BY CURTIS WOODWARD @woodward_curtis Since its opening in 1988, the Sydney Football Stadium has played backdrop to some of rugby league’s greatest moments and matches. Ironically, the two clubs that called it home longer than anyone else will see the old girl out. The ground is set to be demolished later this year meaning this […]
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BY STAFF WRITERS Rugby league’s first ever full-time coach, the game’s greatest ever referee and some of rugby league’s biggest and brightest names headline the next batch to go into The81stMinute Hall of Fame. The list includes Charlie Lynch – a coach who didn’t walk into the role after playing first grade. He was the […]
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BY STAFF WRITERS Who didn’t love the 1990’s? What a time to be alive. We had Rams and Magpies and Crushers, oh my! Okay so maybe you didn’t love the whole Super League War. But come on, the rest of it was pretty cool! We’ve come up with 100 things we loved about footy in […]
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BY A.J NASH It is Fox Sports’ Retro Round so we thought we’d jump on board. Why not!? It just so happens, one of rugby league’s greatest clubs, feature this Saturday on steelesports.com.au when The81stMinute Call Team heads to Liverpool for Mounties versus the North Sydney Bears. Sorry Mounties – we’re talking about the Bears […]
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BY CURTIS WOODWARD @woodward_curtis Apparently New South Wales State of Origin coach Brad Fittler is considering a selection shock by picking Tongan World Cup hero Andrew Fifita in his Blues squad for Game I at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. If only Freddy came out and just knocked it on the head. If only Fifita hadn’t […]
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The iconic Darrell Eastlake passed away on Thursday morning after a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. He was 75. Rugby league and the wider community paid tribute to a once-in-a-lifetime larger than life character. We at The81stMinute would also like to pay our respects by inducting Eastlake straight into our Hall of Fame. You can […]
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Remember that booming voice calling over the top of State of Origin? It wasn’t Ray Warren – it was the great Darrell Eastlake. Eastlake helped promote Origin and can be heard on many a highlight reel. After a long fight with Alzheimer’s disease, Eastlake passed away aged 75 at a Central Coast nursing home. More […]
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BY A.J NASH AND SCOTT DILLON Wally Lewis at lock? Sonny Bill at prop? Brandy on the wing? Yeah we went there. This is our Ball-Playing XVII of the modern era. Got to fit ’em all somewhere! 1 Darren Lockyer We're wishing a very Happy Birthday to Darren Lockyer. Hope you have an awesome […]
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BY CURTIS WOODWARD @woodward_curtis Some players become ingrained in a club. Whether as captain, the superstar playmaker or because of the blood, sweat and tears they’ve spilt for the team and their fans. Sometimes, for different reasons, those players end up somewhere else. Steve Rogers Dragons An icon of the Cronulla club, Rogers played […]
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BY CURTIS WOODWARD @woodward_curtis Like sands through the hourglass, these are the rugby league contracts that didn’t quite work out. Yep, like death and taxes, it seems we can’t go a week in rugby league without a contract saga somewhere in our fair game. Check these out! Kirk Reynoldson vs. Newcastle Kirk ‘The Bushranger’ […]
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