To appreciate how durable and tough James Roby is, you only have to watch footage of him popping a dislocated finger back into place during a Super League game, then demanding the ball the next play. Roby is the 37-year-old veteran who will play game No.523 for St Helens in Saturday’s World Club Challenge. Plenty of people consider him England’s […]

John Hopoate could not be prouder of his eldest son Will, and he has revealed how Will’s rugby league success had inspired his younger siblings, including Jamil, who hopes to watch the World Club Challenge from a prison cell. Hopoate, now 49, has been impossible to miss at St Helens training during the past couple of weeks. And should Will, […]

When Parramatta put a contract in front of Jack Murchie, he didn’t sign it until he had spoken to Michael Cronin. Eels legend Cronin was the coach of the Gerringong Lions when local lad Murchie, then an 18-year-old centre, was called up to the top grade for grand final day seven years ago. The pair combined for a premiership, forming […]

In today’s AFL Briefing, your daily wrap of footy news AFL player wages made a rapid rise in 2022, but a boost in the top earners was distorted by deferred payments from the pandemic seasons of 2020 and 2021. The AFL has recorded an underlying operating profit of $20.7 million for 2022, up from a loss of $46.1 million in […]

The NRL and the RLPA have finally reached an in-principle agreement on key terms for the NRLW collective bargaining agreement. After protracted negotiations – during which NRL players threatened to delay pre-season kick-off times if progress wasn’t made – the parties have agreed terms on major issues including pregnancy and parental arrangements. NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said the NRL had […]

Nathan Brown would swap Parramatta for Manly in exchange for Morgan Harper in a potential deal being considered by the clubs. The Eels have given Brown, a former NSW forward in the last year of his contract, permission to explore his options. Harper is in the same situation at the Sea Eagles, prompting their managers and clubs to explore trade […]

In today’s AFL briefing, your daily wrap of footy news: Saints turn to teenage key forward to round out playing list Injuries at Richmond and Essendon ahead of pre-season games  Stephen Silvagni’s first official signing as St Kilda’s list boss has a Carlton flavour to it. The Saints on Monday signed a second former Blue this summer, adding 196-centimetre forward […]

Newcastle star Kalyn Ponga said he was in the wrong as he broke his silence about what happened in a toilet cubicle with teammate Kurt Mann last year. Ponga and Mann were not sanctioned by the NRL after they were filmed leaving a toilet together in a Newcastle pub last August. The pair provided samples to NRL drug testers for […]

It started as a chat between mates. As time ground on and the conversations shifted, suddenly they were asking each other: could this really happen? Richmond were asking themselves the same question. For Jacob Hopper, Tim Taranto and the Tigers, it was perfectly serendipitous. It was the long shot that landed. Jacob Hopper is enjoying life as a Tiger.Credit:Jason South […]

No.1 draft pick Jason Horne-Francis has described his first taste of full-scale training at Port Adelaide as something he had “never seen before” in a subtle dig at his old club North Melbourne. The 19-year-old midfielder, who sensationally requested a trade from the Kangaroos after just one turbulent season, resumed full training after Christmas after undergoing surgery on both his […]