The Wrap - Runs and Rosas

1. NRL. Terrible times for the Storm with seven straight losses, but after a million years of supremacy, this happens. They will probably be back in the semis. There is a long way to go. The Bulldogs have been a disappointment and simply lack pace. It will kill a lot of teams.

Newcastle looked different with Ponga, Lucas, Best and Frizell... Dylan Brown is one of the best defenders in the NRL. Latrell was awesome again. The Roosters were great and then loose...so were Newcastle. The comeback of Cody Ramsay from an horrific medical situation with his bowel was good to see. Great belief in him by the Roosters.

The table is starting to stretch out now: Souths and Tigers were disappointing, giving up a solid position on the table with their inconsistent efforts. Panthers, Warriors and Roosters are surging.

Daniel Tupou hits 190 first grade tries and goes into third place behind Ken Irvine (212). Johnston is up to 221 now! Amazing how quickly he has continued moving ahead.

2. Jerome Luai. Seems like a top person, but his behaviour with the Galvin signing fiasco last year was forgotten very quickly by the media when he unexpectedly broke ranks to sign with PNG. He speaks well and manages his emotions well, but the Tigers must be really upset. PNG will get lots of players with their tax deal. Hard to resist for a young talented player with a young family.

3. AFL. The Swans suddenly have some great depth, with Gulden to come back soon. Rosas kicking seven goals was pretty amazing! He has been an excellent pick up from the Gold Coast. Interesting to read of the impact of ex Melbourne head coach, Simon Goodwin on the Swans players. Very positive and he would have delighted in beating Melbourne this afternoon. 

4. Tszyu. Is anyone sick of the hype...Tim, Nikita? Lots of swearing and tough talk, but the Australian public are tiring of it all. Kostya, the old man, was so understated, super talented and better than the lot of them.

5. EPL - West Ham. They have been holding on after an horrific start to the season, but lost 3-0 to Brentford on the weekend consigning them to the relegation zone if Tottenham can beat Aston Villa tonight. They needed a win there and face Arsenal next week. They will need a miracle now as Leeds have stepped ahead and Notts Forest may be play Chelsea, who have lost five in a row!

Ipswich Town and Coventry City are on the way up for next year from the Championship too! One more of Millwall, Hull, Southampton or Middlesbrough to join them!

6. Boston. A terrible week for the Bostonians. While the Red Sox have been mightily disappointing this season, the Bruins (NHL) and the Celtics (NBA) have been dumped unceremoniously from their play offs. Shocking news for the locals and lots of heads destined to roll.

7. Travis Bazzana - MLB. Travis made his debut for the Cleveland Guardians this past week and was a little quiet early - understandably. He is a rich talent and got his first hit today. So good. Off to Kansas soon for the next round of games. An amazing time for his family on the biggest of stages in world sport.

8. Oscar Piastri. Just when it looked like McLaren had got their act together in the sprints, the Miami circuit was too tough for them in qualifying, now starting fourth (Norris) and seventh (Oscar). Antonelli has genuine speed and will be hard to toss.

9. Scott Scheffler. Second at the Masters, second in the playoff last week at The Heritage and in second position at The Cadillac at present. On good terms with the bank manager, as they say. Paying $8.50 to win it, but Cameron Young is six shots in front after an 8 under first round. If Scottie gets a good first round under his belt he would win everything. Not to be.

10. Waratahs. Lost to the Western Force this weekend hitting rock bottom. 11,000 attended to watch them which is a world record of support for such a disappointing team. Now third last, one point ahead of the Force. Horrific. Reds are fifth and Brumbies have slipped to sixth.

11. Marathon. How about the new world record for the marathon...breaking the magic two hour mark at 1:59:30! Worth a second look!

12. IPL. Noticed Mitchell Starc (an iron horse) has joined the IPL, alongside Hazelwood and Cummins who both made stunning injury recoveries in time for the IPL riches and four overs of effort. Cricket Australia need to pay more, so the same miracle recoveries can occur in future Ashes series.

The Wrap - Don't Want To Speak Ill of Warra

1. NRL - St George - Illawarra. A great ANZAC annual NRL event. However, Saints are a bit of a mess at present unfortunately - like many clubs before them! They could well have won in Vegas and against the Eels it must be remembered. They have some great local talent (signing Keaon Koloamatangi and Scott Drinkwater for 2026+ are massive pluses). They have done well in NSW Cup so far in 2026 and the Couchman brothers are rep players in the making. They are not the only ones in the comp whose halves are up and down. Do we have an NRL Halfback/ Five Eight Centre of Excellence yet?

They join the Eels (2), Titans, Dolphins and the Storm who have conceded 50 points and can't win the 2026 competition. Realistically, that was never going to happen anyway as Shane Flanagan refreshingly said pre season. Spare a thought for sacked NRL coaches. So public and so cruel, but that is the gig. 'Madge' was set for the scrapheap last year and earlier this year, so said the media... yet he is shining.

Some ripping results from the Broncos while injury has plagued them. No excuses, but two beaut wins v Wests Tigers and the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs are in pain. Limited pace and Montoya had his worst game for a winger since Steve Mavin played a semi final at the SCG.

Noticed Kaylan Ponga re-signed at the Knights for a few more years. Not sure they have ever gotten true value from him. He averages about 13 games a season, but what a talent.

Melbourne. Stop it. Pass the tissues. Has the new 'six again' rule broken the Bellamy approach to controlling the ruck? He has denied it, but it seems to have really upset the style of his team at this point. It has upset him too. He may feel his days are numbered too. Recruitment questions will be asked everywhere granted the speed of the ruck now.

2. NRL Referees. Suddenly fewer 'six agains' this weekend...Origin must be getting closer. The NRL continues to only check onside kickers when tries are determined. In between, you can be offside as referees obsess about escorts and cynical others. Hammering the hapless fullback is a rule they need to change. No advantage for the fullback. A caught high ball should be rewarded. It would eliminate the boring 'hit and hope' approach of uninspiring and tired teams launching bombs repeatedly. 

3. EPL. The Man City juggernaut continues. They beat Arsenal and are staring at yet another championship win, even though Arsenal won again on the weekend (they are three points behind but have a game in hand). Leicester were dropped on their heads to the third tier of the league. Ouch!

At the bottom end, Leeds and Notts Forest look safer, but there are still five games left. West Ham and Tottenham look like they are fighting each other for extinction but BOTH won on the weekend. Intriguing.

Relegation  can cost a club nearly $50 million pounds in broadcasting rights, let alone merchandise, sponsorship, players moving on.

Interesting that just when you thought the US President had other matters at his feet, he now wants Italy back into the World Cup - and Iran out. 

4. NBA. Very early days in the best of seven first round of 2025-2026 Playoffs. Teams need to win FOUR 'best of seven' series. LA Lakers are on top, but what a long journey for all the teams. It is interesting how they play 2-2-1-1-1 in the home/ away rotation too. 

5. Waratahs. Crushed by the Crusaders (almost predictably so) and fall down the bottom once again. They need to do something because fans are tiring of this same old story. Maybe the 'want to be an NRL coach', Michael Cheika, could go there again? The Brumbies have fallen into some inconsistent habits too. Rare.

6. AFL. The Swans are striding forward on the top of the table (less the injured Gulden, Campbell and Heeney is a big bonus) as some other teams are stuttering. The Gold Coast Suns are chief amongst those going backwards. Sydney, Hawthorn, Freo and an unlikely Melbourne are doing the best business. Melbourne especially as they have shed some big names in the off season and have not flinched (Petracca, Oliver). The boards and fans of AFL clubs seem a lot more patient than the rest of the world of sport with their coaches. Carlton looked better on the weekend and Port has a neat win v Geelong, who are too inconsistent.

7. French Open Tennis. Carlos Alcaraz is injured and won't contest the French Open. The Italian, Sinner has it on a platter all of a sudden. It is the one Grand Slam that Sinner has not ever won. He stands to do the 'career slam' as well when it all kicks off in late May. He would join Alcaraz, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Agassi and Emerson, Laver, Budge and Perry as the only Grand Slam tennis winners in history.

8. IPL. Cooper Connolly is surging as a top order hitter this season, being in the top ten IPL run scorers. He batted overnight in an extraordinary game chasing 2-264 where KL Rahul hit 152no. Handy! Connolly hit 17 and was bowled by a beautiful googly by Yadav but was hitting them crisply. Always an impressive measure if you are getting runs in India. Shane Warne in his prime would have made mince meat of most of them in the IPL.

Shreyas Iyer, the captain of Cooper Connolly, Xavier Bartlett and Ricky Ponting's Punjab Kings team, is the best player in world T20. He hit 71no to chase down 264 with seven balls to spare. Incredible. The Kings now skip ahead to a three point lead at the top of the comp.

Pat Cummins returned to cricket on the weekend as well - just in the IPL of course. Paymaster Pat would be happy as he crowds yet another brand into the bulging promotional/ advertisement/ endoresment portfolio.

However, Sanju Samson is the star of the tournament with two tons (and Kohli still of course who is the leading run scorer). Samson has five IPL tons and a long time star. He is the India brand ambassador of the EPL as well!

Names of Indian players who are not even in their Test team like Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Abhiskek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (15 year old) are absolute super stars of the game.

9. F1. It is finally back after the Iran war significantly interrupted the season. A chance for McLaren to have gotten things right in the break after really being caught short early on. An exciting track coming up in Miami that favours Piastri it must be said. Noticed the Turkish GP is back too. A scramble and unfortunate after the events in the Middle East.

10. Ka Ying Rising. 20 wins in a row by this amazing horse! It won the Chairman's Sprint Prize over 1200m today in Sha Tin with Zac Purton on it. 9 Group 1 victories and $150 million in the bank! Hardly even used the whip. It could hit 30 straight wins to add to the Everest win! Awesome.

11. A League - Newcastle Jets. Premiers (pre semi finals) for their first ever win. The top six (/12 teams) semi final series is interesting. Two elimination finals (3 v 6 and 4 v 5)...winners play teams 1 and 2 in a two game home and away set up, before the GF. Time to channel the lyrics of those Newcastle music icons, The Screaming Jets...

They said you'd never get anywhere

Well they don't care and it's just not fair

That you know, and I know better.

Yes I do

The Wrap - Sideline Eye

1. NRL. The sympathy cards for the Melbourne Storm are flowing in. Poor things and there is so much sadness they have not been winning! It is good for the comp, if nothing else.

Manly continue to win without coach Siebold. Coach Foran has done everything correct so far.

The NRL coaches gracing the sidelines, EPL style are growing...The Dragons lose despite having the crankiest coach in the business pacing the sidelines. Flanagan is looking like he is waiting for the club to sack him. Benji stands on the sidelines looking like he has just missed a bus and Ricky stays entertaining with his sideline coaching calisthenics! 

Latrell Mitchell put on an absolute clinic on Saturday. Four tries. He would have been unstoppable as a junior. They can't get near him with his size and strength. Jayden S'ua was also sent off on Saturday night v the Bunnies which tells us another ill disciplined player will join the Eels next year. Just what they need. 

The Gold Coast got pumped by the Warriors and yet smashed the Eels. The Eels are nearly a dead club. 40 year anniversary of their last premiership this weekend, but how embarrassing for their legends. Not one of the current team would make that side. Such chaos and wastage of resources over so many years.

Panthers on top in a tight Golden Point win.. and Warriors, Tigers, Roosters and Souths all coming second.

Whoever the Panthers play, that team inevitably loses next week. Almost guaranteed. Get off the Dolphins next week!

Parramatta had some much stronger performers. Jack Williams took care of Jacob Preston. Penisini ran the ball hard and Paulo played really strongly too. Addo Carr was a great leader on the park too. A big win but who did Canterbury play last week? The Panthers.

2. NRL League TV Coverage. How utterly useless is the 'Red Bull Momentum Tracker' (Fox) or the 'VB Hard Earned' on TV? Two of the most useless stats/ graphics in modern sporting coverage. What does it show and based on what? How about some useful stats at regular intervals about most metres gained, tackle busts, tackles... something that the viewer is interested in? The rugby league coverage has not been modernised for years. The 'Sideline Eye' was the biggest innovation with Barry Ross!

What was the last TV innovation in league? The portable camera behind the posts when a goal is kicked in Rex Mossop's time? The sideline microphone?  The camera in the corner post?  The sideline microphone? The halftime commentator chat to a perplexed player Or was it the betting with Tom Waterhouse that was banished as the last thing to disrupt it all? Please... get with it and modernise.

3. AFL. Some close wins/ losses this weekend. Carlton couldn't convert after the siren v Collingwood 88-83. Hawthorn beat Port Adelaide 89-86. Adelaide beat St Kilda 103-102, who missed on the siren too. Melbourne then upset Brisbane (104-102) today. Really exciting football it must be said.

The Swans are on top of the table after a bizarre game which ended close to midnight, following lightning and storm activity. GWS are anchored in 14th place, yet have so much talent. The inaccuracy of their play on Friday night was staggering.

Port Adelaide gave cheek to Hawthorn, but fell short. So did Carlton yet again, losing to Collingwood after leading. They really know how to give up a lead.

Elijah Hollands for Carlton registered ONE disposal for the whole game. It is thought he had some sort of mental health episode, but how was he let onto the field and then replaced and put back on? Strange. The Carlton FC need to take responsibility. He played in the last quarter when the game was on the line!

North Melbourne are back in a decent shape and Alistair Clarkson should be proud. Luke Parker (ex Swans) is actually doing some excellent work for them. Richmond have hit rock bottom and like St George Illawarra, they are on zero points.

4. NBA Finals. Lakers, Knicks, Cavs and Nuggets all underway with a win each in Game 1. Young Aussie, Tyrese Proctor, from Sutherland way, didn't get on the court for the Cavs.

5. Heritage PGA Golf. How good is Scottie Scheffler (coming off a cool $2.4M from the masters' second place)? He comes screaming back to the end at The Masters to finish second. Awesome! Jason Day finished T12...and so did Brooks Koepka. Brooks will bounce back as a major winner very soon. Brooks (5 majors) is the youngest most successful prospect.

Rory (6 majors) joins Mickelson, Trevino and Faldo in this elite status. 7 majors is the place of legends (Palmer, Snead, Sazazen, Jones, Vardon). Beyond that, you have resorts, golf balls and clubs named after you!

At The Heritage, a number of players are hoping their Masters form holds up for more cash! Scheffler hits -7 in the third round for a second place at -14. Fitzpatrick can hear the drums beating! A $3.6M winning purse is up for grabs.

LIV Golf. Now we know the whole concept is on the brink of extinction. Dodgy from the start really and no peace deal was needed in the end. A long way back for the players to re-join the USPGA.

6. Cameron Green. A 79 answers a few critics, but his future is in doubt at the hapless KKR team. They are dreadful and the IPL masters of each franchise are brutal. It is a good thing to reject that private ownership of BBL teams. It sounds like a great way to compensate for terrible sports administrators.

7. EPL.  Man City v Arsenal is a critical clash tonight. The winner is likely to be the EPL champion. The record of Arsenal is dreadful, last winning it in 2003-2004. For Man City, they have won six of the last eight EPL competitions. Staggering success. Erling Haaland leads the goal scorers for Man City after 107 games with 157 goals (Sergio Aguero holds the Man City record - 184 games and 266 goals).

Leeds are now almost safe heading to with wins over Man U and now Wolves (39 points). Notts (33) v Burnley and West Ham (32) v Crystal Palace are big games tonight. Tottenham's draw (31 points) to Brighton was punishing. Five games left = 15 points for five wins available.

Burnley (20) and Wolves (16) are gone. A crashing thud too for Leicester City who look to be relegated to the third tier after this season. 

8. NHL - Stanley Cup. Finals underway and a big month ahead!

The Wrap - Rorying Through Open Doors

1. The 90th Masters. The names and places on that course are as famous as its playing history. Rae's Creek, Amen Corner, Magnolia Drive, Butler Cabin. The mystique is something else... the golf is extraordinary too. The ultimate test. It is never over, no matter how far in front you may be.

Rory's implosion on 11 and 12 in the third round opened the door for many others before his reset after Amen corner. What about Cameron Young's resurgence, Patrick Reed's touch, Scottie Scheffler's remarkable -7 in the third round, Jason Day's finesse and Shane Lowry's wedge work (becoming the first player to land multiple holes in one on the course!). The highlights keep flowing with many more ahead tomorrow. It was Rory's to lose coming into Saturday...and he opened the door. The largest lead ever after 36 holes and the decline... the pressure.

Tyrell Hatton and Shane Lowry are dead ringers for Teddy Swims. The look.

2. NRL. The topsy turvey season continues for some. As mentioned last week, the Panthers are not invincible as the Bulldogs showed. Rushing defence, sustained pressure, stopping To'o's surges from the back and working towards Blaize and Casey Maclean in the defence line...voila. Blaize still seems too small and while his defence has improved, he lacks impact. A worry for Penrith and he may be heading to the open market.

Canberra finally had a win and the Warriors showed steel against the Storm who seem to have lots of issues now. There is no sympathy. They have been very successful for a long time. The West Tigers look better, but semi finals is a bit of an early crow.

The teams look to be thinning out now. St George in a world of pain, but Parramatta are the team under most pressure and spoon bound.

3. Parramatta. A club that has given up so many points in six rounds, tells you defence is a joke - and the coaching is bad too. Ryles has gotten away with a lot early, but he may be another problem child. "Didn't see it coming" is weak. Maybe he should have used "that's not us". The problem is it is.

Compare that to Bellamy's honest assessment: "we should have gone to the pub and had a couple of beers".

 Twice giving up 50 points (52-4 v Storm and 52-10 v Gold Coast Titans) is horrific. They also gave up 48 points v Panthers. They are a club full of excuses. Injuries are there (like a lot of other clubs), but they are loose and lack structure. Moses also lacks composure and gets so frustrated, making his captaincy a worry too. 

If you give up 50 v the Gold Coast, are you the worst football club in the world? The Bears and Chiefs look more likely to win the comp. They are fully in line for yet another wooden spoon. Forget about St George, Parramatta are worse. So predictable. Jayden Su'a should get a new manager. 

4. AFL. The Swans are surging and play a brighter GWS next week too. GWS look good and then can turn bad quickly. Finn Callaghan is something else. Hawthorn, Western Bulldogs and Freo are all joining them at the top. Looks to be a sensational season ahead. The hawthorn one point win v Geelong on Easter Monday was exceptional action.

5. IPL. Cameron Green hit 32 for KKR and Xavier Bartlett (Punjab Kings) and Cooper Connolly (Punjab Kings) are also doing well. The Kings are on 7 points, one behind the Rajasthan Royals who lead the comp after four games. It is a spectacle, but really so few Australians playing in it now. No surprise, as predicted, the world's most injured fast bowler - Josh Hazelwood - was back bowling in the IPL after not representing Australia for nearly twelve months. Money is still a big motivator, especially as the years tick by for an ageing player. The media have let this one pass.

6. EPL. Arsenal seem to stumble more often than most and have done it again losing 2-1 to Bournemouth when well ahead on the table. They have not won it since 2004 and Man City now have two games in hand (v Crystal Palace and Chelsea tonight) with Arsenal next week. Nine points adrift, but highly challenging points to win! 

At the other end, West Ham move to 32 points and out of the drop zone for the first time this season. This has upset a few with Leeds, Notts Forest, Tottenham all nervous. One of these will join Burnley and Wolves in being relegated.

A huge night tonight: 

• Sunderland v Tottenham
• Aston Villa v Notts Forest
• Chelsea v Man City
• Leeds v ManU

7. Sprint Sensations. Lachlan Kennedy and Gout Gout. Kennedy broke 10 seconds twice in one weekend which is pretty amazing in a country where speed has not really been our thing. 9.96 is swift.

Gout Gout was something else. Sub 20 second 200m runs were once the thing of imagination only. Faster than Bolt at the same age, but he does look like he could develop a lot stronger frame.

Peyton Craig's fist pump with a competitor before the race was completed in the 800m heats was an extraordinary lapse... to then be pipped on the line... and miss the semi finals! Pay attention son.

The Cameron Myers run (breaking 3:30) in the 1500m was special and the Jessica Hull fall in the 1500 was a lowlight for the Olympic 1500m silver medallist. Ouch. She bounced back and won the 5000m courageously. She may also own the highest pitched voice in Australian sport!

We have some sensational signs on the track. It has never been better in our athletic lifetimes! 

8. Super Rugby. Sadly, who watches the game these days? Nearly invisible in the media based on poor broadcasting decisions. Incredibly disappointing for the viewers and the few remaining supporters of the game.

The Wrap - Comeback Kings

1. Football - Graham Arnold. What a great comeback story about his coaching of the Iraq national soccer team. Iraq made the World Cup again this week just gone after a long absence (1986), which is better than Italy missing out for the third straight time (terrible). Arnold was always our pre-eminent national football coach before being dumped for Tony Popovic, but he has achieved some tremendous results locally and internationally.

2. NRL. Interesting to see the Panthers celebrate Liam Martin's 150th game with the first try - and Reece Walsh celebrate his 100th game with the first try too! Reece Walsh plays better when Adam Reynolds is out, so Broncos fans should not fear that. However, his injury is a disaster now.

The Panthers start to the year has been pretty impressive. Every player is always looking to get 1% better each game - especially Nathan Cleary. The scariest thing? They have played the very best teams in Broncos, Roosters, Sharks and Storm (and the Eels) and have crushed them all. However, it is amazing how injuries can change a season for anyone, regardless of who you are. The media tall poppy slashers have already started on new contracts and players off contract. Matt Cameron is too smart from them. I don't think we can seriously expect Nathan Cleary to be playing for the Chiefs in Papau New Guinea.

Meanwhile, St George-Illawarra looked dreadful. They are so disjointed, no coherence and so slow. Gutho, Holmes and Cook look well 'cooked'. They are in a world of trouble. They looked OK early, losing by golden point to the Dogs in Vegas, but their draw indicated that they should get a few early wins... v Parramatta, Titans, Cowboys and Manly. Suddenly they look like they will struggle to beat anyone across the next two months as they play the Rabbits, Roosters, Knights, Panthers, Warriors and Broncos now.

The Canberra Raiders are also in a hole. The close wins last year have deserted them. Young Ethan Sanders struggled big time today as the Henny Penny Knights hit a 4-1 season start which is an outstanding outcome for the new coach, Justin Holbrook (especially without Dylan Brown and Kaylan Ponga out at present).

3. AFL. The Swans belted the West Coast by 128 points (24.19. 163 v 4.11. 35) who had a couple of recent wins in a row. Heeney was dominant and yet they kicked 19 behinds. They could have easily hit 200 points, but are on top of the comp! North Melbourne had a victory too and now have three victories in 2026...seemingly more wins than the past three seasons. A comeback is on!

3. Super Rugby. Just when you thought the Waratahs might make a comeback after a good win v the Brumbies last week, a typical mediocre effort was made v the Chiefs which saw them soundly trounced 42-14. So disappointing. Almost as devastating as not seeing Zac Lomax debut for the Western Force, who remarkably won v the Reds without him. Gun for hire.

4. NBL - Sydney Kings Basketball. They gave an earlier winning advantage away really to see Adelaide 36ers force a fifth and deciding game in Sydney today. 2-2 is incredible after such a long season. The game is alive and kicking in Australia. 

A stunning conclusion when behind by seven points, the Kings clawed it back late to 95-95 and overtime. They then staged the ultimate comeback and landed more and defended bravely for a 113-101 win. They now have six championships as a franchise and second only to the Perth Wildcats. In recent years they have won it in 2022, 2023 and 2026. A good era! Brian Goorjian has made a top resurgence as well. He also has won seven NBL titles as coach.

5. PGA Golf. Great results last week in the Houston Open for the Australians. Min Woo Lee was tied third and Jason Day tied sixth. Min Woo has had a great season to date. Gary Woodland's win was exceptional, especially having come back from brain surgery. Woodland's story is incredible. A college basketball star and a brain tumour detected in 2023 before surgery and recovery in 2025-2026. So much trauma and upset and a PTSD diagnosis, yet he has won a $1.8M cheque in Houston. An incredible and commanding win. A terrific story.

All ahead of the Masters next week. The Texas Open this weekend is in the shadows but Ludwig and Tommy F are warming up nicely. Robert MacIntyre looking strong.

6. EPL. Hostilities resume next week after the international round. The pressure is on the relegation bound, especially Tottenham after the internationals have been finalised. FA Cup semi finals saw Man City (4-0 over Liverpool, with Erling Haaland hitting three goals himself after a recent meagre stretch!) and Southampton (who beat Arsenal 2-1) win. Chelsea also won 7-0. This is the eighth time Man City has made the FA Cup semi finals. West Ham or Leeds will join Man City, Chelsea and Southampton in the FA Cup semis.

7. MLB. Baseball season is underway with Opening Days coming and going. The Boston Red Sox are off to a slow start, but 160 games tells you that you have time to redeem that record. Look out for boom young Aussie, Travis Bazzana to debut for the Cleveland Guardians this year. His oblique injuries are behind him now as he too makes a terrific comeback. A tough team to break into given their recent record.

8. Tim Tsyzu and NAS. Nelson is a huge man. So powerful. He dominated. Tim Tsyzu had a win to position him for a tilt at something more serious soon. However it is the 'Towering Inferno', Sebastian Fundora who is the real deal. He has continued to win...all the while studying engineering at Harvard University. Supremely talented with four successful defences of the WBC Middleweight belt.

9. Sheffield Shield Final Results. What a comeback! A tremendous result with Alex Carey dominating after Victoria started brightly. On the chase, South Australia got the remaining wickets. Coach Ryan Harris has done with many before him could not do and won back to back Sheffield Shields. Better than the Greg Chappell era.

10. IPL. Interesting to see players excelling in the IPL. Cooper Connolly has excelled in two outings for the Punjab Kings who are coached by Ricky Ponting. 70+no and 36 were impressive and represent a big statement after the misery of his T20 World Cup effort. The pressure is on Cameron Green who seems unable to bounce back with 18 and 2 so far. Hopefully he can be the amazing comeback story of the Indian cricket season.

The Wrap - All Set for Upsets

NRL Upsets. No one more upset than Anthony Seibold setting an NRL record in being dumped so quickly after three rounds as Manly coach. One loss in golden point and some flat displays, but there will be heaps of nervous coaches if that is the new standard! Private ownership has never really worked in sport. Incredible. As a previous dumped Manly coach one said “there’s gotta be an investigation into this. Someone has to be held accountable for this”.

Not only did the Panthers upset Parra (Lol!), but the Cowboys beat the Storm, the Knights beat the Bulldogs, the Wigers beat the Warriors. Even the Sharks beating Canberra felt like an upset.

AFL. The misery of Essendon continues, but the West Coast Eagles beat the might of Port Adelaide! First proper season win forever, but two in a row! The capitulation of Carlton from a 40-1 lead to lose to Melbourne was staggering. That has happened twice this year already. The Siebold effect could be close there too! 

Sheffield Shield Final. Victoria were looking good chasing 187 to win. Alex Carey 103no put SA in a better position, with Nathan McAndrew hitting 60. SA have no bowling, but Scott Boland, Will Sutherland and Fergus O’Neill shared the wickets for Victoria. This O’Neill is a handy cricketer. Scored 64no too with critical first innings runs! 

The final is now evenly poised with Victoria 5/102 at stumps, chasing 187 for the win. Gotta love cricket! 

IPL. It all got underway this weekend too and the ever wasteful Travis Head fell for 11. He needs to concentrate and lock in. He is so talented, but gives it all away time and time again. Reports are that Cummins and Hazelwood will be fit to play soon (of course!). Cameron Green is under immense pressure let it be said. Tim David back in form coming in at number 6 (NOT number four Ronnie McD!). 

Waratahs. A victory over the Brumbies is an upset for the ages! Incredible turnaround. Still mid table, but there is hope. Leading the Blues last week and throwing it away was troubling, but a win there would have them right in the hunt. The good news? They are now on the same number of points as the Crusaders! Anything is possible.

Japanese F1. Oscar had his chances.., but a great drive really. His first track appearance funnily enough this year. Mercedes are absolutely dominating and look unbeatable. Antonelli leads as the youngest man ever to do so. The sport is unbelievably fast. Looks like a few were left napping in the prep for this season, especially McLaren. Is the safety car rule needing revision? Should distances be maintained upon resumption? 

Sydney Kings. Bounced back with a strong Game 3 on their home court after a shock loss to the 36ers in their backyard in Game 2. Yet another upset!

A 2-1 series lead is always handy in a best of five series. The Championship is within sight. 

The Kings (5-3) and the 36ers (4-4) have played in eight Championship series each. A win here will take the Sydney Kings to six Championship wins... equal to the Melbourne United, but four behind the Perth Wildcats who lead with the most on 10! For the 36ers with the great Bryce Cotton on deck, a series win will see them draw equal with the Kings on 5 championship wins.

The Wrap - GOATs on Oats

Horse Racing - James McDonald. An extraordinary effort at the age of 34. He now has the most Group 1 wins out of any Australian jockey ever (100 Group 1s in Australia!)cand a record partnership of wins with trainer Chris Wallerc(56). 

An incredible achievement and representation of hard work (and wealth). Sure, as you get better, you get better rides, but you still have to get the most out of the horse. His partnership with Chris Waller is amazing too. He brings at least half a length to the horses he rides. 

Autumn Glow is something else. 11 from 11 and climbing. It made a mess of them in the George Ryder, winning by nearly three lengths. Incredible. It has a turn of foot like few other horses.

NRL. Injuries can ruin your year and depth is critical. The loss of Ponga, Brown and Sharpe is cruel for Newcastle and the Tigers (Luai and Doueihi) will really derail their early season work. The lower leg injuries of players are excessive. Is this over working them in the off season, bad luck or bad preparation on the day? Some clubs certainly get more than others. 

The toughness of the NRL player is extraordinary, but the after life cannot be great. Earn up big in your career with loyalty to your family only. 

The Sharks had a bad loss. They look a bit slow in their backline now and need changes. Lumbering. You get the feeling they are sick of striving, working hard and making the finals, but falling away. A good problem to have in some ways.

Saints are struggling too all of a sudden. The Parramatta defence improved for the win, but they will need to do that fifty times over next week v the Panthers.

AFL. The competition motors on and the Swans are similar with injuries: no Gulden and no Heeney - and no points. They were gallant throughout, but need to show themselves on the bigger field. This was classic Swans. In front, but ran out of legs and puff. The Gold Coast look the real deal this year, but GWS seem to be an underperformer far too often.

Super Rugby. Waratahs up 17-8 at half time and lose with the Blues scoring late for the bonus point. They are one of the greatest 'patience testers' in world sport that mob. Slumping in a distant seventh spot while the Brumbies sit third. The Reds look tougher too. Winning the tough games defines your season.

Sydney Kings. A smashing victory in the first Championship game v the Adelaide 36ers. Romped it in. Rarely does a team sweep to win a best of five championship in basketball. Let's see how they go on the road.

EPL. Big games tonight in the race to the spoon. Leeds (33 points)-Tottenham (30)-Notts Forest (29)-West Ham (29) all play with seven games remaining after this one. Burnley (20) and Wolves (17), already seemed doomed for relegation. Arsenal stretch their led to nine points in front. Unassailable.

Haaland sits on top of the EPL goal scorers (22) after a lean year by his standards. 

Everton are on 46 points and are just five points from fourth spot (Aston Villa - 51). Champions League (top four finish) and Europa League (fifth spot) spots are still up for grabs. This brings an added level of excitement to what is the best football league in the world. You don't want to be relegated from this show.

Sheffield Shield 2025-2026 Averages. The final kicks off with Victoria v South Australia this week on Thursday 26-30 March at the Junction Oval. If we needed any confirmation of the problems we face in Australian cricket on the dud super seaming pitches served up each year at present, the Shield averages show mediocrity... Averages in state cricket in the 30s do not cut it. Renshaw, Green and Weatherald didn't play all games, so really Liam Scott and Jake Lehmann were our best bats. (Sam Konstas does not make this list and scored 600+ runs @33 in 10 games... barely state cricket tolerable).

Our bowling on green tops aims up better.  Liam Scott (ex Ryde-Hunters Hill Pirates) aims up here too. Handy season. Swepson takes wickets but expensively. Rocchiccioli (not many surnames in world sport with four 'c's in it) from WA is the spinning guru, yet somehow Todd Murphy gets the media. Really like Matt Elliott-Megan Foley's son, Sam Elliott. A star of the future.