I like it rough and dirty. Also love a tough game of footy too!


I used to love it because the Samoans were big, but most of them wouldn't hurt a fly. You had to try and make them angry to use their size properly, and that was your own team mates!

I always felt the Tongans were the most natural players. My problem was they were usually good and wingers, big and fast, not so good for a small winger to have to handle!

I didn't play alongside too many Aboriginal players or Fijians myself, only a few of them here and there but they were always good players.

It is great though because you get to play against every type of player and its just the norm. I don't know anything other than that type of League environment so when people started getting worried about Islander players taking up so many of the rep sides in recent years I never understood the concern and still dont.

What we are starting to get now is a lot of African kids taking up the sport. I've said that within 15 years we'll have our first Test player from an African background.

It really is fantastic though and its why this junior base out here is just a gold mine for the NRL.


Its just a shame it has been dragged through the mud by a bunch of idiots.

What I find funniest is when the Samoans and Fijians try to drink.
Me mates in the military and his huge muscular Fijian mate was drunk on two beers. It was pretty funny to see him stumbling around after a couple of beers and from what I told they're all lovely natured n all. Good players but jesus, they cant drink

That tends to be a bit of a problem at some pubs on a weekend!

Yeah look, I've not met any Islanders that were real b*stards. I know they are out there but any that I've mixed with have always been quick to have a laugh and just enjoy life.

And I have to say, one of my most memorable experiences of my life was attending the Tonga vs Samoa World Cup match out at Penrith.

A big crowd, both sides singing and chanting all game.....and I have to say I must have been the only person drinking beer, it was amazing to see so many people and so little booze.

It was fantastic and really, it is the reason why I felt the World Cup should have been in Australia again because all of these people got a chance to celebrate the game, its part of their culture, and they can't do that when its in England.

Touche.
I personallt think the WC being in England was a good decision to try and ride on the back of this decade of sport malarky.
Hopefully we'll be better by then, that or we pay the SAS to knock off australias first choice 17 and it gets some decent publicity.
RL is growing in the UK but the recessions hit clubs hard, we could do with the boost over the next few years.

When did that happen?

I'm more surprised by him claiming to have actually played the game in any organised manner.

The summer of 1997......she was a big woman, and yes, I had 20 bucks.

Prop forward i believe. This was him during his fit spell

This sorta stuff happens every week in South American soccer. How's the game doing over there?

But what about your rugby?

Hey! Don't diss Orchard Park Estate - I went to St John Fisher school there. Supposedly the worst estate in Europe. So 'tough' that as 10 year olds we used to walk alone delivering Christmas boxes to the elderly. It was the best school I ever went to. They taught us to to value people from every background and ability. Rich or poor. I'm now a self-employed Design Consultant. We played Rugby League under Phil Shaw and were city champions and cup winners beating our fierce rivals Eastfield in the process. Me and a mate got picked for Hull schoolboys and we went on to beat Wigan to become national champions. We were presented with the trophy at the old Craven Park - but we didn't let that spoil the occasion!

After this excitement we all went to Marist senior school where they only played Union against the posh schools. They wouldn't let us play League but we begged our teacher and he finally relented - organizing us a League match against 'Sydney Smith' school. Without realising he'd set up a massive grudge re-match against our old Eastfield rivals! This match was their "payback" for years of hurt. They were massive and hard (including a certain future Hull KR captain) and very bitter but we weren't going to relinquinsh our hard-won reputation. Let's just say it's the only match that I've played in over 20 years where it was abandoned after 20 minutes for a series of clashes leading up to a huge 30 man brawl. Even the subs all ran onto the pitch and started scrapping ! It was like a western. Suffice to say it would turn out to be the last game of Rugby League we played at Marist. But in another ironic twist we played them again at Union and won. Again...

Playing League gave me a huge lesson in life - at school, most lads thought they had to show they weren't weak. Rugby League shows you that if you are genuinely hard you don't need to prove it. Walk tall...

Graphic footage has emerged of a fight that broke out at a Sydney junior footy grand final, leaving one teen with serious injuries.

rlhttps://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/866382/junior-footy-fight-footage-emergesrl

Ouch. There's a bit of biff, and there's setting on someone like animals. A few fisticuffs in the game is, to be fair, expected. I know they're kids, but they're old enough to now kicking a downed player is going too far.

One player (if you watch it, it's not hard to guess who) has been banned for 20 years. Another for 5 years, and 2 more for 2 years. The U-16s coach, who had been using offensive language and threatened the officials, has been sacked.

Good. The reasons we've been called Thugby League have been mostly eliminated, we don't need bloody petulant kids acting up like that.

The Lower Mountains kids are guests at the Canterbury v Parramatta game today/tonight.

rlhttps://www.2gb.com/listenlive/index.phprl