Almanac Rugby League: One hell of a nice bloke

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: ‘Rugby league – the greatest game of all’

Murray Bird may be better known in Almanac circles for his Australian football pedigree but he has long-term roots in rugby league as well. A few years ago, he took in a Queensland Cup match to test out the code’s claim to be ‘the greatest game of all’.

Almanac Rugby League: The Magnificent Murri Nine

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.

Almanac Rugby League – Redcliffe Dolphins turn 70

First published in The Guardian, this article by Joe Gorman takes a look at one of the country’s great football clubs, the Redcliffe Dolphins which turns 70 this year.

Almanac Rugby League – Homo Morphsuitius

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 – “Rugby League: the greatest game of all”

Murray Bird returned to Langlands Park for some enjoyable late season Queensland Cup Rugby League action. A lot had changed since he was last there in the 1970s, but not the drinking (or smoking) preferences of the locals.