NRL

The NRL has announced a 5pm Grand Final kick-off time for the 2008 Rugby League season. Get all your NRL information and updates at NRL News. Daily updated articles and fan feedback on all things Rugby League.

NRL Rugby League

NRL and Rugby League News continues daily at NRL News. Discussions regarding pre-season build up, predictions for 2008 and all things Rugby League as we move towards the centenary year of football.

In the weeks ahead, we will put our nuts on the line and talk about which NRL Rugby League teams will finish where and why.

Stay tuned for more NRL videos as we again keep you in the loop and discuss Rugby League in a raw, down to earth fashion.

NRL News... The largest private NRL site online.

NRL Continues into 2008

Thanks to everyone for joining us for Rugby League discussion and feedback in 2007. We will be back in 2008 to talk all things NRL in every detail. We hope your NRL team is primed for an assault on the premiership. Of course, you can always keep up with latest news and updates at NRLnews.com each day leading up to the kick off in 2008.

Our network supporters this year and next include the following sites; DOTA Allstars for online DOTA games and finally blogging big timer and make money online super guy John Chow also joins us.

NRL Rugby League

The NRL is currently experiencing it's best off-season ever. In terms of news headlines, Rugby League has been well and truly in the mix - pushing summer sports off the main headlines and NRL talk about Willie Mason, Mark Riddell and various other signings has been constant.

The timing couldn't be better for the NRL and Rugby League in general. With the NRL expanding to 16 teams in 2007, and the Rugby League World Cup approaching in 2008 - all the stars are aligning as Rugby League repairs itself in Australia, and the effects are reaching out to the rest of the world.

The British Lions are playing their best Rugby League in decades and after smashing the Kiwi side several times; they are preparing for their best assault on the Australian Kangaroos in many years.

To keep in touch with the latest NRL Rugby League information be sure and visit NRL News the daily website devoted to NRL and Rugby League information.

NRL Table

The NRL Table for 2007 is finalised after the finish of Round 25 - the complete NRL table is listed below.

NRL Table for 2007

1	Storm	21	3	1	350	44
2	Sea Eagles	18	6	1	220	38
3	Cowboys	15	9	1	-71	32
4	Warriors	13	10	1	159	29
5	Eels	13	11	1	92	28
6	Bulldogs	12	12	1	47	26
7	Rabbitohs	12	12	1	9	26
8	Broncos	11	13	1	35	24
9	Tigers	11	13	1	-20	24
10	Roosters	10	13	1	-165	23
11	Sharks	10	14	1	60	22
12	Titans	10	14	1	-150	22
13	Dragons	9	15	1	-78	20
14	Raiders	9	15	1	-130	20
15	Knights	9	15	1	-290	20
16	Panthers	8	16	1	-68	18

15yr old: Why did you do it Joey?

After the news of Andrew Johns and his drug problems broke in the past 24 hours, NRL News has received a substantial amount of email from our readers. We thank everyone for their comments and opinion and always welcome feedback at NRLfeedback@gmail.com

One particular reader, Rhiannon Fuller a 15 year old from the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria - wrote a long email about her thoughts on the Andrew Johns situation. An avid Rugby League fan, formerly from Cootamundra where she was introduced to the NRL as a youngster.

Rhiannon spent plenty of time watching her brothers play first grade and was a regular at Canberra Raiders games. Rhiannon is concerned for her cousin, a massive Andrew Johns fan as were many around the country - who now have to come to terms with the failings of their hero.

Rhiannon Fuller a 15 year old, powerfully writes;

A lot of young kids this week will be extremely devastated after they saw their rugby league hero on the television confessing to drug and alcohol abuse.

Sunday the 26^th of August was a big wake up call to not only to Joey John’s, but also to the whole NRL organisation.

It disgusts me that such a heralded footballer would not only put himself to shame for something as low as this; but also hurt his Newcastle, Australian and NSW teammates - including many other teams he has contributed to over the 12 years of his football career.

For someone who holds so many club and overall NRL records - we expected a lot better of him. The sad thing is he is idolised by so many young boys and girls who follow the sport. The respect for our skipper has plummeted to an all time low.

My question is, how can someone like Andrew John’s who has everything honestly be depressed? He has been supported by his parents his whole life, his older brother Matty John’s has played by his side and helped guide him through his career, his wife and little boy give him his inspiration and his loyal fans praise him and hope to be as good as him one day.

Joey claims he was under pressure “and stuff”, but all he had to do was play the sport he’s best at. He didn’t just pull off winning the Dally M - 3 times or the Clive Churchill Medal or Rugby League Week’s player of the year award 3 times with good looks. He was a brilliant player and all we wanted to see was John’s do our state or country proud. It wasn’t much to ask considering he loved the sport himself.

Something else I don’t understand is when he’s sitting next to former coach Phil Gould with no look of guilt in his eye he states, "Well you play on a Friday night and don't train on a Saturday or Sunday, then generally it's out (of your system) by Monday."

Why don’t you just sit there and tell everyone how you did it Joey, because you’re basically an expert. Ten years is a long time and that’s ten years people have believed and supported you unknown to your drug abuse. We made you who you are, we rewarded you and respected you.

Your name is all over the history of rugby league and all you have to say is "Generally during the off season but there's times when during the season I've run the gauntlet and played Russian roulette and taken it.”

You should take up professional gambling. You seem to think your pretty good at it yourself.

I’m not even a Knights supporter and I’m furious with your actions, I can’t imagine how a committed fan towards your former club feels.

NRL News

Danny Weidler + Sonny Bill Williams

NRL News reporter Danny Weidler continues to haunt Sonny Bill Williams - with the latest Sonny Bill Williams incident occurring last night.

Sonny Bill Williams caught speeding by NSW Police, allegedly clocked at 60 km/h in a 40 km/h zone. The Police had late last year caught Sonny Bill Williams for DUI - the Bulldogs star registering a alcohol reading over the limit.

As Sonny Bill Williams gets in trouble with the Police again - this time speeding - Danny Weidler broke th story on Channel 9 and it seems the offence really is minor and not too news worth. Most of us are caught speeding at one time or another and SBW is human after all.

Danny Weidler reported earlier this month that Sonny Bill Williams is sick of media attention and may leave the game to escape the spotlight. Understandable - maybe Weidler should not report silly misdemeanors and report real NRL newsworthy articles.

Danny Weidler continues to have access to the Bulldogs and Sonny Bill Williams for interviews - its unclear how long this will continue - as surely Danny Weidlers style is burning both Sonny Bill Williams and the Bulldogs club!

Surely the 2007 NRL season end can't come soon enough for Sonny Bill Williams - however will Danny Weidler follow the Kiwi lad around in the offseason looking for a story or two?

Steve Menzies Manly Sea Eagles Record Breaker

Steve Menzies - the Manly Sea Eagles stalwart has now racked up 316 games for the Sea Eagles - fast closing in on some of Rugby Leagues big names.

The record for the most Rugby League games played is 349 by Terry Lamb. Terry Lamb is followed by Brad Fittler 336 games played, Cliff Lyons 332 games played, Andrew Ettingshausen 328, Geoff Gerard 320, Jason Croker 318.

Steve Menzies sits after Jason Croker and will pass him shortly in NRL season 2007.

Following from Steve Menzies in terms of most rugby league games played -Paul Langmack 315 games, Luke Ricketson 301, Darren Smith 290.

Its an impressive record to have for Steve Menzies. The most rugby league games played houses some of the big, respected names of Rugby League - and as Steve Menzies has signed on to play with Manly Sea Eagles in 2008 as well - he will climb further up the list most certainly.

Well done Steve Menzies - a place with the greats - in the list of the most rugby league games played is a respected one.

Krisnan Inu Parramatta Eels and Kiwi

Krisnan Inu, the boom Parramatta outside back has taken the NRL 2007 season by Storm - the young Kiwi has a tonne of tricks to his game and Krisnan Inu is only 20 years old.

Krisnan Inu was actually born in Samoa - but now considers himself a Kiwi for international duties. A strongly religious man, Krisnan Inu has all the skills an outside back could want.

A solid defender and quick on his feet, Krisnan Inu can score a tonne of tries in attack - yet defend with brutal force more common in forwards.

Krisnan Inu can also kick for goal, a successful kicker - around the 90% mark for 2007.

Expect to see plenty more of this kind in coming years, a candidate for the 2007 rookie of the year - Krisnan Inu will be hoping to make the grand final and go all the way with his Eels team before looking to further his studies as a mormon.

Krisnan Inu - we wish you all the best. NRL News

Cameron Smith Melbourne Storm

Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy has now officially handed the Storm captaincy to Cameron Smith alone.

Previously the Melbourne Storm had rotated the captaincy through their ranks, however as the NRL finals approach for 2007 - the Melbourne Storm want to build on their no.1 ranked form during the year and letting Cameron Smith do the job alone is certainly in their best interests.

Coach Craig Bellamy rates Cameron Smith as easily the best Rugby League player in the world and his form has been top notch right through 2007.

After a brilliant Origin series, Cameron Smith was rested briefly by the Melbourne Storm - but now with the NRL finals approaching Cameron Smith will continue to the be the rock of the Storm.

A Queensland junior, Cameron Smith has the chance to become the Australian captain as Danny Buderus and Darren Lockyer retire in the coming years.

Brookvale Oval Manly Home Semi Drama

Manly Sea Eagles supremo Ken Arthurson has weighed into the Brookvale Oval / Warringah Council debate - saying its a greedy grab for cash from the Warringah Council over fees for Brookvale Oval during the home semi period (Top 8 NRL finals)

Brooky is critical to the Eagles getting a first up win in the semi finals, and Brookvale Oval continues to be a fortress for the Manly Sea Eagles in 2007.

Ken Arthurson said people power will prevail in Manly and Brookvale Oval would most certainly be hosting the Manly home final.

NRL News

Jarrod Sammut Penrith Panthers

Penrith Panthers have promoted rookie Jarrod Sammut recently into first grade, with young Sammut about to get his first taste of big time NRL.

Jarrod Sammut is only 20 years old and will be one of th smallest players in the NRL when he makes his debut for the Panthers shortly.

Currently working as a council labourer - Jarrod Sammut has shown good form in Penrith Panthers reserve grade ranks and his speed and light stepping ability will see him become a strong force for the Penrith Panthers in the coming years.

Good luck to Jarrod Sammut in the NRL debut from NRL News

Newcastle Knights Coal and Allied 2011 Deal

Newcastle Knights maybe struggling on the NRL field - but the club has just signed some recent deal extensions; seeing their sponsorship locked in with Coal and Allied until 2011.

The deal has strong community ties, involving Coal and Allied Employees, wider Newcastle community and the NRL fans of the Knights.

The partnership between Coal and Allied and the Newcastle Knights will see a host of programs aimed at benefiting the region as a whole.

NRL Financial Struggle for Clubs

A report by the Sydney Morning Herald today (www.smh.com.au) suggests that NRL clubs overall are struggling to turn a profit without the injection of funds from their powerful Leagues clubs.

Clubs such as: Manly, Wests Tigers and South Sydney are suggested to be struggling big time with turning a profit - these particular clubs all fighting over the crowded Sydney NRL market.

Several key NRL Figures including David Gallop seem to think that at least one team in Sydney will fold or have to relocate to ensure they are successful and that the competition continues to thrive.

The Brisbane Broncos remain a clear winning in terms of profit and on-going revenue - bringing in around 20 million a year and have some left over at the end. A model that other NRL clubs would only dream about. Brisbane currently enjoying good results and a 1 team town - all ingredients for NRL success.

Clubs such as Cronulla are relying on not only League club grants but Goverment grants - and fortunately for the Cronulla Sharks - they have property around their home ground that is ripe for development and will continue to keep their future safe.

NRL Scores

GPS Devices to Report NRL Info?

THE hits in tomorrow night's Collingwood-Brisbane AFL match will literally flow all the way to fans in their lounge rooms, with GPS technology transmitting the impacts of players live to the TV screen.

In a world first, Channel Ten will download data taken from GPS devices attached to 10 players and provide viewers with detail on G forces, impacts, speed, acceleration, heart rate and distances run.

AFL players have been wearing the small transponder type instruments in games for four years, providing coaches with valuable information, but the material has not been transmitted to the public until now.

Footballers sustain or deliver impacts of 10g force, where impacts of 9g and over can cause pilots and astronauts to black out.

AFL players regularly run up to 20 kilometres in a game and some reach speeds of 34kmh, meaning fans will see evidence athletes sprint like Olympic 100-metres champions, run like marathoners, absorb hits like heavyweight boxers, all the while executing the skills of ballerinas.

David Barham, Network Ten's executive producer of AFL, says: "It's an important night for sport generally, the AFL and the clubs who have desperately wanted to use it live in games.

"Hopefully, we can demonstrate it can be used safely and make it as simple and practical for the fans as possible."

Essendon fitness coach John Quinn, coach of Olympic sprinter Lauren Hewitt, will be in the Ten studio to explain the information downloaded from the GPS devices worn by five players each from Collingwood and Brisbane.

"He will be the expert on the night," Barham said. "We're not going to blind fans with science but I'm thinking of putting up on the screen the heart rate of one player for a minute following the centre bounce."

The device will be worn in a vest, or strapped to the player's back.

The NRL, where the collisions are more violent, and the appeal to viewers potentially greater, has not given permission for GPS to be used in games, fearing injury when a player is back-slammed, or falls heavily.

Manly and Melbourne, leaders on the premiership ladder and in technology, have been using GPS technology as a training aid to track loads and determine whether injured players are fit to resume.

Manly monitor every training session and get instant data on total workload, exertion, impacts, sprint efforts, heart rates, acceleration, speed and distance.

Coach Des Hasler says, "I've been using it for years. It's a great thing for injury prevention and telling us how far we need to run at training."

Geelong credit their top of the AFL ladder position on changes in training brought by a former Manly assistant, Dean Robinson.

Robinson has used GPS technology and strength training to make the Cats stronger in the upper body.

The improved strength of Geelong players in the shoulders and arms has manifested itself in better tackling and ball control.

Other AFL teams reporting dramatic improvement since using GPS data include Sydney, Adelaide and West Coast.

The Canterbury Crusaders, who have dominated Super 14 rugby, the All Blacks and A-League football champions Melbourne Victory all use GPS technology.

The GPS devices worn in the Collingwood-Brisbane match update data 100 times a second.

Channel Ten will be able to analyse player match-ups on rolling time periods and provide explanations for interchange.

The laws of physics suggest that with players getting bigger and faster, impacts are even more devastating. Old footballers contend this is no more valid than the notion greater amps automatically lead to better songs.

Former players argue they don't make hits like they used to but GPS technology means we now have a Richter scale for comparison.

One of AFL's most absorbing match-ups occurred in a Collingwood-Brisbane game when Magpies captain Nathan Buckley and Lions skipper Michael Voss went at each other furiously in the final quarter of the 2002 grand final.

While some fans might argue viewing the statistics of that battle would suck all the romance from it, Barham recognises we live in an information age and viewers demand detail, even if they choose to discard it.

In football, as in music, hits succeed because of the impression they leave.

Fans now have a means to measure them and coaches have tangible evidence of what they suspect when they say, "That game took a lot out of the lads."

Roy Masters (SMH)

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NRL Scores and Tables

All the NRL Scores and NRL Table and Ladder information has been updated after Round 19, 2007 at NRL News. (www.NRLnews.com)

NRL News discusses Rugby League daily including fan feedback.

Click below to visit the website:

NRL Scores

NRL Teams

Clint Newton Talks Danny Buderus & Newcastle

Clint Newton fears Danny Buderus is nearing burn-out as the Storm thrash the Knights in Round 18, 2007 this week.

Is it a case of nose out of joint for Newton? Still riding high after beating his old club? Or does he have a point about Danny Buderus and the possibility of him going down the same path as Andrew Johns at the Newcastle Knights.

Clint Newton video below:

Phil Gould rates Eels and Souths

Phil 'Gus' Gould wrote an impressive article after the Parramatta Eels / South Sydney game yesterday. Gus gives a good insight into the shortcomings of both teams and this is a good read for all NRL enthusiasts: (Phil Gould writes regularly for the Sydney Morning Herald Newspaper)


Rabbits and Eels show each other what they're lacking:

IF SOUTH Sydney could borrow some of the attacking flair and individual skills of the Parramatta team, I really think they would be genuine top-four contenders.

If Parramatta possessed some of the earthy, working-man's grit and determination found in the South Sydney troops, they would be genuine contenders for this year's title.

I get the feeling both teams will come up well short of these goals, but maybe Parramatta could at least find some of what they are missing in yesterday's opponents.

Souths, on the other hand, will need to buy players to fill their missing links in the quest for higher honours.

Yesterday's game showed us yet again the stark reality of this competition on the score of the "haves" and the "have-nots".

I'll start with the Rabbitohs. They were never going to win yesterday and always looked to be a couple of steps behind the pace. Yet, with the exception of one blow-out loss against a red-hot Bulldogs team, they have always managed to fight to the death and keep themselves in the contest.

This game gave us more evidence of their improved defensive technique and their courage to compete for the full 80 minutes. Defence is the hardest part of the game and the way Souths have defended all season reflects their commitment and desire.

Parramatta dominated possession and field position in the first half and recorded only one error during this period - when the video referee ruled a knock-on against winger Eric Grothe over the try line.

They used their possession well and threw everything in their repertoire at the Rabbits in the search for tries.

The visitors, though, showed great composure under fire and refused to buckle. I dare say a few other teams in this competition would have capitulated under the weight of defensive pressure and, after the Eels led 14-0 at the break, looked down the barrel of a 30-point deficit.

The problem for the Rabbitohs is that they lack genuine creativity or spark in attack. Their forwards are tough and tradesman-like, but few of them pass or offload with any confidence.

Their halves are conscientious workers but look a bit like a bloke learning to dance who is concentrating too much on where to put his feet rather than just moving to the music.

Their outside backs are more than capable but get limited opportunities.

Souths would kill to have the skill and confidence of Eels halves Tim Smith and Brett Finch. If the stupid salary cap rules would let them splash out, they would match rugby union's money to acquire the awesome ball-running talents of the likes of Timana Tahu.

Souths have no back-row forward with the impact and attacking arsenal of a Feleti Mateo, and their dummy-halves, Stuart Webb and Shane Rigon, though willing and aggressive, lack the confidence and brashness of the Parramatta pair of Mark Riddell and PJ Marsh.

In attack, Souths moved the ball laterally too often in trying to breach the Parramatta defence, when a more direct approach was required.

Their best results came when they put bodies in motion and the ball-carrier dummied and ran. Five-eighth Ben Rogers produced such a play in the 72nd minute to break into the back field and put Nathan Merritt in to score - but it was too little, too late.

Parramatta, on the other hand, have no such trouble creating scoring opportunities. They have the skill, flair and speed in the backs; and they have the bulk, power and athleticism in the forwards to trouble any team.

When they are really on their game, they can blow sides off the park.

On other occasions, they appear to lack the hunger. They often resemble a well-fed cat playing with a half-dead mouse, not really caring if the critter gets up and runs away.

In short, Souths have the defence, the grit and the hunger, but lack the necessary skill in attack to reach their goals this season.

Parramatta have everything you need to win a competition - except the steely eyes and the fire in the belly.

NRL Tables and Points Ladder Round 17

1	Storm	14	2	1	199	30
2	Sea Eagles	12	4	1	152	26
3	Cowboys	10	6	1	-55	22
4	Eels	9	7	1	45	20
5	Tigers	9	7	1	24	20
6	Broncos	8	8	1	74	18
7	Bulldogs	8	8	1	30	18
8	Titans	8	8	1	-10	18
9	Knights	8	8	1	-103	18
10	Sharks	7	9	1	67	16
11	Warriors	7	9	1	29	16
12	Rabbitohs	7	9	1	-8	16
13	Dragons	6	10	1	-64	14
14	Raiders	6	10	1	-79	14
15	Roosters	5	11	1	-197	12
16	Panthers	4	12	1	-104	10

AdesClrPicker Review

Lately I have been searching the web to find a tool to help me match colour schemes from my backgrounds and logos - it's tricky refining the theme for my site, getting a good “logo” designed and putting together a really decent overall feel for my actual blog. So stumbling across this handy colour scheme software was a godsend - try it use the color picker (AdesClrPicker) today which will save you plenty of time as it helps you to grab the colour from any point on your screen and then gives you the output code (HTML, C++, etc) for the colour. Meet the maker at his BlogSite, Adesblog.com

NRL Table July 5, 2007

With NRL Rugby League teams results again very close in 2007. It makes for another cluttered NRL Table. With the lower ranked teams, Penrith and the Dragons still a mathematical chance on the NRL Table of making the playoffs.

It is a long shot for the likes of the Panthers and Dragons to make the Final Top 8 - however teams that were earlier struggling in 2007 such as the Brisbane Broncos and Bulldogs and now making their move and are moving up the NRL Table is a fast fashion.

The NRL Table as of July 5, 2007 reads as follows: (NRL Table updated by www.NRLnews.com)

1	Storm	13	2	1	195	28
2	Sea Eagles	11	4	1	96	24
3	Eels	9	6	1	69	20
4	Cowboys	9	6	1	-61	20
5	Tigers	8	7	1	7	18
6	Titans	8	7	1	-9	18
7	Broncos	7	8	1	73	16
8	Sharks	7	8	1	69	16
9	Warriors	7	8	1	35	16
10	Bulldogs	7	8	1	28	16
11	Rabbitohs	7	8	1	-4	16
12	Knights	7	8	1	-127	16
13	Raiders	6	9	1	-37	14
14	Dragons	5	10	1	-106	12
15	Roosters	5	10	1	-141	12
16	Panthers	4	11	1	-87	10

NRL Points Table Ladder Round 16 2007

1	Storm	13	2	1	195	28
2	Sea Eagles	11	4	1	96	24
3	Eels	9	6	1	69	20
4	Cowboys	9	6	1	-61	20
5	Tigers	8	7	1	7	18
6	Titans	8	7	1	-9	18
7	Broncos	7	8	1	73	16
8	Sharks	7	8	1	69	16
9	Warriors	7	8	1	35	16
10	Bulldogs	7	8	1	28	16
11	Rabbitohs	7	8	1	-4	16
12	Knights	7	8	1	-127	16
13	Raiders	6	9	1	-37	14
14	Dragons	5	10	1	-106	12
15	Roosters	5	10	1	-141	12
16	Panthers	4	11	1	-87	10

NRL Bulldogs / Roosters Press Conferences

After the Bulldogs got into overdrive against the Roosters in Monday Night NRL, here are the Press Conference interviews from both coach Steve Folkes and Chris Anderson.

Feel free to comment on the footage from Folkes and Anderson.

Bulldogs - Steve Folks - Press Conference


Roosters - Chris Anderson - Press Conference


Click here to Return to NRL News Main Page

NRL Ladder and Points Table after Round 16, 2007

Latest Table and Points Ladder

W	L	B	+/-	Pts
1	Storm	13	2	1	195	28
2	Sea Eagles	11	4	1	96	24
3	Eels	9	6	1	69	20
4	Cowboys	9	6	1	-61	20
5	Tigers	8	7	1	7	18
6	Titans	8	7	1	-9	18
7	Broncos	7	8	1	73	16
8	Sharks	7	8	1	69	16
9	Warriors	7	8	1	35	16
10	Rabbitohs	7	8	1	-4	16
11	Knights	7	8	1	-127	16
12	Bulldogs	6	8	1	-4	14
13	Raiders	6	9	1	-37	14
14	Dragons	5	10	1	-106	12
15	Roosters	5	9	1	-109	12
16	Panthers	4	11	1	-87	10

NRL Referees 2007 Review

In the NRL News article database this week we will look at the NRL referees in 2007 and see who is performing the best and whos on struggle street.

Each day this coming week, we will profile an NRL Referee and review their performance this season.

We look forward to your comments and who knows Referee boss Robert Finch may just be reading or one of his allies such as Bill Harrigan.


Regards,
NRL News
www.NRLnews.com

NRL Good Guys - Nice News Stories

June 29, 2007: In good NRL news around the place, we have dug up several instances of 'good guys' stories including the following:

Wests Tigers:
Club fan Craig Davis and his family lost their home to a fire. And one of the treasured possessions, was their NRL signed Wests Tigers jerseys. So the Wests Tigers got Davis and his family a new framed jersey signed and donated to him by Benji Marshall at the last Campbelltown NRL game.

Cronulla Sharks:
The Sharks side, including players Luke Covell, Breat Kearney, David Simmons and Reece Williams visited 60 students from the Sutherland Community College with provides services to the intellectually disabled.

North Queensland Cowboys:
The Cowboys continue their 'Caring for Kids' program with regular visits to Townsville Hospital. NRL Players Ashley Graham and Ray Cashmere made their third visit to the hospital to cheer up patients there.

Brisbane Broncos:
The Brisbane Broncos have entered into a partnership with Epilepsy Queensland to increase awareness regarding the disease.
Broncos NRL players Steve Michaels and David Taylor have been announced as ambassadors for the program. Epilepsy Queensland CEO Helen Whitehead was pleased with the announcement and looks forward to working with the Broncos and NRL to raise awareness.

DOTA Forums

Rugby League Footy Collector Cards

NRL / ARL - Footy Trading and Collector Cards Fan?

Today NRL News stumbled across an interesting website, with the owner having several thousand collector cards, from the earliest Rugby League days, to ARL and through to NRL Rugby League.

There are also stacks of other collector cards for NFL, AFL and other Australian Sports.

If you have cards to swap, trade or you wish to buy - please get in touch with us at NRLfeedback@gmail.com

Be sure and visit the site below for plenty of interesting viewing.

Hirdy13's NRL Trading Cards Website

Brought to you by:
NRL News Rugby League

NRL is it too bland?

This article is by Roy Masters - and he raises some very good points here. I couldn't resist posting it and I look forward to your comments.

Close matches and some upsets have added interest to the NRL in 2007. Many fans feel the game has lost one time flair. Most matches are dominated by one-out running and mainly defence. There are only a few champion players left. Bad decisions on field break fans' hearts and loyalty is a memory.

The NRL is just a rambling 16-room house painted beige. Now judging by the NRL's bizarre logo, the code's colours are black, white, green and yellow but they may as well be changed to dull shades of brown, to reflect the lack of colour and uniqueness among the clubs.

The Parramatta fans hold blue and gold banners and the Manly supporters wear their maroon and white, but really, on the field these two great enemies of the early 1980s are as different as Trinidad and Tobago. Everyone is playing 'not to lose' rather than playing 'to win'.

Parity has surely produced uniformity.

The salary cap restrictions and the mid-season transfers have really created a landscape like Garrison Keillor's 1997 novel, Wobegon Boy, where the kids in the fictional US town are all above average.

Maybe not all the NRL's 16 teams are above average right now, but the salary cap and players swapping clubs before June 30 these days has created a competition where all clubs are just clustering to a mean.

Take this bizzare scenario, second-rower Clint Newton's recent switch to Melbourne from Newcastle offers the best example of this leveling process.

Clint Newton's transfer allowed the opportunity to Mitchell Sargent to move from the bench to a starting position with the Newcastle Knights.

Mitchell Sargent had previously played for the Cowboys, whom he joined after being a benchman at the Storm.

So Melbourne acquired a player whose original position is now filled - two clubs later - by a player that Melbourne had originally released.

This merry-go-round has occurred with coaches too, with half of them having been at another club the year before.

The fans are loyal and so are players and coaches but really only in the way a cow is loyal to lucerne.

The NRL might as well give everyone with black blazers with its bomb-shaped logo on the front pocket and allow an executive search team to randomly place players according to a computer that only produces eight golden-point results every single weekend. The NRL's commercial partners - Betfair and Tabcorp - would be very happy with the total unpredictability of every round.

All the colour bleached from the game, it's now no wonder Paul Oliver's documentary, The Fibros and the Silvertails, has become the big hit of the Sydney Film Festival. It was the very first to sell out and required a second session setup.

The new 55-minute film features an overview from over 20 years ago featuring Western Suburbs and Manly players from 1978, the very first year of the bitter Fibro-Silvertail war.

Both players from the Eagles and Magpies speak very passionately about their clubs, 30 years after they had literally bled for their teams in warring games.

Expect the show to be shown on ABC TV either during this year's NRL semifinals or in the code's centenary season in next year.

Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens was at the premiere and witnessed first hand the passion on the screen and in the audience that night.

Tim Sheens is one of the very few NRL coaches that is conscious of the games history and has even taken his team to the now dilapidated Lidcombe Oval, showing them the dressing room with battered lockers where all the pre-match motivation took place.

Tim could not have missed that some of the big audience on Tuesday night were wearing old hand-knitted jumpers adorned with three-decades-old club logos. No wonder the retro footy jerseys are very big sellers.

Revitalising the now obscure brands, brands like Dux Heaters and Paramount shirts, this mightn't please modern day marketers but they do reflect a time when footy fans identified with the little kid down the road who played with the local juniors and then progressed through the grades to complete his footy career with just one club.

There was great disparity in this era - with the rich clubs plundering the poorer - but everyone still spoke about it being just a short distance from the penthouse to the basement.

These days, the NRL is just a sprawling one-level house with 16 rooms of equal size and it's the same distance from the toilet to the bedroom as it is from the dining room to the laundry.

We see seasons where a club goes from worst to first within only seven months, such as Wests Tigers and the Panthers recently. But thenwhat happens the following season?

These teams are forced to jump on the descending escalator, which does seem to be travelling faster than the original one going up. It's almost as if all the huge passion in winning a premiership has totally drained out by the following January.

Nothing demonstrates the removal of expression and individual differences more than the case of St George Illawarra five-eighth Richie 'Rich' Williams.

Before the Dragons-Roosters round-7 clash, Richie Williams made a media comment about his opposite number, Braith Anasta, that many believed was true: Anasta was not as good as when he first represented the Bulldogs.

For this crime, Richie Williams was hammered on the field, then bagged by his coach and banished to premier league for five weeks until injuries to teammates saw him recalled.

The NRL and media 'Thought Police' weren't finished - as he has now been released to Penrith.

The best chance the NRL has to change its very sterile current form lies not with an outspoken player.

There are some signs that Roosters chairman Nick Politis and also Rabbitohs co-owner Russell Crowe are hammering away in a private war, luring some players off each other and spoiling planned media announcements by posting defections and bulletins on their club websites.

It's very unlikely this battle between millionaires for dominance of the inner-city footy scene will have all the emotion of the Fibro-Silvertail war but hey, it might just produce some good colour if they actually say something on the record.

Meanwhile, the rest of us must live with black and white results in a world dappled with greys.

Roy Masters

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