Cricket Australia have pulled Aaron Hardie out of an overseas stint with Surrey for the northern hemisphere summer. The decision could provide a clue into the selectors’ thinking for the T20 World Cup though the English-born player has so far met with limited success in the international area. The 25-year-old allrounder had signed to feature […]
Leigh Matthews is wrong – the AFL doesn’t need a send-off rule, and introducing one would just make things messier
It’s not often that I disagree with the great Leigh Matthews, but on this occasion, I am going to bravely take a step into the fire. Earlier this month, particularly in relation to Jimmy Webster’s pre-season bump on Jy Simpkin, the four-time premiership-winning coach and one of the superior minds in the game revisited the […]
‘It’s time we grew up’: The jarring hypocrisy that proves All Blacks are getting key call all wrong
In a real professional sport, such as football, international managers are fixtures in the stands at club matches. Their players are often far flung and, beyond watching them in the flesh, managers want to talk to them, see how life’s going and pass on messages. Rugby in New Zealand has a way to go in […]
‘They need to know why it’s important’: How Izack Tago rediscovered his name – and his culture
The biggest change in the NRL over the 26 years of its existence has come on the field – but it hasn’t been rule changes, transfers or tactics. It’s who is playing the game. When the NRL was formed in 1998, the league was largely white with limited players of Indigenous and Pacific heritage, but […]
Too much to Bear: Danger signs emerge as Rabbitohs start to unravel after years of near-misses
South Sydney’s current team is starting to look a lot like North Sydney in the 1990s. No, they’re not going to be kicked out of the competition (again) in a few years time. They have the appearance of a team that went oh so close on several occasions but the cyclical nature of the NRL […]