Biff: Rugby league's infamous fights

by Glen Humphries

Overview

The biff had been part and parcel of rugby league for a century. Condoned even. As violent play like stiff arms, spear tackles, facial massages and stomping were weeded out of the game, the punch remained. As recently as the 1980s, league bosses would say there was nothing fans liked to see more than two forwards trading blows. But the biff is an endangered species in the NRL era. In Biff: Rugby League's Infamous Fights, Glen Humphries explores the most violent grand final, State of Origin fisticuffs, the Fibros versus Silvertails and how 'the hits keep coming' in the 2020s. As well as offering a ringside view, Biff also discusses the reasons behind the fights and what happened to the players afterwards. Some escaped suspension, while others were rubbed out of the game. A few missed the chance to play in a grand final or found their careers cut short after being on the receiving end of a nasty punch.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781922786906
Publisher:	Rockpool Publishing
Publication date:	08/25/2022
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Glen Humphries writes about the holy trinity – beer, music, and sport.
He is the author of Aussie Anthems, which included the song "Eagle Rock", even though he hates it. He has also written The Slab: 24 Stories of Beer in Australia, which was the national winner in the worldwide Gourmand Awards.
Glen's books on sport include Biff and Jack Gibson's Fur Coast, about the National Rugby League, and Sticky Wickets, a book full of strange cricket stories.
Glen is a reporter for the Illawarra Mercury, where he has been for three decades. During that time, he covered local councils, transport, and the Port Kembla steelworks and researched the question, "Why can't you buy mouse-flavoured cat food?". If you meet him one day, he can give you the answer.