Roy Masters
Roy Masters is a Rugby League Columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald
League
Team spirit: how Blues can reach Origin nirvana
Roy Masters When NSW coach Laurie Daley finalises his team after this weekend's NRL round, he will try and include as many fit players from the Blues 2012 Origin squad.
LEAGUE
When it comes to money, not all clubs are equal
Roy Masters THE AFL has a future fund and the Rugby League Commission plans one, seeking $200 million in savings over the life of the new broadcasting contract.
League
Lack of Plan B compounds copycat conundrum
Roy Masters Basically, there are two ways for a rugby league team to use the ball: go through the opposition, or around them.
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...
League
Pet peeve: NRL clubs make mockery of memberships
Roy Masters Rugby league has an ignoble history of creative counting - fictitious crowd figures, salary cap manipulation, exaggerating injury tallies, even miscounting tackles.
League
Hot topic: should the season kick off at night?
Roy Masters Islands in the oceans may drown and the Antarctic ice shelf melt but climate change takes on an immediate meaning for coaches when it affects the scheduling of games.
Roy Masters
Men of dollars, and sense, required
Roy Masters It has taken rugby league more than 100 years to reach prudent adulthood. On Wednesday night, the NRL season launch at Sydney's Star casino is also a celebration of the code's new status as a...
Roy Masters
Queenslanders will rebel if Johns becomes Immortal
Roy Masters The rumblings from the Deep North began early in the week when some of Queensland's Former Origin Greats (FOGs) became convinced former NSW halfback Andrew "Joey" Johns was to become rugby league's...
Canterbury's crafty defence has opposition seeing double
Roy Masters THE Bulldogs have one of the best defensive records in the NRL, preventing the opposition scoring tries from within 20 metres of their own line.
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.
Roy Masters
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.
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.
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...
Roy Masters
Arts about face: heading to Hobart while AFL looks the other way
Roy Masters You know the world of rugby league has changed irreversibly when 10 players visit a museum the day before a game and complain the art is offensive, even pornographic.
Roy Masters
Fox pundits' ignorance just isn't bliss for code's tragics
Roy Masters NO NRL season has ever opened with as much will to win from the players and coaches as we witnessed in round one.
Roy Masters
Super Sunday the wild card in TV rights push
Roy Masters 'SUPER Sunday'' could become a reality in rugby league's next broadcasting contract, with four games across three time zones in two countries over a six-hour period.
Fullbacks on the rise in the modern-day pecking order
Roy Masters Magpies greats, such as Noel Kelly and Tom Raudonikis, will gather at the SCG today for the foundation club's annual reunion, before shuffling across to Allianz Stadium on arthritic knees to watch...
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...
