Your weekly guide to the NRL season, including the entire Final Series, the souvenir Grand Final program and our bumper Season Review. Every week Big League will feature stories on the big names, preview the big games and continue our popular Little League section for the young rugby league fans. With official team-lists, extensive statistics and up-to-date news, Big League provides everything you need to follow the NRL.
Winner takes all at Leichhardt
KICKING OFF
Strong send-off driving Dragons
Sharpening the pointy end
Shake-up won’t quiet the Storm
Harvey Norman TALE OF THE TAPE
Grand dreams for Green Machine
Round 24 ROUND-UP
NUMBERS GAME
Brittany Breayley • ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
Big League Weekly Edition
HOT SHOT
Top 8 Coaching comebacks • Their careers have halted, but Nathan Brown and Garth Brennan can look at this week’s list and know they could be back on top one day.
Time to put history in the past
Bouncing back to glory • It was a sign of the changing nature of the game, but South Sydney’s refusal to go quietly under strict conditions proved the value of people power and the strength of tradition.
TWEET OF THE WEEK
LOCKER ROOM
Harvey Norman TALE OF THE TAPE
Blast off
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Robbie Farah
LAST MAN STANDING • As it stands, he may never get the chance to take the field one more time, but on or off the field, Robbie Farah will do whatever he can to help his beloved Wests Tigers. The Green Machine rained on his home farewell, but that result is driving Paul Gallen’s Sharks ahead of a do-or-die final round showdown.
Paul Gallen
Curtain call • Gallen and Farah lead one of the most prolific retiring lists in recent memory, and the numbers and facts that describe these players have to be seen to be believed.
Close to home • There are few more storied rivalries than the one between the Roosters and Rabbitohs, and with both teams in fine form the latest chapter has been as fiery as ever.
Getting physical • It’s been a long road from the PNG Highlands to Melbourne for Justin Olam, but he’s doing whatever it takes to live out his childhood dream.
All or nothing • There’s just one week left for some of the game’s biggest names to find the line, or endure the unwanted spectacle of the end of year nudie run.
CLUB NEWS
LITTLE LEAGUE
JOHN SUTTON
PENRITH PANTHERS 80% WIN RECORD IN PAST 10 GAMES v NEWCASTLE
Ready to go round again
Crawling to the finish
Finals intensity arrives early at ANZ
Sea Eagles’ challenge to rise above
Storm building for premiership tilt
Raiders not about to ease up
Broncos wary of late slip-up
Pride at stake in battle of the also-rans
Winner takes all at Leichhardt
Panthers points-fest in prospect
CANTERBURY CUP NSW
Review: Red V take the spoils after Rabbitohs slip
JERSEY FLEGG
Review: Mouth-watering meetings to open Flegg finals
INTRUST SUPER CUP
Review: Flying ’Phins join finals fray
HASTINGS DEERING COLTS
Review: Blackhawks survive three-way title showdown
RON MASSEY CUP
Review: Single point the difference at the top
SCORES
STAT ATTACK
Harvey Norman TALE OF THE TAPE
NRL DRAW
