I saw some extended highlights from the Grand Final, and he's sensational. We generally tend to match up well in the forwards with the Aussies, but in the backs there's light years in difference. When I do catch some NRL, it's the movement and offloading which is always the major difference to how it's played over here. Would Bevan French get anywhere near the Australia team? That's how I'd differentiate between the talent levels. Would the best player in Super League feature? I'm not so sure.
Best NRL season of all time: 2025 NRL Match Highlights | Raiders v Broncos | Finals Week 1 - Bronco vs Raiders maybe the best rugby league game ever. Ever, ever. Never seen anything like that. 2025 NRL Match Highlights | Broncos v Panthers | Finals Week 3 - Broncos turning into the comeback kings in another great game. NRL Grand Final 2025 | Melbourne Storm v Brisbane Broncos | Extended Highlights - NRL Grand Final - Walsh was absolutely ridiculous. Just ridiculous.
Feels like a pretty daunting task to me, I mean the Aussies have always been the power house in rugby league and the NRL is just far superior to the Super League. In football terms I’m saying NRL = Premier League, Super League = Dutch league? Maybe I’m being a bit disingenuous but it feels like the Aussies re really heavy favourites for a white wash.
Apparently our forwards are not of the calibre of what they used to be so don’t think we will have any advantage there this time around. We do have arguably the best centre in rugby though in Herbie Farnworth.
I wouldn't doubt it There's just so much more talent in NRL, top to bottom. The best Super League teams can put up a good fight in one off matches, and I think a team like Wigan with their development success and given NRL finances could probably establish themselves if they were to play over time, but at the moment there's a massive gulf if you look at the leagues as a whole.
So TNT are not even going to be professional and have actual cricket pundits for their coverage of the Ashes. The sooner these disgusting parasites get completely bullied out of the sports broadcasting market by an Amazon, Apple or someone else the better. Sky charge a fortune but at least provide a good product, TNT are dreadful in every metric.
The Ashes will never be something that interests for Amazon or Apple. It’s protected in Australia and has to be on FTA TV there and it’s not a good time zone here (Amazon have ICC tournaments on Australia and they haven’t had good ratings apparently either) Sky for some reason only want home and ICC matches - they can afford away tours but choose not to.
If Sciver-Brunt and Knight bothfail with the bat it usually means the team is screwed. Big test in this match now.
The cricket resumed and they got to 133-9 in 31 over. DLS takes 20 off so Pakistan need 113 in 31 overs to win it. Will need an excellent bowling performance to stop them doing so I suspect.
Rain caused the abandonment of the first New Zealand v England T20 this morning after we batted to 153-6. Not a great innings through except from Curran - everyone else was having an off day.
🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Tom Willis to be dropped by England after signing deal with French clubRead the full story from @GavinMairs ⬇️https://t.co/hPGoIynDxZ pic.twitter.com/kWpgeW8D34— Telegraph Rugby (@TelegraphRugby) October 18, 2025
Pretty good innings with an outstanding performance from Heather Knight to get 109. 289 is a defendable target but it will likely be close either way. (Had Knight and Sciver-Brunt stayed a bit longer it might have been very much advantage to us).
Excellent fight back. India looked to be coasting, but they really reined them in at the end. You still worry about the batting if Knight and Sciver-Brunt both fail, but it feels like the bowling unit is in pretty decent shape.
Gearing up ⚙️🌹Steve Borthwick has named his 36-player squad for a three-day training camp ahead of the upcoming @QuilterNations.@O2 | #WearTheRose— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) October 19, 2025
Beaumont, Dunkley, Lamb and Capsey have only got past 25 once in all of their combined innings during this Women’s World Cup. Charlie Dean has achieved that feat twice.
Harry Brook is having some fun in Christchurch. Currently 70 off 28. Phil Salt is unbeaten on 79 - could join Sharma and Maxwell with the most T20i centuries, but with considerably fewer innings.
Salt was close to another hundred but just missed it in the end. Butler still struggling through. Do wonder if the end of his international career is coming pretty soon
Not really. His year by year totals for the last 4 years are pretty consistent - he's pretty much at his career average and his strike rate is up. It's just with Salt blitzing things regularly he's somewhat in his shadow. Year Innings Runs Average SR 50s 2022 15 462 35.53 160 4 2023 10 325 36.11 148 3 2024 13 462 42.00 164 3 2025 14 480 34.28 164 3
Did you look at his last 2 or 3 scores in T20is or something? because I don't know how you'd form that opinion otherwise
"It’s been one hell of a ride."Emily Scarratt, one of the greatest players in English rugby history, is bringing down the curtain on her incredible playing career 🌹Thank you for everything you’ve done, @EmilyScarratt ❤️ pic.twitter.com/4YWGZ6Np2B— Red Roses (@RedRosesRugby) October 21, 2025
Not sure a target of 245 is going to be defendable for the women - I feel it won’t be but it could have been worse. Beaumont the only batter to really do well - Dean got above 25 again while Dunkley and Lamb didn’t (Neither did Jones, Knight or Sciver-Brunt today unfortunatelyj