Home of the NRL - 100 plus years and still going strong

Wests Tigers defeated Canberra Raiders 34 to 26

Brisbane Broncos defeated Melbourne Storm 16 to 12

Parramatta Eels defeated South Sydney Rabbitohs 14 to 8

St. George Dragons defeated Gold Coast Titans 16 to 10

Canterbury Bulldogs defeated Penrith Panthers 28 to 26

North Queensland Cowboys defeated Wests Tigers 42 to 14

Sydney Roosters defeated Canberra Raiders 28 to 4

New Zealand Warriors defeated Manly Sea-Eagles 26 to 24


re: Friday match between Melbourne & Brisbane, score was actually 16 to 14 not 16 to 12 as initially reported.........

Newcastle Knights defeated Cronulla Sharks 24 to 12

The Canterbury Bulldogs have been informed they will lose two Telstra Premiership competition points after breaching the Replacements (Interchange) rules against Penrith on Saturday night.

A breach notice will be issued alleging the club had fourteen players on the field when the match-levelling try was scored in the final moments of the match.

“It’s a regrettable decision to have to take but the interchange process is clear and no interchange can take place without it being followed,” National Rugby League Chief Executive, Mr David Gallop, said today.

The Bulldogs will have five business days to enter submissions in relation to the breach notice before the penalty is confirmed. Until then the club remains on four competition points. In any event, the Panthers will not be awarded the competition points.

A detailed viewing of the ‘eagle-cam’ video and other angles this afternoon cleared the club of suggestions of an improper interchange between Ben Roberts and Andrew Ryan in the 78th minute.

However, it showed clearly that when Michael Ennis was on the ground with an injury, Ryan (having previously left the field) re-entered from the ‘far’ touchline and rejoined play without abiding by the interchange process and with Ennis still being treated.

Ryan took a position in the attacking line during the try-scoring play with Ennis still on the field and with the Bulldogs therefore having 14 men.

Previous instances where clubs have had first grade competition points deducted over replacement breaches: 1975 Western Suburbs; 1988 South Sydney; 1992 Gold Coast; 1993 Balmain; 1995 Auckland; 2000 North Queensland.

Brisbane was stripped of two competition points on April 14, 2004, and had them reinstated on appeal on Friday, May 21. At the time, the Appeal Committee Chairman, Sir Laurence Street, called for stricter enforcement of the Replacements (Interchange) procedures.

This led to a number of changes including the elimination of ‘cross-overs’ as players exited and entered the field and players directly handing their interchange cards to the NRL Interchange Official.

(couldn't happen to a better club................ )

Cronulla halfback Brett Seymour made a public apology for the drunken behaviour that earned him a two-match ban before the NRL match between the Sharks and Newcastle on Monday night.

In a highly unusual move, Seymour took the microphone 20 minutes before kick-off at Toyota Stadium to say sorry for a wild night out which ended in the early hours of last Monday morning.

Seymour, 24, was stood down for two games by the Sharks and fined $20,000 on Thursday.

"I'd just like to apologise to all the sponsors, all the fans out here, my family and my girlfriend especially," he said.

"This has been a tough week for all the wrong reasons and I'm just looking forward to getting back on the paddock in a couple of weeks and repaying the faith of you guys.

"It's going to be the toughest part, just watching my mates run around and not being a part of it."

Seymour, who was sacked by Brisbane in 2006 after another off-field incident, was caught on a mobile phone video camera staggering around Cronulla Mall and falling to the ground with a woman.

Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy says the start to the 2009 NRL season is as intense as he's seen, and believes there's unlikely to be a runaway minor premier this year.

The Storm felt the full force of that intensity in their heart-stopping two-point loss to Brisbane last Friday night, which followed their round one golden point win over the Dragons.

Bellamy, in his seventh season as Storm coach, said the season start had been frenetic.

"I can't remember playing the first two rounds of any season where the intensity has been as high as the two games we've played in," he said.

"We've had two teams keen to go out there and play well and do whatever they needed to do to try to win the game.

"They've been of a really high standard."

Some believe that the game had sped up around the ruck with the introduction of dual referees, however Bellamy wasn't so sure.

With defending champions Manly losing their two games and many of the clubs splitting their results, Bellamy said the competition was very even.

"It seems to get more even every year," he said.

"Obviously the league's plan with the salary cap and other things have made the competition as even as it's ever been.

"It was typical in round one on the Friday night when we won by a point and the Broncos beat the Cowboys by a point, I think that sums up how close this competition is."

He believed that trend would continue throughout the year and a runaway minor premier, like the Melbourne Storm in 2006 and 2007, was unlikely.

"It could happen but if I was to put some hard-earned on it I'd say it's going to be a pretty even competition, I don't think anyone will do that.

Wow .... awesome update mate. I don't follow rugby but after seeing your enthusiasm, I think I will give it a shot. Btw I do play the Rugby video game, its cool. Repped.

Wests Tiger defeated Sydney Roosters 40 to 24

Gold Coast Titans defeated Canterbury Bulldogs 20 to 12