Monday 21 February 2011

NRL 2011 - Brisbane Broncos sack Ivan Henjak just weeks before NRL Season Opener.

HENJAK SACKED, GRIFFIN TAKES OVER.
By Warrick D Nicolson, February 21, 2011.

Ivan Henjak never had an easy job.

Now he doesn't have one.

Check out the full press release & video from the Brisbane Broncos on Henjak's sacking here.

Henjak was promoted from Brisbane Assistant Coach to Head Coach for the 2009 season when supercoach Wayne Bennett joined the St.George-Illawarra Dragons.

Bennett had been the Broncos only coach since they were admitted to the NSWRL in 1988 and under his watch the team had made the Finals in all but three seasons from 88-2008. This was not a job anyone was going to have fun in given they were following a legend like Bennett. Sure the Broncos are a strong club but still... following Bennett was going to be tough.

Henjak managed to get the Broncos to the 2009 Finals and to within a game of the Grand Final, but the team struggled late in the 2010 season and their incredible playoff streak ended when they were beaten by the Canberra Raiders in Round 26 at home... without Darren Lockyer.

There was strong mail at the end of 2010 that Lockyer desperately wanted to play in the Canberra game despite not being full recovered from a rib injury that had robbed him of nearly a month of football at that crucial stage of the season. But Henjak made the call to protect his star five-eighth from the big Canberra pack and banked on the rest of the team to beat the Raiders and qualify.

The Raiders won 18-16 and the Broncos missed the playoffs for the first time since 1991.

These were the Three Most Powerful Broncos before today
Henjak's decision to back his troops instead of risking his captain's ribs, didn't go down well amongst the senior Bronco players and it appears that it may well have led to an off-season without harmony at Broncos HQ.

As a result of the apparent friction, Broncos Management have made the stunning decision to sack Henjak immediately, with the NRL season just weeks away.

| "It has been decided at board level that a change needed to be made in this regard, and that change will be made effective immediately,” said Broncos chief executive Paul White in a statement. “These are tough times for all parties concerned but I would like to express my personal thanks and that of the club to Ivan for taking on such a challenging role, and for his valuable contribution to the Broncos for the past eight years.” |

Assistant Coach Anthony Griffin will take over for Season 2011 and it must be noted that Brisbane CEO Paul White was Griffin's assistant coach at Redcliffe for the 2006 QLD Cup Season. White only took the top job from Bruno Cullen at the end of the 2010 season.

The Broncos released a coaching biography of Griffin this evening.

| Anthony Griffin is a highly-credentialled coach who has had much to do with developing many of the Broncos’ current crop of emerging young stars.

He coached the Broncos to the inaugural NYC grand final in 2008 and also coached Redcliffe when they won the Queensland Cup in 2006.

Anthony Griffin has done a long apprenticeship at a number of clubs and we are very confident he has the skills and drive to be a success as head coach of the Broncos,” said Broncos’ general manager of football operations, Andrew Gee.

Griffin was assistant coach at the Melbourne Storm in 2001 and 2002 and had earlier won three Queensland Colts premierships with Redcliffe and Brisbane Norths.

He has also coached at representative level with the Queensland under 17s (1998) and the Queensland Residents side in 2007. |

While Griffin takes over for 2011, there is one juicy rumour doing the rounds that Mal Meninga might be interested in the job... and the Broncos might be interested in him.

And of course there's always the Wayne Bennett back to Brisbane possibility...
Matt Duncan contributed to this report.

The Australian reports Feb 22 | Less than 24 hours after Henjak was sacked, the Broncos notified the Australian Securities Exchange that their Chairman Daryl Somerville had also resigned his post. It is believed Somerville backed Henjak at the end of 2010 to hold the head coaching job.
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Join NOT THE FOOTY SHOW's 2011 TIPPING & FANTASY LEAGUES TODAY!

Thursday 17 February 2011

NRL 2011: NOT The Footy Show Episode 49 - Pre-Season Podcast 17/02/2011

NOT THE FOOTY SHOW IS BACK!


Join Dave & Waz as they return to the air for first episode of 2011 - our pre-preview edition of NOT The Footy Show.

We recap the Indigenous v NRL All Stars Match, The Charity Shield & the rest of the trials so far in 2011. Our Spot the Ball Competition featuring Tommy Learoyd-Lahrs.

Plus Talking Points, Twitter Time, Tipping & Fantasy League details and what's in store for the show in 2011. Our Season Preview is coming March 1st.

For more Rugby League Coverage check out wdnicolson.com, The NRL Tweet on Twitter or NOT The Footy Show on Facebook.

Subscribe to the podcast via http://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/not-the-footy-show-2010-nrl/id370905391 or watch our Videos on YouTube.

NOT The Footy Show Episode 49 - February 17, 2011.


Right Click Save Target As This Link if you don't have iTunes.

Sunday 13 February 2011

NOT The Footy Show's Fantasy & Tipping Comps for 2011

Welcome to Season 2011 of the NRL. 
Click here for all that wdnicolson.com will be offering on the Greatest Game of All this year.

NOT The Footy Show is back for another year and this time around we'll be running Fantasy & Tipping Comps.

The Fantasy League is a throw-back to the olden days when Rugby League Week ran a simple yet totally addictive game that was based on just Tries & Goals - and that makes it both easy to enter and even easier to follow.

To submit your team for NOT The Footy Show's Fantasy League simply go to this page on wdnicolson.com and pick your team!

We'll be offering NOT The Footy Show T-Shirts as Phase Prizes - and there'll be 3 Phases during the season.

Our Tipping Comp is sticking with the Daily Telegraph website because they A. Have decent prizes (10k to the overall winner & $250 to the top tipper of the week), B. Their tipping system means you only need to tip once to enter multiple competitions and C. A large number of footy fans use their Super Coach Fantasy game so it makes sense to have our Tipping Comp on the same site.

You can enter via the DT Tipping Page or our Facebook Page - our League Code is 446386

Invite your family, friends & co-workers so we can make it a League worthy the prizes on offer...

Not only will you put yourself in the running for the DT's prizes but NOT The Footy Show will be putting up our own set of prizes for the Tipping Comp. Watch this space for details on what they will be.

Here's our Season Promo direct from the hallowed turf (& sand) of Brookvale Oval after the Manly v Cronulla Trial in February. (Now Available in HD)


So get involved and listen out for the first NOT The Footy Show Podcast of 2011 coming Thursday February 17, 2011.
Listen to it here.

Subscribe today via iTunes.

The NOT The Footy Show Team.

Wednesday 9 February 2011

Tina Turner Would Be Proud - NRL rope in Bon Jovi for 2011 Campaign

Tina Turner Would Be Proud - NRL rope in Bon Jovi for 2011
By Warrick D Nicolson
February 9, 2011.

Arguably the biggest news of the 2011 National Rugby League Season was broken on Twitter today with the announcement that music super group Bon Jovi would head the NRL's Advertising Campaign.

Yes Bon Jovi, he of the long blonde locks and tight shorts...

Oh wait that was Warwick Capper.

It's an easy mistake to make... apart from the fact that one still has talent.

You can read the NRL's Press Release here and yes they actually broke their own story on Twitter... which might be a sign they are finally getting what Social Media really is.

The NRL has made a gigantic leap forward in progress when it comes to marketing the game with the Bon Jovi acquisition and although the song chosen isn't a tune that will stick in your head all day - it has enough pop/rock to get the job done for the next 12 months.

Then of course, Bon Jovi should offer up a far better known song for the NRL Anthem like 'Blaze of Glory' or 'Livin' on a Prayer'  but for the time being 'This Is Our House' will have to do and as you can see below it WILL work.

Here it is without the NRL action clips that will no doubt accompany it come March and instead feature CFL action (Gridiron) of the Saskatchewan RoughRiders - giving you a taste of what's to come in the NRL Ad.

BON JOVI - This Is Our House


Obviously the NRL version will feature Bon Jovi himself quite heavily and this is a huge plus for the NRL's campaign.

Because Bon Jovi's association just opened up the NRL to another demographic or three and as an added bonus have actually plugged in a fair dinkum star with the game.

Not since the days of Tina Turner in the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s has the game been associated with music royalty (Sorry Tom Jones just didn't cut it) and perhaps more importantly, like Tina Turner, you can buy the idea that Bon Jovi might actually like the game of Rugby League.

Don't think for a second that when it comes to successful endorsements, the ability of the person/group endorsing the product to sell the idea that they genuinely have an interest in the product, isn't VITAL in making the endorsement work.

Because Tina Turner sold you on the idea that she liked muscle bound Rugby League players, and maybe so would the female demographic. Her music then meshed so well with game highlights that the male demographic embraced her too. In short she covered multiple demographics and her two signature Rugby League anthems were NRL promotions heaven.

If you need proof....

TINA TURNER - What you get is what you see


TINA TURNER - Simply the Best


So coming in March we can expect to see Benji Marshall featured heavily in the new Bon Jovi NRL Anthem clip - after all Marshall was identified by the NRL as their 'new face' - and until that time reflect on two things.

One - how good is it to see the NRL make a positive move in promoting the game that doesn't cry out B Grade Marketing.

And Two - temper that enthusiasm by realising that it has taken the NRL the best part of 20 years to remember what worked for them when the game was at its peak.

But heeeeeey we're halfway there...
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Yes it's coming... the 2011 NSC Rugby League Almanac.

We've promised it since the end of the 2010 NRL Season but we can confirm that the 2011 NSC Rugby League Almanac will be out in late February.

With a comprehensive guide to the upcoming season, a review of the big games and big stories from 2010, our recruitment analysis for each club, a full run-down of the NRL Tweet Player of the Year Votes and our very special Top 50 Players in the NRL - it will be a requirement for anyone wanting to follow the Greatest Game of All in 2011.

Plus it will be a must-have Fantasy League tool.

If you would like to advertise in the Almanac please contact Warrick Nicolson

If you would like to pre-order a copy send an email to this address. It will cost AU $10.00.
Why not join NOT The Footy Show's Facebook Group?
Our surprisingly popular Rugby League Podcast will be back in 2011 with more of the same insight, analysis and borderline entertainment that many have come to know and love.
You can also subscribe on iTunes.