NRL’s kick-blocker crackdown changes the game – but the question is do we want that?
The Roar » Cricket
by Stuart Thomas
2h ago
The NRL’s crack-down on kick blockers is a clear attempt to address the cynical practise of attacking teams using forwards as obstacles to make life difficult for those attempting charge-downs and life a little easier for the kicker. Many a subtle shoulder has been dropped over the years, by loitering big men creating nothing other than a zig zag pathway available to defensive players looking to pressurise the kick. Being able to have the kicker on the front foot and launching the ball as close to the advantage line as possible is the obvious goal and attacking teams have managed the charade w ..read more
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Richmond must embrace rebuild or risk getting ‘mired in mediocrity’ – here’s how they can do it
The Roar » Cricket
by Dem Panopoulos
5h ago
Valiant. Brave. Gutsy. In footballing parlance, these synonyms tend to be used to describe the efforts of bad teams that are having a crack. These adjectives have been used for the Tigers at times to start season 2024. Despite the likely grand ideas Adem Yze had when taking over, Richmond is a bottom-four team in the competition this season. They were terrible against the Suns, performed well against the odds against Carlton and had decent moments when hosting Port Adelaide, all teams with finals expectations at the very least. The effort is mostly there, but the quality and consistency aren’t ..read more
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The third-tier German side that is going on a cup run for the ages … again
The Roar » Cricket
by Nicholas Quinlan
5h ago
One of the unbridled feelings as a football fan (or even as a sports fan) is seeing your team going on an unexpected and positive run. This is especially true for cup competitions with the ability for single elimination games to provide upset results that no one sees coming. One of these stories is currently taking place on the Western border of Germany – FC Saarbrücken in the third tier. The team made football headlines in November after they shocked Bayern Munich to knock them out of the DFB-Pokal 2-1. Since that win, they have shocked the German football world and are now a game away from m ..read more
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How Italy revolutionised their youth system to produce a golden generation – and what Australia can learn from it
The Roar » Cricket
by JD Kiwi
5h ago
They used to be the laughing stock of the Six Nations. Winners of the wooden spoon 18 times in 24 years. Never escaping from the pool stage in the Rugby World Cup. Never higher than eighth in the world rankings. If you think Australia is in a hopeless situation then you should consider the position of Federazione Italiana Rugby president Alfredo Gavazzi in 2016. Italy is a big country – nearly 60 million people – but football is everything there. Rugby is tiny, behind even basketball, volleyball, tennis, motorsport and cycling. They have just two professional clubs – Benetton and Zebre – which ..read more
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Salary cap futures market: How each club stacks up long term as player swaps, releases and contract standoffs loom
The Roar » Cricket
by Paul Suttor
6h ago
Such is the state of the NRL’s laissez-faire player transfer system, the competition is just three weeks old and there is already speculation surfacing about deals for next week, next month, next season and beyond.  Some clubs have plenty of flexibility with their salary cap, some not so much but the simple fact of having dollars to spare does not mean you will be able to sign marquee free agents.  Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett recently revealed the NRL’s newest team had as much as $2 million remaining in their salary cap for this season but splashing cash on Tevita Pangai jnr is off ..read more
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550 games and change – Is time up for Andrew Gaff and Jack Darling?
The Roar » Cricket
by Brendan Foster
7h ago
When West Coast picked up Andrew Gaff and Jack Darling in the 2010 draft, the Eagles would’ve been chuffed if both players went on to rack up 150-odd games for the club. More than 10 years later, Darling (278) and Gaff (276) currently sit third and equal fourth for the most games played for the Eagles. Their longevity and resilience have been remarkable. Where the two players sit in the pecking order of greats to have donned the blue and gold will be grist for the mill for armchair experts to mull over. However, seemingly without warning Gaff and Darling’s careers have abruptly stalled. There ..read more
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Delly delivers, forces NBL decider with ultra-clutch bucket as JackJumper nearly repeats miracle
The Roar » Cricket
by News
10h ago
Melbourne United have sent the NBL championship series to a deciding game with a nail-biting 88-86 win over the Tasmania JackJumpers in enemy territory. Trailing 2-1 in the best-of-five series, United held their nerve at Hobart’s MyState Bank Arena on Thursday night with Matthew Dellavedova sinking the deciding shot with 7.2 seconds on the clock. Dellavedova, a 2016 NBA champion with Cleveland, nailed a lay-up to put Melbourne ahead 87-86. DELLAVEDOVA. BRILLIANT. ???? Catch the Finals action live on ESPN via Kayo ???? pic.twitter.com/Z2E3aSytTY — NBL (@NBL) March 28, 2024 Tasmania had a po ..read more
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Footy Fix: The worst grand final rematch ever just proves the Pies have slightly fewer problems than Brisbane
The Roar » Cricket
by Tim Miller
11h ago
It has been ten years since Australian cricket icon Ricky Ponting released his autobiography At the Close of Play, but there’s a passage that still resounds with me after all that time – and is a perfect metaphor, as it happens, for Collingwood’s win over Brisbane at the Gabba. Struggling for form, with the glory days seemingly well behind him and dealing with media scrutiny unlike at any stage in his glittering career, Ponting was inspired to one last great summer in 2011/12, by the simple measure of watching Indian veteran Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman go through exactly the same thing, just o ..read more
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Panthers cruise to victory over Roosters without top gun Iceman as Mavrik takes flight
The Roar » Cricket
by Mike Meehall Wood
12h ago
Why did we ever doubt them? The Panthers entered this clash as clear outsiders, but sent out the strongest statement yet that the Premiership is theirs to lose with a 22-16 slap down of the Sydney Roosters on their own patch. It was set up as a changing of the guard, with the Panthers missing Nathan Cleary and James Fisher-Harris against a team that was coming in off the back of a huge derby win a week ago. Yet this was as one-sided as they come. Don’t let the scoreline fool you: this was a beatdown from the first minute on. Easts were not a factor in the game at all until past the hour mark ..read more
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Super Rugby tipping week six: ‘Golden point, my a—‘: everyone tips the Tahs but who really believes in them?
The Roar » Cricket
by The Roar
16h ago
The Australian derby is the major point of difference this week as our panel of tipsters are closely aligned again after a tight week five. Last week, there was just one tip of difference between the four panellists, with Tony opting for the Waratahs over the Drua. ‘Golden point, my a—‘ has been his pained refrain all week. This time around the panel is all aligned on the opening four games, and split 2-2 on the last one. Hamish has another point of difference, picking the Highlanders to end the impressive run of the table-topping Hurricanes. So let’s them. Christy Doran Chiefs, Waratahs, Drua ..read more
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