THE RED ROOSTER

Not much of a hit out for the NZ Warriors against Melbourne's reserve grade. There are games that are too easy in a gtrial and valueess when the real thing starts in Vegas. That game was over well before the half and petered out with the Storm making it a little more respectable by the end. Lare kick off in Gosford spo my recording ceased after the first Manly try... in a 34-24 win over Souffs...

Notwithstanding todays game, is this the first time in recent years NO Sky Sports pundit has tipped St Helens for the Premiership. Kyle Feldt and Tristan Sailor are a couple of decent buys and they have a useful starting XIII Y'know

With regards to the Swiss Investor, Dario Berta based in Wood Green taking over the club. It should be noted that his company Mantanel Ltd https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/14814178 Have failed to file their accounts. In the circumstances, the RFL are justified in their stance. Dario Berta's linked in profile https://ch.linkedin.com/in/dario-berta-1b758292 Now he could be perfectly legitimate with a love for Salford and Rugby League, But he is not exactly "Bert the bloodnut from Billinge" or "Geoff from Gosford NSW" who you would think are a more traditional financial saviour for a rugby league club. On the other hand Daniel Berta could have ended up in a window seat with Nigel Wood in the aisle seat.....

The Cows are indeed out to pasture, Trial or no Trial, Todd Payten should be giving them a coating as I write. For the firing Fins the issue is can they play for the full 80 minutes and really tread it in. The Fins often score points off repeat sets, but if the last two seasons are a guide, they often have to, having switched off mid-game.

Cannot understand why there is this view that Paramatta are going to be the wooden spponists this year, Coming up to half-time in what is albiet a trial game, they are looking pretting slick in attack. As for the Knights thius could be a long season, Cronulla exploited Canberra's failure to respect possession, to reply to the Raiders early 10 point lead with 40 unanswered points. For sure a trial game, and one getting more incoherent as multple changes being made, but a confidence booster ahead of Las Vegas against the Penny Panthers. While it is nonsensical to suggest the whole season hangs on the outcome of the opening game, the Sharkies result against the Pamthers will give an idea of the direction of travel their season is likely to take

On tomorrow, the match between the team that won last week and the team that should have won last week in the Capital as Canberra take on Cronulla. Canberra besting Penrith in monsoon conditions that afflict Shark Park all too often, at least certainly when i am there, after Penrith had the better of the first half before the Raiders rampaged in the second. In the previous days knockonathon in front of Gus Gould, Cronulla somehow failing to go for the drop (field) goal despite being handed posession right in front of the sticks with under a minute remaining, instead choosing to spin the ball wide left and into touch.... First grade back for both teams on a pitch reduced in size friom 100m by 68m to the NFL size 94.5m by 63.1 m which is sensible for a game played in Las Vegas Raiders stadium. Penrith sitting this round out but Brad Schneider confirming to my eyes that if Nathan Cleary goes down with Luai gone Panthers will struggle in the halves on last weeks evidence

Ireland game date revealed ? Packers @ Steelers This would be consistent with reporting in the Irish Media that the game would be in September The Tottenham matches are centred around the Soccer International break on 11th October so it could be either 4th or 18th October with the NFL academy game on the Tuesday in-between. The Wembley game date will be interesting because with 4 games in Dublin / London. I cannot belive the NFL would want four on the bounce for many fans will be aspiring to go to all of them. that's before you factor in games in Berlin and Madrid. Normally the NFL international series is concluded by 16th November two weeks before US thanksgiving day so it's interesting to see how this is going to be shoehorned in. Any Brazil game is less problematic because although a long journey it is a time zone like South Africa is with the UK only 1-2 hours difference. And I almost forgot the Emerald Isle Classic College Football game between Kansas State and Iowa State at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on August 23rd. OT - The availability of White Hart Lane and Wembley will be a factor for the RFL to take into account for the Ashes test Series so London could be the last game of the three as I posted elsewhere...

Bring back the Redskins name and logo say native americans

NFL in Melbourne in multi-year deal Rams designated hosts of first NFL game in Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground Bears owner diers aged 102 Bears  Virginia McCaskey dies at 102 Still No official announcement of the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin..

The pre-season survival guide from The Roar clearly identifies the flaw in the experimental 15 minute "delayed action HIA" sin binning rule. How to navigate annual gibberfest of cliches, trialling new rules and boundless optimism

NFL in Dublin announcement imminent September date touted for NFL regular season game at Croke Park It might be the first week in September mirroring the Brazil game last year. The NFL will try to avoid the games this side of the pond ( 3 x London, 1 x Berlin, 1 x Madrid and 1 x Dublin) being too cllose together.

NRL preseason challenge matches and teams for the first two games The NRL is back and on SKY with Cronulla taking on the NZ Warriors this Friday and Penrith taking on Canberra on Saturday both at Shark Park as the four Vegas teams play a round of their own a departure from last season when the reserve grade was left to complete the pre-season challenge. NB - Graham as this is essentailly round 0 or Vegas round of the pre-season challenge. can we have a Vegas or Round 0 - seperate from the round 1 tipping comp this year. Only the Wahs are putting out a near full strength side, with the others resting the first grade starts till next weeks hit out. Nevertheless it's a good opportunity not just to watch quality rugby league but to assess the reserve grade strength of the four sides. Important due to injuries and origin call ups. A number of questions for this round: Are Cronulla really in a premiership window as to my eyes not that improved on last year? Have the Wahs got the ability to win the other side ogf the ditch in the post Shaun Johnson era? The Penny Panthers lost a few games last year with the reserve grade playing during Origin. Is this crop any better? Is an exit in the first round of the playoffs really the limit of Canberra's ambitions this season? I do not think we will get an answer to these questions this weekend, but we will have some clues.

Looks lioke the England women will be snubbing Gideon Haigh as well...

Philadelphia Eagles for me. Big thanks to Irish Saint for running this seasons Tipping Compertition

Three NFL games coming to Melbourne Australia https://x.com/ProFootballTalk/status/1885882643574563069

5th July v Halifax and 12th July v Doncaster both with 5.00pm kickoff times. Not handy for those coming from the north. Apologies about Ebbsfleet folks it s just that to get to Kufflink stadium you get off at Northfleet station which 8 minutes walk away and I do not follow Soccer much and I am getting on a bit mea culp mea maxima culpa....

Back on topic if the RFL is thinking of using Wembley or White Hart Lane for the opening game them there is the issue of the NFL games at these venues in October and it,s a bigger money spinner than an Ashes Test. I would expect the first game to be Saturday 28th October but any London date to be either 1st or 8th November.

Reading comments from Mike Eccles that are on the public domain, it is the issue of the use of Wimbledon,s ground that caused the club (Eccles and Loubster) to turn down an offer to buy the club. If you are investing in rugby league then you need a business model that minimises costs not playing at three venues this season, Wimbledon, Rosslyn Park and Northfleet,with two venues incurring soccer stewarding costs something you do not get with the rugby codes. But Mike Eccles is committed to a return to Super League so has said its Wimbledon or bust. How long this will last with sub 1,000 crowds rattling round Wimbledon and no one it would appear willing to fund this business model remains to be seen..

No spirit of the game comments allowed here simple question in or out ? https://x.com/TheBarmyArmy/status/1883476934929289684

Just come across the article on a competitor website published just before yesterday's game London Broncos takeover latest as coach reveals club ‘nearly disappeared’ in off-season This has a number of interesting quotes from Mike Eccles notably (my bold)

While I would not claim that Goole are dislikeable as a side or club, it is indisputable that they have at this time in writing more money than London Broncos, have a vastly more experienced squad and did play the week before wheras London did not and it showed as the game wore on. Good luck to Goole this season and in the next round of the cup. For London some of more experiencxed players were the worst culprits when it xame to not respecting posession and giving away needless penalties. But over all there were some bright points in the two wingers, Jerome Bates and Leighton Ball and in the play of Connor O'Beirne. They club does need the ownership situation sorted asap though because they have a tough start to the season as it is, and an injection of limited fundng could mean the difference beween being in the top half of the table and struggling to avoid championship one. Incidentally "London Rugby League Hub" is reflecting the clubs party-line on the game as evidenced by the official match report London Broncos official match report

Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills to win

Robbie Farah and the Broncos An old story reheated hdere, Robbie Farah and his agent were never going to buy London Broncos. They were interested in being part of a consortium but what deterred them was the business model which requires deep pockets and a long term, if any, return on investment. This is why you are hearing nothing so far for while there are Australiasian investors who are cashed up and unikley to gain admission tpo be one of the powert brokers in the NRL. They are not going just to be saying "here take X thousand AUD". What I suspect is being hammered out here is a plan and a strategy that allows for investment while minimising losses. Inthe past the entire business plan has been, rent a ground, plant two goal,posts at either end announce "Rugby league is da Bomb" and wait for an audience. Then after a couple of years up stakes and repeat in a new location. Gary Hetherington has not been a big fan of the club in the past but he did make a very telling statement in that there never had been a plan for expansion in London and this is what he and the Broncos Aussie diaspora such as Tony Rea are hammering out at present as I suspect with interested parties. To succeed you have to have A competitive team on the field An expert team off the field And establish roots with the community game in London and the South East The club has been pro active in obtaining sponsorship in what is hostile business environment in this country at present of which I have personal experience in my backdated 2023-24 and 24-25 tax bill.both sent to me as a HNY "gift" from HMRC The clubs home and away kit this season is the best its been for some time although again in time honoured Bronos manner has cheesed off those die hards who bought the earlier non sponsored version. There is reasion for optimism so people need to "let the cake bake" so to speak

This must be the virtue signalling troll free thread.. The only reference in Australia to this in the Media is on The Roar https://www.theroar.com.au/2025/01/20/league-news-london-calling-as-brisbane-broncos-buys-in-hunt-reflects-on-hometown-return/ Which basically regurgiutates The Sun article None of the usual suspects, The Mole or Mascord make any metion of this as as far as I can see, and pre-season is a slow news month down under. I think people are getting ahead of themselves here, we still need to see who is taking over and what their agenda is and I should point out, if th deal goes through, Brisbane are but a part of the ownership group with other investors involved so it's a case of wait and see. Though on a positive note the club is making signings suitable for the level of Rugby League they are in.

Detroit losing at home to Washington is a really BIG shock and one that could both impact on the Lions "Super Bowl" window i.e. the time in which the team has to be a genuine contenders and one the hiring prospects of the Loons coaches doing the rounds such as Ben Johnson whose resume lis less alluring now.. Miami to Madrid is now official. No need to panic about the Dublin game the NFL likes to stagger its announcements and gas yet to reveal the Rio De Janero game as well so be patient.