL News: Tassie go back to the future with team name, Blues star out 'indefinitely' but teammate to return
Peter Darrow,
That try could be used to describe so many changes in society today where the benefit of the doubt has been removed, & the thought police have taken over.
On the other hand, more people means more stupid people & I’m convinced most of humanity is super dumb!
You want just one example. Look at all the crap that gets left behind on Mt Everest by the wannabe Hilarys. Those people who pay to climb the world’s highest mountain, have more dollars than sense.
There's no way rugby's 'greatest ever try' would be permitted these days
Meatball.
Short for Meathead Ball.
Rugby league needs a new name but what can you call it to stand out in football’s confusingly crowded landscape of codes?
Ben,
Agree 100%. But of course humanity is so stupid. And greedy.
Extra-time/golden point in home & away games is all about feeding the gambling frenzy, dressed up as a respectable idea.
'Let's see what the worst thing about rugby league is and do that': Loathsome blight union never needed
cs/Don,
Yes, my bad. Golden point or extra-time in home & away matches is all about gambling. Of course, the TV provider gets a cut of the gambling pie.
The Wrap: ‘World’s best provincial rugby competition’ delivers a superb Super Round
Now rugby union has adopted the rugby league disease of “no draws” in home & away matches. All for the sake of TV. Sad.
The Wrap: ‘World’s best provincial rugby competition’ delivers a superb Super Round
Jeznez,
Thanks for that. Whether Brumbies fans like it or not (& obviously many don’t), there’s a historical imperative that says NSW & Qld will be last 2 provinces to walk out the building & they’ll turn off all the lights together!
NSW is the first rugby state & home to most players & Qld is second in same. ACT ought to be thankful they can fill their squad (since 1996) with so many players who started their rugby careers in Sydney or Brisbane.
Anyway, it’s just part of the myriad nonsense thinking found among so many rugby folk these days.
We might ask ourselves which was lost first – the player quality, the coach quality, or the collective brain quality of all involved! 😂
COMMENT: This is the real reason why the Force were cut in 2017
Jeznez,
I can’t see who you are replying to. Is there a suggestion Shute Shield clubs become anchors in a national comp?
Rugby folk are too enamoured with the power of SS clubs. In 122 years (1874-1995) of amateur club rugby, the Sydney clubs never developed the gravitas & footprint of Melbourne Aussie rules or Sydney rugby league clubs.
They are lightweights & even moreso in the pro era & right now when RA has no money.
And anyone who thinks Sydney Uni & UQld in a national comp is a smart idea is one of the dumbest suggestions ever. Uni’s represent a very narrow & specialised supporter base. They always have.
And how do you separate some clubs from SS without a massive civil war breaking out? Hasn’t anyone learnt from the super league wars of 1995??????????
COMMENT: This is the real reason why the Force were cut in 2017
Gary,
Oh please. Have you ever heard of Lonnie Spragg? Paddy Carew? Stan Wickham? Syd Middleton? Harald Baker? Dan Carroll? Ward Prentice? Larry Dwyer? Willy Watson? Doss Wallach?
Go & learn some rugby history, then come back here…
'Our talent is spread too thin': Ex-Wallabies captain urges Rugby Australia to cut Super teams
Danny McGowan,
No, moving the Rebels elsewhere is not the answer. A friend of mine, who has contacts in rugby around the place, says he heard RA took over 250-odd people to the world cup last year, all expenses paid.
These people were RA board, state execs, sponsors, HO staff & the like. He said he couldn’t confirm the rumour. But if it’s true, then there’s one place right away that RA can trim money. Stop spending resources unnecessarily.
And the pay cut can start at HO, leading by example.
'Our talent is spread too thin': Ex-Wallabies captain urges Rugby Australia to cut Super teams
It’s a perennial argument – is it the coach or the players that bring glory to a team? Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
The mighty Jack Gibson won premierships at Roosters & Eels with a stellar cast. He was less successful at St.George, Newtown, Souths & Cronulla with less talented cattle. But in his earlier years, his first management with Roosters, St.George & Newtown saw those clubs over-achieve on their collective talent.
Robinson has done an outstanding job – 3 premierships in his first 7 seasons, although now that’s 3 premierships in 11 seasons. I can’t recall if Roosters have ever missed the 8 under him, probably once, possibly twice. Someone else will know!
The last few seasons he’s been blighted by serious injury interruptions. But so have other clubs.
Ultimately, if the coach can get the sum of the whole of the team to play better than the sum of its individual parts, then he’s done his job.
Is Robbo all he's cracked up to be? The musings of a diehard Chooks fan
Danny McGowan,
True, but here’s the thing – any corporation when they do their due diligence on expansion, would consider that they won’t lose the ground they are expanding on anytime soon.
To go back to a war analogy, you don’t advance if the expectation is you’re going to be pushed back on the very next counter-attack.
The big 4 sports in the US have all expanded from an original 20 or 24 to 32. They have moved an un-performing franchise from one city to another. But they never cull, they never shrink.
Indeed, in the land where individual rights trump all (if you have the money), & why money is God & greed is good, I read a baseball commissioner say many years ago, that it’s incumbent on the board of commissioners that all 32 franchises exist into perpetuity.
As TWAS has argued so convincingly, it’s not the 5 provinces that’s the issue here, it’s the way the game’s been managed that’s the problem.
'Our talent is spread too thin': Ex-Wallabies captain urges Rugby Australia to cut Super teams
Gary,
You ever hear of ‘listen to the message, not the messenger’? Obviously not…
'Our talent is spread too thin': Ex-Wallabies captain urges Rugby Australia to cut Super teams
Danny McGowan,
In war, retreat is the last option. When it’s obvious it’s the last resort, you retreat to rebuild, refresh, & then re-engage.
But this is not war, it’s sport & business. And as others say, you don’t shrink your way to greatness. As Alan Jones succinctly put it when he became Wallaby coach all those years ago:
If you aim for the stars, you’ll jump off the ground. If you aim for the ground, you won’t bother getting out of bed. Or something like that.
I don’t see how returning to 3 provinces (1996) or eventually two provinces (1882) is progress. I would call that a massive failure.
'Our talent is spread too thin': Ex-Wallabies captain urges Rugby Australia to cut Super teams
I see some of my nemesises have commented here. Are you sitting down? – I agree with you!
😂 😂 😂
Fittler wants players who've criticised Leniu to face sanctions for influencing judiciary, Gallen slams 'hysteria'