The great game of rugby league has a long and celebrated history on the silver screen. Well...no, not really. To be honest RL has made about as many cinematic appearances as Manfred Moore did for the Newtown Jets with about as many highlights. Nevertheless... here we countdown the top 5 rugby league movies of all time.
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| From the producers who bought you Daredevil Dudes... |
5: Footy Legends
Footy Show regular Ahn Do plays a semi-retarded down on his luck battler who brings together some old school mates to beat a team of geriatric ex-footballers in a game of Rugby League 7s and win back his younger sister.
Highlights;
A gritty depiction of RL’s place in Sydney’s Western burbs. Rod Wishart’s thighs.
Lowlights;
Some painful cameos by rugby league personalities intercut with Bargo RSL standard comedy and product placement that would make Ronald MacDonald cringe.
Realism: Probably a bit too real considering in one scene it takes Brett Kenny a minute and a half to run the length of a field
Rating: *1/2
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| Don Furner's approach to Kangaroo tours was definately old school |
4: The First Kangaroos
A historical reproduction of the first ever UK Kangaroo tour starring a young ET and Wayne Pearce
Higlights;
Great to see some recognition for the game’s founding fathers
Lowlights;
Made for television so you pretty much get what you expect quality wise
Realism: Several inaccuracies were noted by RL historians in the timeline of events but the game play is interesting enough
Rating:***
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| look just keep reading ok |
3: Up ‘n’ Under
Bawdy Pommy comedy sees the geezers from the local pub take on the yobs from the well ‘ard hotel up the road. Catch is they’re fookin shite at roogby before employing a well fit aerobics bird (Samantha Janus, Above) to manage them.
Higlights;
Some quite funny moments when the lads are at the boozer. Well fit Samantha Janus’ bangers make an appearance in a completely unnecessary shower scene.
Lowlights;
Didn’t exactly showcase rugby league as a particularly athletic endeavour as the players for the Wheatsheaf Arms hotel show less skill than England’s 2008 World Cup backline.
Realism: Yep no implants here. Oh the match, well, ermmm...
Rating:** (One star each)
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| "Ahh, two minutes boys" |
2: The Final Winter
Grub Henderson is the love child of Les Boyd and Reg Ragen as the head elbowing, judiciary spraying, wife ignoring captain of the Newtown Jets who is slowly getting the arse from the game he loves.
Highlights;
The match at the start of the game is well done and the viewer can’t help but empathise with the protagonist and his downtrodden wife. Also John Jarrett adds dramatic weight to the piece.
Lowlights;
Matty Johns’ pillow under his shirt headlines a bunch of token crap ex-footy player cameos
Realism: The fact that Henson Park still looks like a dilapidated 80’s venue does wonders for the film’s authenticity as does Matt Nable’s rugby league pedigree.
Rating:****
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| "Third party incentives anyone?" |
1: This Sporting Life
Sir Richard Harris plays for Wakefield Trinity all the whilst seducing a widowed landlady and dealing with all things grim ‘oop Narth.
Highlights;
Genuinely great acting and storyline showing the brutality often associated with RL and the industrial North
Lowlights;
Not exactly a date friendly flick or one that you would want to pop on after a hard days graft, more depressing than Souths in the 90s.
Realism:
Match footage is surprisingly excellent but the fact that the main character gets his start after belting the local team’s captain in a nightclub seems mildly hilarious if not deeply ironic.
Rating:*****
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