Wrap - Harlem Globetrotters v The Cosby Kids

1. How about Micky Arthur? Publicly, he presented to everyone as all noble and innocent, understanding and accepting...a snake in the grass really. 4 million dollars? You are kidding. He owes us 4 million! His duplicity and unpredictability is clearly on the nose internationally and more work will be hard to acquire. No wonder he struggled to build anything other than a poisonous team culture. Selfish to the end.

2. Speaking of which, Shane Watson continues to defy belief. LBW AGAIN (24 times in Test Cricket)! He looks like million rupee then hits a great twenty or thirty...not good enough for a test batsman. I wrote earlier:

This guy does not get it. He has a zillion injuries and loyal selectors go back to select him repeatedly. Pulling up lame, breaking down....on it goes. He plays IPL ($$$ of course) instead. He changes states - TAS, QLD, NSW- at will. He is selected in the Australian team and tells everyone he can't bowl/ won't bowl anymore. He is feted and sucked up to with TWO AB medals. He develops arrogance and a perception of invincibility - however poor his lone two Test centuries look.

He doesn't do his homework and is sacked. He throws a tantrum and comes home to be with his wife and kid. He annoys coaches and captains alike. Sacked? No...he is then given the Australian captaincy!! Now he does not want to be vice captain? And everything is fine with Michael Clarke? He is a selfish prize tool. He is clearly on notice to perform or perish. He needs to feel that empty feeling that galvanised cricketers like the Waughs and Hayden over the years - being dumped, axed, sacked and deposed all in one. He has had a fairytail ride. Fairies believe in fairytails. He is 32. The twilight is upon him.

So is now the time to sack him? His DRS review effort was appalling in the first innings. The old 'I'm the best bat (and have first crack at the review) and am indispensible' approach. He needs to fall on his butt hard to ever improve. He also looks cranky and discontented on the field. He could surprise us and retire unexpectedly.

By the way, any thought of Katich returning should be laughed at loudly. Runs against county teams mean nothing. Chris Rogers proves that.

3. Chris Rogers. Is this guy kidding? He OK's Watson's selfishness to review, he misses the worst donkey drop in Test history and then does not review his own. He lacks judgement and was set to be our saviour. The way I saw him bat in the Big Bash for Sydney Thunder tells me he is close to retirement. Usman will want to play better than his dreadful first innings shot. His terrible running between the wickets continues to baffle.

Breaking news: Rogers out for 6 leaving a straight breaker! Get rid of him.

4. DRS. I must be going blind because never has there been more evidence to get rid of it than now. After bagging them, my view is that India may just be right. Smith's catch? Hughes' supposed nick in the first innings. Batsmen get away with nothing now. Look for a sharp dip in international batting averages (except India's).

5. So far in the Ashes, Siddle, Harris, Smith (and maybe Haddin, Hughes and Agar) can say they have made a difference at some stage. No one else. Clarke needs to step up. Pattinson has been a hopeless joke too. Wild and quick...quick to the fence. Agar's bowling lacks. Hughes contiues his duck or a hundred form.

6. Mitchell Pearce should bat at three perhaps. That or a spray tan and a nude streak at the cricket this year. He was terrible in Origin 3 and the great "No. 7 Burner", Ricky Stuart, is telling us to lay off? He's also explaining Parramatta's < 15 point losses into "wins" now. He has problems.

Roosters looking sharp. To keep five teams to nil (Manly, Eels, Sharks....) not a bad effort from a team struggling last year. Knights are surprising and Warriors will be dangerous as usual if in the semis. Like Souths and Storm still, but how good would an all-Sydney final be?

7. Swans on fire in the West. Hard to remember when Collingwood, Geelong and St Kilds all lost in the one weekend - and Richmond won!

8. Surely the saddest sport going around at present is a tie between cycling and athletics. The drug takers and cheats are alive and well. Hard to believe Froome is legit, but having said that Cadel has never looked worse. Time will tell. With a name like 'Froome' you have to win.

9. British Open. Surely not a pom after the Olympics excellence in London, the Lions victory, the Rose USPGA win, Murray (Scot) at Wimbledon, ManU, Tour de France, the Ashes...we need some luck. Hopefully Scott can do it. Or Day. Tiger lurking...

10. ManU players v A-League All Stars showed more skill in the first five minutes than the whole Socceroo campaign. The crowd were in awe of their skill and class. A mighty spectacle to be at. It was fair dinkum like the Harlem Globetrotters v. The Cosby Kids. They were toying with us. It was like playing your little brother in Monopoly. Not a stretcher in sight.

11. Super Rugby. the supposed highlight end of their season passes without a whimper...outside of a couple of International games, they have nothing. Reds creamed, Brumbies lucky.