We hit the first round of byes (if we forget the horrendous fixturing of earlier this season), with all clubs having played 11 of their 23 games – the last time the ladder will be on an even keel until the end of June. Today,… Read More »‘Standout’ Swans, ‘unsustainable’ Pies, ‘boring’ Giants: How the top-eight sides are tracking at the halfway mark
I’m the first to admit that I am not a big fan of Jarome Luai. Perhaps I’m a little jealous that he doesn’t play for my team but the swagger, confidence and attitude is not something I typically admire in players. I prefer a more… Read More »It’s time for Luai to stand up and clearly prove he can be the main man for Blues in Origin
We’ve finally reached that moment of truth when the top Super Rugby teams need to find their best form for the playoffs, and Test selectors look with keen interest on how contenders and pretenders cope with the big match pressure. It’s amazing that in the… Read More »Cracking Kiwi derbies revealed some telling truths. The biggest? Super Rugby is alive and well
Once again the NRL is talking expansion and they are tossing up new franchise possibilities like an Italian chef preparing a pizza base or an Aussie pub cook juggling a hot potato. I keep hearing that the first franchise off the rank to join the… Read More »Reds… Pirates… Bears – call them whatever you want, so long as Perth is next in line for NRL expansion
The Brumbies and Reds’ performances against the Waratahs and Force respectively were excellent and showed something missing in Australian rugby for a long time: neither team took their foot off the throat of the opposition and played out the 80 minutes. Having said that, they… Read More »From Lynagh at No.10 to McReight as skipper: A Wallabies team to set the cat among the pigeons