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Roy Masters

Roy Masters

Roy Masters is a Sports Columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald.

Ashley Klein is scheduled to referee the second match of the Origin series on Wednesday night.

Klein should stand down from Origin duties following gambling revelations

As the NRL closes in on what it hopes will be a $4 billion broadcast rights deal, it is now dealing with unwanted attention.

  • Roy Masters

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NRL referee Ashley Klein.

Klein’s problem gambling spiralled on NRL’s watch

Rugby league’s top referee continued to gamble even as the NRL began monitoring his betting in 2019, accruing substantial losses that eventually prompted him to self-exclude.

  • Chris Barrett, Roy Masters and Adrian Proszenko
Nathan Cleary after NSW’s win in Origin I.

How the master and the future of NSW led a stunning comeback

Nathan Cleary and Ethan Strange made crucial plays at critical times on Wednesday night, employing lessons learned from sitting in hundreds of half-time dressing rooms ruled by their fathers.

  • Roy Masters
Are you not entertained? Russell Crowe in his Oscar-winning role as Maximus in Gladiator.

Are you not entertained? NRL walking a fine line between integrity and mass appeal

So often has rugby league supremo Peter V’landys declared that the game is primarily about entertainment that he could be channelling Russell Crowe in Gladiator.

  • Roy Masters
Isaah Yeo plays big minutes in the NRL, but the new rules have curtailed even his output.

Origin breaks even the greatest. Now it’s set to be faster and harder

The NRL’s new rules will push players and coaches to the limit in this year’s State of Origin series.

  • Roy Masters
Isaah Yeo looks on following another Bulldogs try in their round 6 loss.

Speed kills: How the six again rule tilted the balance of power in the NRL

The fear of six agains has led to faster rucks, more tries, and more blowouts. Speed now kills, especially if you don’t have it.

  • Roy Masters
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Shane Flanagan, Keaon Koloamatangi, Payne Haas, Wayne Bennett.

The salary cap isn’t working. But that’s not why the NRL is becoming less even

The game’s great equaliser is failing in its purpose, but the reality is there are other factors determining the success or failure of clubs these days.

  • Roy Masters
James Tedesco questions a call from referee Wyatt Raymond in the Roosters round one clash with the Warriors.

The easy solution to counter NRL’s need for speed

Last year’s NRL finals series was widely acknowledged as one of the best. The game was flying. But on the eve of this season, the NRL decided to make changes.

  • Roy Masters
Ricky Stuart wears his heart on his sleeve more than most coaches.

It takes a special person to be an NRL coach. So why do they do it?

A football season is a test of whether the forces that bond a club together can withstand the forces seeking to pull it apart. Coaching is usually the easy part.

  • Roy Masters
Happy days: NRL CEO Andrew Abdo and ARLC chairman Peter V’landys.

The NRL has never been stronger. But there’s a storm on the horizon

Revenue is up. Off-field “atrocities” are down. A bumper new TV deal is expected. But the looming addition of two new teams in two years is set to cause an ‘El Nino’ of extreme conditions in the NRL.

  • Roy Masters