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Crowds gather at Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas for the NRL fan fest on Friday Australian time.

NRL’s Las Vegas carry-on is over-the-top absurd … but that’s the point. And it works

As expensive and overblown as the whole thing is, Vegas ensures the NRL season kicks off on a high that flows through the first few weeks of the competition.

  • Peter FitzSimons

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Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton will be one of the stars in Vegas.

NRL Las Vegas hype crew, I have one request: Lift!

The breathless media predictions of imminent world domination around the annual NRL double-header in Vegas used to keep me chortling for weeks. This year? Crickets.

  • Peter FitzSimons
Cooper Woods.

The ballad of Cooper Woods: Why golden boy’s tale will become the stuff of legend

The Australian worked with former Wallabies captain John Eales before blitzing the field to win gold in the moguls skiing. Banjo Paterson would have had the right words.

  • Peter FitzSimons
Reece Walsh and Nathan Cleary at Wembley Stadium. We would make room for them in the Wallabies.

The NRL can do nothing to stop rugby’s raids. And the worst may be yet to come

Back in the day, rugby league would regularly poach union stars. Now the shoe is on the other foot, and the leaguies look nervous.

  • Peter FitzSimons
Men of the moment: Ashes destroyers Mitchell Starc and Travis Head celebrate Australia’s series victory. But it was the lesser lights who really shaped the series.

Ashes, tennis and watching LIV die: What a great way to start my 40th campaign

This is my 40th year writing for the mighty Herald. I’ve had a great summer, now it’s time to get stuck in.

  • Peter FitzSimons
Pat Cummins and Ben Stokes with a replica of the Ashes urn.

It’s time England handed over the Ashes, for real

In what other international comp with a famous trophy, does the trophy itself stay with just one side? It’s time the Ashes urn made the trip south.

  • Peter FitzSimons
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Actor and farmer Rachel Ward.

‘Free radical’: Filmmaker farmer Rachel Ward on vaccines, RFK Jr and her new paddock-to-plate project

The actor-director, big fan of RFK Jr and his vaccine stance, has embarked on a new project after discovering the benefits of cow poo for the environment.

  • Peter FitzSimons
Michael Maguire (right) celebrates the Broncos’ victory.

The final 90 seconds of the NRL grand final was sporting theatre at its finest

Of all the extraordinary things Reece Walsh did on grand final night, his try-saving tackle with less than two minutes to go might just be the best of all.

  • Peter FitzSimons
Melbourne Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen met with R360 officials about his future.

Billion-dollar R360 competition is on its way, but with no tribes attached nobody will care

The new rebel rugby competition won’t work financially, but that doesn’t mean it won’t get off the ground.

  • Peter FitzSimons
Cathy Freeman at the 2000 Olympics opening ceremony.

Sydney 2000 remembered: When Cathy was almost caught up in an opening ceremony failure

More than a week before her starring role on the track, Cathy Freeman was part of the other great story of the Sydney Olympics.

  • Peter FitzSimons