Like Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith, he has built his game not on rare brilliance but on relentless excellenceIn rugby league, the story of great club dynasties is the story of great halves. Parramatta and Canterbury dominated the 1980s on the backs of Peter Sterling and Steve Mortimer. Canberra and Brisbane’s rise in the early 1990s came with the emergence of Ricky Stuart and Allan Langer as the two great No 7s in the game. Andrew Johns led Newcastle’s only sustained period of contention. Brad Fittler carried the Roosters to three straight grand finals in the early 2000s. Cooper Cronk kept Melbourne at the top of the premiership for more than a decade before shifting to the Sydney Roosters and...
In terms of the code’s place in Sydney’s sporting landscape, Sunday’s decider will be the most symbolic in some timeHad Peter V’landys, Andrew Abdo and the powerbrokers at NRL headquarters sat down at the start of this season and handpicked their ideal grand final fixture, it would almost certainly have comprised Penrith and Parramatta. This Sunday’s decider is a match-up made in heaven, and one which ticks every box.Under the V’landys reign, political power in the NRL has shifted away from Sydney’s east and north and settled in the west – a region now very much at the centre of the governing body’s strategy and desire. Both the Penrith Leagues Club and Parramatta Leagues Club sit inside the 12 biggest...
Places in the preliminary finals are at stake as the Panthers and Cowboys enjoy a week offAnd then there were six. Goodbye Sydney Roosters, see you later Melbourne Storm. Buckle up, because week two of the finals series is here. For a reason escaping just about everybody except the NRL, there are three weeks still to go but we have already reached the “semi-finals” stage. But stranger things have happened in rugby league. And more curious turns could be taken yet. Penrith and North Queensland are now sitting pretty in the preliminary finals and will watch as Parramatta, Canberra, Cronulla and South Sydney play for the privilege of facing them with a grand-final berth on the line. Continue reading...
History says the premiers are unlikely to come from outside the top four but the tale of the tape can only tell so muchIt won’t be lost on the Sydney Roosters that winning a premiership from outside the top four is about as likely as cracking a double-yolked egg. An exaggeration, perhaps, but the odds are not good. In the 113 years since 1908, 111 champions finished inside the four – Brisbane claimed the title from fifth in 1993 and the Bulldogs from sixth in 1995.Still, there’s something brewing in Bondi. The Roosters, who finished sixth on the ladder, are on the longest winning streak of any team entering the finals. The last match they lost was to Penrith at...
Even when he doesn’t play, his impact is still profound. Brad Fittler and Queensland know it, and so do the RabbitohsAfter South Sydney training, Latrell Mitchell stood calm and proud between his two families. With him were his father Matt and mum Patricia, down from Biripi country up Taree way. Clinging to his tree-trunk legs like koalas in pyjamas were his daughters Aleena and Inala. Close by was big brother teammate Shaquai. The Mitchells spoke together softly as Redfern locals walked by, nodding their respect as Latrell flashed them smiles or shot back a wink.As members of the Rabbitohs family chatted to a nearby media huddle, singing his praises, Mitchell quietly radiated confidence and happiness. Yet the ink was still...