Issue 48

Rugby League is the flavour now with suggestions that the Federal Government will probably back an 18th NRL team if it involves the much sought after Pacific islands nations (Samoa, Tonga, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea). Watch this space but it’s great to have one rugby league-loving Prime Minister following another.

Rugby League in Queensland is in a good space at the moment with long forgotten fans coming back to the game. No matter who wins the turf war between the Brisbane Broncos and newly formed Dolphins, Queensland is the winner with top quality rugby league played in Brisbane basically every weekend.

The quality of rugby league has improved throughout Queensland with players of the calibre of Anthony Milford and Jarrod Wallace (Capras), Toby Sexton (Tweed Heads), Blake Mozer (Souths Logan), Robert Jennings and Albert Kelly (Dolphins), Jock Madden (Norths), Corey Thompson (Tigers), James Tamou and Mitch Dunn (Blackhawks), Deine Mariner (Wynnum) and Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui (Burleigh) plying their wares in the Host Plus Cup.

The introduction of the Western Clydesdales has benefitted rugby league in Central and Southwest Queensland and the improvement in the women’s BMD Premiership has been amazing with most teams full of NRLW players, Queensland players and Internationals. Players like Courtney Robinson, Mariah Storch (Capras), Zahara Temara, Chelsea Lenarduzzi (Burleigh), Julia Robinson, Shaniah Power (Wynnum), Brittany Breayley-Nati, Frieda Seu (Souths Logan) and Rona Peters, Chelsea Apps (Tweed Heads) will ensure this quality competition continues.

Over the next few months, we will be promoting several reunions so if you are an Ivanhoes (Cairns), Mackay Cutters or Whitsunday past player or supporter stay tuned.