OPINION: Right, well that’s settled, at least. On a night when the All Blacks as a group failed to cope with the Springboks’ set piece excellence, breakdown superiority, defensive pressure, and, underpinning it all, hunger, Jordie Barrett once again shone brightest to announce himself as New Zealand’s best fullback. How the Boks ambushed the All Blacks in the second half […]

Like the best games of an excellent final month, this grand final provided both the For and Against cases with regard to the National Rugby League’s breathless push to change its rules to accelerate the pace of play. In the ‘for’ column, it again showed that tight, white-knuckled, low-scoring matches can be played under the new rules. In the ‘against’ […]

Reductions in list sizes and the salary cap are the major factors behind why this looms as a somnolence-inducing 10-day AFL trade period. After a host of big-name moves over recent years, most notably the dramatic 2014 and 2018 trade periods, this year’s player movement window is poised to be the quietest in more than a decade. Adam Cerra has […]

A few years ago, when asked for advice on how a club could keep a sensitive bit of information from the prying press, Phil Gould just shook his head. “There are no secrets in rugby league,” he said. But Keith McCraw can’t help but chuckle to himself. McCraw is the president of the powerful Souths Juniors, which has nursed half-a-dozen […]

All the action as the All Blacks take on the Springboks in their final Rugby Championship clash. All you need to know ahead of the All Blacks’ clash against the Springboks at Cbus Super Stadium in the Gold Coast, kickoff at 11.05pm: The return of Anton Lienert-Brown in the backs and Luke Jacobson in the forwards has slightly reshaped the […]

All the action as the Wallabies take on the Pumas in their final Rugby Championship clash. Coach Dave Rennie made several changes to his squad for Australia’s final Rugby Championship match against Argentina, including the surprising return of 38-year-old prop Greg Holmes. It was a decision no doubt easier than what his counterpart Mario Ledesma faced with the Pumas. While […]

South Sydney saviour George Piggins has delivered an emotional message to the current squad ahead of Sunday’s grand final against Penrith, lauding the players to “make your family, fans and the ghosts of Souths proud.” The Rabbitohs will attempt to secure their 22nd premiership victory on Sunday, an opportunity only possible due to Piggins’ fighting spirit. The former Souths player […]

North Melbourne midfielder Jy Simpkin completed a stellar season with a fast finish in the polling to claim his first Syd Barker Medal. Simpkin, the Kangaroos’ co-vice captain, finished with 143 votes, edging out veteran Ben Cunnington (117), who missed seven matches. Captain Jack Ziebell was third (114), on a countback from fellow defender Aaron Hall. Jy Simpkin had a […]

It started as a way of sprucing up his house before the 2014 grand final, but has turned into a week-long adventure under the cloak of darkness, captivating people on the streets of Sydney. If you have seen paintings of the famous South Sydney Rabbitohs logo dotted on driveways, footpaths and roads across the club’s heartland suburbs this week, it’s […]

Sam Mitchell wants his Hawthorn side to be more attacking without losing the defensive DNA of the team, the new coach says as he embarks on putting his fingerprints on the team that has known only one coach for nearly two decades. Mitchell was reluctant to commit to a specific style his teams would play, mindful that his new coaching […]