Reference Material

Theses

The Maroon Observer operates according to these theses (which is updated from time-to-time):

  1. Queensland is better than New South Wales, at rugby league and in general.

  2. Be the coverage you want to see in the game.

  3. We don't talk to people; this is not journalism.

  4. A 20 team NRL should have one fewer Sydney team, one more SEQ team, a second New Zealand team and Perth and Adelaide.

  5. It’s never good when you hear from a club CEO. It’s worse hearing from a club chairman. You shouldn’t need to know the names of board members.

  6. Rugby league is run by people who don’t know what they’re doing or why they’re doing it.

  7. The NRL, its media partners and writers of record do not understand the history of rugby league and don’t have any idea what to do with it.

  8. The NRL season should be shorter to make way for more emotionally (and potentially commercially) valuable representative games.

The corrollaries of thesis #1 are:

  1. The Gold Coast is Important but perhaps not Interesting.

  2. North Queensland means everything north of Sarina, not just Townsville.

Rewinds and other history

Here is a collated list of links to various bits of history, highlights and other artefacts for reference.

2023

April 17: 1976 BRL grand final

May 22: 1987 BRL grand final

May 29: History of Toowoomba rugby league

June 26: History of Gold Coast rugby league

July 2: Football at The Gabba

July 24: 2018 Broncos NRLW premiership

2024

January 25: NSWRL’s witch hunt against the Brisbane Broncos

January 31: Brisbane vs Wigan, 1997

February 9: Why we have to hear about the North Sydney Bears every few months

February 16: Ezra Mam QCup debut, 2021

February 21: QRL From The Archives series

March 19: Duncan Thompson’s book

August 2: Broncos vs Sharks, 2002

September 2: Let’s Go Broncos