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 – Is it too soon for a bit of a laugh?

October 1, 2018 by 1 Comment

The things commentators say! Jan has a laugh.

Almanac Rugby League – What is wrong with rugby league?

September 28, 2018 by 1 Comment

The 2018 NRL finals series has featured a deliberate effort by tacklers, usually in masses of up to four, to force the ball carrier to lose possession by fair means or foul. It’s been labelled ‘contested possession’. Elsewhere it has been argued that this practice is a blight on the game because it is both ugly and, in its adjudication, subjective. Let’s revisit Jim Young’s late August harangue about the contest for possession in rugby league to see if this emerging trend in play might just be a pathway to a fresh look at how the code is played.

Almanac Rugby League – NRL and NRLW Grand Final previews

September 28, 2018 by 1 Comment

The last day in September – NRL and NRLW Grand Final Day! Injuries, possible suspensions, mind games, extended benches – it’s all there as we head for the biggest day of the year. Here’s our preview.

Almanac Rugby League – Queensland Cup Grand Final: Redcliffe Dolphins def. Easts Tigers 36-22

September 23, 2018 by 1 Comment

The mighty Redcliffe Dolphins won their first Queensland Cup title for 12 years when the defeated Easts Tigers at Lang Park. Here’s a view from the lounge chair.

Almanac Rugby League – NRL Preliminary Finals + NRLW Round 3

September 23, 2018 by Leave a Comment

The NRL and NRLW Grand Finalists have been decided. We run an eye over the weekend’s Preliminary Finals and come up with mixed feelings about the various styles of play exhibited.

Almanac Rugby League – QCup Grand Final: Redcliffe Dolphins v Easts Tigers – a preview

September 20, 2018 by 3 Comments

The Queensland Cup Grand Final will see the Redcliffe Dolphins meet the Easts Tigers at Lang Park on Sunday afternoon. There’s finals history between these two teams over the years so we can look forward confidently to something special this weekend. A one-time regular on Dolphin Oval’s old western mound (just along the touchline from the late, lamented Old Boys Can Bar), Ian Hauser presents both an historical perspective of finals clashes between these two clubs as well as his take on what to expect.

Almanac Rugby League – NRL Finals Week 3 + NRLW Round 3: Preview

September 20, 2018 by Leave a Comment

It’s Preliminary Finals week in the NRL with two excellent clashes in prospect. Can the Melbourne Storm earn the chance to make it back-to-back titles for the first time in over 25 years? Can the Sydney Roosters finally get to the last game of the year after being minor premiers with seemingly monotonous regularity? In the NRLW, the final round will give us our inaugural Grand Finalists – but who will they be?

Almanac Rugby League – NRL Finals Week 2 + NRLW Round 2: Results

September 17, 2018 by 6 Comments

Week 2 of the NRL Finals produced two nail-biters! Round 2 of the NRLW also produced two high-quality matches to enhance the standing of this inaugural season. Here’s how it all played out.

Almanac Rugby League – 2018 NRL Finals Week 2 and NRLW Round 2

September 14, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Week 2 of the NRL Finals, the semi-finals kick off tonight together with Round 2 of the inaugural NRLW round-robin. We try to pick some winners.

Almanac Rugby League – NRL Finals Week 1: the results

September 10, 2018 by 2 Comments

It was a great weekend of rugby league finals – a nail biter, a couple of ‘to be expected’ results and one minor upset. And the NRLW kicked off. What’s not to like? The Almanac’s rugby league man checks it out and looks ahead to Week 2.