Ivan Cleary tells a story about his son Nathan that sums up why people like Greg Alexander are labelling the Penrith No.7 as the game’s greatest general-play kicker of all time. “You know when aunties and uncles ask what they should get kids for their birthday?” Ivan Cleary says. “When Nat was a kid, all I would say is ‘just […]

Anointing Brodie Retallick the fourth All Blacks captain this year signals one of the world’s premier locks is back in beast mode. Two years after his test debut Retallick was crowned world player of the year in 2014 – a rare feat indeed for someone in the tight-five. At that point, he was an unstoppable force of nature. As the […]

The coach who stands to gain the most from the opening weekend of the NRL finals will be on the other side of the world. Kristian Woolf, who is reportedly one of the contenders to take over from Michael Maguire should he be sacked by the Wests Tigers, is the coach of Tonga and will watch a dozen of his […]

Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale has told the Brisbane Lions he intends to remain at the club in 2022 at his exit meeting on Wednesday morning. The star midfielder said that he and his wife Jules, who is from Western Australia, had discussed the prospect of returning home as she is due to give birth to a daughter in four months. […]

Wests Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis has defended the board’s decision to extend Michael Maguire’s contract despite speculation he won’t see it out, claiming the move was essential in providing “stability” to the joint-venture outfit. Maguire has two years still to run on a contract that was extended last December which, if he sees it out, would make him the second […]

On a team trek through Kakadu National Park back in 2012, a group of Melbourne players winding their way up a rocky track heard a commotion in the scrub. As they braced themselves for an animal to emerge, Jack Viney appeared, unshaken after bush-bashing his way up the hill in a straight line to catch up with the group. Eyes […]

Wayne Bennett won’t return to coach Queensland next year after ruling himself out of the role. The Queensland Rugby League is on the lookout for a new coach after Paul Green stepped down from the role on Tuesday. The decision was made because Green is keen to return to NRL coaching as soon as next year, while the Maroons want […]

Sydney co-captain Luke Parker has put an end to mounting speculation about his future, signing a new four-year contract that all but guarantees he will play for the Swans for the remainder of his career. Parker was last week awarded the Bob Skilton Medal as Sydney’s club champion for the third time in recognition of another stellar season, in which […]

NRL players will face the heaviest fines in the game’s history under a proposal to more than double the maximum penalty in a desperate bid to deter off-field scandals. Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys and NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo have tabled the plan, which will make players liable for fines of up to $130,000 – a staggering […]

The AFL has announced the first bounce in this year’s grand final will take place at 5.15pm in Perth on Saturday September 25, meaning the season decider will be broadcast at nighttime in Victoria for the second year in a row. As reported by The Age on Monday, the grand final, which will be the first played in Perth, will […]