I'm pumped about the 2016 NRL season, but it's been an amazing off-season
Date:February 27, 2016 - 7:00PM
Phil Gould
League Columnist
We are back baby!
Don't tell me you are not delirious with excitement about the coming NRL season. I'm pumped. I'm sure you're pumped. It's been a long, hot summer. The start of the season is now only four days away. I'm sure you're all fit, fresh and ready to go. So, too, are the coaches and players. It's been a long wait.
Before we get into the season, though, what about the off-season we've had? So much has happened in rugby league since the great Johnathan Thurston kicked his premiership-winning field goal in the 82nd minute of last year's amazing grand final.
I thought people would be talking about that moment for the next six months, however, the euphoria of that moment has been drowned out by all the big things that happened during the off-season.
I wanted to dedicate this column to talking about the season ahead but there is so much that happened over the summer months we didn't get a chance to discuss. Don't fret though, because just about everything that happened during the silly season is going to make a return in some way, shape or form over the next few months. I'm sure we will get our chance to argue over these points some time in the future.
Let's just quickly relive some of the main events of the summer.
NRL chief executive Dave Smith resigns
A fortnight after the 2015 grand final, NRL chief executive Dave Smith pulled the pin. Actually he gave the commission a heads up probably a month prior to the actual announcement date, but here we are five months later and the game still doesn't have a new leader and it's anticipated it will be more than a month before the new man will be announced.
Click here to read more.
.
Date:February 27, 2016 - 7:00PM
Phil Gould
League Columnist
We are back baby!
Don't tell me you are not delirious with excitement about the coming NRL season. I'm pumped. I'm sure you're pumped. It's been a long, hot summer. The start of the season is now only four days away. I'm sure you're all fit, fresh and ready to go. So, too, are the coaches and players. It's been a long wait.
Before we get into the season, though, what about the off-season we've had? So much has happened in rugby league since the great Johnathan Thurston kicked his premiership-winning field goal in the 82nd minute of last year's amazing grand final.
I thought people would be talking about that moment for the next six months, however, the euphoria of that moment has been drowned out by all the big things that happened during the off-season.
I wanted to dedicate this column to talking about the season ahead but there is so much that happened over the summer months we didn't get a chance to discuss. Don't fret though, because just about everything that happened during the silly season is going to make a return in some way, shape or form over the next few months. I'm sure we will get our chance to argue over these points some time in the future.
Let's just quickly relive some of the main events of the summer.
NRL chief executive Dave Smith resigns
A fortnight after the 2015 grand final, NRL chief executive Dave Smith pulled the pin. Actually he gave the commission a heads up probably a month prior to the actual announcement date, but here we are five months later and the game still doesn't have a new leader and it's anticipated it will be more than a month before the new man will be announced.
Click here to read more.
.
