Archives for "General Rugby League"

Posted by Dave on 2nd September 2009

NRL rebranding

Well in the light of all the trouble off the pitch in the NRL this year they're considering re branding even going so far as to change the name of the league.
I'm not sure how much it'll do to distance the NRL from the troubles of this season but for a competition that spans Australia and New Zealand it may be worth re branding at least to take notice of that fact.

But back to the naughty boys and Foxsports lists a long list of recent NRL trouble makers (http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,26015385-5018866,00.html)

  • Setaimata Sa slapped his girlfriend during an alleged rampage which led to his arrest on Sunday night.
  • Manly fullback Brett Stewart banned for four weeks for getting intoxicated at the club's season launch before being arrested for alleged sexual assault
  • Former Cronulla five-eighth Greg Bird being found guilty of glassing his girlfriend last year
  • A 2002 group-sex scandal involving Cronulla players being revisited that eventually cost former Sharks five-eighth Matthew Johns his career at the Nine Network
  • Roosters forward Nate Myles suspended for six weeks for defecating in a hotel corridor
  • Melbourne superstar Greg Inglis – who alongside Stewart was the face of the NRL's advertising campaign – was stood down for two weeks after being charged with allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend Sally Robinson

Not good reading for the NRL bosses. So they are look to distance themselves and re launch, possibly with a new name and identity. Could be interesting and I don't think there would be any detriment to a name change but I doubt it'll have a massive effect in removing the source of the trouble or in making people forget where the players who caused trouble were from.

Posted by Dave on 27th August 2009

Toughest nuts in league – The final – Noel Kelly v Les Davidson

So then who's the toughest in NRL history? Go on get voting

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25988887-23214,00.html

Posted by Dave on 25th August 2009

Name the teams of the NRL

Few server problems meant I didn't get the quiz up yesterday but it'll be up tomorrow. In the meantime head over to sporcle and play name the NRL teams, just click the link below.

http://www.sporcle.com/games/national_rugby_league.php

Posted by Dave on 19th August 2009

Don’t rely on a team full of Aussies – but is it cheating?

At least that's what some around Celtic Crusaders will be saying, in fact it's what some people have been telling us for years.  Celtic are having 6 players deported due to a breach of visa rules.

"The UK Border Agency (UKBA) says visas used to bring the Australians to the Bridgend-based club were invalid."

The Crusaders are now left 6 players down for the run in to the end of the season and are no doubt glad of the franchise system having eliminated the spectre of relegation (not that it would have mattered in their first season).
But if its found that they knew about the irregularities or had anything to do with it they could face criminal prosecution.

To my question though, would it be classed as cheating? If it is then what happens within the game? Can other clubs appeal against losses to the Crusaders? We could end up with a rugby league Carlos Tevez type affair.

Posted by Dave on 12th August 2009

The Rugby highground

For quite a while rugby in general, not just league has prided itself on discipline and often looked down on the likes of football for their on field diving and disrespect of referees or for the violence of fans on the terraces.
But given recent events can we still be allowed to maintain a moral high ground? I'm not so sure and it is mainly players off-field antics that are bringing the game down, but they are still ambassadors of the game and should be acting better.

So do we need to clean up the sport? I think yes, players need educating on what should and shouldn't be acceptable. I think a blanket alcohol ban is ridiculous though, these are grown men we are talking about not high school children. We should treat them as such and merely make sure they know what is and isn't acceptable as behaviour, drunk or otherwise.

Posted by Dave on 11th August 2009

Challenge Cup weekend

Yes I got to watch some Rugby Leauge thanks to the joys of the BBC. Whilst the Aussies were causing more trouble down under the BBC were bringing us coverage of the toungue twisting Warrington Wolves versus Wigan Warriors in Widnes and Saints versus Huddersfield in Warrington.

As I was back in Widnes for the weekend the Warrington game was a little strange as I heard the crowd before things happened, so everytime a break was made I'd already heard the cheers for the try – sounds strange.
The games though were good with Warrington and Wigan battling out a great game as Warrington marched to the final for the first time in over a decade and signalled their complete turn around from their poor start.

The weekend surely belonged to Huddersfield though who ended Saints 3 year grip on the trophy with a great performance at Warrington.

And well I've not much more to say, what a useless post – I'm just glad I got to watch some rugby!

Posted by Dave on 28th July 2009

Strange new tackles

Well I have't watched a lot of rugby recently, I haven't got Sky, I don't even know where to watch the NRL in the UK now that Setanta have gone bust and for some annoying reason (I think it is to do with the F1) the BBC have been putting the Super League show on Monday afternoons when I'm in work and I rarely have time to watch it on iPlayer.

And with missing all this rugby league I'm clearing missing out on some amazing new illegal tackles, Tony Clubb from Harlequins faces disciplinary action this week for a "head slam" tackle and down under I have heard reports of crusher tackles!? WTF this sounds like a round of Mortal Kombat rather than a game of rugby, what on earth have I missed!

Posted by Dave on 24th July 2009

The stadium issue rears it’s head again

Now this is a source of constant frustration to me being a Widnes fan. You see we have a decent stadium competing here in the national league and Leigh also have a great stadium and from the outset of Super League that was part of the criteria to compete. The RFL have used the rule to their advantage before denying teams entry into the league due to a stadium that is not up to scratch and so teams like us and Leigh have made the investment and so have the majority of Super League clubs (even Warrington who have that dodgy standing area – it should be all seated!)

Yet in the Super League there are teams who have gotten away with sub standard grounds for years, the RFL had the chance to make an example of them with the first round of licensing but they didn't and I have no doubt that was down to the fact that St Helens and Celtic Crusaders are two of the teams with sub standard grounds.
So this week the RFL sent a friendly warning letter to a few teams, Castleford, Wakefield and Salford who were granted licenses on the basis of plans that have seen very little progress and they also gave Saints and Celtic a little nod too.
But hands up who believes that teams will still get away with submitting proposals for the next round of licensing and still get in, I for one wouldn't be surprised and it's simply not good enough.
If this was something that should have been sorted out when the Super League started why are there still grounds not up to scratch over a decade in?
I really hope the RFL make a stand as I think that will be great for clubs like Widnes and Leigh but I can't see it happening and I can see some clubs getting in with promises and half baked efforts again.

Posted by Dave on 5th June 2009

Can you name all the Super League teams

Should be easy for those of us in the UK, although those who regularly watch the NRL may struggle a little more, and there's a tricky bugger in there.

Just click the link to take the quiz
 
And the tricky one after the click.
 

It's Wakefield, I completely forgot they were Wakefield Trinity Wildcats! – Sorry Wakefield fans.
Posted by Dave on 6th May 2009

Mid Week Read