Roar Guru
Joined November 2017
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Previously a TAFE student of journalism, lives in Sydney, writes from time to time, rugby and cricket player, plenty of other sports as well.
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After a lucky - to understate it - win on Wednesday night, the Wallabies have a series to clinch when they take on France…
While you wouldn’t think of this game as being particularly important in the context of a Super Rugby AU season, the Brumbies still haven’t…
If you’re anything like me, Rugby Australia announcing their new rugby rights deal out of the blue would’ve completely thrown you. Shoutout to Raelene…
Coming off a vastly improved performance against the Brumbies, the promising Waratahs’ next challenge is to knock over a Melbourne Rebels team who is…
The undefeated table-toppers of Super Rugby AU, the Reds, host a resurgent Western Force team at Suncorp Stadium. Join The Roar for live scores…
The fifth week of Super Rugby Aotearoa will wrap up with the unconvincing Hurricanes hosting a Highlanders team coming off two losses. Join The…
A lot goes on the line tonight at Brookvale Oval when the Melbourne Rebels meet the Queensland Reds. Join The Roar for live scores…
The two worst teams in Super Rugby Aotearoa - the Chiefs and the Hurricanes - will play off in Hamilton this afternoon, each looking…
The Brumbies and Rebels, Super Rugby AU’s frontrunners, meet on Saturday night at GIO Stadium in Canberra for the second and final game of…
Despite a demoralising 30-20 loss last weekend, the Hurricanes are expected to draw more than 22,000 along to their match-up with the Crusaders tonight.…
Beauden Barrett runs out for the Blues against the Hurricanes in the second game of Super Rugby Aotearoa's Round 1. Join The Roar, where…
It’s right to question South Africa’s (and Argentina’s) involvement in Super Rugby. But let’s remember: they contribute more than Australia. The rainbow nation has…
It’s been a big week in rugby union, even without any actual games being played. Changes to the Rugby Australia board, the likelihood of…
Last week Channel Nine came out and slammed the NRL, claiming they knew nothing about the plans to relaunch the season on May 28.…
One of college football’s biggest criticisms is that not much changes year from year. At the top end, anyway. But for the teams battling…
Super Rugby has been suspended, likely for the year. In the hypothetical that each team would make a pitch to SANZAAR as to why…
The Dragons get their season underway against the Tigers today, in the last game of the first round. Join The Roar for live scores…
In the penultimate game of Round 7, the Highlanders are out to avoid a third consecutive loss when they play the Jaguares in Buenos…
The Sunwolves face their toughest test of the Super Rugby season, a game against the Crusaders in Brisbane. Join The Roar for live scores…
Coming off a resilient win in Dunedin, the Rebels will want to back it up when they return home to face the Lions. Join…
How about the “Raiding Rams”
An aesthetic assessment of the A-League's new expansion teams
Heh, GWM Giants is somewhat asking for it IMHO,reminds me of the recent Ch10 “Boss” issue.
An aesthetic assessment of the A-League's new expansion teams
Great article as always, Nick.
You could almost rename it to “Wallabies flaws this week, *insert team* edition”
Don’t know what has happened to the 2015 coach of the year. He doesn’t seem to have any responses, that’s all I can say.
Why the answers for Australian rugby are blowin’ in the wind
Ugh, the site still translates some emojis into question marks. Bloody hell
NRC 2018: Five takes from the regular season
I agree with plenty you’ve said there, but – and this’ll sound funny – does Twiggy have the vision, so to speak to run it. I’m not suggesting that a broad view of things is a characteristic of RA, but I think Forrest is too focused on WA to even have a broader interest in this comp.
Anyways, it’s been a great couple of months, and I’m more than interested to see where Twiggy goes with WSR ????
NRC 2018: Five takes from the regular season
All hail King Nick.
Once again, so so comprehensive. Seems entirely aimless having all three defending on one side – if you’re a winger, surely the last place you should be is in the other winger’s territory?!
Cheers again.
It's time for the Wallabies to stop the music on defence
Interesting that the Tahs are announcing all their fixtures, not just at once but day by day….maybe just an attempt to make and then stay in the headlines.
In fairness, the sharing out of games seems pretty fair. SCG trust still get a few, action in Western Sydney, going regional as well. Not too bad.
Waratahs complete home fixtures with three games at SCG
Yeah, that’s been interesting.
Nick Phipps played a game for the Rams last year, and as you say, really seemed to push himself even though it was just a run-around before the spring tour.
It’s what we want to see, no doubt.
NRC 2018: Five takes from the regular season
I did see that article. For mine, there’s a certain beauty if you like, with penalty goals, and aren’t the long distance ones the most exciting anyway?
Surely penalties near halfway would increase, if they knew a kicker (most Super Rugby ones anyway) wouldn’t exactly find touch on the flag, and didn’t have an option at goal.
Breakdown penalties can be contentious, but surely teams have to adapt to the ref and not give him the chance?
Interesting debate, but I won’t be jumping up and down for point scoring changes yet.
World Series Rugby: Please just do it, Twiggy
I think it’d be an interesting game, that’s for sure. I have no doubt that the Wallabies 23 on the weekend wasn’t Aus Rugby’s best 23 players, and I don’t think you can put it all down to injury either.
In saying that: the best player for each position….
Super Rugby XV couldn’t beat a weakened Wallabies XV, so it’d be hard to see an NRC XV doing so.
Interesting stuff.
World Series Rugby: Please just do it, Twiggy
Ah ok. Yeah, I’d back them to approve it from here with RA’s tick and the recommendation.
Honestly, I don’t know. I feel like the governing body is on a different level sometimes.
However, to their credit, they aren’t corrupt soccer officials, or running cricket and determined to reduce the WC to less and less teams. Or RL with, what, 3 staff?
World Series Rugby: Please just do it, Twiggy
This is what I found- https://thewest.com.au/sport/rugby-union/world-series-rugby-gets-tick-of-approval-from-world-rugby-council-ng-b88975383z dunno if it will hyper link, or whether youll need to copy and paste.
Very interesting to see how it pans out. I expect more news within the next couple of months.
World Series Rugby: Please just do it, Twiggy
I mean, everything’s so up in the air. Honestly, I feel like if they want to take over the world or whatever, they should try something a bit whacky.
Who knows. Certainly rule changes at NRC level have mostly worker quite well.
World Series Rugby: Please just do it, Twiggy
Yes, that’s how it would appear. You don’t become a billionaire by wasting time, however.
World Series Rugby: Please just do it, Twiggy
Thought I elab’d in the article, but just checked and I didn’t unfortunately.
I think purely 60 minutes (as opposed to 80) sounds better in terms of actual minutes spent on the field, add in 12 subs and you have a much easier game to play.
What I briefly mentioned, is not for every stoppage to be a timeout – it isn’t NFL – but for scrums and contested lineouts, as the two big time wasters IMO, for the clock to be stopped, but not the full 60.
Penalties, after tries, after penalty goals and at 22 metre dropouts would still be time on. I feel if time wasn’t ticking away, teams wouldn’t feel the need to save energy as much by cutting down on ball in play time.
Perhaps in time, if my theory is correct and teams did speed it up, they could increase to 80 again, with time off.
Maybe it’s just that I hate seeing the seconds tick by while scrums collapse, especially when my team is losing etc.
In summary: 60 minutes. Timeoffs, but ideally shorter stoppages, meaning the game could finish in less time (matches seem to go for about 1:45 from when I’ve kept count), 60+10 for halftime, still leaves a sufficient 20 minutes of timeoffs,if you want to finish within 1.5 hours.
More ball in play, up to 40/45.
That’s how I’d like to see it.
World Series Rugby: Please just do it, Twiggy
Interesting mate. Of course RA have approved and everything, so the ball seems to be in Twiggy’s court, but yeah there may be some things we just don’t know about.
Re: Western Sydney, I can understand the NSWRU having a query about where the competition’s talent comes from, bearing in mind the best grassroots comp in Australia could be severely impacted.
World Series Rugby: Please just do it, Twiggy
You raise a fair point. There’s no doubt that there’s enough rugby in the year, some would even say too much, but how do we tie this in with the fact that there are just four pro teams in Aus – a huge dropdown from other codes – and surely, to include more, more rugby has to happen.
It’s futile to suggest that WSR won’t clash with Super Rugby, what this year’s games have shown are that it very much has found an interest on the East Coast, within the already established rugby community.
Ideally, the comp would be played at a different time of the year to Super, but between Super, NRC, Intls etc, there’s only December and Early february.
I dunno the answer, clashes seem inevitable.
World Series Rugby: Please just do it, Twiggy
It really depends why you’re on the couch. If you were watching the Wallabies, I’d be easy to “drag off”. Enjoying Tulkinghorne’s wines, and that’s a different story, no doubt.
Haven’t seen it, but I agree with your last line.
Contrary to popular belief, I felt like he was in it for the right reasons– if there are such things in reality tv. The staged factor of it all would have done him up the wrong way, IMO.
The Wrap: What the Dickens does Australian rugby do now?
Geoff, I feel like too much expectation has been placed on Cummins– you couldn’t really say the same for the Wallabies.
He has little over a month to find love (come on, seriously?) while the Aussies have to win a reasonable number of games for the year, ideally more than they lose.
Yes, this year was the hardest in terms of opposition in recent memory (best Ireland team for a while, same with the All Blacks) but I’d want better, really. Pumas win at home isn’t too much to ask, they played at about 50% or less for that one, surely going at 100% (110?!) would see them home.
Let’s hope the 2nd half v the Pumas inspires them, so to speak, to greater things in a month’s time.
I just think Aus can’t just lose to NZ, take their annual win in Wales, the win in Italy, and lose to England and call it a standard year.
IMO, they haven’t done anything to be proud of yet.
Not often you can say a Dickens adaptation did it justice, but BBC’s 2005 Bleak House was top notch.
Helluva story, hopefully we can say the same about Wallabies after November.
The Wrap: What the Dickens does Australian rugby do now?
The key thing is: the die hards will come even if the ad is nothing more than a kid drawing the A-League logo. No-one really is gonna go “oh that’s a cool ad, I’m now going to buy a membership”, not really.
The best ad is the football itself. Hopefully last year’s issues are behind us, and we can just focus on the football. I’m preaching to the converted, but the off field issues are what pushed the sport itself under the carpet last year.
The A-League needs to get back to what it does best - football
Interesting. Two of Melbourne’s losses have been very close, whereas City lost by 18 and 51 – although the scoreline was a little harsh on them in the Drua game.
From looking at the draw, Rising’s remaining games don’t flatter them, Canberra at Vikings, Force at home before Rays at home.
I’m resigned to the fact that a Rays game is a Rays’ loss, but that’s really only one win…
City got Qld C, Eagles and Vikings…I dunno.
As I said, top 4 looks pretty sewn up to me.
The NRC report card at the halfway point
Brett, I think it’s up to Brisbane City to shake up this seemingly set-in-stone top 4, which as you say, most of us predicted pre season as being finalists.
Fiji, Qld C, Canberra and the Force have been a level above really, but we ARE only halfway through.
Underneath them, I don’t think anyone has a real chance, certainly neither NSW team and Melbourne’s 2 point difference feels like more than it is.
Who knows, they may just be a dark horse, but yeah, only 5 teams in it this year.
On another note, good rugby so far, only got out to one game this year unfortunately – as opposed to five last year.
At this stage I’m thinking Drua will win any home final, but lose any away game. Even though the finals series storyline seems to be told, here’s the bit where some other sub plots pop up.
The NRC report card at the halfway point
“AFL only has big TV ratings to focus on. Take away the big TV ratings & AFL has nothing else.”
Disclaimer: I’m from Sydney.
Doesn’t AFL get huge crowds? Isn’t AFL participation growing in Sydney, huge in SA/WA/Vic?
What should Tasmania call its A-League club?