Almanac Rugby League

The Almanac Rugby league Crew

If you’d like to publish a rugby league story on The Footy Almanac website, please contact Ian Hauser.

 

If you’d like to join the Footy Almanac’s rugby league email list to receive our regular
Thursday updates during the season and occasional updates in the off-season, contact John Harms in the first instance.

 

The Footy Almanac’s coverage of rugby league features a team of four regular columnists:

Ian Hauser provides a round by round preview/review and comments on specific players/incidents.
Matt O’Hanlon (Prop by the Sea) offers a quirky take of the week’s happenings on and off the field.
Mark Shannon (The Prospector) comments on various issues in the code, both historical and current.
Russel Hansen (Rabbit in the Vineyard) gives a specific take on South Sydney’s progress.

as well as numerous other occasional contributors.

Our collection of articles appears below. The first article was published in 2010.

 

2026 NRL – RITV: Round 8 – Melbourne v South Sydney: Drought Broken on Anzac Day, for both the team and the coach 

Rabbit in the Vineyard celebrates the broken 28-years drought of victories in Melbourne while giving a close look at players who have improved, and who needs to step up their game!

2026 NRL – The Prospector’s Pickaxe: The Gradual Release of Responsibility

The Prospector compares the nature of enforcement on the footy grounds in the 80s and 90s to today’s more modern way of handling things.

2026 NRL – Prop by the Sea: Round 9 – You gotta love footy!

Prop by the Sea enjoyed a little Australian pub rock as he gives his take on the state of the teams playing this week.

2026 NRL – Round 9: Women’s State of Origin Game 1 and the changing landscape of the NRL

Women’s State of Origin takes pride of place in this week’s rugby league offerings, and it will have a great ‘support cast’ with several great match-ups in the NRL as well.

Almanac Rugby League: Time’s up, Ground Announcer

Paul Harman, like most footy fans (and sports fans in general, come to think of it), can’t stand the screeching of ground announcers and the intrusion of loud music at games. If only what happens in his imagination came true! (Alert: contains some course language.)

2026 NRL – RITV: National Junior Athletics Championships and South Sydney v St George Illawarra Dragons

It’s been a big week for RITV with the National Junior Athletics Championships in Brisbane as well as the Rabbitohs’ clash with the Dragons. But he got a surprise at the Glen Hotel on Saturday night – a pub with no NRL!

2026 NRL – The Prospector’s Pickaxe: Tipping comps – The Good, the Sad and the Ugly

The Prospector sifts through the issues involved when you join a tipping competition. It’s a complicated situation, to say the least!

2026 NRL – Prop by the Sea: You gotta love footy!

Prop by the Sea dips into the catalogue of Cold Chisel to bring us his take on the state of play in the NRL’s Rounds 7 and 8.

2026 NRL Round 8 – A new logo for the Almanac Rugby League Crew

After introducing the new Almanac rugby league crew logo, editor Ian Hauser runs his eye over the week in rugby league – another coach sacked, more major injuries, suspensions – it’s all happening!

Almanac Radio: Believe it or not – Only in Canberra

George Smith recalls Canberra in 1986 and the difficulty achieving a FM community radio licence for the music starved listeners at the time.