ANZAC Test 2012 – Australia v New Zealand – Teams

By Steve 15 Comments

So the sides for this Friday night’s Australia v New Zealand ANZAC Test have been selected and to be honest there are a few surprises in there! Check out our preview of all the action while you’re here: ANZAC Test 2012 Preview

First of all, what the hell has Darius Boyd done to deserve selection in this Australian side let alone retain his place in the Queensland side? I know I’m a biased NSW supporter but plenty of wingers have done enough to warrant selection ahead of him. I’ve never been a massive fan of incumbent selections especially in Test Matches where there is so much football played in between each test.

Brett Morris and Jarryd Hayne have been in great form this season and have cause to feel a little aggrieved at not being considered for the squad.

13 of 18 are Queenslanders which has a similar vibe to last years side. Once again this year it will be Queensland v NZ while the NSW boys battle it out against each other on Sunday in Mudgee.

James Tamou was a massive shock to me, I thought he may have got a call up to the City v Country match but not the Kangaroos. Considering he played for the NZ Maori just a couple of years ago, this is a bit of a strange one. This also now opens the door for Tamou to be included in the NSW Blues side for Origin 1. A move that is sure to have the banana benders up in arms once again!

The Kiwis named a provisional squad of 19 players for the ANZAC Test which was just cut down to the final 17, both teams are included below. Let us know your thoughts on the selections below in the comments.

Australia – ANZAC Test 2012:

Billy Slater, Darius Boyd, Greg Inglis, Justin Hodges, Akuila Uate, Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk, Paul Gallen (vc), Cameron Smith (c), David Shillington, David Taylor, Sam Thaiday, Luke Lewis. Interchange: Daly Cherry-Evans, Ben Hannant, James Tamou, Anthony Watmough. 18th man: Matt Gillett.

New Zealand – ANZAC Test 2012:

Josh Hoffman, Jason Nightingale, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Simon Mannering, Manu Vatuvei, Benji Marshall, Shaun Johnson, Sam McKendry, Issac Luke, Ben Matulino, Frank Pritchard, Adam Blair, Jeremy Smith. Interchange: Nathan Fien, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Jesse Bromwich, Alex Glenn. (Gerard Beale and Jason Taumalolo dropped from extended training squad).

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Cronulla Sharks Membership

By Phillip 3 Comments

The NRL 2012 season kicks off in a few weeks, and as usual, I’ll be attending my fair share of games. Living close to Shark Park, although I don’t follow the Cronulla Sharks, I take the opportunity to watch a bit of live action, so I’m a regular on the hill.

The 2012 season could well be a good one for the Sharks. Flanagan looks to be a more than capable first grade coach, and the team has recruited fairly well – with Todd Carney’s signing the cream on top. However, while I am expecting better results from the Sharks on the field, their off field problems continue, particularly in the office. I genuinely want the Sharks to do well, so I’m taking this opportunity now to get a few things off my chest, and offer a few suggestions on things the Sharks can improve on, to both improve the experience for fans and possibly shore up the shaky financial foundations the club is built on.

1. Cronulla Sharks Membership Renewals

I have been a season ticket holder at the Sharks for the last 3 years, and on average, probably attend about 8 to 9 home games a year. We are now approaching mid-February, and there is only 3 weeks until the 2012 season kicks off. I have yet to receive a phone call, email, letter, telegram, carrier pigeon or smoke signal from the club asking me to renew my Cronulla Sharks membership. That is absolutely appalling. Membership as a business unit within the Sharks needs to be looked at closely, that is a horrible way to run a business. In any subscription based business, the first rule has to be to make sure existing members sign back up. I’d like to think that my case is a one off, however I am aware of another member who has also received no communication from the club.

2. 2012 Cronulla Sharks Membership Prices

As above, I haven’t been approached by the club to renew my Cronulla Sharks Membership, however luckily for the Sharkies, and with the season getting close, I decided to take a pro-active approach, and looked into renewing my membership. Generally, I’m a fan of a hill, standing up, tinnie in hand, watching the action. So I have always gone the general admission option. From memory, last year’s ticket was $180, and included admission to the 11 home games, as well as the membership pack. This year the GA ticket is $240. Ridiculous. Admittedly, this year there are 12 home games, instead of 11, however that is still a large increase for only 1 extra game.

As a comparison, a Roosters membership, in an undercover seat on the half way line, is $325, compared to $240 to stand on a hill on the goal line.

I have contacting Damian Irvine to check what the gate price will be in 2012, and he has confirmed it will be $25. Now, big home crowds are not a specialty of Cronulla’s, and with a lot of families struggling for disposable income, pushing up membership prices and gate prices seems to be an ill-advised move. I believe there are other methods Cronulla can use to increase revenue.

3. Revenue

As everyone is aware, Cronulla is sweating on its redevelopment plans to ensure the long term viability of the club. In the short-term however I believe there are a few options that Cronulla can use to maximise their revenue.

Instead of pushing up gate prices and memberships, which risks alienating families and reducing crowd numbers, the Sharks need to improve their game day experience, make it more attractive for people to come to the game, and easier to spend more money while they are there. Gate prices only make up a small component of the revenue you should receive off each attendee.

I was at several games last year where they either sold out of food, or the queue was that long that people just didn’t bother. It makes it difficult to sell an over-priced bowl of wedges when you don’t have any. Also difficult to spend money when you’re standing in a queue. What makes it even more annoying for the fan is if you’re standing in that queue while missing a quarter of the game. Even if they aren’t expecting that big a crowd, the beautiful thing about frozen food is that there are these things called freezers that can store it.

I also think there will be a greater inclination to pay for over-priced food and drinks if you aren’t also getting stung at the gate. It isn’t as noticeable a cost, and people have to eat and drink anyway. Put the price of membership up, and people will notice. Improve services at the ground and make it easier for people to spend money, and they chew through 10 or 20 bucks without even noticing it. Get the punters in the door foremost, and then up-sell them. Track your KPI’s not by how much each ticket price is, but how much revenue each person contributes.

4. Game Day Entertainment

Admittedly, I am writing this a few weeks after returning from a trip to the US, which included several US sporting events, so my expectations are probably skewed, however I think we can learn a lot from the US. I plan on writing something on this in more detail soon, so here I’ll just point out a few things that get my goat. First up, the ground announcer shits me to tears, the speakers are horrible, and you need a bigger score board. Engage the crowd more, give away a few $2 dollar t-shirts, maybe move on from the shark attack music out of Jaws…but my biggest gripe, stop being so nice to the away teams. I’m sick of the ground announcer asking for the away team supporters to cheer. They shouldn’t be acknowledged. Turn Shark Park back in to the fortress it once was. And if the words Glenn Wheeler ever creep in to your head again, give yourself an uppercut.

That about sums it up for my 2012 rant about the Sharks – feel free to add anything I may have missed, or if you have any suggestions, chuck them in there.

Filed Under: Banter, NRL Tagged With: Cronulla Sharks, NRL, NRL 2012, nrl blog, NRL Membership, NRL News, rugby league

NRL All Stars Preview 2012

By Phillip 1 Comment

The annual NRL All Stars game kicks off this weekend, at Skilled Park on the Gold Coast. Personally, after what has seemed an interminably long off-season, I can’t wait to sink my teeth into a good NRL game, and can’t wait for kick off!

NRL All Stars Preview For most players, this will be the first time they have strapped on the boots in anger since September 2011, and while attacking rugby league is a certainty, I’ll be interested to see the skill level on show. There’s sure to be a bit of rust out on the field!

Looking at the teams for the game, a full list of which is below, the Indigenous All Stars side have a star-studded backline. Including Queensland regulars Inglis, Hodges and Yow Yeh. With the side led around the park by Thurston and Sandow, and with Prince and Bowen on the bench, plenty of points will be on offer!

The NRL All Stars also have a skilled backline, with Dugan and Manu Vatuvai, and with Cronk and Marshall running the team around. With Bennett in the coaches box, they will be well directed. However I feel their strength lies in their forward pack. With a mixture of NSW, QLD and New Zealand representative forwards. The NRL All Stars should be able to dominate in the ruck and get a better go forward happening for Marshall and Cronk to work with.

This game also sees the NRL experimenting with a few rule and “interpretation” changes. These include:

•    The ‘Power Play’;
•    Tackle count restarted for infringements in the play-the-ball; and
•    20/40 kicks.

The Power Play can be called by the attacking team, and requires the defense to drop 2 players off the field for a 5 minute period, or until they score a try. Each team gets one power play per half. Restarting the tackle count for play-the-ball infringements is the NRL’s attempt to stop blockages caused by holding in the tackle, leg pulling etc. Instead of a penalty, play will continue with the ref signalling 6 again. The 20/40 Kick rule is an extension of the 40/20, and allows a team to kick their way out of trouble, if they can.

All up, this should be an interesting game, and a perfect way to kick off the 2012 season. I’ll be interested to see how some of the rule changes go, in particular the restarting of the tackle count, the rule I see as most likely to ever make it into the NRL.

With both teams strong in particular areas, it’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top here – will the rust clear out early enough for the Indigenous All Stars backline to click into to gear, or will the NRL All Stars forward machine roll over the top of them. I think there are too many points in that backline, and the Indigenous All Stars will come away with the cash.

The teams for the 2012 NRL All Stars game are:

Indigenous All Stars Team

Ben Barba (Bulldogs; Goreng Goreng)
Jharal Yow Yeh (Broncos; Margany)
Greg Inglis (Rabbitohs; Dunghutti)
Justin Hodges (Broncos; Indigenous tribes of the Cairns region)
Nathan Merritt (Rabbitohs; Wiradjuri)
Johnathan Thurston – captain (Cowboys; Gungarri)
Chris Sandow (Eels; Bigambul/ Gubbi Gubbi)
Tom Learoyd-Lahrs (Raiders; Indigenous tribes of Tweed area)
Travis Waddell (Raiders; Torres Strait: Badulaig)
George Rose (Sea Eagles; Kamilaroi)
Sam Thaiday (Broncos; Torres Strait: Iama (Yam Island)
Jamal Idris (Titans; Worimi)
Greg Bird (Titans; Kamilaroi)

Interchange:
Andrew Fifita (Sharks; Wiradjuri)
Cory Paterson (Cowboys; Indigenous tribes of the Blue Mountains region)
Matthew Bowen (Cowboys; Binthi and Dhaarrba)
Scott Prince (Titans; Kalkadoon)
Anthony Mitchell (Roosters; Waka Waka)
Joel Thompson (Raiders; Wiradjuri)
Nathan Peats (Rabbitohs; Biripi nation)

Coach: Laurie Daley (Wiradjuri)

Interchange:
Adam Blair (Wests Tigers)
Frank Pritchard (Bulldogs)
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Roosters)
Anthony Watmough (Sea Eagles)
Brent Tate (Cowboys)
Luke Lewis (Panthers)
Nathan Fien (Dragons)

Coach: Wayne Bennett

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Filed Under: Banter, NRL Tagged With: Indigenous All Stars, NRL, nrl all stars, nrl blog, rugby league

2012 NRL Trial Matches Schedule

By Steve 1 Comment

2012 NRL trial matches have kicked off with all teams looking to get themselves ready for what should be a cracking NRL season. Check out the 2012 NRL Trial schedule below and follow the progress of your team during the pre-season. We will update NRL trial results as they come to hand.

2012 NRL Trial Matches

Saturday 28 January

Time	Venue	Home Team	Away Team	Results
6:00pm	Redfern Oval	South Sydney Rabbitohs	Warrington Wolves	28-34

Friday 3 February

Time	Venue	Home Team	Away Team	Results
7.00pm	Toyota Park, Cronulla	Cronulla Sharks	Manly Sea Eagles	38-6
8.30pm	Tomaree Sportsground	Newcastle Knights	Newcastle Rep Squad	32-0
7:30pm	North Ipswich Reserve	Penrith Panthers	Ipswich Jets	18-18

Saturday 4 February

Time	Venue	Home Team	Away Team	Results
6:00pm	Nth Hrbr Stadium, Albany	Warriors	Gold Coast Titans	26-10
6:00pm	WIN Stadium, Wollongong	St George-Illawarra Dragons	Canterbury Bulldogs	18-28
7:00pm	Skilled Park, Gold Coast	Indigenous All Stars	NRL All Stars	28-36
7.15pm	Redcliffe	Brisbane Broncos	North Queensland Cowboys	28-22
7.30pm	Langlands Park Brisbane	Melbourne Storm	Brisbane Easts	36-8

Saturday 11 February

Time	Venue	Home Team	Away Team	Results
7:00pm	nib Stadium, Perth	North Queensland Cowboys	St George-Illawarra Dragons	18-12
7:00pm	BCU International Stadium	South Sydney Rabbitohs	Warriors	14-22
7:00pm	Lavington Sports Ground	Canberra Raiders	Melbourne Storm	27-18
7:15pm	Pizzey Park, Gold Coast	Gold Coast Titans	Brisbane Broncos	18-16
7:30pm	Bluetongue Stadium	Wests Tigers	Parramatta Eels	20-12
7:30pm	Port Macquarie Regional	Penrith Panthers	Newcastle Knights	18-18

Sunday 12 February

Time	Venue	Home Team	Away Team	Results
5:00pm	Belmore Sports Ground	Canterbury Bulldogs	Sydney Roosters	16-28

Friday 17 February – World Club Challenge

Time	Venue	Home Team	Away Team	Results
8:00pm	Headingly Stadium, UK	Leeds Rhinos	Manly Sea Eagles	26-12
8:00pm	Centrebet Stadium, Penrith	Penrith Panthers	Parramatta Eels	26-10

Saturday 18 February

Time	Venue	Home Team	Away Team	Results
5:00pm	Toll Stadium, Whangarei	Warriors	Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles	68-10
5:30pm	North Hobart Oval, TAS	Melbourne Storm	Brisbane Broncos	34-30
7:00pm	McDonald Park, Wagga	Canberra Raiders	Canterbury Bulldogs	16-14
7:30pm	Virgin Stadium, Mackay	North Queensland Cowboys	Gold Coast Titans	28-36
7:30pm	Olympic Pk, Muswellbrook	Cronulla Sharks	Newcastle Knights	18-22
7:30pm	ANZ Stadium, Homebush	St George-Illawarra Dragons	South Sydney Rabbitohs	18-12
7:30pm	Campbelltown Sports	Wests Tigers	Sydney Roosters	24-28

Filed Under: Banter, NRL Tagged With: NRL, NRL 2012, nrl trial, nrl trial matches, rugby league

NRL All Stars 2012 Announced

By Steve 3 Comments

2012 NRL All Stars

After months of voting the NRL All Stars team for the upcoming Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars match has finally been announced. Here is the full squad of 20 as announced by Wayne Bennett today, a few surprises in this one!

Update: Following the withdrawal of Ben Hornby, Cameron Smith and Tony Williams there are a number of changes to the squad. Nathan Fien, Aaron Payne and Anthony Watmough have been drafted in as replacements!

NRL All Stars – Starting Side:
Josh Dugan (Canberra Raiders)
Jason Nightingale (St George Illawarra Dragons)
Jack Reed (Brisbane Broncos)
Michael Jennings (Penrith Panthers)
Manu Vatuvei (Warriors)
Benji Marshall – Captain (Wests Tigers)
Cooper Cronk (Melbourne Storm)
Kade Snowden (Newcastle Knights)
Aaron Payne (North Queensland Cowboys)
Luke Bailey (Gold Coast Titans)
Nathan Hindmarsh (Parramatta Eels)
David Taylor (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Paul Gallen (Cronulla Sharks)

Interchange:
Adam Blair (Wests Tigers)
Frank Pritchard (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Sydney Roosters)
Anthony Watmough (Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles)
Brent Tate (North Queensland Cowboys)

Coach’s Selections:
Luke Lewis (Penrith Panthers)
Nathan Fien (St George Illawarra Dragons)

The automatic selections for the NRL All Stars squad were Cameron Smith and Benji Marshall as respective captains of the National teams. Other than those two, 16 players, 1 from each NRL side, were chosen by the public. 2 additional players were chosen as “coaches selections”.

The real selection surpirse among the 20 man squad is Ben Hornby. Obviously Bennett still has a soft spot for his former captain as I could think of a host of other players I would have selected ahead of him.

Luke Lewis got the other “coaches selection” spot, a quality player who finished runner up to Michael Jennings in the public vote. He’ll bring a wealth of representative experience to the squad and I think that was a great selection.

Paul Gallen led the voting for the NRL All Stars squad, garnering over 8,000 votes of the total of just over 30,000 votes. Surprisingly he finished just 333 votes ahead of Cooper Cronk with Slater pulling out due to injury before voting began.

Dallas Johnson and Brent Tate went down to the wire for the last Cowboys spot in the side. Tate won out in the end by just 2 votes and that’s great news for a player that has been blighted by injuries throughout his career.

The NRL All Stars have named a strong looking squad to take on the Indigenous All Stars. The Rugby League All Stars match will be played on February 4 at Skilled Park.

2012 Indigenous All Stars Squad

Let us know your thoughts on both sides in the comments section and any thoughts you may have on the game as well!

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Filed Under: Banter, NRL Tagged With: all stars, NRL, NRL 2012, nrl all stars, NRL News, rugby league

NRL Draw – 2012 Season

By Steve 3 Comments

The 2012 NRL season is just around the corner so we thought it fitting to have a look at the NRL Draw. This season we kick off with a Thursday night match for the first time I can remember. The Wayne Bennett led Newcastle Knights kick us off as they take on his old club, the St George Illawarra Dragons.

Check out the Draw below and take note of the Twitter Hashtags as these will be used throughout the 2012 NRL season.

NRL Draw 2012 Season

Round 1

Date	NRL Round 1	Venue	#	Time
Thu 1 Mar 2012	Newcastle v St-George Illawarra	Ausgrid Stadium	#NRLNEWSTI	7:30PM
Fri 2 Mar 2012	Parramatta v Brisbane	Parramatta Stadium	#NRLPARBRI	7:30PM
Sat 3 Mar 2012	Canberra v Melbourne	Canberra Stadium	#NRLCANMEL	5:30PM
Sat 3 Mar 2012	Penrith v Canterbury-Bankstown	Centrebet Stadium	#NRLPENCBY	7:30PM
Sat 3 Mar 2012	North Queensland v Gold Coast	Dairy Farmers	#NRLNQLGLD	8:30PM
Sun 4 Mar 2012	Warriors v Manly	Eden Park	#NRLWARMAN	2:00PM
Sun 4 Mar 2012	Wests Tigers v Cronulla	Leichhardt Oval	#NRLWSTCRO	2:00PM
Mon 5 Mar 2012	South Sydney v Sydney Roosters	ANZ Stadium	#NRLSOUSYD	7:00PM

Round 2

Date	NRL Round 2	Venue	#	Time
Fri 9 Mar 2012	Manly v Wests Tigers	Bluetongue Stadium	#NRLMANWST	7:30PM
Fri 9 Mar 2012	Brisbane v North Queensland	Suncorp Stadium	#NRLBRINQL	7:30PM
Sat 10 Mar 2012	Gold Coast v Canberra	Skilled Park	#NRLGLDCAN	4:30PM
Sat 10 Mar 2012	Canterbury v St George Illawarra	ANZ Stadium	#NRLCBYSTI	7:30PM
Sun 11 Mar 2012	Cronulla v Newcastle	Toyota Stadium	#NRLCRONEW	2:00PM
Sun 11 Mar 2012	Sydney Roosters v Penrith	SFS	#NRLSYDPEN	3:00PM
Sun 11 Mar 2012	Melbourne v South Sydney	AAMI Park	#NRLMELSOU	7:00PM
Mon 12 Mar 2012	Parramatta v Warriors	Parramatta Stadium	#NRLPARWAR	7:00PM

Round 3

Date	NRL Round 3	Venue	#	Time
Fri 16 Mar 2012	St George Illawarra v Wests Tigers	WIN Jubilee Oval	#NRLSTIWST	7:30PM
Fri 16 Mar 2012	Newcastle v Brisbane	Ausgrid Stadium	#NRLNEWBRI	8:30PM
Sat 17 Mar 2012	Gold Coast v Melbourne	Skilled Park	#NRLGLDMEL	4:30PM
Sat 17 Mar 2012	North Queensland v Parramatta	Dairy Farmers	#NRLNQLPAR	6:30PM
Sun 18 Mar 2012	Warriors v Canterbury-Bankstown	Mt Smart Stadium	#NRLWARCBY	2:00PM
Sun 18 Mar 2012	Sydney Roosters v Canberra	SFS	#NRLSYDCAN	2:00PM
Sun 18 Mar 2012	Penrith v South Sydney	Centrebet Stadium	#NRLPENSOU	3:00PM
Mon 19 Mar 2012	Cronulla v Manly	Toyota Stadium	#NRLCROMAN	7:00PM

Round 4

Date	NRL Round 4	Venue	#	Time
Fri 23 Mar 2012	Parramatta v Penrith	Parramatta Stadium	#NRLPARPEN	7:30PM
Fri 23 Mar 2012	South Sydney v Brisbane	NIB Stadium	#NRLSOUBRI	6:00PM
Sat 24 Mar 2012	Warriors v Gold Coast	Mt Smart Stadium	#NRLWARGLD	7:30PM
Sat 24 Mar 2012	St George Illawarra v Manly	WIN Jubilee Oval	#NRLSTIMAN	7:30PM
Sat 24 Mar 2012	North Queensland v Cronulla	Dairy Farmers	#NRLNQLCRO	8:30PM
Sun 25 Mar 2012	Melbourne v Sydney Roosters	AAMI Park	#NRLMELSYD	2:00PM
Sun 25 Mar 2012	Canterbury v Newcastle	ANZ Stadium	#NRLCBYNEW	3:00PM
Mon 26 Mar 2012	Wests Tigers v Canberra	Campbelltown	#NRLWSTCAN	7:00PM

Round 5

Date	NRL Round 5	Venue	#	Time
Fri 30 Mar 2012	Melbourne v Newcastle	AAMI Park	#NRLMELNEW	7:30PM
Fri 30 Mar 2012	Brisbane v St George Illawarra	Suncorp Stadium	#NRLBRISTI	7:30PM
Sat 31 Mar 2012	Penrith v Cronulla	Centrebet Stadium	#NRLPENCRO	5:30PM
Sat 31 Mar 2012	Parramatta v Manly	Parramatta Stadium	#NRLPARMAN	7:30PM
Sat 31 Mar 2012	Penrith v Cronulla	Centrebet Stadium	#NRLPENCRO	7:30PM
Sat 31 Mar 2012	Sydney Roosters v Warriors	SFS	#NRLSYDWAR	7:30PM
Sun 1 Apr 2012	Gold Coast v Canterbury	Skilled Park	#NRLGLDCBY	2:00PM
Sun 1 Apr 2012	Wests Tigers v South Sydney	SCG	#NRLWSTSOU	3:00PM
Mon 2 Apr 2012	Canberra v North Queensland	Canberra Stadium	#NRLCANNQL	7:00PM

Round 6

Date	NRL Round 6	Venue	#	Time
Fri 6 Apr 2012	South Sydney v Canterbury	ANZ Stadium	#NRLSOUCBY	4.00PM
Fri 6 Apr 2012	Wests Tigers v Brisbane	Allianz Stadium	#NRLWSTBRI	7.35PM
Sat 7 Apr 2012	Gold Coast v Sydney Roosters	Skilled Park	#NRLGLDSYD	5.30PM
Sat 7 Apr 2012	Cronulla v St George Illawarra	Toyota Stadium	#NRLCROSTI	7.30PM
Sun 8 Apr 2012	Canberra v Warriors	Canberra Stadium	#NRLCANWAR	2.00PM
Sun 8 Apr 2012	Newcastle v Parramatta	Hunter Stadium	#NRLNEWPAR	3.00PM
Sun 8 Apr 2012	North Queensland v Melbourne	Dairy Farmers	#NRLNQLMEL	7.00PM
Mon 9 Apr 2012	Manly v Penrith	Brookvale Oval	#NRLMANPEN	7.00PM

Round 7

Date	NRL Round 7	Venue	#	Time
Fri 13 Apr 2012	St George Illawarra v Newcastle	WIN Jubilee	#NRLSTINEW	7.35PM
Fri 13 Apr 2012	Brisbane v Canberra	Suncorp Stadium	#NRLBRICAN	7.35PM
Sat 14 Apr 2012	Melbourne v Canterbury	AAMI Park	#NRLMELCBY	5.30PM
Sat 14 Apr 2012	Manly v Gold Coast	Brookvale Oval	#NRLMANGLD	7.30PM
Sat 14 Apr 2012	Sydney Roosters v North Queensland	TIO, Darwin	#NRLSYDNQL	7.00PM
Sun 15 Apr 2012	Warriors v South Sydney	Mt Smart Stadium	#NRLWARSOU	2.00PM
Sun 15 Apr 2012	Cronulla v Parramatta	Toyota Stadium	#NRLCROPAR	2.00PM
Sun 15 Apr 2012	Penrith v Wests Tigers	Centrebet Stadium	#NRLPENWST	3.00PM

Representative Weekend

Date	Rep. Weekend	Venue	#	Time
Fri 20 Apr 2012	Australia v New Zealand	TBA	#AUSVNZ	TBA
Sun 22 Apr 2012	City v Country	TBA	#cityvcountry	TBA
Byes:	All Clubs

Round 8

Date	NRL Round 8	Venue	#	Time
Wed 25 Apr 2012	St George v Sydney Roosters	Allianz	#NRLSTISYD	4.00PM
Wed 25 Apr 2012	Melbourne v Warriors	AAMI Park	#NRLMELWAR	7.00PM
Fri 27 Apr 2012	Canterbury-Bankstown v Manly	ANZ Stadium	#NRLCBYMAN	7.35PM
Fri 27 Apr 2012	Brisbane v Gold Coast	Suncorp Stadium	#NRLBRIGLD	7.35PM
Sat 28 Apr 2012	South Sydney v North Queensland	ANZ Stadium	#NRLSOUNQL	7.30PM
Sun 29 Apr 2012	Canberra v Cronulla	Canberra Stadium	#NRLCANCRO	2.00PM
Sun 29 Apr 2012	Parramatta v Wests Tigers	Parramatta Stadium	#NRLPARWST	3.00PM
Mon 30 Apr 2012	Newcastle v Penrith	Hunter Stadium	#NRLNEWPEN	7.00PM

Round 9

Date	NRL Round 9	Venue	#	Time
Fri 4 May 2012	Parramatta v Canterbury	ANZ Stadium	#NRLPARCBY	7.35PM
Fri 4 May 2012	North Queensland v St George	Dairy Farmers	#NRLNQLSTI	7.35PM
Sat 5 May 2012	Warriors v Brisbane	Mt Smart Stadium	#NRLWARBRI	5.30PM
Sat 5 May 2012	Gold Coast v Wests Tigers	Skilled Park	#NRLGLDWST	7.30PM
Sat 5 May 2012	Penrith v Melbourne	Centrebet Stadium	#NRLPENMEL	7.30PM
Sun 6 May 2012	Manly v Canberra	Brookvale Oval	#NRLMANCAN	2.00PM
Sun 6 May 2012	Sydney Roosters v Newcastle	Allianz Stadium	#NRLSYDNEW	3.00PM
Mon 7 May 2012	South Sydney v Cronulla	ANZ Stadium	#NRLSOUCRO	7.00PM

Round 10

Date	NRL Round 10	Venue	#	Time
Fri 11 May 2012	Brisbane v Manly	Suncorp Stadium	#NRLBRIMAN	6.45PM
Fri 11 May 2012	Canterbury v Gold Coast	Suncorp Stadium	#NRLCBYGLD	8.30PM
Sat 12 May 2012	Warriors v Sydney Roosters	Mt Smart Stadium	#NRLWARSYD	5.30PM
Sat 12 May 2012	Newcastle v North Queensland	Hunter Stadium	#NRLNEWNQL	7.30PM
Sun 13 May 2012	Canberra v Parramatta	Canberra Stadium	#NRLCANPAR	2.00PM
Sun 13 May 2012	Cronulla v Melbourne	Toyota Stadium	#NRLCROMEL	3.00PM
Mon 14 May 2012	Penrith v St George Illawarra	Centrebet Stadium	#NRLPENSTI	7.00PM
Byes:	Tigers, Rabbitohs

Round 11

Date	NRL Round 11	Venue	#	Time
Fri 18 May 2012	Wests Tigers v Warriors	Leichardt Oval	#NRLWSTWAR	7.45PM
Sat 19 May 2012	North Queensland v Penrith	Dairy Farmers	#NRLNQLPEN	7.30PM
Sun 20 May 2012	Manly v Sydney Roosters	Brookvale Oval	#NRLMANSYD	2.00PM
Sun 20 May 2012	St George v South Sydney	WIN Jubilee	#NRLSTISOU	3.00PM
Mon 21 May 2012	Canterbury v Cronulla	ANZ Stadium	#NRLCBYCRO	7.00PM
Byes:	Broncos, Raiders, Storm, Knights, Titans, Eels

State of Origin – Game 1

Date	State of Origin – Game 1	Venue	#	Time
Wed 23 May 2012	QLD v NSW	Etihad Stadium	#stateoforigin	8.00pm

Round 12

Date	NRL Round 12	Venue	#	Time
Fri 25 May 2012	Melbourne v Brisbane	AAMI Park	#NRLMELBRI	7.35PM
Fri 25 May 2012	South Sydney v Canberra	ANZ Stadium	#NRLSOUCAN	7.35PM
Sat 26 May 2012	Newcastle v Gold Coast	Hunter Stadium	#NRLNEWGLD	5.30PM
Sat 26 May 2012	St George v Parramatta	WIN Jubilee	#NRLSTIPAR	7.30PM
Sun 27 May 2012	Penrith v Manly	Centrebet Stadium	#NRLPENMAN	2.00PM
Sun 27 May 2012	Wests Tigers v North Queensland	Campbelltown	#NRLWSTNQL	3.00PM
Mon 28 May 2012	Sydney Roosters v Canterbury	Allianz Stadium	#NRLSYDCBY	7.00PM
Byes:	Warriors, Sharks

Round 13

Date	NRL Round 13	Venue	#	Time
Fri 1 Jun 2012	Gold Coast v North Queensland	Skilled Park	#NRLGLDNQL	7.35PM
Fri 1 Jun 2012	Manly v St George Illawarra	Brookvale Oval	#NRLMANSTI	7.35PM
Sat 2 Jun 2012	Canberra v Wests Tigers	Canberra Stadium	#NRLCANWST	5.30PM
Sat 2 Jun 2012	South Sydney v Canterbury	ANZ Stadium	#NRLSOUCBY	7.30PM
Sun 3 Jun 2012	Warriors v Melbourne	Mt Smart Stadium	#NRLWARMEL	2.00PM
Sun 3 Jun 2012	Brisbane v Newcastle	Suncorp Stadium	#NRLBRINEW	3.00PM
Mon 4 Jun 2012	Parramatta v Cronulla	Parramatta Stadium	#NRLPARCRO	7.00PM
Byes:	Panthers, Roosters

Round 14

Date	NRL Round 14	Venue	#	Time
Fri 8 Jun 2012	Melbourne v Wests Tigers	AAMI Park	#NRLMELWST	7.35PM
Sat 9 Jun 2012	Newcastle v Canberra	Hunter Stadium	#NRLNEWCAN	7.30PM
Sun 10 Jun 2012	Cronulla v Gold Coast	Toyota Stadium	#NRLCROGLD	2.00PM
Sun 10 Jun 2012	Sydney Roosters v Broncos	Allianz Stadium	#NRLSYDBRI	3.00PM
Mon 11 Jun 2012	Penrith v Warriors	Centrebet Stadium	#NRLPENWAR	7.00PM
Byes:	Sea Eagles, Bulldogs, Dragons, Cowboys, Eels, Rabbitohs

State of Origin – Game 2

Date	State of Origin – Game 2	Venue	#	Time
Wed 13 June 2012	NSW v QLD	ANZ Stadium	#stateoforigin	8.00pm

Round 15

Date	NRL Round 15	Venue	#	Time
Fri 15 Jun 2012	St George Illawarra v Canterbury	WIN Stadium	#NRLSTICBY	7.35PM
Fri 15 Jun 2012	North Queensland v Brisbane	Dairy Farmers	#NRLNQLBRI	7.35PM
Sat 16 Jun 2012	Cronulla v Warriors	Toyota Stadium	#NRLCROWAR	5.30PM
Sat 16 Jun 2012	Parramatta v South Sydney	ANZ Stadium	#NRLPARSOU	7.30PM
Sun 17 Jun 2012	Gold Coast v Penrith	Skilled Park	#NRLGLDPEN	2.00PM
Sun 17 Jun 2012	Wests Tigers v Sydney Roosters	Leichhardt Oval	#NRLWSTSYD	3.00PM
Mon 18 Jun 2012	Manly v Melbourne	Brookvale Oval	#NRLMANMEL	7.00PM
Byes:	Raiders, Knights

Round 16

Date	NRL Round 16	Venue	#	Time
Fri 22 Jun 2012	St George Illawarra v Gold Coast	WIN Stadium	#NRLSTIGLD	7.35PM
Fri 22 Jun 2012	Brisbane v South Sydney	Suncorp Stadium	#NRLBRISOU	7.35PM
Sat 23 Jun 2012	North Queensland v Canberra	Dairy Farmers	#NRLNQLCAN	5.30PM
Sat 23 Jun 2012	Penrith v Parramatta	Centerbet Stadium	#NRLPENPAR	7.30PM
Sun 24 Jun 2012	Canterbury v Melbourne	Virgin Aust. Stadium	#NRLCBYMEL	2.00PM
Sun 24 Jun 2012	Sydney Roosters v Manly	Allianz Stadium	#NRLSYDMAN	3.00PM
Mon 25 Jun 2012	Newcastle v Wests Tigers	Hunter Stadium	#NRLNEWWST	7.00PM
Byes:	Warriors, Sharks

Round 17

Date	NRL Round 17	Venue	#	Time
Fri 29 Jun 2012	Brisbane v Cronulla	Suncorp Stadium	#NRLBRICRO	7.35PM
Sat 30 Jun 2012	Parramatta v Newcastle	Parramatta Stadium	#NRLPARNEW	7.30PM
Sun 1 Jul 2012	South Sydney v Penrith	ANZ Stadium	#NRLSOUPEN	3.00PM
Sun 1 Jul 2012	Warriors v North Queensland	Mt Smart Stadium	#NRLWARNQL	4.00PM
Mon 2 Jul 2012	Canberra v St George Illawarra	Canberra Stadium	#NRLCANSTI	7.00PM
Byes:	Sea Eagles, Bulldogs, Storm, Roosters, Tigers, Titans

State of Origin – Game 3

Date	State of Origin – Game 3	Venue	#	Time
Wed 4 Jul 2012	QLD v NSW	Suncorp	#stateoforigin	8.00pm

Round 18

Date	NRL Round 18	Venue	#	Time
Fri 6 Jul 2012	Wests Tigers v Canterbury	Allianz Stadium	#NRLWSTCBY	7.45PM
Sat 7 Jul 2012	Melbourne v Canberra	AAMI Park	#NRLMELCAN	5.30PM
Sat 7 Jul 2012	Gold Coast v Warriors	Skllied Park	#NRLGLDWAR	7.30PM
Sun 8 Jul 2012	South Sydney v Newcastle	ANZ Stadium	#NRLSOUNEW	2.00PM
Sun 8 Jul 2012	Manly v Parramatta	Brookvale Oval	#NRLMANPAR	3.00PM
Mon 9 Jul 2012	Cronulla v Sydney Roosters	Toyota Stadium	#NRLCROSYD	7.00PM
Byes:	Broncos, Panthers, Dragons, Cowboys

Round 19

Date	NRL Round 19	Venue	#	Time
Fri 13 Jul 2012	Brisbane v Warriors	Suncorp Stadium	#NRLBRIWAR	7.35PM
Fri 13 Jul 2012	Canterbury v Parramatta	ANZ Stadium	#NRLCBYPAR	7.35PM
Sat 14 Jul 2012	Newcastle v Manly	Hunter Stadium	#NRLNEWMAN	5.30PM
Sat 14 Jul 2012	Wests Tigers v Penrith	Campbelltown	#NRLWSTPEN	7.30PM
Sat 14 Jul 2012	Melbourne v North Queensland	AAMI Park	#NRLMELNQL	7.30PM
Sun 15 Jul 2012	Canberra v Gold Coast	Canberra Stadium	#NRLCANGLD	2.00PM
Sun 15 Jul 2012	St George Illawarra v Cronulla	WIN Stadium	#NRLSTICRO	3.00PM
Mon 16 Jul 2012	Sydney Roosters v South Sydney	Allianz Stadium	#NRLSYDSOU	7.00PM

Round 20

Date	NRL Round 20	Venue	#	Time
Fri 20 Jul 2012	Manly v Canterbury-Bankstown	TBA	#NRLMANCBY	TBA
Fri 20 Jul 2012	Parramatta v Melbourne	TBA	#NRLPARMEL	TBA
Fri 20 Jul 2012	Warriors v Newcastle	TBA	#NRLWARNEW	TBA
Fri 20 Jul 2012	Gold Coast v Brisbane	TBA	#NRLGLDBRI	TBA
Fri 20 Jul 2012	Cronulla v Canberra	TBA	#NRLCROCAN	TBA
Fri 20 Jul 2012	North Queensland v Wests Tigers	TBA	#NRLNQLWST	TBA
Fri 20 Jul 2012	Penrith v Sydney Roosters	TBA	#NRLPENSYD	TBA
Fri 20 Jul 2012	South Sydney v St George Illawarra	TBA	#NRLSOUSTI	TBA

Round 21

Date	NRL Round 21	Venue	#	Time
Fri 27 Jul 2012	St George Illawarra v Melbourne	WIN Stadium	#NRLSTIMEL	TBA
Fri 27 Jul 2012	Cronulla v Penrith	TBA	#NRLCROPEN	TBA
Fri 27 Jul 2012	South Sydney v Wests Tigers	TBA	#NRLSOUWST	TBA
Fri 27 Jul 2012	Brisbane v Parramatta	TBA	#NRLBRIPAR	TBA
Fri 27 Jul 2012	Sydney Roosters v Gold Coast	TBA	#NRLSYDGLD	TBA
Fri 27 Jul 2012	Canberra v Newcastle	TBA	#NRLCANNEW	TBA
Fri 27 Jul 2012	Canterbury v North Queensland	TBA	#NRLCBYNQL	TBA
Fri 27 Jul 2012	Manly v Warriors	TBA	#NRLMANWAR	TBA

Round 22

Date	NRL Round 22	Venue	#	Time
Fri 3 Aug 2012	Gold Coast v South Sydney	TBA	#NRLGLDSOU	TBA
Fri 3 Aug 2012	Sydney Roosters v St George	TBA	#NRLSYDSTI	TBA
Fri 3 Aug 2012	Canberra v Brisbane	TBA	#NRLCANBRI	TBA
Fri 3 Aug 2012	Melbourne v Penrith	TBA	#NRLMELPEN	TBA
Fri 3 Aug 2012	Wests Tigers v Parramatta	Campbelltown	#NRLWSTPAR	TBA
Fri 3 Aug 2012	Newcastle v Canterbury	TBA	#NRLNEWCBY	TBA
Fri 3 Aug 2012	North Queensland v Manly	TBA	#NRLNQLMAN	TBA
Fri 3 Aug 2012	Warriors v Cronulla	TBA	#NRLWARCRO	TBA

Round 23

Date	NRL Round 23	Venue	#	Time
Fri 10 Aug 2012	South Sydney v Manly	TBA	#NRLSOUMAN	TBA
Fri 10 Aug 2012	Parramatta v Sydney Roosters	TBA	#NRLPARSYD	TBA
Fri 10 Aug 2012	Newcastle v Cronulla	TBA	#NRLNEWCRO	TBA
Fri 10 Aug 2012	Melbourne v Gold Coast	TBA	#NRLMELGLD	TBA
Fri 10 Aug 2012	Wests Tigers v St George Illawarra	SFS	#NRLWSTSTI	TBA
Fri 10 Aug 2012	Canterbury-Bankstown v Brisbane	TBA	#NRLCBYBRI	TBA
Fri 10 Aug 2012	Penrith v Canberra	TBA	#NRLPENCAN	TBA
Fri 10 Aug 2012	North Queensland v Warriors	TBA	#NRLNQLWAR	TBA

Round 24

Date	NRL Round 24	Venue	#	Time
Fri 17 Aug 2012	Brisbane v Melbourne	TBA	#NRLBRIMEL	TBA
Fri 17 Aug 2012	Gold Coast v Parramatta	TBA	#NRLGLDPAR	TBA
Fri 17 Aug 2012	Cronulla v South Sydney	TBA	#NRLCROSOU	TBA
Fri 17 Aug 2012	St George v North Queensland	WIN Stadium	#NRLSTINQL	TBA
Fri 17 Aug 2012	Canterbury v Wests Tigers	TBA	#NRLCBYWST	TBA
Fri 17 Aug 2012	Manly v Newcastle	TBA	#NRLMANNEW	TBA
Fri 17 Aug 2012	Canberra v Sydney Roosters	TBA	#NRLCANSYD	TBA
Fri 17 Aug 2012	Warriors v Penrith	TBA	#NRLWARPEN	TBA

Round 25

Date	NRL Round 25	Venue	#	Time
Fri 24 Aug 2012	South Sydney v Parramatta	TBA	#NRLSOUPAR	TBA
Fri 24 Aug 2012	St George Illawarra v Warriors	WIN Stadium	#NRLSTIWAR	TBA
Fri 24 Aug 2012	North Queensland v Newcastle	TBA	#NRLNQLNEW	TBA
Fri 24 Aug 2012	Sydney Roosters v Wests Tigers	TBA	#NRLSYDWST	TBA
Fri 24 Aug 2012	Penrith v Gold Coast	TBA	#NRLPENGLD	TBA
Fri 24 Aug 2012	Manly v Brisbane	TBA	#NRLMANBRI	TBA
Fri 24 Aug 2012	Melbourne v Cronulla	TBA	#NRLMELCRO	TBA
Fri 24 Aug 2012	Canberra v Canterbury	TBA	#NRLCANCBY	TBA

Round 26

Date	NRL Round 26	Venue	#	Time
Fri 31 Aug 2012	Newcastle v South Sydney	TBA	#NRLNEWSOU	TBA
Fri 31 Aug 2012	Brisbane v Penrith	TBA	#NRLBRIPEN	TBA
Fri 31 Aug 2012	Canterbury v Sydney Roosters	TBA	#NRLCBYSYD	TBA
Fri 31 Aug 2012	Cronulla v North Queensland	TBA	#NRLCRONQL	TBA
Fri 31 Aug 2012	Warriors v Canberra	TBA	#NRLWARCAN	TBA
Fri 31 Aug 2012	Gold Coast v Manly	TBA	#NRLGLDMAN	TBA
Fri 31 Aug 2012	Wests Tigers v Melbourne	Leichhardt	#NRLWSTMEL	TBA
Fri 31 Aug 2012	Parramatta v St George Illawarra	TBA	#NRLPARSTI	TBA

NRL DRAW – FINALS – BREAKDOWN 2012

NRL Finals – Week 1

	Date		Venue	Time
1	Fri 7 Sep 2012	1^st v 4^th	1^st Home Ground	7.30pm
2	Sat 8 Sep 2012	5^th v 8^th	5^th Home Ground	6.30pm
3	Sat 8 Sep 2012	6^th v 7^th	6^th Home Ground	8.30pm
4	Sun 9 Sep 2012	2^nd v 3^rd	2^nd Home Ground	3.30pm

Semi Finals – Week 2

	Date		Venue	Time
1	Fri 14 Sep 2012	Loser Final 1 v Winner Final 2	Loser Final 1 – Home	7.30pm
2	Sat 15 Sep 2012	Loser Final 4 v Winner Final 3	Loser Final 4 – Home	7.30pm

Preliminary Finals – Week 3

	Date		Venue	Time
1	Fri 21 Sep 2012	Winner Final 1 v Winner SF 2	Winner Final 1 – Home	7.30pm
2	Sat 22 Sep 2012	Winner Final 4 v Winner SF 1	Winner Final 4 – Home	7.30pm

NRL Grand Final – 2012

Date		Venue	Time
Sun 30 Sep 2012	Winner PF 1 v Winner PF 2	ANZ Stadium	5.00pm

Filed Under: Banter, NRL Tagged With: NRL 2012, NRL draw, nrl draw 2012, rugby league

10 Best Sporting Moments of 2011

By Steve 1 Comment

What a year 2011 has been from a sporting perspective. With so many amazing triumphs this year, both individual and team based, here at Sports Banter we thought it was necessary to go through our top 10 sporting moments.

On the flip side, 2011 was also a year of sporting scandals, infamous matches and failed attempts at tv careers. We’ll get to that one tomorrow though. For now, here are our top 10 sporting moments of 2011, let us know if you agree or disagree with any of these in the comments section.

10. Manchester Clubs Knocked out of the UEFA Champions League

I had to include this one as this was one of my highlights of the year. Both clubs were earmarked to progress quite far in the competition and I don’t think I was the only one who enjoyed seeing both teams crash out early.

: Courtesy of the Telegraph.co.uk

As an Arsenal fan, it was made even more special by the fact that supporters of both clubs had been giving it to me over the 8-2 hammering (Man Utd) and the defection of two of our best players to Manchester City.

: Courtesy of The Guardian

It really couldn’t have happened to two classier clubs or supporters!

9. Queensland Reds Win the Super Rugby competition for 2011.

2011 was a great year for Australia in the Super Rugby tournament with the Queensland Reds taking out the title defeating the always strong Crusaders in the final 18-13.

: Courtesy of the Daily Telegraph

Both areas, Queensland and Christchurch, had been devastated by floods and earthquakes respectively and you could tell it meant a lot to the players in what was an emotional send off to season 2011.

8. Kelly Slater’s 11th World Surfing Title

What more is there to say about this bloke, a true champion and despite being 39 he is still going strong, he did leave it until the last two minutes of his heat to take out the title but this just shows his character.

: Courtesy of Salt Water Dreaming

There was controversy too as Slater was handed the title prematurely and had to wait another few days for the boffins to sort out the numbers before being officially crowned for his 11th Title.

7. Barcelona Win the 2011 UEFA Champions League Against Manchester United

It seems like I’m picking on Manchester United but I truly believe that Barcelona winning the Champions League, and in the fashion that they did, is a vindication for the beauttiful game and the way it should be played. As an Arsenal fan I’m no fan of either side, in fact I probably hate Barcelona more than United due to the amount of tapping up they did to lure Cesc Fabregas back to Barcelona.

: Courtesy of Sport360

However, the way that Barcelona plays the game on the pitch is something to behold and it would have been a travesty had United got the better of them with their boring style of football.

6. Six Series Wins in a Row for the Queensland State of Origin Team

This would have been higher up my list if I was not a proud New South Welshman, and the fact that Queensland probably had 4 future immortals making up the spine of the side in Billy Slater, Darren Lockyer, Jonathan Thurston and Cameron Smith. Still a mean feat to go 6 series wins in a row in this day and age so it definitely warranted a spot in my top 10.

: Courtesy of the Courier Mail

You may see this pop up again in the worst sporting moments of 2011 though, it may even rate higher in that list!

5. Black Caviar – 16 Straight Wins

Wow, what more can I say about this magnificent creature, many already consider Black Caviar to be the best sprinter in the world and I would not disagree with that. Pharlap had 14 straight wins, so I think you can see why there is so much hype about this horse!

: Courtesy of foxsports.com.au

We now have to wait until the end of January to see her in action again when she takes part in the Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley. There are also plans to test her out on the International stage, with a run at Royal Ascot planned for mid 2012.

4. Brisbane Roar – 36 Match Unbeaten Streak in the Hyundai A-League

The Brisbane Roar made Australian sporting history just a few weeks ago when they passed the total of 35 matches unbeaten set by the Eastern Suburbs Rugby League club, now known as the Roosters, on their way to 36 matches unbeaten in the A-League. The Roar’s run was ended in early December by Sydney FC at Kogarah in atrocious conditions.

: Courtesy of foxsports.com.au

As is usually the case with these sorts of records, once they end the team tends to go on a bit of a downward spiral and it seems that the Brisbane Roar have been affected, with 4 losses in a row now since they broke that long standing record.

3. New Zealand All Blacks Winning the 2011 Rugby World Cup on Home Soil

Favourites right from the start of the competition, the New Zealand All Blacks got the job done albeit in a tight finish against Les Blues at Eden Park. Like the Crusaders before them, the All Blacks were doing it for a Country in mourning after the devastating earthquakes in February of this year.

: Courtesy of the Mirror

The All Blacks had not won the Rugby World Cup since it’s inception in 1987, a 24 year gap between wins, and did it with Captain Richie McCaw playing on a bung foot for much of the tournament.

2. Novak Djokovic Going 43 Matches Unbeaten in the ATP

What a year for the Joker as he swept all before him, including Federer and Nadal. on his way to an unbelievable 43 match winning streak which only ended in June at the hands of Roger Federer in the French Open. Clay obviously isn’t his forte so it was no surprise that he was eventually undone on that surface.

: Courtesy of tennis.si.com

I think it will be a while before we see that sort of winning streak again, an amazing achievement by the Joker and at his age he will be around for many years to come!

1. Cadel Evans – 2011 Tour de France Winner!

I think this easily rates as the best sporting moment of 2011. Cadel Evans finished runner-up in the Tour de France on two previous occasions, that alone would be enough to hang up the bike and call it a day. Not for Cadel though, at 34 years old, the fifth oldest winner in the Tours history, Cadel became the first Australian to win the event in it’s 108 year history.

: Courtesy of news.com.au

I personally can’t think of a better achievement in the sporting landscape that was 2011. To come back and win the Tour de France after numerous setbacks is an outstanding achievement. To think of all the setbacks that he has endured, being born with a broken nose, kicked in the head by a horse as an eight year old that put him in a coma for weeks, then to finish second in 2007 and 2008 by less than a minute…. Anyone else would have given up!

Let us know your thoughts on our 10 Best Sporting Moments of 2011 in the comments section, and be sure to check back tomorrow for our 10 Worst Sporting Moments of 2011.

Filed Under: Banter, Other Tagged With: a-league, AFL, ARL, Barcelona, Champions League, Cricket, EPL, football, Manchester City, Manchester United, NRL, premier league, rugby league, Soccer, State of Origin

NRL 2012 – Indigenous All Stars Team Named

By Steve 11 Comments

The Indiginous All Stars side for next seasons All Stars match has been named, below is a list of the full side that was just announced. Let us know your thoughts on the team and any predictions you may have for the NRL All Stars side that will be named on 19 January 2012. Stage 2 of that voting process commences on 27 December 2011.

Courtesy of NRL News

Indigenous All Stars side 2012:

1. Ben Barba
2. Jharal Yow Yeh
3. Greg Inglis
4. Justin Hodges
5. Nathan Merritt
6. Jonathan Thurston
7. Chris Sandow
8. Tom Learoyd-Lahrs
9. Travis Waddell
10. George Rose
11. Sam Thaiday
12. Jamal Idris
13. Greg Bird

Interchange: Andrew Fifita, Corey Paterson, Matthew Bowen, Scott Prince, Anthony Mitchell, Bodene Thompson, Nathan Peats

Filed Under: Banter, NRL Tagged With: ARL, Indigenous All Stars, NRL, NRL 2012, rugby league

NRL Draw Released – 2012 Season – Rounds 1-5

By Steve 6 Comments

Today the NRL draw has been released for the first 5 matches of the upcoming 2012 NRL season. This includes venues, times, television coverage and even Twitter hashtags.

One thing that I noticed looking at this NRL draw is the amount of FTA coverage once again afforded to the Broncos, they have FTA games 5 out of the first 5 rounds. I know Channel 9 are trying to ensure that one FTA Friday game per week goes live into Queensland, but surely the Cowboys and Titans should get more of a share of the pie?

The Knights with Wayne Bennett and Darius Boyd on board look to have taken the Dragons share of FTA matches with 4 of their first 5 matches being shown on Channel 9.

Traditional FTA teams such as the Roosters and Bulldogs only have the 1 match on Channel 9, whereas the Sharks & Raiders have once again been completely ignored.

We can only hope once the independent commission actually comes into force that the spread of FTA games will be more even, we may have to wait until 2013 to see any benefits of this though with the impending TV rights deal.

The NRL and Channel 9 really need to get their act together and stop robbing the fans of seeing their favourite teams on free to air television. It isn’t long now until the Independent commission is installed and TV rights are up for grabs and you would think that the NRL draw would reflect the closeness of the competition. This isn’t the case and it will be interesting to see whether there is any backlash from the fans in the first 5 weeks of the competition in terms of ratings.

Let us know your thoughts on the scheduling for the first 5 games and the NRL draw in general in the comments section below, or hit us up in the forum!

NRL Draw

Filed Under: Banter, NRL Tagged With: ARL, Broncos, Bulldogs, channel 9, Cowboys, Dragons, Eels, hashtags, Knights, NRL, NRL 2012, NRL draw, Panthers, Rabbitohs, Raiders, Roosters, rugby league, Sea Eagles, Sharks, Storm, Tigers, Titans, Warriors

Steve’s Sportingbet Multi of the Week – 18 November 2011

By Steve Leave a Comment

Last weeks multi went down in flames thanks to a lacklustre performance by the Socceroos against Oman and New Zealand bowing out of the Four Nations with an unlikely loss to the Poms.

This week I’ve mixed it up a bit of cricket thrown into the mix, along with the usual feast of European matches and a couple of A-League and Rugby League fixtures to give us a bit of variety.

In the EPL I’ve gone for a bit of a roughy with Liverpool away to Chelsea, taking the +0.5 handicap with Liverpool as I think they may be able to come away from Stamford Bridge with a draw. Still in England and I’m banking on the Aussies firing up in the Four Nations seeing as this will be Darren Lockyer’s last ever match, I’ve taken the HT/FT double in that one.

in the A-League I’ve gone with form and Sydney FC to at least get a draw against the Mariners tomorrow night. Over in South Africa I’ve gone for Phil Hughes to be the first man out, Shane Watson at the other end so they looked like good odds to me.

Over in Europe I’ve gone for a Paris St Germain win over Nancy in Ligue 1, Barcelona to score plenty of goals over Zaragoza in La Liga taking the total game score over 2.5 option, and I’ve taken that same option in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich taking on Borussia Dortmund at home.

Total payout for this weeks multi is $17.49 and with just two risks in the Chelsea v Liverpool game and SA v AUS test match hopefully this week we can start getting back to winning ways.

Good luck!

Join Sportingbet Australia

Filed Under: Banter, Banter's Best Bets Tagged With: a-league, ARL, Chelsea, Cricket, EPL, football, Liverpool, multibet, rugby league, Soccer, sportingbet

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Indigenous All Stars Team

NRL All Stars Team

2012 NRL Trial Matches

Saturday 28 January

Friday 3 February

Saturday 4 February

Saturday 11 February

Sunday 12 February

Friday 17 February – World Club Challenge

Saturday 18 February

2012 NRL All Stars

NRL Draw 2012 Season

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Representative Weekend

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

State of Origin – Game 1

Round 12

Round 13

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State of Origin – Game 2

Round 15

Round 16

Round 17

State of Origin – Game 3

Round 18

Round 19

Round 20

Round 21

Round 22

Round 23

Round 24

Round 25

Round 26

NRL DRAW – FINALS – BREAKDOWN 2012

NRL Finals – Week 1

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Preliminary Finals – Week 3

NRL Grand Final – 2012

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