Almanac Rugby League

The Almanac Rugby League Crew

If you’d like to publish a rugby league story on The Footy Almanac website, please contact Ian Hauser.

If you’d like to join the Footy Almanac’s rugby league email list to receive our regular
Thursday updates during the season and occasional updates in the off-season, contact John Harms in the first instance.

The Footy Almanac’s coverage of rugby league features a team of four regular columnists:

Ian Hauser provides a round by round preview/review and comments on specific players/incidents.
Matt O’Hanlon (Prop by the Sea) offers a quirky take of the week’s happenings on and off the field.
Mark Shannon (The Prospector) comments on various issues in the code, both historical and current.
Russel Hansen (Rabbit in the Vineyard) gives a specific take on South Sydney’s progress.

as well as numerous other occasional contributors.

Our collection of articles appears below. The first article was published in 2010.

NRL Beanie Round: My Sydney Family.

June 25, 2026 by Dips O'Donnell 6 Comments

‘Dips’ O’Donnell may have met some of his Sydney cousins later in life but they’ve done their best to make up for lost time, including their support for the NRL’s Beanie Round.

2026 NRL – RITV: On Tour (Part 2) – the game

June 25, 2026 by Russel Hansen 1 Comment

RITV continues his account of his recent road trip to Melbourne with coverage of Game 2 of the 2026 State of Origin series. Melbourne? – that’s in Queensland (for now)!

2026 NRL – RITV: On Tour (Part 1) – the road trip and the lunch

June 25, 2026 by Russel Hansen 2 Comments

RITV set out from the Barossa for Melbourne with fellow Queenslander JTH for Game 2 of the 2026 State of Origin series. Here’s his account of the road trip and the pre-match lunch at the All Nations Hotel.

2026 NRL – Prop By The Sea: You Gotta Love Footy!

June 25, 2026 by Almanac Admin 4 Comments

Prop graces us with the speech he made at the Almanac Lunch at the All-Nations Hotel in Richmond, and gives his insight into what Round 17 will look like next week, based on the performances from Round 16. The speech is a State of Origin match report he (obviously) wrote BEFORE the game.

2026 NRL – The Prospector’s Pickaxe: NSW and the Gorge of Eternal Peril

June 25, 2026 by Mark Shannon 2 Comments

This week, The Prospector questions which NSW players will survive, and which players will be thrown, into the Gorge of Eternal Peril, Monty Python-style.

2026 NRL – Round 16 and State of Origin Game 2 aftermath

June 24, 2026 by Ian Hauser Leave a Comment

Ian Hauser offers a few late thoughts on Origin 2 before offering his tips on this weekend’s Round 17.

2026 NRL – RITV: For Jai – Rabbitoh 1166

June 18, 2026 by Russel Hansen 4 Comments

RITV saw much to like when the Rabbitohs took on the Broncos but sees a long and challenging road ahead as the home stretch towards possible finals pans out before them.

2026 NRL – Prop By The Sea: Round 15 – You Gotta Love Footy!

June 18, 2026 by Almanac Admin 2 Comments

Prop has us all guessing with his ‘Living next door to Alice 13’. Stick with it and you’ll get the solution.

Almanac Footy: The Prospector’s Pickaxe – Roy, Rod, and Ross

June 18, 2026 by Mark Shannon 8 Comments

The Prospector reminisces about the Grand Final lunch he attended in 1987, and the notable names he met and learned from.