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About Brad Walter
About Brad Walter
Brad Walter began covering rugby league just weeks before the Super League war errupted on April Fools Day, 1995, and he has been knee deep and head down keeping tabs on every development in the game ever since. Where possible, he takes a positive approach to reporting and is of the view that league provides more good stories than any other round - although not all of them are neccesarily seen as good news. Ultimately, however, it is about what happens on the field and Brad also tries to provide an insight into the personalities of the players and coaches that make the NRL one of the best sporting competitions in the world.
Commission control picks up poor signals from state bodies
OFFICIALS from the NSW, Queensland and Country Rugby leagues are to meet after the State of Origin series to discuss the direction of the code, with potentially massive implications for plans to hand control to an independent commission.
Cock-a-hoop Maroons advise Blues to invest in the future
BLUES selectors will not be instructed to focus on the future or to avoid a series whitewash when they meet on Monday to name the side for Origin III.
Why scoring 2318 points isn't El Masri's proudest achievement
After announcing his retirement this week, Hazem El Masri was asked
to nominate what he considers to be the best of his 851 goals and
154 tries.
He's no Lockyer, but Soward's not far off
For Wayne Bennett, one of the hardest things about leaving the
Broncos was knowing that he would be unlikely to coach Darren
Lockyer again, but at least at the Dragons he had a ready-made
replacement in Jamie Soward.
'I don't think there'll be another Haz'
HAZEM EL MASRI'S wife, Arwa, best summed up what his impending retirement meant for the game when she told the Herald: "I would love to think that you will get another Haz, but I don't think there will ever be another Hazem El Masri - and it makes me proud to say that."
Bennett snares Kiwis comrade Fien but loses Weyman
ST GEORGE Illawarra's premiership prospects have received a massive
boost after the Warriors released Kiwi international Nathan Fien to
join the competition leaders for the remainder of the season.
Petero's injury opens door for young props
RAIDERS prop David Shillington and North Queensland's Matt Scott are set to be called into Queensland's side for Origin III after Petero Civoniceva yesterday became the latest player ruled out by injury.
Roosters to stand by their men
THE Sydney Roosters are expected to stand by two players charged
yesterday over a nightclub brawl in which the niece of ABC
commentator David Morrow was punched, while Manly officials await a
report into the involvement of star rookie Kieran Foran.
Blues players must take blame: Smith
CAMERON SMITH admitted his Queensland mentor Mal Meninga probably had an advantage over Blues and Storm coach Craig Bellamy in that he had only one job to concentrate on, but the Melbourne captain said the club had bigger concerns after another poor away performance against Canberra.
Meninga gets one more over Bellamy
BLUES coach Craig Bellamy must surely be sick of the sight of Mal Meninga after the Queensland mentor yesterday helped inspire the Raiders to their first win over his Melbourne side in seven years.
Bird's scapegoat feels sorry for mate
Brent Watson, the friend Greg Bird was convicted of falsely trying
to blame for the eye injury suffered by his girlfriend Katie
Milligan, has broken his silence to express sympathy for the former
Sharks international after he was sentenced to 16 months' jail this
week.
Mini deal major boost for Roosters
Anthony Minichiello is set to re-sign with Sydney Roosters and his
former teammate Brett Finch may also stay at Melbourne rather than
pursue offers to play overseas.
If Farah wasn't injured, he's got some explaining to do
NSW selectors intend to ask whether hooker Robbie Farah was affected by a rib injury in Wednesday night's historic loss to Queensland before deciding whether to retain him for Origin III.
Gould: I'd come back - on my terms
PHIL GOULD has launched a scathing attack on the administration of the NSWRL and ruled out returning to coach the Blues without widespread changes.
Scalpels ready as Blues launch post-mortem
NSWRL officials are set to conduct an all-encompassing inquiry into the Blues' Origin failings over the past four years amid calls for Phil Gould or Wayne Bennett to take over as coach next season.
We're all to blame, says Bellamy
NSW coach Craig Bellamy rejected suggestions that Queensland had better players than the Blues after the Maroons overcame the loss of Greg Inglis with a fractured jaw and a debilitating virus that swept through the camp on match eve to become the first team to win four consecutive Origin series.
We won't be beaten on passion, vows Gidley
ON THE eve of a State of Origin game in which Queensland could realise a dream and NSW could experience their worst nightmare, Blues captain Kurt Gidley has promised his team's fans one thing - the Maroons won't beat them on the score of passion.
Stomach virus scare for Myles
NATE MYLES'S hopes of celebrating his 24th birthday by helping Queensland secure a record fourth successive Origin series win tonight have been thrown into doubt by a stomach virus.
Bird can play on despite jail sentence
GREG BIRD is free to play the remainder of the season with French
Super League club Catalans and the NRL has not closed the door on
his eventual return to its competition, despite the former Sharks
international yesterday becoming the first high-profile Australian
footballer in recent memory to be jailed while still playing.
Freddy's nightmare 'poor form'
SYDNEY ROOSTERS coach Brad Fittler has admitted he needs to act
more responsibly to set a good example for his players and that an
incident in Townsville after a drinking session with his coaching
staff was "poor form" that had hurt the club as it struggles to
overcome the loss of captain Braith Anasta following a sickening
ankle injury.
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