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.

 

Almanac Rugby League: It’s all there in black and white

September 17, 2020 by 2 Comments

Looking back over his collection of ‘Big League’ programmes, John Campbell finds one dated September 30th 1986 (Vol 67, No. 31) – Grand Final day. Another recounts South Sydney’s worst defeat ever – Round 16, 2006. He loves them all!

Almanac Rugby League: NRL Round 18 Wrap: Benji’s still got it!

September 15, 2020 by Leave a Comment

A few flashes of rare skill convinced Liam Hauser that the Tigers’ Benji Marshall has still got ‘it’! But it wasn’t enough to get Wests Tigers home in the NRL’s Round 18. Read the full round-up to see what else happened.

Almanac Rugby League – The 1973 NSWRL Grand Final: Manly v Cronulla

September 15, 2020 by 2 Comments

The 1973 New South Wales Rugby League Grand Final is regarded as the most brutal of them all. The Almanac’s Ian Hauser went back to the video to see if it lived up to that designation.

Almanac Book Review – ‘The Big O: The Life and Times of Olsen Filipaina’ by Patrick Skene.

September 14, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Patrick Skene’s book on Olsen ‘Big O’ Filipaina has been reviewed by Braham Dabscheck, who delves into the importance of his story for the modern nations of Australia and New Zealand.

Almanac Rugby League – Round 18 Preview: Footy, finals and maths

September 10, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Finals positions may well be sorted out but there’s still plenty of interest in this weekend’s NRL Round 18. Ian Hauser picks his winners.

Almanac Rugby League: “Whatever happened to…’That Guy’?”

September 10, 2020 by 1 Comment

Wayne Ball reminds us of ‘That Guy’ who seemed to have the football world at his feet but, for whatever reason, never made the grade. We’ve all know at least one.

Almanac Rugby League: NRL 2020 Round 17 wrap: Cronulla to pay for indiscretions

September 8, 2020 by Leave a Comment

There was action aplenty in the NRL’s Round 17. Liam Hauser covers the aftermath with Cronulla the biggest losers both on and off the field.

Almanac Book Review: ‘Biff – rugby league’s infamous fights’

September 8, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Glen Humphries is a senior journalist at the ‘Illawarra Mercury’, an Almanac contributor, a rugby league fan and an author. Ian Hauser reviews Glen’s recent footy publication, ‘Biff: rugby league’s infamous fights’.

Almanac Rugby League – NRL Round 17 Preview: Heavy hitters’ heaven

September 3, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Several clashes between the NRL’s heavy hitters in this weekend’s NRL Round 17 will go a long way to shaping the top half of the ladder with finals only a month away. Ian Hauser channels Sir Humphrey Appleby for his selections.

Almanac Rugby League: Footy in the South Burnett

September 3, 2020 by 10 Comments

David Goodwin casts his mind back over childhood days of following rugby league in regional Queensland’s South Burnett. And, in doing so, supports the contention raised in John Harms’ recent piece that there is meaning in rugby league.