Tom Wildie

6 days ago | abc.net.au | Tom Wildie

For rugby league fans in Western Australia and North Sydney, the announcement of the Bears' reintroduction to the National Rugby League is cause for celebration. It ends WA's near 30-year absence from top-flight league, following the axing of the Western Reds in 1997, and sees the North Sydney Bears colours and legacy continue on the west coast.

1 week ago | abc.net.au | Tom Wildie

Western Australia will get a new NRL team, WA Premier Roger Cook has announced, after the state government and the Australian Rugby League Commission reached an agreement on funding for the side. Making the announcement on social media, Premier Cook revealed the state government would spend $65 million on the club, which could play its first game in 2027 or 2028, over the next seven years.

1 week ago | abc.net.au | Tom Wildie

"Half-hearted.""Not tough enough.""Too comfortable.""Absolute crap.""Are we up for the challenge?"Those were words used by Fremantle players or coaches to describe performances in recent weeks, as the club stumbles from one inconsistent performance to another. And after a 10-goal loss to St Kilda, in which Fremantle was held to the third-lowest half-time score in its 30-year history, the spotlight intensified on a squad which experts said should be a top-eight side.

2 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Tom Wildie |Grace Burmas |Blake Kagi

It was only three weeks ago WA Premier Roger Cook lashed the National Rugby League for its treatment of a bid for a Perth team, accusing the organisation of using his state as a "cash cow". “Given our location on the Indian Ocean rim and in the same time zone as 60 per cent of the world’s population, the strategic value of a Western Australian side should be self-evident to the NRL," he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Tom Wildie

When teenage sprint sensation Gout Gout lines up for the 200 metres at the WA Athletics Stadium in the Australian championships this week, there will be anticipation of a blistering time. The 17-year old has already run the fastest official time in the world this year with 20.05 seconds, but has also dipped below the 20 second mark with a hefty tailwind. Perth’s premier athletics track is considered “fast”, and there is a feeling the teen could set a blistering mark on it.