Rugby League in Queensland (and Australia) is mourning the passing of Johnny Gleeson, a true champion of the 1950s and 60s.
Almanac Rugby League: One hell of a nice bloke
October 8, 2020 by 7 Comments
Fifty years after a phrase in a newspaper photo caption stuck in a boy’s mind, he meets the man in the photo – and he’s a hell of a nice bloke. And that original photo is here, too.
Almanac Rugby League – Some push pianos, others play them
April 16, 2020 by 6 Comments
In our continuing series of rugby league stories, Steve and Col Wilson tinkle the ivories to explain why ‘some players push pianos while others play them’. They argue that it’s one aspect of the game that has never changed.
Almanac Rugby League – 2019 NRL Grand Final Day: Interstate Championship – Newtown Jets v Burleigh Bears
October 6, 2019 by Leave a Comment
The 2019 NRL Grand Final programme got underway with the Interstate Challenge match between the Newtown Jets and the Burleigh Bears. It served as a great appetiser for the later courses. Here’s how Ian Hauser saw it pan out.
Almanac Rugby League – NRL Round 15: There is movement on the ladder
July 1, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Aficionado maybe, tipster not! Ian Hauser runs his eye over the weekend’s NRL results to try to glean what it all means and finds some support for his ‘moving month’ theory.
Almanac Rugby League – NRL Round 6: winnowing time?
April 18, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Round 6 of the NRL looks likely to separate the wheat from the chaff, an autumnal winnowing to reveal the substance of the real contenders and blow away the pretence of the hollow wannabes.
Almanac Rugby League – Farewell Greg Inglis
April 18, 2019 by 1 Comment
‘The word “great” tends to be overused in rugby league, but I believe the word is strongly applicable to Greg Inglis.’ So says rugby league author and historian Liam Hauser as he looks back on the career of club, Origin and Test star Gregory Paul Inglis.
Almanac Rugby League – NRL Round 5 Wrap
April 15, 2019 by Leave a Comment
The gap in the NRL between top and bottom got worse this weekend. But it was a great day at Sunshine Coast Stadium on Saturday – except for the infernal noise that supposedly passes as entertainment.
Almanac Rugby League – ‘Interesting season unfolding’
April 8, 2019 by Leave a Comment
‘Interesting season unfolding’ says Harms with respect to the AFL season. The same can be said about the NRL after four rounds. Here’s why.
Almanac Rugby League – NRL Round 1 fallout
March 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment
What can just one round of the new season tell us? Perhaps more than we might expect but, come September, we just might end up with egg on our faces!
Almanac Rugby League – QRL Intrust Super Cup: 2019 season kicks off today
March 9, 2019 by 1 Comment
The QRL Intrust Super Cup season 2019 kicks off today. Our resident rugby league writer Ian Hauser offers his thoughts on the season (as well as his method of easing the pain of ironing).
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 – 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 1 + NRLW Round 1
September 7, 2018 by Leave a Comment
After the most even breakdown of finalists in years, the NRL Finals get underway tonight. It’s a brave person who thinks they can pick the winners! Here’s our attempt to do just that at The Almanac.
Almanac Rugby League – Bits and pieces from here and there
September 3, 2018 by 5 Comments
Our rugby league man casts his eyes around the countryside to make random observations about ‘the greatest game of all’.
Almanac Rugby League – PNG Hunters are more than a football team
September 20, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The PNG Hunters are just about to play the Ipswich Jets in he Queensland Cup preliminary final. Patrick Skene explains what that means to the people of PNG. (First published in The Guardian)
Almanac Rugby League – Homo Morphsuitius
September 13, 2015 by Leave a Comment
For those who recall the grand old days of rugby league in Brisbane – when Brothers and Fortitude Valleys ran around – this piece from that noted biological historian Matt O’Hanlon will resonate. Report of the BRL second division final Grand Final. [Very funny MOH – were they serving double rums free with the cans of XXXX Gold?]
Almanac Rugby League – From Big Bal to George Benson: a love letter to PNG Rugby League
Patrick Skene first took an interest in PNG rugby league when Bal Numapo arrived at the Bulldogs. Patrick’s appreciation went to another level when he attended the PNG Hunters’ first match in the Queensland Cup in 2014 at Redcliffe’s Dolphin Oval.