Roar Guru
Joined July 2015
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A fan of NRL but really love my Queensland Cup and anything PNG league related. Love my Football, but really enjoy the Football League in the UK. Love F1, and still trying to convince the world that Alain Prost is one of the all time greats. I support a lot mediocre sporting teams. South Sydney having achieved the most recently. Redcliffe Dolphins are making a comeback, PNG Hunters are always thereabouts. And Ipswich Town are the most mediocre sporting team in the world. But someone's got to support them. Would like to know more about AFL and US Sports but simply don't have enough time now with Bein Sports on Foxtel. I save some of my "better" or discussion-worthy work and more popular sports here for The Roar, and hope people enjoy. The more obscure sports like English Football League, Queensland Cup and the more light-hearted look at sports and life, and celebrating the forgotten and forgettable along with some wild theories and suggestions I leave at my own small blog. It's thegurgler.com if anyone has time to kill or fill. Love The Roar though, best place for sport in Australia.
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The world lost one of the great sporting commentators on March 13, 2021, and arguably the greatest of any sport of all-time – Murray…
With the Premier League football coming thick and fast, there’s barely enough time to keep up with all the games, so why not have…
With La Liga and the Bundesliga kicking off this weekend, joining France's Ligue 1 that started last weekend and Italy's Serie A not far…
The 72-team carnival that is the Football League returns this weekend, and since I’ve already kicked off the coverage for the new season with…
It's that time of the year where the EFL returns that little bit earlier than the Premier League, and so we kick off our…
With people tending to live in the past a lot, what better way to fill up some more internet than with a new series…
The EFL – English Football League - kicks off this weekend, one wouldn't be a true sports nerd if we didn't have some thoughts…
We have now had a look at all 32 teams at the World Cup, as the Group Stage completes its first round of matches.…
What a game, that's all there is to say. One of the best group matches ended in a 3-3 draw, with one of football's…
Uruguay got the win eventually against a Mo Salah-less Egypt side that looked willing to take their chances against Russia and Saudi Arabia to…
The host nations shocked the football world, and probably themselves by destroying Saudi Arabia on the opening day of the 2018 World Cup 5-0.…
If the 2010 World Cup taught us anything, it's that you don't necessarily have to be armed with an overload of facts to make…
Everyone loves the Football World Cup, especially TV retailers, websites, and the die-hard football fans all around the world who have been waiting four…
The 2018 FIFA World Cup is almost upon us, and fans all around the world can't wait for the kickoff. But isn't it a…
The greatest show on Earth - the 2018 FIFA World Cup - is almost here and here is the second part of your ultimate…
The Greatest Show on Earth - the 2018 FIFA World Cup - is almost here and it will capture the imaginations of so many,…
Yesterday I covered top five predictions about this year's Monaco Grand Prix, today we're getting stuck in to a bunch of historic top-five lists.…
The most important, must-watch grand prix of the year is almost here – the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix – and it is hard not…
With another EPL season wrapping up and the confirmation of Stoke and West Bromwich Albion's relegation to the Championship, the question does arise is it…
After all the excitement of the FA Cup third round and all of its magic, the next round is sometimes overlooked even though there…
Good point and cheers for noting that one. Soft spot for Wimbledon after a stint living in sw19. Both clubs have done well.
The Football League weekend ahead: Episode 4
It looks a real quality signing and almost a final piece of the puzzle. There is real confidence amongst Ipswich fans this year. A win tonight gives an early 5 point gap. Early days I know but a refreshing change from mid table mediocrity. Mick has done a sensational job given most of the squad was assembled for free or next to nothing in Today’s terms.
The Football League weekend ahead: Episode 4
Thanks for the update.
Not a bad third round, the League Cup threatens to be be interesting again. Spurs v Arsenal and Villa v Brimingham good ties.
As an Ipswich fan, I’m looking forward to Man Utd game.
The Football League weekend that was
Nice work gents.
Will be an interesting side dish for next year’s season to see who puts up the best show for Kimi’s seat in 2017. Would love to see the Hulk finally get a decent car. Although an Aussie in a Ferrari sounds pretty good too.
Ferrari opt for stability as The Iceman remains
Great read – most of my favourites are there. Would love a follow up all-time or 80’s 90’s edition.
The George Rose All-Stars
The League Cup is limited to the 92 EPL/Football League Teams whereas the FA Cup is open to any team and has multiple qualifying rounds before Round 1 of the FA Cup starts. The EPL and Championship teams only join in Round 3. Leagues One and Two and the best of the Non League teams meet in Round 1.
Leagues One and Two get their own cup – the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. Further down there’s the FA Trophy (National/Conference and below) and FA Vase for Non League Teams from the seventh tier downards. All finalists in each cup get a day out at Wembley though.
I don’t mind the sound of all four nations – not a bad idea at all.
Thoughts on how to spice up the League Cup
I think Crystal Palace will be the top side outside the Top 6 big names, and they were great to watch last year and have only improved with summer recruiting. I also think Bournemouth will do very well – a good mix of last year’s winners and new recruits. Maybe not as good as Ipswich Town’s first year up in 2001/02 (5th and 3rd at Xmas) but capable of Top Ten – if Eddie Howe doesn’t get pinched.
Will be worth keeping an eye on West Ham to see if the post-Allardyce hoodoo continues like at Bolton, Blackburn and Newcastle. I’m sure they won’t want to be playing at 60,000+ stadium in the Championship. And to see where Big Sam pops up next. Probably Leicester when Ranieri get the boot before Xmas.
Up the top it looks as open as ever, but you tell yourself that every year and by October it’s clear there’s only 2 teams capable.
Fighting for the title and survival: Premier League preview
Agree with all the above – story and comments. To continue as is during Origin will eventually kill the game. No point having a marquee games if the rest of the game suffers in the mean time.
The one thing they can do from next year is move Origin to Sunday as stand alone (never going to happen but you can dream) and create a round robin tournament from International week – Samoa-Fiji-Tonga-PNG. 1st round played on Anzac Test week as it is now, Weeks 2 and 3 on the Friday/Saturday night of Origin 1 and 2 weekend. And the final on the Friday night of Origin 3 and “plate final” on the Saturday.
From there you could expand the comp to include the top 2/4/6 sides from Qld Cup and NSW Cup plus regional rep sides (Vic, WA Qld/NSW country) and make it a knockout. With the rounds still being played around stand alone Origin Sundays.
But ultimately the NRL needs Origin standalone. Games like NQ v West Tigers this year during origin or 4 game rounds are a waste of time, and tempt the viewer to look elsewhere for a few months.
But I do like the idea of 18 teams. Playing each other once, plus a UK style Magic Weekend (opponents drawn from hat) to make the full 18 rounds. Make that Magic Weekend just after Origin to get everyone back into the NRL after the Origin break.
Or at a bare minimum, let the game decide the future not the TV stations.
The NRL needs a second comp
Apologies – Michael Bugger should be Michael Buffer.
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Thanks for the comments. I am biased but the Queensland Cup isn’t far away from the NRL and I love it. The finals today prove the point. Agree about the TV game but thank god for the live streams.
Updates from today for those following the finals.
Ipswich 54 def Northern Pride 26 – score blew out late but Ipswich did what they do best and score some great tries including a quadruple dribble kick try.
Easts 32 def Wynnum 24 – Tigers raced out to a big lead and had to hold on against a fast finishing Wynnum.
Next Week:
Ipswich play Easts in a knockout.
Townsville play the Hunters – winner to GF loser to play Ipswich or Jets.
The Ipswich v Easts will be on Ch9/WIN Qld live on Sunday at 1.30pm. It is also replayed on Fox during the week.
The Tvl-Hunters game should be on Live Stream via QRL website.
Both will be worth watching.
Full reports on the above look for my twitter later in week @gurgler_the or Matt Crowhurst @crowhurst_m for the Tigers game.
A guide to the Queensland Cup finals