On November 6, 1945 a baby boy is born in a small village outside of Nadi, Fiji. One of 6 children, people noted the young boy had an adventurous spirit. As a young man, this adventurous spirit would take him thousands of miles on a journey that hundreds of others would follow. But this isn’t…
Month: January 2021
Episode 12 – That’s a Miracle! The 1995 State of Origin Series
In 1995, the game of Rugby League was at war with itself. Clubs, officials, players and supporters had turned on each other. Sponsors were walking away, TV Ratings were down, and most importantly the games supporters were disillusioned and disappearing, The game needed something uplifting to change its fortunes. The game needed something inspirational to…
Episode 11 – The History of the Rugby League Challenge Cup
On the 20th of March, 1897, 20 Rugby League matches were played in the North of England.Amongst the results that day, Hunslet defeated the amateur Broughton Recreation by 75 to 5 – whilst Leigh and Wakefield Trinity played out a nil all draw. It was the beginning of a competition that would bring agony and…
Episode 10 – Rugby League’s Bonanza: The Cartwrights
In 1967, one of the most popular programs on Australian television was Bonanza. It was a program that revolved around the cattle ranching Cartwright family in 1860’s Nevada. At the same time in Australia, another Cartwright family was just getting started, out at the Penrith Panthers. Little did we know back then, that Penrith’s Cartwright…
Episode 9 – The Dogs of War. Canterbury 1984-1987
The 1980’s was the most successful decade in the history of the Canterbury-Bankstown Rugby League Club. They won premierships in 1980, 1984, 1985 and 1988. But amongst all this success, one team stood out – a team that would create a legacy. A legacy that lasts to the present day. Episode Acknowledgments: Steve Greige is…
Episode 8 – Raper – A Rugby League family.
In Australia, if you’re talking about the Chappell family you’re talking cricket; the Ella’s – Rugby Union – Ablett, AFL. If your talking about the Brabham’s, then your talking motor sport, Cummins – horseracing. Rugby League also has a signature name, and that name is Raper ! For more than 60 years, the Raper family…
Episode 7 – The Birth of a Super Coach- Eastern Suburbs 1967
Eastern Suburbs failed to win a match in the 1966 Premiership Season. It was only the fourth time in the history of the NSWRL that a team had failed to win a match in a premiership season (Annandale 1918, Sydney University 1935, South Sydney 1946). Most experts were predicting similar dire straits for Easts for…
Episode 6 – Newtown 1984 to 2019
On September 26, 1983, the New South Wales Rugby League did not invite Newtown to participate in the 1984 premiership. Many thought it was the end for Rugby League’s first club. The club was cocooned for seven years, but in 1991 an osmosis began that would transform the club and take it to new, dizzy…
Episode 5 – The History of Rugby League in France ( Part 2)
In Part 1, Mike Rylance told us about the incredible rise of Rugby League in the 1930’s – followed by the cruel bans of the Vichy Regime in the 1940s, and the golden period of the 1950’s which saw France dominate international Rugby League. In Part 2 we chart the game’s demise AND possibly the…