And here we have it, round one done and dusted, with some pretty spectacular results too (thanks Jonathan)
I was very impressed with the standard of footy on offer and this bodes well for the rest of the season. League fans throughout Asia and the rest of the world will be fizzing for the rest of the season.
This weeks podcast features Leaguel Counsel’s first player interview with the one and only Charlie Gubb of the Warriors. Here he shares with us how he got into League from a predominantly Rugby Union school in Wellington, his feelings on the biggest eater in the team and also tells a great story of how he went in front of the judiciary before his 7 week suspension last season.
When I think of the early rounds of the NRL, my mind races back to the late nineties, round 3 back in 1999 to be precise. It was a game played in Australia and was an incredible example of Australian cultural cringe. The Newcastle Knights coach at the time, Brian Smith, bought a yarn from a washed up American footballer from Philadelphia and named him in his first grade side a few weeks later!
To think of all the people who have followed Rugby League all their life and would give their left testicle to play a first grade game, this fly-by-nighter cowboy called Greg Smith got the opportunity and predictably he had a Barry Crocker. Very little footage exists of the actual game but some of the embarrassment can be seen below. Needless to say it was his one and only first grade game…God Bless the Newcastle Knights!