Just before we completely sign off from the rugby league season, here are some key dates for 2026 to get into your diary now.
Almanac Rugby League – The Ashes and The Pacific Championships: The season finally comes to an end
November 13, 2025 by 1 Comment
The 2025 rugby league season finally reached its conclusion with the third Ashes Test in Leeds and the Pacific Championships finals in Sydney. Ian Hauser provides the Almanac’s coverage.
Almanac (Book) Review: ‘The Hugamug Club’ by Andy Thurlow
November 11, 2025 by Leave a Comment
In his retirement years, Andy Thurlow initiated a couple of community-based groups in Tanunda. The Sprocket Rockets is, not surprisingly, a cycling group. The Hugamug Club is more about coffee, cake and caring. This book features the stories of five of its members, all very different from each other but all bound by a common thread – their faith.
Almanac Rugby League – The Third Ashes Test and Pacific Championships Finals
November 6, 2025 by 4 Comments
The Kangaroos won the Ashes and the Pacific Championships have two monster clashes on finals day on Sunday. In Cup week, Ian Hauser runs his eye over the rugby league form guide.
Almanac Rugby League – The 2025 Ashes Second Test and the Pacific Championships Week 3
October 30, 2025 by 2 Comments
There’s still action aplenty happening in rugby league with the international season in full swing. Ian Hauser keeps you up with developments in both the Ashes series and the Pacific Championships.
Almanac Rugby League – The First Test of the Ashes and the Pacific Championships Week 2
October 23, 2025 by 5 Comments
The rugby league Ashes series, the first in over 20 years, begins this weekend while the Pacific Championships continues with Week 2 clashes. Ian Hauser offers his preview of a big weekend for ‘the greatest game of all’.
International Rugby League – The Pacific Championships: Week 1
October 16, 2025 by 1 Comment
Rugby league’s 2025 Pacific Championships kick off this weekend with matches in Port Moresby and Auckland. Ian Hauser provides a preview.
International Rugby League – The Ashes and the Pacific Championships
October 9, 2025 by Leave a Comment
The NRL season is done and dusted. Now let’s enjoy both an Ashes Tour and the Pacific Championships. Ian Hauser provides an introduction to the 2025 rugby league international season.
2025 NRL Grand Final – Just a couple more things…
October 9, 2025 by 1 Comment
A few days down the track from his first thoughts on the Grand Final, Ian Hauser offers a few more observations before he signs off from the NRL season.
2025 NRL and NRLW Grand Finals – Brisbane: Rugby League Central and Footy Capital of Australia
October 6, 2025 by 1 Comment
Ian Hauser has a million thoughts running around in his head after the Brisbane Broncos won both the NRLW and NRL titles last night. A few of those ideas escaped onto his keyboard early today.
2025 NRL and NRLW Grand Finals – Will Brisbane be the new sporting capital of Australia?
October 1, 2025 by 1 Comment
Ian Hauser takes a look at the 2025 NRL Grand Final where the losing sides from the last two years, the Melbourne Storm and the Brisbane Broncos, get their chance to set the record straight. And in the NRLW, the two powerhouse teams of 2025, the Sydney Roosters and the Brisbane Broncos, look set to put on a worthy season finale.
Almanac Rugby League (History) – Henry (Harold) Frank Bichel
September 25, 2025 by 2 Comments
Ian Hauser remembers his Uncle Harold Bichel who played his one and only game for the Australian Kangaroos exactly ninety years ago today.
2025 NRL Finals, Week 3: The Robert Palmer Panthers
September 25, 2025 by Leave a Comment
Our rugby league editor, Ian Hauser, keeps hearing the songs of Robert Palmer in the background as he contemplates Week 3 of the 2025 NRL finals series.
2025 NRL Finals Week 2: Can it possibly be as good as Week 1?
September 18, 2025 by 1 Comment
After an exhilarating Week 1 of NRL Finals, Ian Hauser explains why he thinks Canberra has what it takes to fight back in Week 2 while the Panthers will stay alive to fight another day.
NRL Finals, Week 1 – Can Canberra or the Roosters defy history?
September 11, 2025 by 1 Comment
Can Canberra defy history or will their huge loss in Round 27 simply become a footnote in the annals of NRL finals?
Almanac Rugby League – The 26th Annual Tom Brock Lecture: Stories of PNG Rugby League
September 4, 2025 by 1 Comment
Patrick Skene had his first rugby league story published on The Footy Almanac in 2014. This week he presented the 26th Annual Tom Brock Lecture in Sydney, speaking about the history of rugby league in Papua New Guinea and their entry into the NRL in 2028.
NRL Round 27 – Permutations and Combinations (aka Snakes and Ladders)
September 4, 2025 by Leave a Comment
Ian Hauser revisits a childhood favourite, Snakes and Ladders, as he sorts out what might happen in the NRL’s Round 27.
NRL Round 26 and NRLW Round 9: Is resting players before finals ethical?
August 28, 2025 by Leave a Comment
Is it ethical to rest players leading into the finals? Penrith has taken it to the extreme in this weekend’s NRL Round 26.
NRL Round 25 and NRLW Round 8 – Obstructions and audacity
August 21, 2025 by 1 Comment
Ian Hauser is ‘just wild about Harry’ after the Melbourne captain’s stunning try to post a win over the Panthers. Meanwhile, the obstruction rule continues to cause confusion – and a bit of hypocrisy!
NRL Round 24 (Indigenous Round) and NRLW Round 7 – Hamming it up or just strung out?
August 14, 2025 by 1 Comment
Ian Hauser got lucky with ‘the toss of the coin’ last week. Looking at this weekend’s NRL Round 24, he reverted to the same methodology to try to find this weekend’s winners in a few games.
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