The Wrap - Test Cricket Schemozzle

1. Test Cricket. Well it was a complete embarrassment that has been coming for a long time. We have evaded these humiliations due to Smith's heroics or our bowlers. But here we are... a broken team in so many ways. The poor batting standard (without Smith) is catastrophic across the nation. There is no batman averaging in the 40s in first class Shield cricket! We are going to continue to lose Tests because we cannot link substantial innings together. Oh for the days of Jimmy Maher, Martin Love, Jamie Siddons, Dene Hills,  Stuart Law... such depth.

We can't be world beaters for ever, but we are in trouble.

One series loss doesn't destroy all careers, but the selectors will feel the heat too. The soft namby pamby approach that Justin Langer defied may need an overhaul soon.

What are the options?

Pat Cummins really needs to look at his tactics. He won the toss and chose to bowl and we struggle to hit the ball, let alone on a fifth day test surface. Sadly, he doubted the team he helped select. His failed tactic to bowl short - and hope - is wearing thin too. We leak runs and do not have enough decent batsmen to recover. So often this has seen match winning partnerships form against us. 

Nathan Lyon took four wickets all test and that is simply not good enough. When was the last time he ripped through an innings like that world class spinner, Simon Harmer? Starc and Hazelwood did it this series...Cummins himself is struggling. 

And then the Western Australians... who have always been terrible on turning decks. Young Cooper Connolly gets out to spin far too often. It needs to be corrected fast or he perishes. Josh Inglis struggled in the second innings when the whips were cracking. The great Cameron Green was even shielded from the strike! How embarrassing and then gets cleaned up once they change Harmer's bowling end.

Marnus, Webster and Maddison are all now banished/ finished and time is ticking on the rest of them. We lack consistency and all the so called young guns are all struggling too....Konstas, Peake, Kellaway... when New South Wales and Victoria can't provide decent batsmen, Australian cricket is in trouble.... Steve Smith is it. 

2. Rugby League World Cup. Australia beat the Cook Islands. A scoop. Some big crowds watching these games, especially outside of Sydney. 78-0, 66-6... the ridiculously lop sided games continue. bring on the semi finals and finals. The English team were dreadful.

The Tonga-Samoa clash will be something else. Not many small Islander supporters either!

3. Oscar Piastri. It has been a sad year of decline and excuses...counter accusations. Very boring, especially for the pending youngest ever world F1 champion - Kimi Antonelli. What a superstar season. Amazing skill, poise and composure.

4. EPL. Man City lose again as Brighton surge up the table. It is Arsenal's to lose really now. Man City look spooked by the threat of big fines and loss of points. ManU have set all the worst type of records. They have established a record run of losses and enter the drop zone territory while Spurs continue their upward run. Notts Forrest are up to their same tricks too... going backwards.

5. NFL. Some big gaps are now emerging six games in... Minnesota Vikings are the only undefeated teams, but the 49ers, Chiefs, Browns and Bills are all shining too. The crunch part of the season is upon us.

6. 1 November 2026. The open season for signings starts, but some are too late to the big party. Great to see a bit of movement, but greed is thriving! Farnworth, Cleary, Walker, Munster, Grant, Burton... Liam Martin...on it goes. Don't delay signing as someone else may grab your money! All of them assume their clubs will welcome them back warmly. Not so...Canberra cut Hudson young free as they need to move on too and sign others. The clubs are all currently watching Moneyball...a bargain recruitment approach with success.

The Nick Politis approach to Sam Walker is to be commended. Calling out the ridiculous demands is rare. Players need to be measured and their keepers/ managers. More of it is needed. Paying overs can break your club. Some clubs are not strong enough to do this.

The Wrap - 'World' Sport Excitement

1. International Test Cricket - World's Best Test Series. The South Africans have always been a formidable opponent. Tough to the end. Down at 6/110 and then 9/425 in their first innings! Incredible fightback.

However our batting in the first innings of Tests has been horrific for some time. Marnus is getting 20-30 runs which is not test standard, but who comes in...Green? Inglis? Patterson? Nic Maddison is not up to it against Rabada. He was always going to smash our batting. He is world class. 74 Tests, 346 Test wickets at an average of 21.97. Up there with the greatest ever.

Our team is going to need to really knuckle down.

The Boland selection looked promising - 5 wickets cannot be disputed, but we really needed Nathan Lyon when we could not get a wicket. Hazelwood has a knack of getting injured, ill or sick when we really need him. Maddison, Labuschagne and Webster just don't cut it as spinners. In fact Webster's career looks over and may never play again if Green is fit.

A tight third test looms. Can anyone think of a worst day to start a Test match on that a Sunday? They must want to kill the concept over there. Zero atmosphere, but a sensational standard of cricket.

2. International Rugby League - 'World' Cup. As much as we love to pretend we have a world game, rugby league is certainly not that. It is a Pacific competition chiefly. Tonga, Samoa, New Zealand and Australia. France are a joke. England are OK, but some of the others... not great. Spirited and fun, but Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Lebanon, Fiji... strugglers. 70, 80 and 90 point wins...not great.

Kangaroos v Fiji. "The Emus" (second tier) team will be on show. Hard to see anything but another 70 point loss for Fiji. World's Best?

3. EPL - Man City. A shock loss to Aston Villa amidst great pressure to be wiped out as a club in disgrace. Sunderland looks in trouble as the black cats continue their topsy turvey year. Spurs look like they have found some form too.

In the Championship (second division), West Ham surge further up the table, travelling in third position (top three are promoted to the EPL) with a massive +17 goal difference, the best in the competition.

4. Sam Konstas. A wonderful week when he hit 150no in the second innings v WA in the Shield and then 149no in the ODI Cup. He can hit cover drives after all, but his string of 20-35 Marnus innings look to be behind him. He needs to bat with poise and composure - and technique. Not ramp shots and other crazy crap.

5. FI - Best in the World - Texas US GP. Kimi Antonelli could wrap up the F1 championship tonight after an incredible year! Piastri is languishing in Mark Webber and Daniel Riccardio territory...on the fringe getting minor points. 

6. Phillip Island Moto GP. Ends as a cancellation in miserable weather... off to South Australia next year. 37 years done!

7. MLB World Series. Like that, the Milwaukee Brewers are up 2-0. The Tampa Rays are in strife. One of the lesser light teams will win and secure their first ever MLB World Series Championship. The following teams have never won it:

The Wrap - A Tempting Everest

1. The Everest - Ka Ying Rising v Tempted. An incredible victory by Tempted ($7M) to knock over the much more fancied (21 straight wins) of the champion Ka Ying Rising ($2.9M). A really tough barrier (11) but a poorer ride than usual from Zac Purton. Another ten metres and it wins. Another ten metres and it is not The Everest! Interesting that third place gets $2M as well. Forth place? ($1.5M) and fifth place $1.2M. This is more than most races on the calendar, even if you come fifth.

2. Wallabies - Rugby Australia. The work this weekend of Rugby Australia is some of the dumbest for a while. To schedule your premiere game (home Bledisloe Cup) at the exact time of the largest horse racing event in Sydney all year - The Everest - is terrible. Sure, 73,000 at the ground, but the wrong demographic and TV ratings would have been low. Out of touch and arrogant. Why could it not have been played at night?

Then to play how they played reminds us of how far rugby has slipped. Les Kiss started well against the third rate teams and the Springboks third team, but to go down by thirty or forty at half time is one of the worst efforts by a Wallabies team on record. A drubbing. The kiss of death.

All the viewers of the future were at the Everest in Randwick!

3. Rugby League World Cup. Australia had a strong, but in some ways lucky win v New Zealand, but Tom T and Latrell were a bit off the pace. It must be hard recharging for a post season tournament. Reece Walsh took every opportunity and played really strongly. 

The Pacific Islands provide most of the NRL players and they are largely indestructible. Very few knee and joint injuries. An incredible growth in talent over the years. Once upon a time there were no Pacific islanders playing the sport outside of Olson Filipaina, who played for Balmain, Roosters and North Sydney.

Not sure how NRL coaches feel about the rep season... but a great honour for the players to represent their country. It involves so many players these days.

4. MLB. The American League final (best of seven) between Cleveland v Guardians is locked up at 2-2. The records keep tumbling...Travis Bazanna hit the first post season home run by an Australian ever in the loss to the Tampa Bay Rays today. An incredible improving talent. 

The winner of the best of seven games plays the Milwaukee Brewers for the World Series. The Brewers amazingly crushed the well fancied LA Dodgers 4-0 in their series to clinch the National League.

5. Australian Cricket. Playing the pace of Rabada will be a new Test for our batsmen. The seaming St George, Port Elizabeth deck has seen Boland take Nathan Lyon's place. The Aussies won the toss and elected to bowl. Nic Maddison will be breathing easier. Rain is about and the deck will be a batting test! Travis Head is overdue. A terrific test by Renshaw (270 runs, 2 wickets, a catch). A career highlight!

6. EPL Man City. They have won seven games from seven...undefeated, even though the salary cheating allegations escalate and punishment calls get stronger. Erling Haaling scored another two goals v Ipswich so leads the golden boot stakes with six goals.

Lucas Herrington was benched at half time for Hull in their 0-1 loss to Fulham. A bad loss! 

7. Nick Blakey. And so it is that Blakey was not in the original Swans issue and got called off the bus at the last moment to become one of the Pullman Five. Sounds like some dobbing occurred which alienated him from others, hence the move. He felt thrown under the bus and has gone to North Melbourne. They will need him.

The Wrap - Renshaw To be Sure

1. Test Cricket. Poor Nic Maddison. He didn't select himself and he has talent, but should never have opened the batting. It was a silly move (unless the second innings proves us all wrong yet again!). That Durban deck was moving too much on Day One for a novice opener. It shows how desperate we have become for a decent opener, but loud mouth selectors do themselves no favours. Nathan McSweeney has been treated harshly and youth is seemingly banned from the team. The heat of India will test them all out. The end is nigh for most and we have no real guns replacing these ones.

The efforts of the unheralded Matt Renshaw were impressive. No one could have predicted this really and he looks sets as an Australian Test middle order batsman for a while yet, based on the efforts of our other batsmen. He really batted better than anyone could have forseen. Coming of age really.

Cameron Green is both super talented and the champion of disappointment...like Shane Watson before him. Poor form, injury, but produced the goods in crisis and recent uptick in form...then injury. 

Steve Smith's exaggerated leaves of the ball are unfortunately a sign he is not switched on. He wants us to believe it is the opposite. It is a fascade. He got worse in this innings as it went along and fell prematurely. The innings' where he is at his most exaggerated are always when he is not as successful. He over compensates for an older success routine, but he is not getting any younger. He has lost some sheen in latter times, but remains a legend of the Australian game.

Batting first on a turning deck will prove very helpful in the end. Lyon will be spinning it like a top by the end of this Test. It has certainly flattened out now. The cumulative Test attendance will be in the 100s!

Our batting is best summed up by Queensland in the Shield this weekend - all out for 60 odd! However, Ollie Davies hits 200 in Shield record time. Maybe there is hope.

2. Wallabies. Sadly again half a game of good and half a game of despair. The 2002 Bledisloe curse continues and the 1986 Eden Park hoodoo too. The false signs of a resurgence have come crashing down. Hard to believe we are so consistently bad against New Zealand. Les Kiss is going to be excellent, but he has a lot of damage to repair. Our players can't be that bad.

3. Bathurst Super Cars. A dramatic end with Dick Johnson seemingly never far from controversy when near that joint. Who will forget the mountain issue years ago. Sad for De Pasquale who didn't even finish. Brodie Kostecki chalks up his second win!

4. Perth Bears. It seems like the Bad News Bears' are in the frame again. Losing a CEO before their season begins is a really bad sign. Meaney and Russell as their centres is terrifying. Ben Gardiner will be a ripping coach if they can just shuffle Mal sideways quickly enough.

5. 1 November - NRL Market Place. Interesting that Harry Grant and Cameron Munster both want to hit the market on 1 November. The word is out with players about 'greed is good', but can you blame them? It seems that the old Melbourne Storm bonded ethos is fraying at the edges a little. The loyalty is fading with the imminent Bellamy departure. They are not alone...Matt Burton, Latrell Mitchell, Hudson Young... all seeking a better deal.

6. AFL Trade Season. The work of 'The Lizard', Nick Blakey has been something else this week just gone. Sneaky, underhand and lacking transparency so it seems, by not notifying the club of his desire to be traded. Yet he sees the club as the villain. It sounds like he is a good one to cut. His likely club, North Melbourne, will be doing it tougher than the Swans for a long time to come. Sounds like an impulsive tantrum that could go very wrong. He will never win a premiership if he is not careful, but earning over a  million a year distorts reality. Easy come, easy go... until he hits the wall.

7. EPL -Man City.  In ripping form with an undefeated start to this EPL season and suddenly under immense pressure with potential heavy fines, relegation and loss of points. There is no way around this so it seems. ManU seem to extend teams a lifeline constantly, letting 10 men team like Spurs equalise late. Never in Alex Ferguson's time!

Messi has also closed his international career with Argentina. What a super star. Rare gold.

8. MLB - Cleveland Guardians. In his debut year, Travis Bazzana's team have staged a remarkable comeback v the Chicago White Sox, trailing the series 0-2 to win it and set up a showdown with the Tampa Bay Rays for the American League Championship. The winner then goes to the World Series! What a story in your first ever year of MLB. He is on his way to become our most prolific and decorated baseballer in Australian MLB history.

The Wrap - Roosters Ruling The Roost

1. NRL Grand Final. DCE was poised for a great end to his career. Nawaqanitawase, Watson, Crichton, DCE all disappear for 2027 - and maybe Sam Walker too. So much top level experience in this Roosters team: Collins, Tupou, Radley, Tedesco, Robson, Crichton, DCE v Frizzell, Gagai, Best and Ponga. Ball control and set completions were the name of the game. The Roosters excelled...DCE - 15 years after his first Grand Final. Incredible win, especially when everyone though the Panthers would win the comp by April.

So much pre-game hype and stories pre game as always. First one point Grand Final win since Cowboys v Broncos! Second back to back double: Brisbane Broncos Men and Brisbane NRLW last year and the Roosters now this year! (St George got the spoon in both in 2026).

The Roosters did too much aerial attack in the first half and needed to keep the ball in hand. Such a waste of natural talent and flair for their star studded team, but they worked it out. Nawanqanitawase is the supreme player. So tough and so clever. He wins it for them so often. He missed out to Alex Johnston and Tom Jenkins for Dally M Winger of the Year, but is the ultimate entertainment package. What a winner - he will be missed a lot!

Sam Walker's goal kicking was superb. Such an advantage when you can pot them from all points in big games. Not sure he is the $1.5M man however. No general play kick pressure on the Roosters cost the Knights. The momentum in the latter part of the first half that they enjoyed started there. 

The Knights defence was great, but "brave" and "courageous" alone sadly doesn't win comps. 

Two super joyful bounces for the Roosters...one that caused a drop out for Ponga at a critical time in the second half at 12-12...another that hit the posts for the Roosters' final try. That is footy. The bounce favoured Newcastle in the first half.

Trent Robinson joins the legend coaches with four premiership wins (joining Provan, Churchill, Sheens and Cleary). They also lost by 50 in the competition and still won the comp! First club to do so. 

Trent's focus on family and connections is again paying dividends, reshaping the team massively when Luke Keary, Jarryd Warea-Hargreaves, Joseph Su'a'lili, Joey Manu, Sandon Smith, Brandon Smith and Chad Townsend all left at the end of 2025.

Toia kept Best quiet all night. Whyte was awesome. Tedesco dominated... he will have no regrets leaving the Tigers...nor will Robson (Cowboys) or DCE (Manly). Tupou has never regretted leaving Parramatta. Radley, Tupou, Leniu, Tedesco have all got four premierships now too.

A bad year for Steggles to give up the jersey sponsorship! 

2. NRLW. Really enjoying the strengthening of the womens' game. Lots of improvement in the defence (incredible) and skill set in quick time! It is so good for the future of the game. Lots of girls are looking to play the game. Barely a high shot ever and no illegal tackles or wrestle. How footy used to be played. Olivia Kernick is a gun. SO tough and fair. Tarryn Aiken was the WOTM and takes the ball deep into the line to really confuse the opposition defence. She was the clear difference. A crushing defeat of the Broncos who are really talented too. Upton was really well contained.

3. NSW v QLD Cup. Fancy fronting up to that Dolphins team who absolutely crushed the Panthers 68-14 on Grand Final day... shows the recruitment of the Dolphins who have not paid overs for any player. They had Kafusi, Averillo, Trae Fuller and a host of other first graders. Too much for the young Panthers who had young Moi Moi and Buster Hindmarsh in their teams...Parramatta recruitment at its worst.

4. Wallabies. A great win v South Africa last Sunday night, but four sin bins in the last ten minutes? The game is a joke unfortunately and no one is queueing up for prime time viewing. A shame. Once upon a time the game was in such a better place.

5. Cricket. George Bailey's days are surely numbered as a selector and a Test career whacking by South Africa would bring a career change for him. Too high profile for a national selector. Nic Maddison is talented, but Australian player? McSweeney or Sangha would have been more deserving ...or Kurtis Patterson? Liam Scott is shortening as another national option. A wonderful journey from the Hunters Hill Pirates.

6. MLB PlayOffs. All underway after the wild card games. In the American League: White Sox v Guardians (1-0), Yankees v Rays (0-1) and the National League: Braves v Dodgers (0-1) and Brewers v Padres (1-0). All best out of five games. Travis Bazzana's Guardians will need to lift after a 0-3 loss in the first game.

The Wrap - Surreal Dwarfie Time

1. NRL. Preliminary Finals time.

(i) The Roosters are warming up nicely and have timed their season to perfection with injuries as well. Trent Robinson has a terrific coaching record. He has been there at the club since 2013, coaching 357 games for a 63% winning ratio. Three premierships: 2013, 2018, 2019. Elite.

The September temperatures are rising again and team fitness matters more than ever. The Dolphins did well (and better than Wayne Bennett's Souths team, despite the post Bennett performance hoax) but have struggled with their defence at key times this year (giving up 50 points twice). The Rabbits put 50 on the Roosters as well, so can they win the premiership at all?

The answer is "definitely". They have an incredible roster with Nawanqanitawase, the acrobat doing the most amazing things. Radley remains a send off risk, but offers so much. They are a young side. Toia is incredible and Tedesco-Cherry-Evans are a dynamic duo. Daly has made the best of choices to move clubs and it has been a wise signing. 

Ashley Klein was sacked last weekend and put in the bunker instead. Go figure. He made more mistakes in the first half than anyone on the field. Terrible and the NRL need to eliminate him from the Grand Final (Chris Butler was incredibly fair and accurate), so he doesn't continue to hog the headlines. It is not about him and he needs to understand this.

Is it time there for one captain's challenge in each half of a game?

(ii) Penrith v Newcastle. Leaving out Cleary was clearly a big worry over his foot/ ankle. Missing the early goal was a terrible start for the Panthers and cost them near the end. Exposing Cogger-Cole-Talaigi was a concern. Jack Cole is too slow. The Newcastle centres are incredible in defence with the biggest 'BIG GAME' player, Bradman Best superb. Gagai is tough too.

Blaize bounced back with a Cogger kick for a try, but the Cleary injury was awful. Phoenix Crossland is a great guy...very unfortunate. Silver lining/ You don't get the medical treatment/ rehab required in a PNG compound...he re-signs with the Panthers. Yet Newcastle were too good! An outstanding display with twelve men. First GF in 25 years! Wooden spooners to Grand Finalists! Lots of joy in the crowd for a new group of supporters. Their big new grandstands will be filled in 2027!

The Roosters become the out and out favourites now. They will probably be too strong for Newcastle, but their centres and Ponga are superior.  

Meanwhile, the Panthers have uncovered some serious flaws.. lack of pace and attack is the key problem. Losing the best player in the NRL doesn't help either.

2. NRLW. The John Strange coached Roosters team are into the Grand Final once more. They too are an awesome side. Kelleher, Fressard, Boyle (set to retire), Kernick, Jaz Strange, Sergis... lots of stars.

The crack Roosters NRLW team are looking for the their sixth Grand Final (two wins) since the comp started eight years ago. Playing the Broncos who like the Roosters have really dominated the NRLW. Put money on Tamika Upton for first try.

3. AFL. What a brilliant Grand Final - Brisbane v Fremantle. A win for Brisbane for the three peat (four GFs in a row)! Coach Fagan is a special man...much loved and a shrewd tactitian. Very gracious in saying Freo were the better team and he mentioned his team was extremely lucky. Even though Shai Bolton (ex Richmond) won the Norm Smith in a losing team, Freo will be absolutely fuming..."Wharfie time" (4 mins remaining) ignited the Brisbane team for four goals in four minutes! Too many stars there too. A thrilling end and a huge crowd. Such a magnificent spectacle with so many wonderful moments. 

Up by 17, with a then Tracey missed one ten metres out (ouch!) that could have sealed the win. Their first flag ever!  Brisbane's Sam Draper and Oscar Allen would have been pleased with their moves from Essendon and West Coast respectively...

They really show the NRL Grand Final up with their pre match entertainment and traditions. The NRL is second rate there.

The Nick Daicos Brownlow Medal earlier this week was very deserving. He is easily the best.

3. Presidents Cup Golf. Day two foursome stage at the Medinah Country Club in Chicago was a disaster for the US team with the Internationals surging to a 7-3 lead. A solid position heading into Day Three. In Day Three the advantage was retained 10.5 to 7.5, but nerves are jangling heading into the final day.

A three point lead, but the 28 years wait for an Internationals win will be no formality!

4. Socceroos v Brazil. 1-1. Brazil could probably not believe they were coming to Australia (and not vice versa). We did well, but true to football history in this country, we could not ice the game despite a wonderful penalty goal from the highly talented Irankunda. A last gasp equaliser from Brazil. We hadn't beaten them for 25 years!

5. EPL - Manchester City Scandal. Suddenly their club is in a lot of hot water after a 2008-2019 (6 years ago!!!) enquiry and the prospect of fines, penalties, compensation claims by other teams and possible automatic demotion. This is a huge breaking story for the might of world football.

6. Wallabies v Springboks. The toughest of world rugby contests tonight. A miracle if we can win...but with Newcastle winning and an unlikely victory by Brisbane in the AFL, you never know...!

7. ODI- Australian Cricket. Who would have thought our batting was ordinary and susceptible to collapse? Travis Head is awesome v Zimbabwe, but keeps repeating the same mode of dismissal. That is a huge concern. Nathan Ellis and Zampa get wickets, but no one is scoring runs. Unfortunately, we are in for a very lean time ahead.

The Wrap - The Final Countdown

1. AFL - Finals. The pick of the finals football in either code was the Hawthorn v Brisbane clash. Such a tremendous contest with scintillating play and a comeback by the Hawks that was highly entertaining. The Wizard, Nick Watson, is an incredible player. Such speed. A see sawing affair and now we have a Brisbane v Fremantle Grand Final. Fourth successive Grand Final for Brisbane! Lachie Neale has had an "annus horribilis" with the publicised split from his wife and now a suspension for a 'gut punch' and set to miss his last game for the club...the GF! It was a gutless dog punch from behind. He also carried on after a legitimate clash at the kick off too. He needs to get a grip and show greater self discipline on a number of fronts.

The 11th year of no Grand Finals descends onto Hawthorn. There are a few clubs in that box with the domination of Brisbane who look rock solid for their third straight premiership. They smashed Sydney (2024) by 60 and Geelong (2025) by 50. Freo will be nervous, with or without Neale.

2. AFL - Swans. Sadly, the Swans were terrible when it mattered. Very good early, but ran out of tickets. Fitness seemed to be an issue this year. It would be good to see the head coach looking fitter in the off season as well. You can say players were out and it was a 'courageous loss', but the facts remain. The team was up by 30 on the stroke of three quarter time and they got steamrolled. No surprise after doing this v Freo earlier in the season. 

The Swans have been telling us a lot of fibs about the 'no dickhead policy' and war wounds that have healed, about three Grand Finals they are over, etc... in the end they choked here and have a bad rep around this stuff. They need some real soul searching and they need to recruit some hard heads. A top year ending in ashes when a victory was in reach.

The tactics in the final quarter were awful. They needed the ball in hand and more kicks - and more defensive marks, not just punch outs.

3. NRL. The Roosters got out of the blocks early, but the Sharks were strong in response early, before getting smashed. No Nicho disrupted their rhythm, but the Sharks' defence was weak at times almost giving up 50 points. They never really looked like scoring tries. The Roosters made a fair few errors, but they were classy when it mattered. A Roosters v Dolphins game will be interesting. So much more testing. The Roosters have a team of class players. Robert Toia is something else. What a player!

The Sharks seem to get to the same stage every year...bridesmaids. They need to re-imagine their roster. Nawaquanitawase is a complete entertainment package. What an impact player. He brings people to the game. The big question is whether they need Sam Walker at all. The Roosters were dominant.

Looking forward to seeing the Bears in 2027. They could be worse than any other start up since the South Queensland Crushers. Sean Russell and Nick Meaney in the centres could bring opponents a lot of points.

The Knights started solidly, but the Warriors stumbled into half time after early domination in front of 50,000 fans! What a year for Newcastle. No Dylan Brown or Trey Mooney, Saifiti, et al. Justin Holbrook has been the best coach in 2026, after the wooden spoon under Adam O'Brien last year.

Bradman Best is a big game player. So balanced as a runner. Fletcher Sharpe is a future origin player. Superb footwork and tough under pressure. Sandon Smith has been immense as well.

So Knights v Panthers and Roosters v Dolphins in the Preliminary Finals. What an upset! Warriors out in straight sets!

4. Cricket. A huge series win against the might of Zimbabwe this weekend. Renshaw, Connolly and 'Chop on' Head all amongst the runs. Young Oliver Peake has done well. It is hardly mesmerising stuff, but we still gave up a lot of runs with our bowlers.  Let's see how this batting line up handles their pace. Our bowling is not up to it...Stanlake, Ellis, Bartlett, Connolly, Renshaw... South Africa may think we are bowling tennis balls. South Africa will smash us if we are not careful.

5. EPL. Already Man City's Haaland is leading the goal scorers. What a player! Arsenal look invincible, but they can find a way to lose it! Their 3-0 loss to Brighton was catastrophic really. Well done to the Seagulls who found the chips this weekend.

Tottenham. In four games they couldn't score a goal, but now they can't score a winning goal losing again 2-3 to Villa. Coventry City got their first win v Notts Forest and Tottenham are second last. They narrowly avoided relegation last year but have spent $300 million since on players. Hull went down but are mixing it well with the big boys.

6. US Open Tennis. Zverev did the business and earned his second Grand Slam title. (French and US Open wins). A phenomenal match ousted the returning Alcaraz earlier, but Zverev is too consistent these days. A healthy $5.5m winning pay day!

7. Davis Cup. Australia v Poland. De Minaur won the first tie and then James Duckworth (is he our second best mans singles player?) lost the second one for 1-1. The doubles victory positioned us well for the tie victory. De Minaur iced it with a reverse singles win. He was the star! No shouting that you beat Poland in tennis, but they are better than we all think.

8. NASCAR. Shane van Gisbergen. Two NASCAR wins this season. A remarkable story and talent. He is currently in 17th spot with the . In 2025, he came 12th with 5 wins. He is a serious chance and a formidable opponent.

9. MLB. In the American League Central, the Cleveland Guardians are ahead looking for a play off position to win their division. Travis Bazzana has hit four home runs this week and 15 in his 116 games at an average of .250. An incredible story in his rookie season.

10. NBL. The 2026 competition has started...just in case you were wondering.