Almanac Rugby League: Five Metre Gap – NRL Round 6, 2016

Hamish Neal on NRL Round 6, including news of Brisbane even scoring tries from kicks.

Almanac Rugby League – NRL Round 4: Sharks vs Storm – Cronulla stop feeling unlucky, overcome Melbourne curse

Paul Macadam dreads Cronulla games against Storm however the Sharks had no fear in a solid win.

Almanac Rugby League – NRL 2015 Finals, Week 1: Cameron Smith leads from the front, so Melbourne win

The Storm secure the only Preliminary Final to be held in Melbourne in a couple of weeks as Wayne Ball ponders why the Roosters can’t get bums on seats

Almanac Rugby League – NRL 2015: Penrith v Melbourne – When the Team Doesn’t Deliver, The Bar Staff Will

Things aren’t going well for Wayne Ball’s Panthers

Round 7 – Richmond v Collingwood: Football in Australia. 100 years on.

Chris Daley is given cause to reflect on the changes in footy over the century, as he celebrates his great Aunt’s 100th birthday. If she’s a Tiger fan, it will have been a very good weekend indeed.

Season In The Abyss – Part Deux

Steve Baker announces “and the winner is….not Sid-a-nee”. On Tanya Hird’s advice the Bombers aren’t getting a cent of Steve’s hard-earned. Bulldogs and Storm fans rejoice.

An Innocent Abroad

Jason McNeil journeyed down from Brisbane for a sporting weekend. He got both the Cats and the Storm beaten within 24 hours. Harms has had him deported and Dips has withdrawn his passport. Jason is a welcome addition to Almanac ranks.

Crio’s Question: Who supports the white shorts?

Some teams receive just as much support playing away as at home – Liverpool at the G the most recent example, but many Storm fans swap allegiances when the NZ NRL team visits Melbourne. Conversely, some say the English crickets lose their advantage in Birmingham. Where else are the “white shorts” well supported?

Almanac Rugby League – Book Review: The Rugby League Almanac – You hate us, we love it.

Joseph Ryan is a Melbourne-based Melbourne Storm fan.

He makes some astute observations about some of the writing on Melbourne Storm matches in The Rugby League Almanac.

Almanac Rugby League – NRL Round 4: Brisbane v Melbourne – Honk, Honk, Here Comes Cronk

Ian Hauser goes downstairs for one last time, and watches his Broncos get beaten by the clinical Storm.

Almanac Rugby League – An evening with Billy Slater

John Harms enjoyed hearing Billy Slater at the East Coburg CC. He reckons the Storm will give you a very good sight this year.

Almanac Rugby League -NRL Round 1: Storm vs Dragons – Business as Usual

No matter the opposition, no matter the occasion, the Storm always do what needs to be done. This game against St George was no different.

Almanac Rugby League – Raiders take wind out of Storm and rain on party

There’s something about, and nothing like, an impromptu game of park footy, or soccer, or rugby or cricket or any sport for that matter. Kardinia Park was much like that on Friday night when the Storm hosted the Raiders for a pre-season jaunt.

AFL Grand Final: Like Otto the autopilot, Swans head into sunset

In another Fearless report, Paul Thomson hails the Swans and the Storm and suggests the AFL fix the free agency system quickly.

Almanac Rugby League – NRL Finals 2012, Week 1: Melbourne v Souths – Rabbitohs in the lights

  By John Robotham   The portents weren’t good. My seven-year-old daughter, Lucy, was conflicted – wearing a garish purple coat over her knee-length Rabbitohs jumper, circa 1999 – a look that amused many. As we joined the river of purple flowing down Batman Avenue she felt more self-conscious, pulling the coat tight around her. [Read more]

Almanac Rugby League – NRL Round 25: Melbourne v Cronulla – Storm rises like Lazarus – again

You know things are going bad when the team’s padre can be seen leaving the ground before the final siren. Apologies to Father Bob for giving up on the Melbourne Storm in their round 25 match against Cronulla, but seriously, who leaves a game when you have three of the game’s finest in your line-up?

Almanac Rugby League – Dragons go close

I don’t miss too many Dragons games. Whether live or on TV or even on the radio I’ll make a serious effort to catch the game each week. I’ve even been known to submit to that unique form of pain – watching a match you’ve recorded earlier that evening even though you already know your [Read more]

Almanac Rugby League – NRL R24, 2011: Celebrating Billy

I first visited Melbourne in 2000, a lads trip from Canberra in a busted-up Camry that lost both reverse and fifth gear mid-trek as Rohan, Bommy, The Judge and I all took our turns holding the bastard in fifth as we chugged down the Hume. It was the first time I had met Parko. We [Read more]

Offsiders go at it hammer and tong.

  For an interesting analysis of the Melbourne Storm issue, check out yesterday’s Offsiders program which includes some fairly frank and free discussion between panelists, especially GCJD Haigh and Rebecca Wilson. It’s available in segments at this link (you’ll work it out): http://www.abc.net.au/sport/offsiders/ Of the many worms that are released by the opening of the [Read more]

Almanac Rugby League – Anzac Day: From Reservoir to the ‘G’, to the eye of the Storm

The national anthem brings the dawn service at the Reservoir cenotaph to a close and a greying man wrapped in black and white trumpets, Carna Pies! Some giggle into their winter coats while a few women puff on heartstarters.  Children hang from parents’ arms.  A craggy digger approaches another standing at the rear of the [Read more]