Super League 360

England won but failed the mission too,

The op was successful, the patient didn’t pull through.

It’s left questions about the state of the game,

With 15 teams in the comp, we will have much of the same.

Kiwis and Kangaroos are warming up,

Samoa and Tonga could win the World Cup

Super League 360 covers the top tier of the British game, as well as some lower division and NRL news, but now it is also covering the WORLD CUP!

Intrepid scribe John Davidson, a UK based Australian journalist, provides analysis whilst Lee Addison, a UK born coach in Australia, hosts the podcast, and also brings plenty of opinions.

Lee has coached at NRL clubs and World Cups and owns rugbyleaguecoach.com.au. He can be found @rugbyleaguecoach on Facebook and Instagram and also hosts the Rugby League Coach Podcast. John is on X at @johnnyddavidson

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/super-league-360--6807749/support.

The pod will be out a day later this week …

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/super-league-360--6807749/support.

It was a period that started with no mobile phones, everyone scared of sharks thanks to Jaws and were soon to learn of an evil empire ruling the galaxy in Star Wars. By the end of the period, we were all connected by the internet, the Jedi once again ruled the galaxy and one nation established themselves as kings of the rugby league world.

From 1975 to 2000, Australia established an extraordinary record on rugby league’s biggest international stage. But what made the Kangaroos so dominant, and who were the players and teams that helped shape this remarkable era?

In this episode of the Rugby League History Podcast, we look back at the World Cups that defined a generation of international rugby league. We revisit the legendary players, memorable matches, fierce rivalries and defining moments that helped Australia maintain its position at the top of the world game.

From the unique 1975 tournament through to the 2000 World Cup, we explore the history, the heroes and the opposition that challenged the Kangaroos along the way.

Join us for a trip back through 25 years of rugby league history, celebrating the people, performances and moments that made this era so memorable. If you love rugby league history, legendary players and the stories behind the game, this episode is for you!

Listen, share and join the conversation about one of the most fascinating periods in international rugby league.

The Rugby League History Podcast is a weekly or bi-weekly pod about exactly what it says in the title! Reflecting what is going in during each stage of the season, renowned historians Andrew Ferguson (Aus) and Prof. Tony Collins (UK) join host Lee Addison to reflect on all that happened in rugby league history around the time each podcast is released! So, expect historical World Cup content during World Cup times, club content during domestic league times and...well you get the picture!

Andrew Ferguson is a much-published author / writer on the subject of rugby league history, is co-owner of the amazing Rugby League Project and co-host of the Fergo and the Freak podcast.

Professor Tony Collins is the DOYEN of rugby league history. He’s a professor of history, fourth generation Hull KR supporter, and the author of 'Rugby’s Great Split', 'Rugby League: A People’s History', and last year’s ‘Roy Francis: Rugby’s Forgotten Black Leader’.

Host Lee Addison is a former coach at NRL clubs, World Cups and Elite High Schools. He is the owner of Rugby League Coach. Please email Lee with questions or suggestions for the podcast on admin@rugbyleaguecoach.com.au You can also message and follow us @rugbyleaguehistorypod on Facebook, Instagram and X

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/super-league-360--6807749/support.

None of us doubted the outcomes we’d see,
But we didn’t know how one sided the France game would be.
England turned up after a scratchy start,
Herbie, Litten and AJ tore the French apart.
The format itself is copping some grief,
And these one-sided games just fuel that belief

Super League 360 covers the top tier of the British game, as well as some lower division and NRL news, but now it is also covering the WORLD CUP!

Intrepid scribe John Davidson, a UK based Australian journalist, provides analysis whilst Lee Addison, a UK born coach in Australia, hosts the podcast, and also brings plenty of opinions.

Lee has coached at NRL clubs and World Cups and owns rugbyleaguecoach.com.au. He can be found @rugbyleaguecoach on Facebook and Instagram and also hosts the Rugby League Coach Podcast. John is on X at @johnnyddavidson

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/super-league-360--6807749/support.

When we talk about Rugby League World Cups, it’s easy to think about the modern tournament — decent crowds, professional athletes, modern stadiums and between 10 and 16 nations from all around the world competing on the biggest stage.

But go back more than 50 years to 1972 and you enter a very different world of rugby league. The game was still largely played by working men, international tours could involve extraordinary travel, and the World Cup itself was a much smaller, more intimate affair.

Yet for all those differences, the passion, pride and fierce rivalry were every bit as real. The 1972 World Cup, staged in France, would become one of the most memorable tournaments in the history of the game.

And while the tournament ultimately produced a dramatic finish that has become part of rugby league folklore, there is so much more to this World Cup than simply who won the trophy.

So, in this podcast, we're going back to 1972 — to the background, the players, the characters, the matches, the controversies and the stories behind one of the great Rugby League World Cups, particularly if you are British.

The Rugby League History Podcast is a weekly or bi-weekly pod about exactly what it says in the title! Reflecting what is going in during each stage of the season, renowned historians Andrew Ferguson (Aus) and Prof. Tony Collins (UK) join host Lee Addison to reflect on all that happened in rugby league history around the time each podcast is released!

So expect historical World Cup content during World Cup times, club content during domestic league times and...well you get the picture!

Andrew Ferguson is a much-published author / writer on the subject of rugby league history, is co-owner of the amazing Rugby League Project and co-host of the Fergo and the Freak podcast.

Professor Tony Collins is the DOYEN of rugby league history. He’s a professor of history, fourth generation Hull KR supporter, and the author of 'Rugby’s Great Split', 'Rugby League: A People’s History', and last year’s ‘Roy Francis: Rugby’s Forgotten Black Leader’.

Host Lee Addison is a former coach at NRL clubs, World Cups and Elite High Schools. He is the owner of Rugby League Coach.

Please email Lee with questions or suggestions for the podcast on admin@rugbyleaguecoach.com.au You can also message and follow us @rugbyleaguehistorypod on Facebook, Instagram and X.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/super-league-360--6807749/support.

England got well and truly battered in Perth
Their World Cup hopes crashing down to earth
The Kiwis and Aussies put on a show
England against those ? We fear how it would go
Samoa and Tonga in no mood for messin’
France too were taught a really tough lesson

Super League 360 covers the top tier of the British game, as well as some lower division and NRL news, but now it is also covering the WORLD CUP!

Intrepid scribe John Davidson, a UK based Australian journalist, provides analysis whilst Lee Addison, a UK born coach in Australia, hosts the podcast, and also brings plenty of opinions.

Lee has coached at NRL clubs and World Cups and owns rugbyleaguecoach.com.au. He can be found @rugbyleaguecoach on Facebook and Instagram and also hosts the Rugby League Coach Podcast. John is on X at @johnnyddavidson

Between 1957 and 1970, rugby league didn't just change on the field. It changed as a product, as entertainment, and as an international sport. And a lot of the rugby league we recognise today starts taking shape right here.

In just 13 years, rugby league went from a four-team World Cup with no final to international tournaments, television, massive club rivalries and some of the most famous moments in the game's history.

And there's something else happening during this period that would be almost impossible for a modern rugby league fan to appreciate.

The period between 1957 and 1970 was one of the most volatile, transformative, and momentous eras in modern human history. It was defined by the Cold War, the race to the moon, the collapse of global empires, and a massive societal upheaval driven by civil rights and youth counter-culture. Rugby league was also coming into people's living rooms for the first time.

Britain was already televising rugby league before Australia really got regular television coverage of the game. The first televised rugby league match in Australia came in 1961. And by the late 1960s, major rugby league matches were becoming regular television events. But Britain was ahead of the game. The BBC had shown the Challenge Cup Final as early as 1948. Great Britain against New Zealand from Swinton was televised in 1951. And by 1965, the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy was bringing rugby league into people's homes on a regular basis.

And that matters. Because this is the beginning of rugby league becoming something different. It wasn't just something you WENT to watch anymore. You could sit in your living room and watch it. You could hear the commentators. You could see the stars. You could follow the big games without actually being at the ground.

And by the time we get to 1970, Eddie Waring's voice is becoming synonymous with British rugby league, television is changing the way people consume sport, and the game is beginning to look much more like the professional entertainment product we recognise today. This is the story of how rugby league came into your living room.

1957. 1960. 1968. 1970. Four years. Thirteen years of change. And by the end of it, rugby league would never quite be the same again.

Oh, and the World Cup Trophy got STOLEN!

Two of the game's finest historians, are taking you back to relive the story of the Rugby League World Cups between 1957 and 1970.

The Rugby League History Podcast is a weekly or bi-weekly pod about exactly what it says in the title!

Andrew Ferguson is a much-published author / writer on the subject of rugby league history, is co-owner of the amazing Rugby League Project and co-host of the Fergo and the Freak podcast.

Professor Tony Collins is the DOYEN of rugby league history. He’s a professor of history, fourth generation Hull KR supporter, and the author of 'Rugby’s Great Split', 'Rugby League: A People’s History', and last year’s ‘Roy Francis: Rugby’s Forgotten Black Leader’.

Host Lee Addison is a former coach at NRL clubs, World Cups and Elite High Schools. He is the owner of Rugby League Coach.

Please email Lee with questions or suggestions for the podcast on admin@rugbyleaguecoach.com.au

You can also message and follow us @rugbyleaguehistorypod on Facebook, Instagram and X. @rugbyleaguehistorypod

What on earth can we have a poem about this week?
There haven’t been any rugby league games of which to speak
So instead of having our favourite sport to see,
All we’ve heard of is gradings from IMG!
The differences on their points ladder are sometimes very narrow
Just ask London Broncos, who are one place below Barrow!

Super League 360 covers the top tier of the British game, as well as some lower division and NRL news. but now it is also covering the WORLD CUP!

Intrepid scribe John Davidson, a UK based Australian journalist, provides analysis whilst Lee Addison, a UK born coach in Australia, hosts the podcast, and also brings plenty of opinions.

Lee has coached at NRL clubs and World Cups and owns rugbyleaguecoach.com.au. He can be found @rugbyleaguecoach on Facebook and Instagram and also hosts the Rugby League Coach Podcast. John is on X at @johnnyddavidson

ENJOY THIS BONUS CONTENT! To listen to this podcast each week, please follow The Rugby League History Podcast on the same platform you're using now!

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Imagine if you can it's October 1954... 72 years ago.

In the UK, bomb sites from WW2 still scar many cities. Food rationing has only just ended and most families don't own a television. Winston Churchill is approaching 80 and serving his second term as Prime Minister.

On the other side of the world, Australia and New Zealand are embracing a new era of post-war optimism. They’ve both enjoyed a royal visit. Families are dreaming of a brick home, a car in the driveway and a brighter future.

Sydney was rugby league mad, in Brisbane it was growing fast. But in France, like so many of its towns and cities, the sport only just about survived after the war. Less than a decade earlier, it had been outlawed. Rugby league was almost wiped from existence.

But, it refused to die.

In October 1954, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand are heading to France and it’s not for a Test series.

For the very first time, rugby league will crown a World Champion.

Two of the game's finest historians, are taking you back to relive the story of the first Rugby League World Cup in 1954.

The Rugby League History Podcast is a weekly or bi-weekly pod about exactly what it says in the title!

Andrew Ferguson is a much-published author / writer on the subject of rugby league history, is co-owner of the amazing Rugby League Project and co-host of the Fergo and the Freak podcast.

Professor Tony Collins is the DOYEN of rugby league history. He’s a professor of history, fourth generation Hull KR supporter, and the author of 'Rugby’s Great Split', 'Rugby League: A People’s History', and last year’s ‘Roy Francis: Rugby’s Forgotten Black Leader’.

Host Lee Addison is a former coach at NRL clubs, World Cups and Elite High Schools. He is the owner of Rugby League Coach.

Please email Lee with questions or suggestions for the podcast on admin@rugbyleaguecoach.com.au

You can also message and follow us @rugbyleaguehistorypod on Facebook, Instagram and X. @rugbyleaguehistorypod

A year ago, Hull KR were all the rage
But this year it was Wakefield who took centre stage
Their team and coach will go down as club greats
And I bet they partied like it’s 1968
Poor Sam Burgess and Wire - wasn’t their time to thrive
And they couldn’t bury the ghosts of 1955

Super League 360 covers the top tier of the British game, as well as some lower division and NRL news! Lee Addison, based in Australia, hosts.

Intrepid scribe John Davidson, a UK based Australian journalist, provides analysis whilst Lee Addison, a UK born coach in Australia, hosts the podcast, and also brings plenty of opinions.

Lee has coached at NRL clubs and World Cups and owns rugbyleaguecoach.com.au. He can be found @rugbyleaguecoach on Facebook and Instagram and also hosts the Rugby League Coach Podcast. John is on X at @johnnyddavidson

We had it all in the weekends Super League
Leeds lost and some blamed the referees,
Warrington aiming for their first since ‘55
Was it an obstruction or did Wiliams dive?
Then Wigan fluffed their lines on the 17th win
The fans of both teams made an absolute din
Wakey flipped the script and would indeed dominate
To get to their first dance since 1968!

Super League 360 covers the top tier of the British game, as well as some lower division and NRL news! Lee Addison, based in Australia, hosts.

Intrepid scribe John Davidson, a UK based Australian journalist, provides analysis whilst Lee Addison, a UK born coach in Australia, hosts the podcast, and also brings plenty of opinions.

Lee has coached at NRL clubs and World Cups and owns rugbyleaguecoach.com.au. He can be found @rugbyleaguecoach on Facebook and Instagram and also hosts the Rugby League Coach Podcast. John is on X at @johnnyddavidson

Wigan and Leeds will be tough as teak
For the teams that managed to win first week
Wakefield took good care of Leigh,
Their dominance there for all to see
Warrington knocked off Hull KR’s crown,
Two sent off this weekend, what was going down?

Super League 360 covers the top tier of the British game, as well as some lower division and NRL news! Lee Addison, based in Australia, hosts.

Intrepid scribe John Davidson, a UK based Australian journalist, provides analysis whilst Lee Addison, a UK born coach in Australia, hosts the podcast, and also brings plenty of opinions.

Lee has coached at NRL clubs and World Cups and owns rugbyleaguecoach.com.au. He can be found @rugbyleaguecoach on Facebook and Instagram and also hosts the Rugby League Coach Podcast. John is on X at @johnnyddavidson

So, Wigan’s great run sees them finish top,
Looking at results, will Leeds and KR flop?
Wakey and Leigh do it all again next week
Bradford’s end to the year was rather meek
Toulouse finish as kings of France
But all eyes now on who'll reach the big dance!

Super League 360 covers the top tier of the British game, as well as some lower division and NRL news! Lee Addison, based in Australia, hosts.

Intrepid scribe John Davidson, a UK based Australian journalist, provides analysis whilst Lee Addison, a UK born coach in Australia, hosts the podcast, and also brings plenty of opinions.

Lee has coached at NRL clubs and World Cups and owns rugbyleaguecoach.com.au. He can be found @rugbyleaguecoach on Facebook and Instagram and also hosts the Rugby League Coach Podcast. John is on X at @johnnyddavidson

Wigan have one hand on the shield
They dominated Leeds all over the field
The race at both ends is hotting up
Toulouse look like winning the mythical French Cup
York’s big win has given them some space
There’s three others looking to avoid finishing last place

Super League 360 covers the top tier of the British game, as well as some lower division and NRL news! Lee Addison, based in Australia, hosts.

Intrepid scribe John Davidson, a UK based Australian journalist, provides analysis whilst Lee Addison, a UK born coach in Australia, hosts the podcast, and also brings plenty of opinions.

Lee has coached at NRL clubs and World Cups and owns rugbyleaguecoach.com.au. He can be found @rugbyleaguecoach on Facebook and Instagram and also hosts the Rugby League Coach Podcast. John is on X at @johnnyddavidson

There are two more Super League rounds to go
The Giants dealt Leigh a significant blow
Catalans and Leeds got big wins too,
Leaving St Helens with it all to do. Y
ork and the Bulls sit in bottom place
What will the league do to save some face

Super League 360 covers the top tier of the British game, as well as some lower division and NRL news! Lee Addison, based in Australia, hosts.

Intrepid scribe John Davidson, a UK based Australian journalist, provides analysis whilst Lee Addison, a UK born coach in Australia, hosts the podcast, and also brings plenty of opinions.

Lee has coached at NRL clubs and World Cups and owns rugbyleaguecoach.com.au. He can be found @rugbyleaguecoach on Facebook and Instagram and also hosts the Rugby League Coach Podcast. John is on X at @johnnyddavidson

Hull KR have had a very bad week
So, the table has had a tiny little tweak
Bulls and Giants fighting to avoid the spoon
Players getting injured and the World Cup’s soon
Leigh certainly seemed to have timed their run
Wakefield starting to look like they’re done

Super League 360 covers the top tier of the British game, as well as some lower division and NRL news! Lee Addison, based in Australia, hosts.

Intrepid scribe John Davidson, a UK based Australian journalist, provides analysis whilst Lee Addison, a UK born coach in Australia, hosts the podcast, and also brings plenty of opinions.

Lee has coached at NRL clubs and World Cups and owns rugbyleaguecoach.com.au. He can be found @rugbyleaguecoach on Facebook and Instagram and also hosts the Rugby League Coach Podcast. John is on X at @johnnyddavidson

It’s squeaky bum time at the bottom and the top
Wigan are a team whose momentum won’t stop
Giants off the bottom after four in a row
Bradford and Hull suffered a devastating blow
Many results didn’t go how we both thought
For how many pounds will Super League be bought?

Super League 360 covers the top tier of the British game, as well as some lower division and NRL news! Lee Addison, based in Australia, hosts.

Intrepid scribe John Davidson, a UK based Australian journalist, provides analysis whilst Lee Addison, a UK born coach in Australia, hosts the podcast, and also brings plenty of opinions.

Lee has coached at NRL clubs and World Cups and owns rugbyleaguecoach.com.au. He can be found @rugbyleaguecoach on Facebook and Instagram and also hosts the Rugby League Coach Podcast. John is on X at @johnnyddavidson

The weather in England will soon start to be colder
John once again became another year older
Hull FC with the shock of the round
The Giants announced that they’re moving ground
Wigan were good and played like a top biller
But Leeds pipped Wakey in a Belle Vue thriller

Super League 360 covers the top tier of the British game, as well as some lower division and NRL news! Lee Addison, based in Australia, hosts.

Intrepid scribe John Davidson, a UK based Australian journalist, provides analysis whilst Lee Addison, a UK born coach in Australia, hosts the podcast, and also brings plenty of opinions.

Lee has coached at NRL clubs and World Cups and owns rugbyleaguecoach.com.au. He can be found @rugbyleaguecoach on Facebook and Instagram, John is on X at @johnnyddavidson

Super League 360 covers the top tier of the British game, as well as some lower division and NRL news! Lee Addison, based in Australia, hosts.

Intrepid scribe John Davidson, a UK based Australian journalist, provides analysis whilst Lee Addison, a UK born coach in Australia, hosts the podcast, and also brings plenty of opinions.

Lee has coached at NRL clubs and World Cups and owns rugbyleaguecoach.com.au. He can be found @rugbyleaguecoach on Facebook and Instagram, John is on X at @johnnyddavidson

Paul Rowley didn’t last as coach very long
Cas beating Leeds made us look very wrong !
Hull FCs coach looks ready to cry
Leigh are showing they are never say die
Congrats to the Giants, their first win in 11
Hoping Scott Dureau and Wakey’s photo man rest easy in heaven

Super League 360 covers the top tier of the British game, as well as some lower division and NRL news! Lee Addison, based in Australia, hosts. Intrepid scribe John Davidson, a UK based Australian journalist, provides analysis whilst Lee Addison, a UK born coach in Australia, hosts the podcast, and also brings plenty of opinions. Lee has coached at NRL clubs and World Cups and owns rugbyleaguecoach.com.au. He can be found @rugbyleaguecoach on Facebook and Instagram, John is on X at @johnnyddavidson