90-708: The Footy Show was an Australian sports variety television program covering professional rugby league in Australia . It was shown on the Nine Network and aired for 25 seasons. For the final season in 2018, the show was hosted by journalist Erin Molan , and co-hosted by Ryan Girdler and Brad Fittler , with regular contributions from Beau Ryan and Darryl Brohman . It was previously hosted by former rugby league footballer and commentator Paul Vautin for 23 years, with former player and commentator Peter Sterling also an early host from
180-563: A prop forward in the 1980s and early 1990s. He made thirty-nine representative appearances for the Australian national team in Tests, World Cup and New South Wales State of Origin matches between 1985 and 1991. His football career was followed by a period as a commentator. Roach was born in Wollongong , New South Wales , Australia. Roach played his early rugby league for Wests Illawarra and
270-580: A Test match against New Zealand in Melbourne in 1991 , Roach clashed famously with Kiwi forward Dean Lonergan and required 20 stitches. Early in the game the Kiwi forward had attempted a tackle on Roach but the pair accidentally clashed heads, leaving Roach requiring stitches and Lonergan convulsing on the ground, though both would return to the game. Blocker was dropped after the Australian's shock 24–8 loss to NZ in
360-458: A commentator with the Nine Network as well as making appearances on The NRL Footy Show . After a disagreement with fellow Channel 9 commentators Paul Vautin and Peter Sterling he was sacked by the network and signed by the official rugby league radio broadcaster 2UE , before later moving to 2GB with Ray Hadley and his Continuous Call Team . He has made further television appearances on
450-667: A compilation CD, the Reg Reagan All of Me DVD and the single "Am I Ever Gonna See the Biff Again?" by Reg Reagan and the Knucklemen (Reagan is a parody of a stereotypical ocker football players from the 1970s). For a period of ten weeks from June 2005, the show was hosted by Matthew Johns, due to head injuries suffered by Vautin while filming a comedy sketch for the show. Vautin returned in September 2005. Clive James also guest presented
540-575: A handful of spectators at the Gabba . The Newcastle Rugby League was founded in 1910 with four clubs, Central Newcastle, Northern Suburbs, South Newcastle and Western Suburbs. The Illawarra Rugby League was founded in 1911 with five clubs (Dapto, Helensburgh, Mount Keira, Unanderra and Wollongong). In 1911, a Goldfields' League was formed in West Wyalong, and games were played in Tamworth, Aberdeen, and along
630-427: A music act. The set was large, encompassing the entire of Studio B including a studio audience of more than 100, with a complete green floor (simulating grass) and a large set of goalposts. There were several areas where interviews were conducted, including "controversy corner" and the "bar room" as well as the main panel desk. The show was hosted by Billy J. Smith during its first year, with Chris Bombolas taking over
720-570: A regular panelist. The Brisbane Footy Show was the original concept of an NRL Footy Show devised by the QTQ9 Production Manager John Evans. The show started in 1993 for two years before Channel 9 headquarters in Sydney believed it was a waste of money and resources to have different footy shows airing in different states. The Brisbane Footy Show started as a high-budget "live" show almost solely concerned with League discussion and
810-674: A report conducted by Brand Finance valued the Penrith Panthers club at $ 46.2m, the highest of any Australian sporting brand, while the Brisbane Broncos had the highest brand equity. Polling conducted by Roy Morgan Research indicated that in 2014 the NRL was second only to the AFL in terms of football television viewship. In 2018, the NRL superseded the AFL's television viewership by over five million viewers. The Australian Rugby League Commission
900-764: A second governing body, the New South Wales Country Rugby League (NSWCRL) to govern the sport outside the Sydney metropolitan area . In spite of its name, NSWCRL also governs rugby league in the Australian Capital Territory . However, the NSWRL absorbed the CRL in 2019. The elite professional rugby league club competition in Australia is the National Rugby League (NRL). The NRL's Telstra Premiership
990-627: A segment in 2013, while That's Gold returned in 2014. Perhaps the most popular segment introduced on The Footy Show in 2010 is "Stuff You May Have Missed", a weekly wrap-up of bloopers that viewers may have missed during the previous NRL round plus many bloopers from various television programs, not just on Channel Nine but other stations. The segment was dropped in 2013. 2015 segments on the show included "Kick or Grab", "The Footy Show Row Show", "The Molan Files", "Beau Knows", "That's Gold", "Perfect Partners", "Stuff You May Have Missed", and "Player Probe". Due to Thursday night football being featured on
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#17332021985151080-429: A show during this period. The Footy Show is more a variety show than a typical sports program. This is evident through the many games that the members play such as Going, Going, GOOONE! and segments such as Daredevil Dudes . It was on one Daredevil Dudes segment where Vautin suffered his head injury when he fell and hit his head on a concrete gutter. Only one match is previewed in significant depth, it generally being
1170-471: A sponsor's name on their jersey. The NSWRFL Premiership spread outside Sydney in 1982 with the introduction of the Illawarra Steelers and Canberra Raiders . In 1986, Brisbane Rugby League player Bob Lindner was the last to be selected from a non-NSWRL club to debut for the Australian national team . 1987 was the last year that a state of Origin player was selected from a non-NSWRL club. In 1988
1260-512: A substantial decline of 89% or a more generous definition was applied when measuring participants historically. According to Ausplay in 2024, 45% of adult players are now female. In two decades this has changed from 2004 when the vast majority were male and just 5% were female. However at junior level, the game is still predominantly male, less than a third of players under 15 are female. National participation figures released in 2021 show female participants number 16,899 accounting for 10.52% of
1350-613: Is a boxing event, with the inaugural event occurring on 31 January 2015, headlined by Sonny Bill Williams and his bout against Chauncy Welliver .The first Footy Show Fight Night was hosted by Erin Molan and Beau Ryan , with commentary from Ray Hadley and boxers Jeff Fenech , Danny Green and Anthony Mundine . During May 2006, the town of Beaconsfield , Tasmania was rocked by a collapse of its local gold mine , trapping 34-year-old Todd Russell and 37-year-old Brant Webb and killing Larry Knight. Miraculously, Russell and Webb escaped with aid from emergency workers. To celebrate, both
1440-545: Is a popular spectator and participation sport which has been played since 1908. It is the dominant winter football code in the states of New South Wales and Queensland . According to Ausplay in 2024, there were 174,343 adult and 93,287 children playing it across five states at a participation rate of 0.8% per capita. Just under half of adult players are female. It is governed by the Australian Rugby League Commission based in Sydney . In 2022, it
1530-456: Is a season when an unprecedented scandal took place: the Melbourne Storm was found to have conducted four systematic breaches of the competition's salary cap , and had all honours gained over the previous years (including 2 premierships) nullified, were forced to pay large fines and shed enough star players to get back under the cap, all while playing the rest of the season already guaranteed
1620-405: Is an annual best-of-three series of interstate matches between the two strongest rugby league states Queensland and New South Wales. The State of Origin series is one of Australia's premier sporting events, attracting a huge television audience and usually selling out the stadiums in which the games are played. From 2012–2021, an Under 20s State of Origin match was held annually on the same weekend as
1710-668: Is contested by 4 teams from Queensland, 10 from New South Wales, 1 from Victoria and 1 from the Australian Capital Territory as well as 1 team from New Zealand. Formerly, 16 of these teams also fielded National Youth Competition teams, an Under 20s competition that ceased in 2017. This was replaced by the Jersey Flegg Cup and the Hastings Deering Colts , locally-administrated state-based competitions for New South Wales and Queensland respectively. Underneath
1800-546: Is shown on delay at 1pm on 9GEM which is immediately followed at 3pm by Nine's broadcast of Sunday afternoon football (the telecast into SA was controversially canceled in early 2014 but returned in late 2015). Before 2013, The Sunday Footy Show was not broadcast into the AFL dominated states. The Footy Show debuted during the NSWRL finals series of 1994. The original hosts (in 1994) were 'Fatty' aka Paul Vautin , 'Sterlo' ( Peter Sterling ), and 'Blocker' ( Steve Roach ), with regular appearances by Ray Hadley . Contrary to what
1890-523: Is the annual Rugby league State of Origin featuring two sides, the New South Wales Blues and the Queensland Maroons is often referred to as "Australian sport's greatest rivalry", it is one of Australia's premier sporting events, attracting huge interest and television audiences. Australia has a rich history of rugby league, first taking up the sport in 1908, it has been dominant over
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#17332021985151980-803: Is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia and also conducts all representative rugby league, including the national team and the annual State of Origin series . The Australian Rugby League's major club competition is the National Rugby League . At state level, the game is administered by local governing bodies under the control of the ARLC. The state bodies include the New South Wales Rugby League and Queensland Rugby League , as well as Northern Territory Rugby League , South Australian Rugby League , Tasmanian Rugby League , Victorian Rugby League and Western Australia Rugby League which have Affiliate state status. New South Wales has
2070-679: The AFL and the NRL Footy Shows had a special program dedicated to the two survivors. This included a cross to Eddie McGuire who held an interview with Brant and Todd. In 2006, to celebrate the State of Origin decider—which was to be held in Melbourne for the first time in years—the two shows were filmed in adjoining rooms, in Nine Network Melbourne's complex. On the AFL Show , Fatty went over from
2160-642: The AFL dominated states of Victoria , South Australia , Western Australia and Tasmania , the air time is reversed. The Thursday night NRL version was based around variety with segments, bands and a serious discussion about current issues in the game and past/future match-ups. Former segments included Anti-Ads, National Naan News (with Mahatma Cote), Daredevil Dudes, Hill Report (with Terry Hill ), Yesterday's Hero (with Paul Langmack ), Going.. Going.. Gooone, "Crack-a-Fat", One Versus One, No Talent Time, Their House (with Ryan Girdler later with Bryan Fletcher ), Reg Reagan and That's Gold. Crack-a Fat returned as
2250-638: The Ashes for the first time on home soil. In 1921 approximately 30,000 people watched a women's rugby league game in Sydney . This set a long-standing record for the highest attendance at a women's sporting competition outside the Olympic or Commonwealth games. The attendance record for a rugby league match in Australia was broken in 1932 when 70,204 people saw Australia play England at the Sydney Cricket Ground . The 50th anniversary of rugby league in Australia
2340-535: The NRL Show to join as a guest for a few minutes. Upon his return, a quiz was held between AFL Show regulars Billy Brownless and Sam Newman, with Matthew Johns and Peter Sterling representing the NRL side. Most of the questions were about either the Melbourne Storm for the NRL boys, since it was a celebration of Melbourne Rugby League, and the Geelong Football Club who Newman and Brownless both played for in
2430-625: The New South Wales Rugby Football League 's "Foundation Day" on 20 April 1908 ( Easter Monday ) in two double headers. At Wentworth Park in Sydney's Glebe, Easts beat Newtown before Glebe triumphed over Newcastle while at Birchgrove Oval in Balmain , South Sydney beat North Sydney and Balmain beat Wests . On 8 May 1909 the first match of rugby league was played in Brisbane . Past Grammars played against Souths before
2520-1408: The Republic of Ireland on Setanta Sports . It was normally airs at 10pm on Thursday night, although Premier and Setanta will sometimes show the program earlier in the day in an early evening slot, as well as the 10pm showing. Rugby league in Australia New South Wales Intrust Super Premiership Ron Massey Cup Newcastle Rugby League Illawarra Rugby League Sydney Shield Penrith District Rugby League Country Rugby League Queensland Queensland Cup FOGS Cup FOGS Colts Challenge Foley Shield Australian Capital Territory Canberra Rugby League competition Tasmania Tasmania Rugby League Victoria Storm Premiership The Murray Cup Central Highlands Rugby League South Australia Adelaide Premiership Western Australia Smarter Than Smoking Premiership Pilbara Rugby League Northern Territory Central Australian Rugby League Katherine Rugby League In Australia , rugby league
2610-692: The Seven Network 's Sportsworld and is one of a number of former players who appear in radio, TV and print ads for the Lowes menswear chain. After a 3-year stint as assistant coach with Manly, Roach was appointed to the coaching committee of his beloved Tigers – now the Wests Tigers. On 23 June 2000, Roach was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in rugby league. In February 2008, Steve Roach
2700-465: The Super League and ARL competitions during its broadcast. Hadley had been a stout supporter of the more traditional ARL , believing that Super League 's agenda was backed by money and greed and was not prepared to lend his support to the rival competition, thus leading to his eventual departure from the show. Hadley left at the end of 1996, and returned to the show in 1998, before leaving for good at
2790-410: The wooden spoon . 2012 saw a major re-structure of the administration of rugby league in Australia. The newly formed independent Australian Rugby League Commission took over control of the National Rugby League premiership, the State of Origin series and the Australian national team . A 2013 report found that behind cricket, rugby league was Australia's second-most popular sport. The same year
The Footy Show (rugby league) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2880-422: The 'thumbs up' sign with both hands simultaneously. 'That's Tops' ran from 2002 until the end of 2004. Mario Fenech , aka The Falcon , also appears often as a host. In 2005 'That's Gold' was introduced, a hand gesture which involves placing an upright clenched fist on an open palm; both gestures have become popular throughout Australia and New Zealand and are often 'performed' at NRL-related sports venues across
2970-537: The 1988 finals including the Grand Final loss to Canterbury . In the 1989 club season his combination with Paul Sironen , Benny Elias and Wayne Pearce was one of the strongest packs in club rugby league history and the side dominated opposing forwards. In the 1989 Grand Final, after having led Canberra 12 points to 2 at half-time, the Tigers were run down. Roach and Sironen were replaced by coach Warren Ryan late in
3060-441: The 2nd half and when the game ultimately went into extra time they were unable to return and with their strikepower gone in the added period Canberra were able to overpower Balmain 19–14. In 1991 his club form showed some decline but he again managed national selection and his experience was vital to the improvement of a side needing reorganisation after they suffered a shocking start to the club season. After an ankle injury in 1991 he
3150-450: The 562nd player to represent Australia when he made his national representative début in the first Test in Brisbane against New Zealand . His excellent club form for Balmain in 1986 ensured his place on the 1986 Kangaroo tour where he appeared in two Tests and seven minor tour matches, though his tour was interrupted after he suffered a dislocated elbow in a match against St. Helens before
3240-487: The AFL. The AFL boys won the quiz. Also during the show, Newman showed the two boys what he thought of their 2006 Logie by destroying a (presumably) fake Logie while Fatty was on their show. In 2006, the AFL and NRL produced a special broadcast from Germany. This was to coincide with the Socceroos FIFA World Cup campaign. It was co-hosted by Eddie McGuire and James Brayshaw . Unlike the traditional versions,
3330-456: The Affiliated states. Rugby league attendances saw their previously best year in 1995 (the year before Australia's Super League War , with total attendances reaching 3,061,893. Six clubs averaged over 20,000 in that year, a feat still unmatched. This was a large increase on the previous years and was no doubt due to the formation of several new clubs and the renaming of the competition, from
3420-518: The Australia vs New Zealand test. This has now been changed to Under 19s. Women's State of Origin has been held since 1999, and in 2021 an Under 19s Women's series was introduced. City vs Country Origin is an annual Australian rugby league match that takes place in New South Wales between teams made up of NRL players representing 'City' (Sydney metropolitan area) and 'Country' (all areas in NSW outside
3510-502: The Friday Night showcase. In 2007, Peter Sterling decided not to return to the show so he could concentrate on commentating. The show decided to keep the three hosts (Vautin, Harragon and Johns). In 2008, Laurie Daley joined the show as a fourth host. In early 2009, it was announced that Paul Harragon had quit the show, Laurie Daley had returned to Foxtel (where he first began his television career) and Andrew Voss would join to replace
3600-561: The Johns brothers ( Andrew and Matthew ), Ryan Girdler with his highly popular segment, Their House , the name a parody of the Australian TV program Our House (a lifestyle programme). In 2001, a contest was held to find a new co-host, via a parody of the hit show Survivor (also shown on Nine), and popular Newcastle premiership winning captain Paul Harragon , also known as 'Chief',
3690-467: The Melbourne test but was chosen for the end of season tour of Papua New Guinea .. However, Roach suffered a broken ankle in the first match of the tour which would prove to be his last appearance in any game for the Kangaroos In a game in 1990 against Manly at Brookvale Oval , he received a four-week suspension for backchatting the referee Eddie Ward, whom Roach patronisingly patted on the head after he
The Footy Show (rugby league) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3780-475: The NRL, semi-professional competitions such as the Hostplus Cup , Knock-On Effect NSW Cup and Ron Massey Cup are run in both New South Wales and Queensland. These competitions are the major feeder competitions for the NRL competition. Alongside these mainly metropolitan-based competitions country rugby league bodies run competitions throughout rural Queensland and New South Wales. Amateur competitions are run in
3870-530: The NSWRFL managed to recruit Herbert "Dally" Messenger , the most famous rugby footballer in Sydney at that time. The visit by James Giltinan , Harry Hoyle , and Victor Trumper on Sunday 11 August 1907 to gain the agreement of Dally Messenger's mother, Annie Messenger, for him to switch to the new code is part of Rugby League folklore. Rugby league then went on to displace rugby union as the primary football code in New South Wales. Four matches were played in Sydney on
3960-584: The NSWRL's first teams from outside the borders of New South Wales were added: the Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast Giants . In 1993 the Australian Women's Rugby League was formed. The 1993 Winfield Cup Grand Final drew remarkably strong ratings nationwide. The second game of the 1994 State of Origin series was brought south to the Melbourne Cricket Ground and re-set the nation's rugby league attendance record with 87,161. This success had set
4050-655: The New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) to the Australian Rugby league (ARL). The year of 1996 was a turbulent one for Australian rugby league and saw what may be the largest decrease in attendance ever (2,450,776, down 611,117 down from 1995) in the ARL. This crowd decrease is attributed to the poor publicity surrounding the ongoing court cases related to the Super League War . When the Super League competition
4140-483: The News Ltd-backed Super League and Kerry Packer -backed Australian Rugby League organisations over control of the top-level professional rugby league football competition of Australasia . In 1995, New South Wales State of Origin and Kangaroos Test forward Ian Roberts became the first high-profile Australian sports person and first footballer in the world to come out to the public as gay. 1997
4230-508: The Nine Network 2018 Upfronts event. It was reported that a new 1-hour show was to be hosted by Erin Molan after the Thursday night NRL fixture, and would be more news-focused rather than a variety format as the show had been classified as in recent years. On 15 January 2018, it was confirmed by the Nine Network that Erin Molan would host a new-look version of The Footy Show , to be broadcast after Nine's regular Thursday night NRL fixtures. Molan
4320-434: The Nine Network for the 2016 NRL season, The Footy Show moved to Wednesdays at 8.30pm from March 2016. However, from 25 August 2016, the show moved back into its former Thursday night timeslot. The show's 500th episode aired on 11 August 2011. The Sunday Footy Show is hosted by Erin Molan , Peter Sterling and Brad Fittler , along with regular panellist Sam Thaiday . In all AFL dominated states, The Sunday Footy Show
4410-624: The Royal Australian Mint launching a series of uncirculated coins in November 2007 to commemorate the occasion. The percentage of indigenous players in top-level rugby league premiership was reported to have fallen from 21% in the 1990s to 11% in 2009. In 2009, rugby league's popularity in Australia was confirmed as it had the highest television ratings of any sport. This occurred again in 2010, with an increased number of people watching Rugby League (120 million) compared to AFL (112 million). This
4500-472: The Rugby League commentary box signing on with Fox Sports . In 2018, Roach revealed that his nickname 'Blocker' actually came from his time employed as a Licensed Plumber where it was remarked by his colleagues that he would 'block' pipes that would subsequently require plumbing works to be conducted. In 2019, he appeared regularly on Fox Sports panel show, 'Controversy Corner', as well as commentating for
4590-522: The South Coast. The game was introduced to Orange in 1912 and spread quickly through the western districts. In 1913 branch leagues were formed at Bathurst, Dubbo, Nowra, and Tamworth. In 1914 and 1915 an amalgamation of rugby league and Australian rules football was considered and trialled. The 1920 Great Britain Lions tour saw a record attendance for any sport at the Sydney Cricket Ground as Australia won
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#17332021985154680-751: The Sydney metropolitan area). The Affiliated States Championship is an annual competition involving four affiliated states (Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory, Tasmania, and Western Australia) plus representative sides from the Australian Police and Australian Defence Force. In an interview for a Sydney Morning Herald article in 2021, Chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission, Peter V'landys, revealed yearly rugby league participation figures from 2015 to 2021. These participation figures show that national participation in 2019 (the last year before COVID-19 disruption) for males
4770-399: The award was not given out). The show has won or been nominated every year since this award has been out. Logies won: Logies nominated: It has also been nominated for: The Footy Show has attracted criticism for its often crass, low-brow humour, and been accused of "celebrating" alcohol in sport. The program once featured alcohol advertisements throughout, and alcohol advertising on
4860-613: The broadcasting rights. Arthur Beetson became the first indigenous Australian to captain the national team of any sport when in 1973 he was selected to lead the Kangaroos. Also that year NSWRFL boss Kevin Humphreys negotiated rugby league's first television deal with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation . In 1976 Eastern Suburbs became the first rugby league team, and one of the first in Australian sport, to sport
4950-532: The country (the That's Gold segment was re-introduced to the show in 2014). In May 2005, due to declining ratings, former host Ray Hadley was invited back to the show. However, he declined this offer due to his radio commitments on 2GB . Rebecca Wilson was also invited to be part of the show and she accepted. However, Vautin and Sterling disapproved of this move for personal reasons, and Wilson appeared for only one episode. The show has spawned three "best of" video/DVDs,
5040-511: The departing hosts. In May 2009, Matthew Johns was sacked by the network in controversial circumstances . In 2010, the show underwent a format change. Andrew Voss was removed as host (but still remained on the show as a supporting presenter), and Paul Vautin was joined by three other hosts ( Peter Sterling (who returned as a co-host after a three-year absence), Wendell Sailor and Darryl Brohman ) who alternated their appearances weekly. In 2011, Wendell Sailor and Peter Sterling left as hosts and
5130-464: The end of the 1998 season. Roach, on the other hand, had been involved in an altercation, allegedly assaulting a heckler in a Sydney pub. Channel Nine, not wanting to condone such conduct and wishing to preserve its reputation, were quick to terminate Roach's contract as a result of his actions. For two years, Vautin and Sterling presented the show by themselves, often with guest hosts such as Darryl Brohman , Paul Langmack , Wayne Pearce , Phil Gould ,
5220-536: The first 12 years. Having aired usually on Thursday nights since 1994, the program was largely entertainment-based, with some football-related content included, such as previews of the weekend's fixtures and interviews with players. The name The Footy Show derives from the diminutive form of the word football commonly used in Australian English. On 2 October 2018, it was announced that the show had been axed and would not continue in 2019. The NRL version of
5310-509: The following year. Also appearing on the show were Gary Belcher , Kevin Walters (doing Street Beat), Peter Jackson , Mario Fenech , Laurel Edwards and Steve Haddin with a weekly live cross from Sam Newman from the Channel 9 Melbourne AFL Footy Show , who would usually make sarcastic comments towards Mario Fenech. Today, the Sydney version is shown across Queensland. The Footy Show Fight Night
5400-469: The greatest Australian players of all time, with 14 declared Immortals , all male, of which eight are from New South Wales and four are from Queensland and include: Clive Churchill , Bob Fulton , Reg Gasnier , Johnny Raper , Graeme Langlands , Wally Lewis , Arthur Beetson , Andrew Johns , Dave Brown , Frank Burge , Mal Meninga , Dally Messenger , Norm Provan and Ron Coote . By the time England's new " Northern Union game" arrived in Australia it
5490-465: The other rugby league-playing nations for many years, but enjoys a strong rivalry with New Zealand . Commonly known as "league" or "football", and sometimes referred to as "the greatest game of all", it is traditionally seen as a "working man's sport" with its roots in the working class communities of Northern England , compared to rugby union which has its roots in prestigious English public schools . The National Rugby League Hall of Fame names
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#17332021985155580-451: The rest of the world, in 1907 at the instigation of the famous test cricketer Victor Trumper . At a meeting in Bateman's Crystal Hotel in Sydney, New South Wales , the New South Wales Rugby Football League (NSWRFL) was formed as a professional organisation. Players were immediately recruited for the new game, and despite the threat of immediate and lifetime expulsion from the rugby union ,
5670-456: The scene for a truly national competition which eventuated in 1995 with the addition of teams from Townsville , Perth and even Auckland in New Zealand. However the growth of the competition was severely hampered by one of the biggest corporate disputes in Australian history over control of it: the Super League war . The Super League war was fought in and out of court during the mid-1990s by
5760-553: The second Ashes test against Great Britain . Citations and despatches to the sin-bin in the 1989 club season may have contributed to his omission by State selectors from the Blues squad of that year however powerful club performances with his fellow representative Balmain forwards made him a certainty for the 1989 New Zealand tour where he played in all three Tests. On the 1990 Kangaroo tour Roach played in all five Tests against Great Britain and France and in five other minor tour games. In
5850-483: The set. Mario Fenech , who was often the butt of jokes on the show and later in life suffered cognitive decline due to injuries sustained during his rugby career, admitted that he often resented the way he was treated during his time on the programme. The program was shown live in New Zealand on Sky Sport . Due to the time difference the show was shown on tape delay in the United Kingdom on Premier Sports and in
5940-442: The show aired every Thursday. NSW & QLD VIC, TAS, SA, & WA From 1994 to 2012, The Footy Show usually aired at 9.30 pm AEST, However, on 28 November 2012, Nine announced that the show would air at 8.30 pm AEST. In New South Wales , Queensland , Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory , the NRL version of The Footy Show aired on Thursday evenings, and the AFL version would air later that night. In
6030-452: The show had been questioned by fans who continued to ask why a former cricketer is the host of a rugby league oriented television show. Andrew Voss was replaced on the show after 2011 when he was sacked by Nine after comments he made about the statue of the stations lead rugby league commentator Ray "Rabs" Warren in Warren's home town of Junee . It was announced on 13 October 2017 that the show
6120-423: The show returned to having three weekly hosts with Vautin, Brohman and Brad Fittler . 2012 has seen Fittler leave the show, and former test cricketer Michael Slater become co-host along with Vautin; Brohman was dropped off as co-host and replaced Andrew Voss as a supporting presenter (most notably presenting the segment "Stuff You May Have Missed"). He returned to being a co-host in 2013. Michael Slater's place on
6210-502: The show was broadcast live from Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. He expressed gratitude and thanked his former colleagues, his family and viewers for supporting his 23-year long tenure as the show's main host, after he was relieved of his duties in October 2017. On 2 October 2018, Channel Nine announced that the show had been axed and would not return to air in 2019. It was replaced by a new Thursday night post-match show called Golden Point , hosted by James Bracey with Paul Vautin featuring as
6300-420: The show. On 15 February 2018, it was announced that Ryan Girdler would become a full-time panellist in 2018, alongside Wide World of Sports commentator Andrew Johns . James Bracey assumed main hosting duties of the show from 17 May 2018, as Erin Molan departed for maternity leave. She returned to hosting during the 2018 season's final weeks. An emotional Paul Vautin made a guest appearance on 24 May 2018 as
6390-403: The special was solely based around the Socceroos ' World Cup Campaign. In July 2014, The Footy Show was broadcast from the Newcastle Entertainment Centre in the lead up to the "Rise for Alex" round in support of 22-year-old Newcastle Knights player Alex McKinnon who had suffered a career ending neck injury earlier in the season which has (currently) confined him to a wheelchair. As the show
6480-526: The total national participation number of 160,691. The Australian Women's Rugby League was formed in 1993, which only achieved affiliation with the Australian Rugby League in 1998. This is in contrast to the men's competition which has existed since 1908. Steve Roach (rugby league footballer) Stephen David Roach (born 24 April 1962), nicknamed Blocker or Blocker Roach , is an Australian former professional rugby league who played as
6570-570: Was 147,723 of whom 83,400 were located in New South Wales. National participation figures in 2019 for females was 14,958 with 7,108 were located in New South Wales. By the time of the article in 2021, national participation figures for males had declined to 143,792 while national participation for females had increased to 16,899. In 2021, a total of 30,648 students in metropolitan, regional and remote Australia from 354 schools participated in rugby league. The NRL 2008 Annual report included significantly higher school participation figures suggesting either
6660-449: Was also troubled by a knee injury in 1992 which would prove to be his last club season. State representative honours first came his way in 1984 when he was called into the New South Wales Blues side for all three games of that year's State of Origin series . Thereafter barring injury (which ruled him out of the 1987 series ) and his surprise omission in 1989 (which saw NSW suffer their second straight 3–0 defeat by Queensland ), he
6750-529: Was fundamentally different from that of the Southern Rugby Union , with lineouts, rucks and two players from each team having already been removed, and the play-the-ball introduced to improve the game's flow. A similar schism to that which occurred in England, and for similar reasons, opened up in the rugby union establishment of Australia, seeing the term "rugby league" first used for the new game as in
6840-530: Was generally a regular Blues starter and he made 17 State of Origin appearances until Game 2 of the 1991 series . When Jack Gibson was New South Wales coach in 1989 and 1990 , he reportedly threatened the NSWRL with resignation from the position if Roach was selected in the side, though the Balmain front rower was selected in 1990 and went on to win their first series since their 3–0 win in 1986 . In 1985, Roach became
6930-486: Was in Newcastle , guests included former Footy Show presenter and current Knights CEO Paul Harragon, as well as other Knights legends Andrew Johns and Danny Buderus . Newcastle coach Wayne Bennett also appeared for the first time on the show. The show featured interviews Erin Molan had conducted with both McKinnon and Bennett. The Logie Award for Most Popular Sports Program has been going on since 1996 (except 1999 where
7020-543: Was introduced in 1997 and played alongside the ARL competition it attracted 1,111,189. The ARL for the same year saw slightly higher attendances of 1,308,824. Subsequent years of 1998, in which the merger of the SL and ARL formed the National Rugby League (NRL) and 1999 also saw increases. The year 2000 saw club mergers and "relegations" from the NRL. The effective slashing of clubs from the first grade rugby league competition
7110-482: Was joined by members of the Wide World of Sports commentary team as well as former and current NRL players. Whilst previously announcing his departure from the show, Darryl Brohman along with Beau Ryan confirmed they would remain part of the show in 2018 to continue hosting their regular segments. Paul Vautin 's duties were restricted to commentary roles on the network, signalling an end to his 24-year hosting tenure of
7200-421: Was marked by hosting the second ever Rugby League World Cup tournament in 1957. The attendance record for a rugby league match was re-set by the 1965 NSWRFL season 's Grand Final between St. George and South Sydney attracting a crowd of 78,065. The 1967 NSWRFL season 's grand final became the first football grand final of any code to be televised live in Australia. The Nine Network had paid $ 5,000 for
7290-444: Was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia. In 2011 Roach joined Network Ten 's new Thursday night Rugby League show The Game Plan . In 2014, Roach was sacked by 2GB after a staff member filed a bullying complaint against him. In 2016 he made a comeback to
7380-410: Was ordered from the field. Coming into physical contact with a referee is regarded as a serious offence and Roach was considered fortunate that no further action was taken, especially considering Roach had also verbally abused the touch judge on his way off the field, calling him a “(expletive) wombat". By the end of the 1992 season Roach had written an autobiography , Doing My Block and he became
7470-572: Was reflected in the slashing of crowd figures as fans became disgruntled by the club they had supported for many years being torn apart. Crowd figures did not improve until 2003, with an increase of 249,317 on the previous year, 2002. Figures increased again in 2004 and 2005. The aggregate crowd for 2005 was 2,964,288 and the average crowd figure for regular season matches was 16,468, the highest ever recorded, and 34,710 for play-offs. In 2006, attendance slightly dipped to 2,808,235. An average of 15,601 for regular season matches and 34,163 for playoffs, which
7560-506: Was seen on air, Hadley and Roach did not have a good relationship with the rest of the team, Hadley and Roach left at the end of the 1998 season and 1999 season respectively for varying reasons. Hadley had become disillusioned as a result of the confirmation that the Super League competition would take place in Australia in 1997 (see Super League War ). This meant that the Footy Show would be required to give fair coverage and discussion of both
7650-423: Was selected. In 2003, fellow former Knights player Matthew Johns joined as the fourth host, following the success of his appearances as alter egos Reg Reagan and Trent The Flight Steward the previous year. A new character, Randy Discotelli, based upon an American fitness instructor, was introduced in 2005. Paul Harragon's introduction to the show brought popular segments such as 'That's Tops', which involves giving
7740-424: Was set for a refresh in the 2018 season. The format, look and casting of the show was rumored to be changed as Channel Nine entered a new broadcasting deal to show 23 Thursday night NRL games in 2018. On 17 October 2017, reports emerged from various news sources that host Paul Vautin had been axed from the show, whilst other reports stated that the show had been axed altogether, despite being announced as returning at
7830-523: Was signed by the Balmain Tigers in 1982. He quickly advanced to first grade and in 1983 was part of the Balmain side which made the semi-finals for the first time since 1977. Between then and 1992 Roach played 185 first grade games for the Tigers. 1987 was almost completely wiped out for Roach due to a serious knee injury and though he returned to excellent form in 1988 he was cited for a tackle on Penrith 's Chris Mortimer suspended for four weeks, missing
7920-613: Was still an improvement on 2004 figures. In 2007, the number of teams competing in first grade rugby league in Australia increased for the first time since 2002 with the re-introduction of the Gold Coast Titans in Gold Coast, Queensland . [1] (Statistics do not include finals) In 2010 Rugby League recorded its best year ever in Australia, setting a new all-time total season attendance record of 3,490,778 spectators — and with four less teams than in 1995. The State of Origin series
8010-401: Was the most watched sport on Australian television with an aggregate audience of 137.3 million viewers. The premier club competition is the National Rugby League (NRL), which features teams from four states/territories: ten teams from New South Wales ; four teams from Queensland ; and one team each from Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory . The premier representative competition
8100-448: Was unique in Australian rugby league's history as it was split into two separate competitions: the 1997 ARL season and the 1997 Super League season . The following season the premiership was re-united under the National Rugby League partnership committee, composed of representatives from Australian Rugby League and News Ltd . In 2008, the centenary year of rugby league in Australia was celebrated, with 2008 World Cup being held and
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