The Maroons should need no extra motivation heading into the Origin decider on home turf, but if coach Billy Slater is looking for some then these are 20 instances in which his team were bullied by the Blues at the MCG.
Far from ruining a club’s hopes of playing grand final footy, State of Origin is the making of a grand final squad and David Riccio has the numbers to prove it.
The gloves are off and don’t be fooled, Michael Maguire’s “glass houses” sledge would have really irritated Queensland coach Billy Slater MATTY JOHNS has declared.
The $40m injection into Leichhardt Oval might not be enough to tempt the Wests Tigers to play more than a token two matches per season at the historic ground going forward, writes BRENT READ.
Benji Marshall spent his final playing years watching Wayne Bennett, filling his notebook with coaching strategies and philosophies. But unlike Bennett, he doesn’t have 50 years of coaching experience to fall back on, writes PAUL KENT.
Penrith’s tremendous success could also be the club’s greatest downfall, as the longer a club enjoys a sustained run of success, the more complex the challenges it faces, writes MATTY JOHNS.
DEAN RITCHIE outlines the ways rugby league’s most ambitious innovation in 116 years can somehow become better next season.
The NRL is making noise in the US and while rival codes dismiss it as one-off, Las Vegas shapes a history defining moment that will permanently alter the sporting landscape, BRENT READ writes.
In a special Las Vegas edition of highlights and lowlights, BUZZ ROTHFIELD lifts the lid on referees for the season openers and the goalposts set to create a surprise for NRL fans.
Armed with a $3 million war chest, the Roosters are set to strike fear into their NRL rivals as they prepare to go big-name hunting. Their hit list includes a 2023 grand final star and emerging rugby prodigy.
Now that the NRL appears to have finally learned how to handle money, there is no longer any doubt about football’s best code.
The Canberra Raiders and Sydney Roosters will demand answers from the NRL hoping to get “proper justification and not some feeble response.”
The terrible old-school mentality in rugby league where it is seen as a weakness to speak up about important issues could soon be a thing of the past, writes PHIL ROTHFIELD.
Saint, sinner, shoosh: The Reynolds v Carrigan wrestling match wasn’t the only off-season fight between teammates. Another pair of high-profile players were reportedly involved in a training scuffle.
Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/opinion/page/7