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.
Almanac Rugby League – The 26th Annual Tom Brock Lecture: Stories of PNG Rugby League
September 4, 2025 by 1 Comment
Almanac Rugby League: The Magnificent Murri Nine
April 10, 2025 by 2 Comments
The final scoreline doesn’t always tell the full story. Patrick Skene explains a game where what seemed like a scoreboard thrashing was, in fact, a noble loss full of character. (We’re reprising this article from Patrick Skene as a follow-up to his presentation at the recent Almanac rugby league lunch in Sydney – Ed.)
Almanac Rugby League (Book Review) – ‘The Power and the Passion: Rugby League in the 1980s’
November 7, 2024 by 4 Comments
Russel Hansen revisits rugby league in the 1980s via his review of ‘The Power and the Passion: Rugby League in the 1980s’ by Alan Whiticker and Ian Collis.
Almanac Rugby League (Publications): Bob Bax and Roy Francis
November 7, 2024 by 2 Comments
Dr Greg Mallory is, among other things, a rugby league historian and an academic. He brings to our attention two new publications for diehard fans of ‘the greatest game of all’.
Almanac Rugby League: The vexed question of expansion
August 29, 2024 by 2 Comments
Our rugby league editor Ian Hauser outlines some of the proposals for the 18th, 19th and 20th licences in an expanded NRL.
Almanac Rugby League: Henson Park
July 4, 2024 by 5 Comments
John Campbell takes us back to the glory days of Newtown playing at Henson Park and shows us that sport is much more than sport. Yet another of his distinctive artworks adorns this piece. [Beautiful piece – JTH]
Almanac Rugby League – NRLW Semi-Finals and NRL Round 4: Grand Final spots up for grabs in the NRLW
March 31, 2022 by Leave a Comment
The 2021 NRLW finals begin this weekend with Grand Final spots on offer for the winners. Meanwhile the NRL season is throwing up a few pleasant surprises. Our rugby league man, Ian Hauser, casts his eye over the state of play.
Almanac Rugby League: Vale Johnny Gleeson, Kangaroo No. 391
December 27, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Rugby League in Queensland (and Australia) is mourning the passing of Johnny Gleeson, a true champion of the 1950s and 60s.
Almanac Rugby League: Sunset at Henson Park
May 27, 2021 by 1 Comment
If every picture tells a story, Glen Dwyer from the Newtown RLFC captured the concept perfectly with a stunning photo from Henson Park last weekend.
Almanac Life: Quick hands at Uncle Stan’s in Grantham
January 11, 2021 by 25 Comments
On the tenth anniversary if the 2011 floods, we reprise John Harms’s story about his Uncle Stan and Aunty June who survived the Grantham devastation.
“My wonderful, wonderful uncle, Stan Schulz, died in 2015. He was a great man – a truly great man. He and Aunty June survived the catastrophic Grantham flood in January 2011. At the time, I wrote this story about him.”
Almanac Rugby League – State of Origin Game 3: A deserving finale
November 19, 2020 by 3 Comments
Sean Mortell concludes his series of reports on the NRL’s 2020 State of Origin series. He’s getting to understand just what that famous Maroon jersey means!
Almanac Rugby League – State of Origin, Game 3 preview: Are we in for a Lang Park special?
November 18, 2020 by 2 Comments
Queensland and New South Wales fight it out for 2020 State of Origin supremacy when they clash at Lang Park tomorrow night. The Almanac’s Ian Hauser provided this preview.
Almanac Rugby League – 2020 State of Origin, Game 2: Simply Blue
November 12, 2020 by 2 Comments
State of Origin in Sydney has a certain feel about it. Sean Mortell taps into it to provide his evaluation of Game 2 of the 2020 Origin series.
Almanac Rugby League – 2020 State of Origin Game 1: Setting Origin alight
November 5, 2020 by 1 Comment
Sean Mortell has catholic tastes when it come to sport in general and football in particular. Here he offers his perspective on last night’s Game 1 of the 2020 rugby league State of Origin series.
Almanac Rugby League – Cameron Smith: A legend in his own time
November 5, 2020 by 2 Comments
Liam Hauser makes the case that, over the 30 years he’s followed rugby league, Cameron Smith is the greatest player he has seen.
Almanac Rugby League – 2020 State of Origin, Game 1: Flickering start, high beam finish
November 5, 2020 by 2 Comments
The NRL’s 2020 State of Origin series got underway in Adelaide last night. The Almanac’s rugby league editor Ian Hauser tells us how he saw it unfold.
Almanac Rugby League: 2020 State of Origin, Game 1 – It seems different to me
November 4, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Rugby league’s centrepiece series, State of Origin, kicks off in Adelaide tonight (Nov 4). For our rugby league editor Ian Hauser, the 2020 edition of Origin seems like a lot of other things in 2020 – different.
Almanac Rugby League: Covid and Season 2020
October 29, 2020 by 4 Comments
John Campbell discovered footy podcasts as he whiled away the season. He offers a few thoughts about their qualities.
Almanac Rugby League: Controversies that never end
October 29, 2020 by 1 Comment
Harold Peacock recalls two controversial grand finals involving Ipswich, one rugby league, the other musical.
Almanac Rugby League – NRLW 2020 Grand Final: Brisbane Broncos v Sydney Roosters – Experience overcomes potential
October 27, 2020 by Leave a Comment
The 2020 NRLW Grand Final was a torrid encounter between the Brisbane Broncos and the Sydney Roosters. Father and son team Ian and Liam Hauser covered the game from the perspective of each team.
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