western-reds
You broke my heart SuperLeague!

I’m not going to mince words. I love sport. I especially love AFL, cricket and football (soccer to some, “The World Game” to SBS’s lawyers). However I used to be madder about Rugby League than any other sport when I was a kid. And I was a Perth boy.

My Dad, a Kiwi who came to Sydney when he was 18, loves League and I watched a lot of games with him as a little ‘un. He’d have a beer and he’d make me a shandy (don’t persecute him DOCS!). I even got a Manly Sea Eagles jersey when I was about eight years old. I loved it. And I loved watching my boys play every weekend. Cliffy Lyons and Geoff Toovey were my heroes.

And then Perth got a team — the Western Reds! Oh happy days! After saving up for months on my pathetic McDonald’s paycheck (persecute them DOCS!) when I was 14 or 15 I bought a Western Reds jersey. I still have it today. I still wear it occasionally. I loved the Reds. And then they folded. The Western Reds were not a viable franchise for News Ltd or the ARL. My team was gone.

And so with it my love of NRL.

Anyway, season 2010 starts tonight for Rugby League. It’s a great game, and one I don’t get to follow as closely as I’d like.

So, in order to service Crikey Sports readers north of the Mexican border a whole lot better  —  I’m putting out a call to arms out to any budding Rugby League commentator to become Crikey Sports NRL guy or gal.

If you think you got what it takes email me at ljosey@crikey.com.au

And for what it’s worth, I’m rooting for a Sea Eagles premiership this year. And I still have my jersey.