The Rocket

Panthers are next level though aren`t they, the ball continually sweeping from one side of the field to other probing for weaknesses in defence, and not with a particularly large backline either, if their style of play (even with my misgivings about their lift and drag back defence) is the future of Rugby League, well bring it on. HST, Walters stuffed up with his interchange, had Tristan Sailor been on the bench rather than being 18th man we might have seen a different outcome or at least a more competitive Brisbane team, and Brisbane not being like Souths the week before with a second-rower in the backline getting torn to shreds.

Yeah, Parramatta had a great day at Parra CBD and a march where people from all cultures were encouraged to join in, it looked brilliant and lots of smiling participants. Massive Indian population around Parra and I saw Indian dancers and the like, Parramatta really needs to get these groups following their team and having the Eels banner central to a great gathering like this is not a bad place to start.

I`m always more concerned with these things when things go bad and people have to be paid out.

That`s a little cynical and not true from what I`ve seen.

Just a little background on Latrell. Latrell grew up in Taree where I did and have moved back to after living away for twenty years, the levels of racism here sometimes blows me away with people openly making racist remarks, it makes my blood boil but is commonplace and I`ve come to the conclusion that even a lot of people who don`t say it are probably thinking it, this is the environment where Latrell grew up and I think explains a lot of his proud black man behaviour, he wants to show young Aboriginal kids be proud and don`t let the bastards get you down. I saw him last summer down by the river at Taree, I gave him a hello from afar and he responded with a lovely wave and thumbs up. Latrell is never going to be a Tedesco, Trbojevic, Edwards et.al. and why should he just because that is the current trend for fullbacks, but if the Souths can get the rest of their backline firing there is absolutely no reason why they cannot be a deadly premiership force with him playing just the way he does.

There`s your answer. Call for help: Junior AFL clubs struggling for numbers – The Western Weekender The Western Weekender I Penrith News Clubs folding or being forced to merge.

Widely reported that there was only about 4000 there, even f-ball followers on-line calling out the f-ball HQ for inflated numbers. The common theory was that f-ball were desperate to be able to boast a record opening weekend to counter the headline grabbing results of the NRL`s Vegas venture and corresponding opening round.

The problem the Sharks are going to face is that they are hemmed in by St. George both north and south with little room for population growth and those that increasingly live there coming from backgrounds that either don`t follow League or sport in general, soccer if they do. You read about it all the time on the Aussie forum, children of Sharks fans and fans themselves who can no longer afford to live in the area. Sharks were broke before and may struggle again in the future as the NRL moves to one city or region teams, especially when you think of where all the likely next 3 or 5 teams will come from. Sharks unless they can get their non-NRL revenue`s right (and Roosters and Rabbitoh`s they ain`t, prob not even Bulldogs) will find it hard to compete with those big clubs with much bigger population bases and corporate access available. Is their main sponsor still that gutter installation mob. The stadium is very unlikely, 17 000 is what they are aiming for I believe, not enough, and there`s a snow-ball`s chance of them raising the $300m to build what you talk about. The Sharks are a great club and I love their style of play, but moving forward unfortunately I expect it to be a long -time between premiership drinks as the game grows around them.

He`s a freak and can win a game single-handedly but he still needs help and I just don`t think he`s ever going to be as energetic or involved as a Tedesco etc. Probably more like a Wally Lewis who can pick his moments. I`d say that Souths biggest problem is that Walker and Cook are both not the players they were a couple of years ago and Illias is a long-term project and still really just finding his way, this is putting a lot of the focus on Latrelle to create and finish their plays. Souths get Graham back, Wighton in and that young star outside back Tyrone Munro back from injury and that will take a lot of pressure of Latrelle to do everything, there is still a lot of upside for Souths this year but definitely some generational change needed soon, but I wouldn`t write them off but the premiership window with this mob is closing fast.

Looks like another bid coming out of New Zealand`s South Island city of Christchurch. New Christchurch stadium a chance to add another New Zealand NRL side | RNZ News One of the country's most experienced sports administrators says a South Island-based National Rugby League (NRL) club could be in action as early as 2026. Talks are underway for the 'South Island Kea' to be included in an expanded premiership in the coming years. The team would be based in Christchurch, with the forthcoming multi-use Te Kaha Stadium set to be completed by April 2026. Former New Zealand Rugby and NRL boss David Moffett is helming the project and plans to meet with Australian rugby league executives over the next few weeks. It also comes on the heels of a separate bid led by former Canterbury Rugby League administrator. The rival ventures are now set to face off in a pursuit to bring a professional rugby league operation to the mainland. Moffett, who has also had stints in charge of Sport England and the Welsh Rugby Union, said his interest in a South Island-based NRL club dates back to 2012.

Important to remember, as Vlandy`s was bragging the other day, that NRL far outstrips fumbleball on all forms of social media. (that`s where the young`uns are apparently) and as you yourself have noted before our highlights packages leave theirs in the shade and that`s before we even get to the flogging we give them on Tv broadcast viewing numbers. Data coming through is reporting the Storm/Panthers game outrated the fumbleball season opener, so much for "robbing our house" while we were in Vegas. Going forward we have Indigenous round, the Las Vegas week now, State of Origin and now our International calendar taking shape at the end of every year. Throw in the numerous realistic options for expansion that NRL has and I really don`t think we have to be too concerned about becoming a distant second to any other sport in this nation or region under our current administration. Grassroots growth breaking barriers | Storm (melbournestorm.com.au) Bit more than solid.

Are you kidding me, what do you know about what circumstances those two blokes grew up in. patronising nonsense. And btw every knows. like it or not who the sad-sack Adam Goodes is, they`ve very mostly seen him and not cared like the majority of New South Welsh people.

And that I believe is exactly why they have changed comps.

Spencer Leniu suspended for 8 weeks. Great result for me, no excuses, we can`t have that stuff in the game, it`s an implicit green light in the playground if we don`t come down tough at the highest level.

Magic Round at Suncorp in May this year has completely sold-out for Saturday and Friday is getting very close and I was reading the other day that the Origin match in Brisbane this year sold out within hours of going on sale. Back to the good old days of Origin someone remarked.

Look I`m all for honesty and avoiding rubbery figures but I do think we are selling ourselves short here. That Broncos/ Roosters game could have easily drawn 35k as a standalone match back in Oz and even the other match may have pushed 30 000 at Accor.

The chances of a super rugby match being shown in the coach`s box of an NRL game, about zero I`d say.

I just don`t get this only counting this Las Vegas crowd once, two separate games, two sets of unique views. When people sit down to watch 3 games of League on a Saturday afternoon on Foxtel they aren`t counted as one viewer, but as three separate views, I can`t see why the double header isn`t viewed in the same manner when calculating crowd figures.

You`ve already said that.

Lots of gnashing of teeth, panicking and finger pointing amongst fumbleball fans over the NRL`s Vegas extravaganza and corresponding media saturation the last couple of weeks so I don`t think there was ever any doubt that every fumbleball cultist in the country was going to show up for this weekend`s meet. Written and spoken by Unapologetic Pedant on behalf of the Get Rid of the Bunker Party.

Fumbleball has been left looking small time and sillier than ever after the NRL`s Las Vegas adventure and desperate to grab a few positive headlines in trying to look relevant in the northern states. The suns averaged about 13 000 last year, the Titans over 17000, I suspect there was a lot of free tickets and doing just about anything they could to get that crowd number up, to try and make themselves look important, because it was way out of the norm. a) anecdotal (and from a fumbleball propagandist) & b) fumbleball HQ participation figures are about as useful as #### on a bull.

Cronulla Sharks secure $5 million windfall after a big night in New York | The Australian Sharks powerbrokers have detailed an extraordinary 48-hours in New York that has resulted in an immediate $5 million cash injection from one of Australia’s most influential businessmen. Flying from the NRL season launch in Las Vegas to New York last Sunday, Sharks chairman Steve Mace and CEO Dino Mezzatesta met with Mike Dorrell, the CEO and co-founder of US$61 billion global investment firm Stonepeak. From a meeting with Dorrell at his plush New York offices, Cronulla’s most significant decision-makers were taken to dinner at one of the Big Apple’s most exclusive clubs. Born in Sutherland Shire with his father a teacher of Port Hacking High, Dorrell owns Stonepeak, an American investment powerhouse headquartered in New York City. The firm invests in infrastructure, with offices in Hong Kong, Houston, London, Sydney and Singapore. It is the largest independent infrastructure investment firm in the world. “This is for the Sharks club and fans,‘’ Dorrell said of his multimillion-dollar cash gift to the club. “I have followed the Sharks religiously since I was a young boy, from Steve Rogers, to ET (Ettingshausen) and Mark ”Sparkles” McGaw, to David Peachey and onwards. “I have watched and re-watched the 2016 Grand Final, a game which gave every Sharks fan a near heart attack in the final minutes, followed by a multi-generational outpouring of joy when we won. “My dad taught at Port Hacking High School and is a Sharks fan. “My brother Simon played professionally. Rugby League is in our blood. “I can’t speak highly enough about the current players and management. “Let’s not wait 50 years for another premiership.” Mace said Dorrell’s investment in the Sharks was validation for the club’s trajectory. “Mike’s support and involvement with the Sharks will undoubtedly bring a significant boost to our reputation and financial standing,” Mace said. “Both Dino and myself are delighted to welcome lifelong Sharks supporters into the club’s family. “We didn’t know what to expect. We hit it off immediately with Mike, Lucas and Ben. Like old mates with a shared love of the game. “The collaboration with the Dorrell family is expected to provide invaluable support to the Sharks and further elevate the club’s stature.”

You`ve really got your fumbleball hard-on this morning, a couple of big crowds for the midgets and the suns and you lose the plot. As of Thursday evening: Only 144 tickets left on sale at Commbank for Saturday evening: 74 in gold 39 in silver 12 in bronze 1 in alcohol free 17 in platinum 1 in premium Early Friday a.m. Match officially a sell-out. No tickets available. WTF.

Literally tens of thousands of Victorians migrate permanently out of Victoria every year looking for a bit of decent weather, Queensland being one of their favourite destinations. Many Suns fumbleball fans would be expat Victorians.

Not only Fiji, but the whole Pacific. NRL 2024, Jersey Flegg, Kaiviti Silktails matches to be broadcast free to air into Pacific region, PacificAus TV | NRL.com In a huge boost for rugby league in the Pacific region, all of the Kaiviti Silktails' 26 matches in the Jersey Flegg competition will be distributed by PacificAus TV in 2024 to over nine Free-to-Air broadcast channels across the Pacific, whilst FBC will be the exclusive free-to-air-broadcast-partner in Fiji. Starting with this Saturday's clash against Wests Tigers at Lidcombe Oval, all of the Silktails' home and away matches will be shown on Free-to-Air channels across the Pacific, bringing more rugby league content to the region. Silktails chairman Petero Civoniceva added: “This broadcast deal is not just a win for the Silktails as a club but a massive win for our code in Fiji. “This broadcast deal will allow these young players to showcase their talents playing for the Silktails on television across the Pacific. “On behalf of everyone at the Kaiviti Silktails a big Vinaka Vakalevu to all of the key stakeholders that have put this landmark deal together.”