1. Can anyone explain the fascination with taking city sport to the country? When one moves to the country, there is no surprise that it is a long way from everywhere else. No shock. Some folk prefer this. So then the NRL and others spend all their time wanting to go back to the country to again get a lacklustre crowd and make a few locals smile. Amateur hour. For what gain? Maybe they should offer flights to the best young juniors and fly them down here.
Many think Parramatta needed to go there so they did not get objects thrown at them again.
The rot set in with country bound teams in World Series Cricket with the Cavaliers (the fourth side): McCosker, Laird, Edwards, Kent, Langer, Trevor Chappell, Dennis Yagmich (WK), Richie Robinson, Prior, Malone, and the "straight breaker" - Mallett.
2. The Panthers peptides programme is kicking in. Suddenly they look like world beaters. Gus' policies are taking effect. Meanwhile Parramatta slide into the abyss and look set for a second successive wooden spoon. Ricky Stuart certainly has quite a few of those already. A change of Board at Parramatta would be making him nervous. Apparently Steve Sharp still doesn't talk to Mark 'Pebbles' Laurie (a champion bloke) after a million years after he lost his spot to him in the 1986 GF. Steve Sharp also used to work at Brooks Tyres at Parramatta. He is a true re-tread.
4. Cameron Smith looks a lot smaller in the arms to me. Any chance the peptides stuff is biting at all clubs and the game is getting unexpectedly more even as players take new advice?
5. State of Origin...The number next to each player is their club team position on the table...
NSW TEAM: Jarryd Hayne (15), Brett Morris (13), Michael Jennings (3), Josh Morris (10), Blake Ferguson (11), James Maloney (3), Mitchell Pearce (3), Paul Gallen(9) (c), Robbie Farah (15) (vc), James Tamou (12), Ryan Hoffman (2), Luke Lewis (9), Greg Bird (6). Interchange: Kurt Gidley (5), Anthony Watmough (4), Trent Merrin (13), Andrew Fifita (9).
No place for one Rabbit? Joke. Eight in a row to QLD with this lot. Maloney is not up to it sorry. Souths will clean up and be in the semis by the end of Origin.
6. Love these one and two syllable "NOUNS" as English batsmen - Cook, Root, Bell, Finn...and Trott, Prior...a bit like their cricket...to the point. Hard to fathom how we will beat them.
7. Geoff Toovey is officially the greatest whinger in world sport.
8. Cricketers leave for Ashes tomorrow. Sure hope the high performance manager has been doing his job with the magic wand...better be right...they'll need it.
9. AFL. Racism...Why? What is wrong with these Melbourne fans?
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Wrap - Leadership Vaccuum
"Ricky said to make the tackles count"...
1. Mick Potter has fallen for the 'Steve Kearney Syndrome' as a first year NRL coach. Here's how it works:
STEP 1. You talk up your pre season and say how fit, keen and well every player is...great expectations.
STEP 2: You compliment the players and talk of likely successes and 'learning' after a couple of cheap early season wins.
STEP 3: As things sour and injuries occur, you talk of "positives", "building blocks", "works in progress" and similar.
STEP 4: As media and Board level tensions mount, put pressure on your leading players and leaders(who have a proven record of discarding coaches...the Australian one no less).
STEP 5: Cast yourself as "taking a stand" and "getting tough". Watch your back as your star players approach the Board and seek releases...
STEP 6: Get sacked as players stay.
Ask Ivan Henjak, Jason Taylor, Kearney.. Can anyone really believe that the International coach of the NZ team runs the water for the Brisbane Broncos?
2. My guess is that the first sacked NRL coach will be the Warriors' Matt Elliott. What price a return of Tim Sheens to the coaching position? Humphries gone and they are still paying Sheens. It would be a triumphant return. I suspect this is why his contract position has not been sorted in any great hurry.
3. Referees reverse sledge. Imagine if a ref said the following after yet another whinge from a desperate, lying NRL player: "Bad decision? What about your hands - and the drop balls...you blokes make bad decisions all night - and you get paid a heap to do it poorly. When I get sacked, I will see you in the NSW Cup".
NRL officials need to get tough on these captains and their ridiculous time wasting enquiries...Jamie Lyon, Paul Gallen, Kurt Gidley....
4. Parramatta trainer to dejected huddle: "Ricky said to make the tackles count"...
5. Hayne. Five errors at least on Saturday night. Hardly captaincy material. A bit like Dave Warner who will claim he was hacked on Twitter of course, but it was really him. Ill disciplined pretenders.
6. If your surname is Toutai, you need to be banned from the NRL. Parramatta keep signing them and finding error laden players.
7. Quayde Cooper. Omitted from the Lions squad as Deans keeps his long memory rolling along against players who he dislikes...Giteau...Cooper...Great to see Folau there. We will struggle as injuries mount.
8. Beckham Retired. Golden career, headlined by his shot for goal from half way in his early years which beat a straying keeper.
9. IPL Corruption. Who would have thought? The number of hangers on in that part of the world provide the perfect conditions for the shady deal and influential suited type infiltrating the game. The Indian Cricket authorities will be desperate to sting International cricketers now to show it is their vigilance that is stopping this happening. Who will be the first rabbit?
"Ricky said to make the tackles count"... I wonder how long Ricky's ineffective impact on the worst bunch of footballers in the competition will last. They train all week for that? 11/13 are now Polynesian. Talented, wonderful players, but leadership? Who is driving and uniting them?
1. Mick Potter has fallen for the 'Steve Kearney Syndrome' as a first year NRL coach. Here's how it works:
STEP 1. You talk up your pre season and say how fit, keen and well every player is...great expectations.
STEP 2: You compliment the players and talk of likely successes and 'learning' after a couple of cheap early season wins.
STEP 3: As things sour and injuries occur, you talk of "positives", "building blocks", "works in progress" and similar.
STEP 4: As media and Board level tensions mount, put pressure on your leading players and leaders(who have a proven record of discarding coaches...the Australian one no less).
STEP 5: Cast yourself as "taking a stand" and "getting tough". Watch your back as your star players approach the Board and seek releases...
STEP 6: Get sacked as players stay.
Ask Ivan Henjak, Jason Taylor, Kearney.. Can anyone really believe that the International coach of the NZ team runs the water for the Brisbane Broncos?
2. My guess is that the first sacked NRL coach will be the Warriors' Matt Elliott. What price a return of Tim Sheens to the coaching position? Humphries gone and they are still paying Sheens. It would be a triumphant return. I suspect this is why his contract position has not been sorted in any great hurry.
3. Referees reverse sledge. Imagine if a ref said the following after yet another whinge from a desperate, lying NRL player: "Bad decision? What about your hands - and the drop balls...you blokes make bad decisions all night - and you get paid a heap to do it poorly. When I get sacked, I will see you in the NSW Cup".
NRL officials need to get tough on these captains and their ridiculous time wasting enquiries...Jamie Lyon, Paul Gallen, Kurt Gidley....
4. Parramatta trainer to dejected huddle: "Ricky said to make the tackles count"...
5. Hayne. Five errors at least on Saturday night. Hardly captaincy material. A bit like Dave Warner who will claim he was hacked on Twitter of course, but it was really him. Ill disciplined pretenders.
6. If your surname is Toutai, you need to be banned from the NRL. Parramatta keep signing them and finding error laden players.
7. Quayde Cooper. Omitted from the Lions squad as Deans keeps his long memory rolling along against players who he dislikes...Giteau...Cooper...Great to see Folau there. We will struggle as injuries mount.
8. Beckham Retired. Golden career, headlined by his shot for goal from half way in his early years which beat a straying keeper.
9. IPL Corruption. Who would have thought? The number of hangers on in that part of the world provide the perfect conditions for the shady deal and influential suited type infiltrating the game. The Indian Cricket authorities will be desperate to sting International cricketers now to show it is their vigilance that is stopping this happening. Who will be the first rabbit?
"Ricky said to make the tackles count"... I wonder how long Ricky's ineffective impact on the worst bunch of footballers in the competition will last. They train all week for that? 11/13 are now Polynesian. Talented, wonderful players, but leadership? Who is driving and uniting them?
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Wrap - Comb Over Magic
1. By big Scot, Alex Ferguson announcing his retirement, he has presented the best chance in years to every other club in the EPL. Manchester City losing to Wigan in the FA Cup is an appalling reality and great, unexpected work by Wigan. Mancini is suddenly under huge pressure. They have been terrible this year after being the carryover champions!
2. After looking like April premiers, suddenly the test of Melbourne's depth is occurring in the NRL. I'm not convinced about their forwards. Sika Manu is a huge loss. They limped over the line v. Warriors and lost to the Raiders..now the Penny Panthers. Canberra looking like they are near invincible - esp. at home. Blake Ferguson is the closest we have to Inglis. Nothing like him really, but our closest.
By the way Terry Campese needs to buy a shaver for his head. His comb over is a disgrace.
Tigers have about 11 blokes on the bench injured now. Can't escape the thought that Anasta was a dud buy. Also, Adam Blair has been bad too. Parra? An aberation. Saw a few jersies around the shops today. Dust was on them.
3. I'm being struck by how the journey of a full 80 minutes is finding a lot of teams out in 2013 more than ever. Tigers-Sharks 6-6 at half time and 6-30 at end. Canberra-Newcastle 12-14 at half time and 44-14 at full time. Unfit? No peptides?
4. I$rael Folau. Why are Rugby so keen to dump a Beale and seize onto a Folau? They need both to beat the Lions.
5. Hawthorn looking strong with Geelong. Swans for me are pacing themselves...nothing like their end to 2013...no need. Gold Coast Suns are better performed in 2013, but the GWS are a schemozzle. A crushing loss. And Sheedy is talking about a third Sydney team...let's make sure we have two. The crowds are appalling when they play. I don't get where their fans are likely to come from.
6. Majak Daw looks to be one of the first of many outstanding African refugee/ resettlement prospects in Australian Sport. There are plenty more to come and will transform our endurance and distance based sports.
7. New Zealand play England in a Test series starting this week....they will get smashed and launch the momentum that will end the careers of Phil Hughes, Ed Cowan and probably Rogers and Haddin (no shock granted their ages) when we line up against them.
2. After looking like April premiers, suddenly the test of Melbourne's depth is occurring in the NRL. I'm not convinced about their forwards. Sika Manu is a huge loss. They limped over the line v. Warriors and lost to the Raiders..now the Penny Panthers. Canberra looking like they are near invincible - esp. at home. Blake Ferguson is the closest we have to Inglis. Nothing like him really, but our closest.
By the way Terry Campese needs to buy a shaver for his head. His comb over is a disgrace.
Tigers have about 11 blokes on the bench injured now. Can't escape the thought that Anasta was a dud buy. Also, Adam Blair has been bad too. Parra? An aberation. Saw a few jersies around the shops today. Dust was on them.
3. I'm being struck by how the journey of a full 80 minutes is finding a lot of teams out in 2013 more than ever. Tigers-Sharks 6-6 at half time and 6-30 at end. Canberra-Newcastle 12-14 at half time and 44-14 at full time. Unfit? No peptides?
4. I$rael Folau. Why are Rugby so keen to dump a Beale and seize onto a Folau? They need both to beat the Lions.
5. Hawthorn looking strong with Geelong. Swans for me are pacing themselves...nothing like their end to 2013...no need. Gold Coast Suns are better performed in 2013, but the GWS are a schemozzle. A crushing loss. And Sheedy is talking about a third Sydney team...let's make sure we have two. The crowds are appalling when they play. I don't get where their fans are likely to come from.
6. Majak Daw looks to be one of the first of many outstanding African refugee/ resettlement prospects in Australian Sport. There are plenty more to come and will transform our endurance and distance based sports.
7. New Zealand play England in a Test series starting this week....they will get smashed and launch the momentum that will end the careers of Phil Hughes, Ed Cowan and probably Rogers and Haddin (no shock granted their ages) when we line up against them.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
The Wrap - Studs Up
1. Are the record prices at the recent horse yearling sales, threatening the viability of the sport? For a sport predicated on cash - sales and purchases, betting, percentages and margins, bookmaking, investments, etc - we learn that not only Black Caviar, Pierro but now All Too Hard will be retired from racing in pursuit of the golden foal and servicing rates that will be through the roof. As a colt, All Too Hard goes to the best retirement role in the world..if only this fate was ours in the human world! It may be timely to remember the boom horse - Typhoon Tracey who was taken of action at its prime. Regretably, it died soon after. A fickle and unpredictable past time.
2. GWS. Showing a bit more promise, but clearly not fit enough. Their second half fade is legendary now. Will be hard to live down. Swans smashed the Brissy Bears, who will be after a new coach real soon. Again, I'm liking the Geelong club's work who will be tested in the Essendon match up next Friday.
3. How stupid is Laurie Daley? New, first year Origin coach, but seriously. He tells the world that he only has two positions to fill in his squad, with four or five weeks to go before Origin starts. Listen carefully....you can either hear QLD laughing or...Mal Meninga saying nothing. NSW seems to feast on loud mouthed coaches.
Enter Blake Ferguson who unexpectedly killed Melbourne out wide and has size to rival QLD (both of ego and Twitter postings along with physicality). Daley's Michael Jennings - Morris pairing is now up for questioning...so too is Paul Gallen whose knee injury looks serious. Maybe Laurie - like Mal - might shut up now. Daley fed Mal a lot of good ball at Canberra in the 1990's..let's hope he doesn't start feeding him Origin series wins.
4. Can't help but think that "promotion - relegation" is the way of the NRL and AFL future. More teams and two tiers. The excitment of teams making their way into the top league is fanatical...and the disappointment of terrible performers is justifiable once their 'drop' is confirmed. Both ends of the comp matter until the end, peppered by the performances of the second tier competition.
5. Super 15's. Crusaders are dangerous all of a sudden (as usual) after beating the Brumbies. Reds seem to be stagnating ('Link' MacKenzie needs to move on I suspect - Ireland - or Australian coach?). Force are surprising at times. The Tahs broke a three year hoodoo in South Africa...but could easily lose by 50 next week.
Folau looked sharp. A Wallaby jersey is essential. He is one of our best performed. Does this say more about the depth and state of rugby - or Folau?
6. Brett Rumford has won again in China - part of the European Tour. Two tournaments in a row! Not sure how "European" Asia actually is, but good luck to him. Suddenly our golf stocks look deep. The most difficult thing in golf at the moment is trying to keep Greg Norman Inc. Pty Ltd away so he does not hog the glory and start flogging his warehouses full of old dusty shark gear.
2. GWS. Showing a bit more promise, but clearly not fit enough. Their second half fade is legendary now. Will be hard to live down. Swans smashed the Brissy Bears, who will be after a new coach real soon. Again, I'm liking the Geelong club's work who will be tested in the Essendon match up next Friday.
3. How stupid is Laurie Daley? New, first year Origin coach, but seriously. He tells the world that he only has two positions to fill in his squad, with four or five weeks to go before Origin starts. Listen carefully....you can either hear QLD laughing or...Mal Meninga saying nothing. NSW seems to feast on loud mouthed coaches.
Enter Blake Ferguson who unexpectedly killed Melbourne out wide and has size to rival QLD (both of ego and Twitter postings along with physicality). Daley's Michael Jennings - Morris pairing is now up for questioning...so too is Paul Gallen whose knee injury looks serious. Maybe Laurie - like Mal - might shut up now. Daley fed Mal a lot of good ball at Canberra in the 1990's..let's hope he doesn't start feeding him Origin series wins.
4. Can't help but think that "promotion - relegation" is the way of the NRL and AFL future. More teams and two tiers. The excitment of teams making their way into the top league is fanatical...and the disappointment of terrible performers is justifiable once their 'drop' is confirmed. Both ends of the comp matter until the end, peppered by the performances of the second tier competition.
5. Super 15's. Crusaders are dangerous all of a sudden (as usual) after beating the Brumbies. Reds seem to be stagnating ('Link' MacKenzie needs to move on I suspect - Ireland - or Australian coach?). Force are surprising at times. The Tahs broke a three year hoodoo in South Africa...but could easily lose by 50 next week.
Folau looked sharp. A Wallaby jersey is essential. He is one of our best performed. Does this say more about the depth and state of rugby - or Folau?
6. Brett Rumford has won again in China - part of the European Tour. Two tournaments in a row! Not sure how "European" Asia actually is, but good luck to him. Suddenly our golf stocks look deep. The most difficult thing in golf at the moment is trying to keep Greg Norman Inc. Pty Ltd away so he does not hog the glory and start flogging his warehouses full of old dusty shark gear.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)