2020 NRL FINALS WEEK 3 2020 NRLW ROUND 3 The FRONT ROWVOLUME 1 · ISSUE 21 Half the story Panthers duo a throwback to past eras Lasting legacy Gavin Badger reflects on his NRL officiating career INSIDE: NRL Prelims, NRLW R3, Super League R16 and Challenge Cup Final program with squad lists, previews & head to head stats PLUS more features, NRL Semi Finals & #NRLW R2 wrap, footy history, word jumbles & more! What’s inside From the editor THE FRONT ROW - ISSUE 21 Tim Costello From the editor 2 Another week brings us another exciting new frontier with The Front Row. As you'll read on the next page from Feature Going Global 3 Steve Mascord, this week's program brings you footy from Feature Gavin Badger 4-5 all around the world - not just the NRL, NRLW and Super League - but the Challenge Cup Final, NZRL Premiership Feature Penrith's halves combo 6-7 and Toulouges Nines in France. Flip through to check it all out on an exciting weekend for footy around the planet. THE WRAP · NRL Finals & NRLW 8-9 NRL Finals wrap & scoresheet 8 Closer to home for our Aussie readers. we have a couple of fantastic features ahead of the Preliminary Finals weekend. NRLW Round 2 wrap & ladder 9 We start with a look at the conclusion of a wonderful Word Jumbles, Birthdays, Finals roadmap 10 refereeing career with Gavin Badger. Paul Jobber's yarn is on the following pages. Rick Edgerton also takes a good GAME DAY 11 look at legendary halves pairings as he poses the question FRI NRL PF2 - Storm v Raiders 12-13 whether Penrith's six and seven - Jarome Luai and Nathan Cleary - could be the next 'dynasty' halves pairing. Think SAT NRL PF1 - Panthers v Rabbitohs 14-15 Kev & Alfie, Loz & Ricky... SAT NRLW R3 - Warriors v Dragons 16-17 Next week it's Grand Final time in Australia and we've SAT NRLW R3 - Roosters v Broncos 18-19 already got some exciting things in the pipeline so stay 2020 NRL & NRLW Draw 20-21 tuned. For now - enjoy your footy, wherever you are. THU SL R16 - Wigan v Catalans 22-23 Happy reading! SL R16 - St Helens v Wakefield 24-25 SAT CC Final - Leeds v Salford 26-27 SL Catch-up - Hull v Castleford 28-29 NZRL competitions 30-31 The FRONT ROW Toulouges Nines 32-35 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Our global cover 36 We’d like to thank RugbyLeagueProject.org for their support and use of various statistics throughout this publication. Interested in advertising with The Front Row or LeagueUnlimited.com, or just want to provide feedback? Contact us by email - [email protected] Magazine content originally appears on LeagueUnlimited.com © 2020. Cover image: Gavin Badger - supplied MANAGERS Steven Williams & Coby Delaney PRINTED IN EDITOR Tim Costello SYDNEY AND CONTRIBUTORS Andrew Ferguson LONDON BY Steve Mascord Justin Davies Paul Jobber Josh Robertson Rick Edgerton Sam Bourke Robert Crosby Jason Hosken Andrew Carey Lachy MacCorquodale 2 | LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 1 ISSUE 21 FEATURE · THE WORLD OF RUGBY LEAGUE Going Global Rugby league defies the pandemic around the world as The Front Row brings you footy from all corners HE directions are precise and firm. Steve Mascord TReporters must undergo a health check before Contributor being handed their accreditation. The media room will be closed except to walk through to the press benches or So instead, we want to highlight the amazing array of go to the toilet. The post-match media conference is by activity around the rugby league world this weekend. Zoom. The mixed zone is also virtual, with requests to the media managers of the respective teams. Of course, the NRL is reaching its penultimate stage for the year, with preliminary finals in Brisbane on But for those of us lucky enough to be attending the Friday (Melbourne-Canberra) and Sydney on Saturday Challenge Cup final at London’s Wembley Stadium (Penrith-South Sydney). The WNRL also continues when on Saturday, they could make us climb the roof of the St George Illawarra play the Warriors at ANZ Stadium on world’s most famous sports arena to get in and we’d do it. Saturday and the Roosters take on Brisbane at the same venue later in the day. The Rugby League Challenge Cup final has been there since 1929, with a few breaks, and even since then tens Despite all the obstacles at the moment, there’s a Nines of thousands of people have flocked from the north of tournament in Toulouges - just outside Perpignan - that England to be part of cultural history. will crowd the national women’s champions of the short- form version of our sport on Sunday. This Saturday, thanks to the Global Pandemic, there’ll be as few as 50 people inside the stadium aside from the All French women’s teams will compete in a tournament teams and staff. “We are not worthy”? No-one is worthy, that runs from 8.30am to 5.pm at Complexe Sportif, really - especially when it comes to Salford, who have not utilising three fields and four pools. The host club is the played in a Challenge Cup final since 1969 and haven’t wonderfully named Catalans Goddesses. won one since 1938. And in New Zealand they continue to lead the world in As a reporter, you trained to understand your the return to post-Covid normality with the men’s and responsibility in any situation is to represent those who women’s championships continuing this weekend. aren’t there. But this must be one of the most extreme examples of that in any reporter’s career, an historic Pullman Park in Auckland is the scene of activity all sports final that will define the lives of some people but weekend in the men’s North Islands competition. which almost no-one can see with their own eyes. On Saturday Upper Central plays Mid Central and Still, it is out of respect for history that we have not given Wellington take on Northern. On Sunday, the same over this week’s cover completely to the 2020 Challenge teams play again - twice! Cup final between Leeds Rhinos and Salford Red Devils at Wembley Stadium. The North Island women follow a similar draw, although Auckland Vulcans are in and Mid Central is out. The idea of printing The Front Row was to cover for the absence of programmes for many games these days In the National Premiership, there are games at the same and there will be an official programme published the venue between Akarana Falcons and Canterbury while in the Rugby Football League this week. We applaud Hamilton on Sunday, Waikato play Counties in both men this and respect it. We didn’t set out the print ‘pirate’ and women. programmes. LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 1 ISSUE 21 | 3 FEATURE · GAVIN BADGER Counting his blessings Badger priviliged to be part of rugby league community Paul Jobber Contributor or the past 18 years Gavin He admitted he was filthy about the "When social media was going a bit Badger has been an integral decision not to offer him a contract crazy I thought I must have done Fpart of the rugby league initially before he saw reason and alright," he said. community. came to the realisation that not everyone is afforded a fairytale "I can retire and know that as a And while he won't have a referee's finish. referee I got a lot of positivity about whistle or a touch judge's flag in my career because I know not every 2021, the 47-year-old is already "The fact I didn't get a contract referee would get that. looking forward to where the path for next year is not an issue for me leads next. whatsoever," he said. "I'll wear that with pride that people enjoyed what I did even if they yelled When Badger walked off Leichhardt "I'm surprised I was allowed to at me week in and week out." Oval on March 22 this year, little referee for as long as I did so it's not did he know he would never referee so much about my longevity, it's While his days as an official are now another NRL fixture. more the way that it all finished. over, Badger was looking forward to remaining involved in the sport. The COVID-19 pandemic was "The last time I refereed, I didn't about to put a hold on the Telstra know it was the last time I was going Just this week he headed to Griffith Premiership for two months. to referee. with Brad Fittler, Nathan Hindmarsh and Ian Schubert. Shortly after, the decision was made "If I had a crystal ball I would have to scrap the two-referee system retired last year knowing how this "Being a rugby league fan means I'll in favour of just one when the year would fall; I would have wanted have connections across the game competition resumed. my last game to be out in the middle. everywhere I go," he said. Despite being the NRL's third- "But that's sport - you don't always "It means I can virtually go anywhere most capped official, Badger was get the fairytale ending." around the world, sit in a pub and relegated to the sideline before he have a conversation. was informed last month a contract Soon after the news filtered through for next season would not be about Badger not receiving a "I want to be remembered as forthcoming.