Wrap - Shizen House

1. Can the NSW State of Origin hype amount to anything? Hard to see our forwards doing any damage. Looking at the forecast, it is for poor weather which will see a low, slow and dour affair with Lockyer's kicking game killing us. The conditions will play into the hands of QLD with their heavier forwards. We are looking to spread the ball wider with more mobile forwards selected, but will not be able to in the driving rain. QLD - another win. It will definitely emerge that we have chosen the wrong team for the eventual conditions. Unlucky Ricky strikes again.

2. Tiring of old, fat retired commentators saying that "the crowd should turn up in numbers" to Origin. let's all remember that ANZ holds some 30,000 more people than Suncorp. Easy from the air conditioned booths in corporate land eating Yak's semen and gorilla testicle pate on mung bean crackers.

3. What about the picture of Michael Clarke with a beanie on the front page of the Sunday papers? Does this bloke know no limits in trying to impress himself on the unsuspecting public. The sacking of Katich is a disgrace. Let's have a look at a few others (obviously a squad to cover all three forms of the game):

Cricket Australia contracts list 2011-12:

Fast bowlers: Doug Bollinger, Patrick Cummins, Ryan Harris, John Hastings, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle,

Spin bowlers: Xavier Doherty, Nathan Hauritz, Jason Krejza, Steven Smith,

Batsmen: Michael Clarke, Callum Ferguson, Phillip Hughes, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting, Shane Watson, Cameron White.

Keepers: Brad Haddin, Tim Paine.



A. How can Hilfenhaus (Shizenhouse) get a contract. He is FINISHED. He is appalling. Brett Lee - surely this is an error. What does he offer now?

B. Spin bowlers. Fair dinkum. Where is the Shane Warne Spin Academy? Krezja should keep practising his handstands.

C. Batsmen. Cameron White is an imposter. When does Mike Hussey get sacked? Phil Hughes is another freeloader - flashy and inconsistent. Terrible this season really.

D. Haddin nearing the end.



A test team of Watson (vc), Khawaja, Ponting, Clarke (c), Hussey, M, Ferguson, Haddin, Johnson, Hauritz, Siddle, Bollinger is about as good as we get.



A test team of Watson (vc), Hughes, Khawaja, Clarke (c), Ferguson, Marsh, Paine, Johnson, Smith, Cummins, Pattinson is closer than we think.



Dis anyone ask the question: WHY DO WE NEED 25 CONTRACTED PLAYERS? DO WE HAVE 25 WHO ARE GOOD ENOUGH?



4. Waratahs home from South Africa and still with a sniff. Reds looking to have the wobbly boots on. Brumbies are playing for contracts and making the former league great - Tony Rea - look better than he is. Will beat NSW next week. Force have been better than most in recent times but love finding new ways to lose.



5. AFL. Carlton looking strong. Gotta say that in the wet, the scrappy nature of some games (eg. Richmond v Swans) is bloody painful. Hawthorn look strong, but Geelong holding too. Swans are winning ugly every week but will crash.



6. NRL. A terrible round of footy in every sense. The standard of footy is horrible and something new is required there lest everyone fall asleep. Two comeback wins is exciting, but no arm wrestle.



7. Webber-Vettel. Is there really any rivalry? Seems Vetell has him covered in every way. Webbers have always been second best products and poor imitations of the rest.