Roy Masters
Roy Masters is a Rugby League Columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald
League
League loses a smart peacemaker
Roy Masters The executive with more corporate history than the entire NRL and ARLC combined informed his staff at 9.30am on Friday that he would be leaving after this year's State of Origin series.
Rugby League
NRL plans for worst on drugs
Roy Masters Defaulted grand final and internal draft to reinforce ranks of any club stripped of players.
NRL considers nightmare scenario
Roy Masters A defaulted grand final and an internal draft to reinforce the ranks of any club stripped of players because of doping sanctions are among the contingency plans the NRL has drawn up in response to...
League
The good and bad bits of ref chief's new rules
Roy Masters The Roosters were at the second coaches meeting with referees' boss Daniel Anderson, held last week before Thursday night's much-anticipated season-opener between the foundation clubs, while the...
Roy Masters
Short-term goals win out for Bellamy, Storm
Roy Masters Craig Bellamy has opted for immediate short-term team success in Melbourne over guaranteed long-term personal security and stability with St George Illawarra.
Roy Masters
A bittersweet victory for the players' coach
Roy Masters Twice in the jubilant Storm dressing room, the coach Craig Bellamy confessed to a strange emptiness.
Coaches, not subterfuge, are the finals X-factor
Roy Masters 'They obviously want an all-Sydney club grand final,'' one NRL club official texted immediately after the Sea Eagles' controversial victory against the Cowboys a week ago.
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...
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.
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
Fox, Nine could be outfoxed on TV rights
Roy Masters A SHORT-TERM deal between rugby league and its broadcasters looms as a distinct possibility following News Ltd's acquisitions.
Roy Masters
One-time foes united on plan for two stadiums to cover all codes
Roy Masters In a ''back to the future'' strategy, two long-term rugby league administrators have combined to rationalise the use of NSW government-controlled stadiums, possibly leading to the return of the...
NRL to reap $1.2b from TV rights deal
Roy Masters RUGBY LEAGUE is guaranteed a $1.2 billion broadcasting deal, with monopoly pay-TV network Fox Sports declaring it won't be beaten for the five-year rights.
Roy Masters
Gallop and commission at loggerheads over billion-dollar baby
Roy Masters Relations between the new ARL Commission and the administration of chief executive, David Gallop, risk becoming dysfunctional, with some commissioners holding private meetings with stakeholders.
It's tough to wrestle with stats: NRL's top teams have balance just right
Roy Masters Super coach Wayne Bennett is in unfamiliar territory with the Knights, the legendary premiership winner having one of his worst starts to a season in his 26 years in the top grade.
Out of favour, out of friends
Roy Masters God so loved the world, he didn't send a committee. He sent himself.
