Wrap - The New Rudd

1. Wallabies. Great in adversity v British and Irish Lions. At Sydney for the decider. A fabulous game for rugby. Still hate the penalty goal...two points max. please. Not convinced Beale is stable...brilliant talent, but under pressure in this series he has been a bit weak. O'Connor needs to keep worrying less about the "brand" and more about catching the ball. It is all abou him unfortunately. (Deans can't wait to rub it into Quayde Cooper!). Folau is some sort of player. Can he play cricket?

Horwill. If suspended, we will all be convinced that we will never cure the ills of the game - three point penalties, over zealous refs and impossible rules. The northern hemisphere scrooges are trying to get the edge and are willing to override their own people to make the point that they control the sport...joke.

2. When someone asks you want for Christmas, this is what you want: A membership at Stadium Australia (Homebush). This year: 2 x Origins, NRL games, Bledisloe, Lions, 2 x Socceroos qualifiers, Man U game, NRL finals, NRL GF...on it goes...Not expensive for the sport nut who loves live sport undercover.

3. Ricky Stuart. There is no doubt about it, Ricky knows how to deflect blame. His acrimonious falling outs with the Roosters, the Sharks, referees in foyers of hotels, NSWRL chiefs and now with Daniel Anderson says something. He has presided over GF's and SOO wins, was a great player - but as a coach, his 2005 at Roosters was terrible, 2009 at Sharks saw them come equal last, he lost two successive Origin series despite coming close ('close' only matters with horseshoes and handgrenades!) and 2013 at the Eels is headed likewise. THE SPOON. I think we would all like less media, fewer outbursts and more solutions. Why have players avoided the place - and who has he secured as dynamic big name signings? Is he a coaching myth?

Origin II. How poor were the refs in the opening minutes? Totally intimidated. The send offs were an embarrassing joke. The referees boss position is a short term career move as it is impossible to keep losers happy. The behaviour of Ferguson and Tamou...and old mate Dugan shows that NSW are not capable of remaining focused on the job...this wins you an Origin game - but NEVER a series.

Nathan Merrit had the worst game of any NSW Origin player since Phil Duke...or Steve Turner.

4. Peter Siddle is struggling. He's been quieter than Paris Hilton of late. Good on hard pitches but does not do enough with the seam. Fodder in England (think Alderman, McGrath...seam and swing experts). Pattinson, Starc are fine and Harris (if he doesn't pull another hamstrng getting up from the breakfast table) and Bird could round it all out. Faulkner looks a favourite - a winner and highly competitive. The bloke who should play is Chadd Sayers. Who? South Aussie tearaway who topped the Shield bowling in 2012-2013 and moves it a mile. Great on a seaming deck and was in the Australia A team recently.

Phil Hughes hits two half centuries v Somerset. This last happened when he was playing darts!

Warner not missed and needs to pay to instill some sort of value on the baggy green. He needs recalibration, even if he has made more $$ out of the game than any cricketer in the history of Australian cricket. Matthew Wade is in charge of the DVD's on the team bus - and the Gatorade. No chance.

5. I notice that Khawaja has made an appearance all of a sudden with Lehmann becoming coach. We desperately need genuine middle order batsmen...not more openers. Two of Cowan, Warner, Watson, Hughes and Rogers will not play. Lehmann knows this as he was one of them. This is what is intriguing about Steve Smith's selection. Where is Bailey, Linn, et al?

All of a sudden Boof is the cricketing Kevin Rudd. New face, new ideas amidst the same wood. Hopefully a better result in store. Like the fact that Warne and McDermott are coming back to be near the team...things are shifting already. Micky Arthur's meek exit probably underlined our problems - too meek, no authority and too much flex for bird brained ego maniacs.

6. Cameron Smith has some sort of record. Without him, Melbourne lose. Simple. God help them if he gets injured. Soundly thumped on Saturday night. On that, I mentioned it some time back...Tim Sheens is still on the Wigers payroll and there are moves to reinstate him once Benji is off loaded. No risk.

7. AFL in the wet. A schemozzle really. Swans played really well on Friday night. Great result. Saw Melbourne finally won a game, but tried their best to lose it giving up seven or eight unanswered goals in the last quarter. Their lack of conviction and effort is a disgrace. Their defenders give up. Wouldn't last two minutes at another club. Simply not fit enough. Preparation for the season has been woeful. Like the GWS Jokers.

The wet games highlight my long sought rule change in AFL...if you kick the ball out on the full, the opposing team has the ball from WHERE IT WAS KICKED! (not the boundary sideline exit point).

8. Is Stosur the new Jana Pittman-Rawlinson- Pitman -Pitman-Rawlinson III? Better showing this year to be fair, but loses too many three set games. Loses the arm wrestle too often. However, she has won a Grand Slam, but has to do more with her talent. Tennis has a small window of chance. (Wonder how Jana's knee and implants are holding up in her Winter Olympics bobsledding efforts...).

9. Tomic doing some good things with his big game. When he shuts his mouth and plays he delivers. Next Phillopousis for mine. Mired in controversy and not in tennis enough.

10. Tour de France. It is on again. Lock up the medicine cabinet and hide the fake prescription books and the needles.