Roy Masters

Storm must pick big pack to counter Manly brawn

Roy Masters Two months ago, none of the other semi-final-bound teams wanted to meet the Bulldogs in the grand final.

Whistle-shy referees could affect finals results

Roy Masters It's a truth acknowledged by most rugby league fans that referees keep the whistle in their pockets at semi-final time.

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Roy Masters

In McClements, commission sets its sights on another Big Mac

Roy Masters The sports executive charged with securing Origin matches for Melbourne may become the ARL Commission's new chief.

Politicians insult rugby league by treating it as AFL's poor cousin

Roy Masters Both the Raiders and the Sharks need to win today's elimination final at Canberra Stadium to shore up future support from contrasting stakeholders. Each club has what the other wants.

Getting a tough break in age-old code debate

Roy Masters 'I THINK we've got the crowd,'' former federal treasurer Peter Costello said before the annual AFL finals debate yesterday morning at the MCG.

Grant defends crackdown on shoulder charge on finals eve

Roy Masters ARL Commission chairman John Grant has defended the decision to take tougher action on the eve of the finals against tacklers whose shoulder makes contact with the head of an opponent as Cronulla's...

Rugby League

Why Demetriou should be ARL's target

Roy Masters Now that the AFL's No.2 man, Gillon McLachlan, has knocked back the job as chief executive of the ARL Commission, rugby league should pursue the rival code's No.

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Time to blow whistle on refs rotating jobs

Roy Masters The best result of the semi-finals starting on Friday night is that the number of referees will halve and then halve again the following weekend.

With its future secure, league banks on its past for the stuff that legends are made of

Roy Masters Having secured its financial future, rugby league celebrates its past today with the opening of a museum at the code's Sydney headquarters.

League's Super fund

Roy Masters WHEN Channel Nine boss David Gyngell let out a sigh of relief at the ARL Commission's declaration it had awarded the Nine/Fox Sports consortium the broadcasting rights, the emission of emotion from...

Packer holds winning hand

Roy Masters THE biggest winner from this week's $1.025 billion rugby league broadcasting deal was casino tycoon James Packer.

Free at last: new deal to benefit all levels

Roy Masters The new Australian Rugby League Commission has delivered the code an outstanding stepping stone broadcasting deal, eclipsing anything done in the past and securing its media future by unshackling the...

War looms over top job

Roy Masters ANOTHER rugby league civil war is on the distant horizon unless the ARL Commission appoints a football person as its chief executive.

Origin Legends to fight for future

Roy Masters The NSWRL has threatened to sever ties with the state's Origin Legends association, following the failure of the ex-Blues' body to supply financial accounts.

Roy Masters

Dramatic licence: whistleblowers in danger of playing to script to ensure theatrical finale

Roy Masters Referees risk becoming choreographers, directing the course of NRL games to produce dramatic results.

Why succeeding often means failure

Roy Masters IT'S preferable to be the coach who follows the coach who follows the legend. Just ask anyone who followed Jack Gibson, particularly after his appointments at Eastern Suburbs (two premierships) and...

Blues sold a dummy when junior rules were changed

Roy Masters NSW's long wait for another Andrew ''Joey'' Johns-style halfback may be over … in another 15 years or so.

Roy Masters

How many careers ended because of a ref's wrong ruling?

Roy Masters Watching football these days fills me full of memories. It makes me reflect on the number of legitimate tries in the past that were disallowed and the ones that were awarded, despite them being...