Wrap - Common Games

1. Commonwealth Games. Is this not just another track and field event and an emblem of how far removed from the Queen and England we really are? Its value is much reduced - and reduced further from our minds and hearts when the gold medals appear to be just given to everyone. Its grandeur was built on the legends of the past when they couldn't just rock up to Studgart or Instanbul for a Grand Prix athletics meet next week.

Let's count them: Chantal Newberry, Kieran Perkins, Grant Hackett, Skippy Heugil, Scott Miller, Nathan Baggeley...even Thorpie doesn't know if he's Arthur or Martha....is this what happens after too many years of lookng at a black line too early each morning?

2. Waratahs. Great effort to show steel and defence that has gotten better across the year. Have always liked the look of the South African dude in the forwards. The might of the Crusaders is phenomenal and with the skipper, McCaw back, it will be a tough climb.

Cut to the ARU offices..."now...we need a referee for the Grand Final showpiece - the first in Sydney ever...is there a useless referee who blows up penalties every two minutes when even legends of the game don't know why..have we got someone to ruin this thing on Saturday night...?

3. Manly are a club of steel. no matter what you think of them, they have ticker and rally under strong and powerful leadership on the field. Off field they are a basket case, but on it - Grand Final favourites. melbourne too are rallying. Bulldogs need some attacking options or they will perish. Don't forget they won by one or two points in four games this year. Parra look to have avoided their third successive wooden spoon, but are very limited.

Mick Potter will be axed now...McGregor to be a great choice at Saints, who have done quite well since he arrived.

4. Hawks v Swans. Great game. Swans not sharp enough and Hawks pipped them. Will be a strong tussle at the top of the AFL this year.

5. Daniel Geale. Smashed, but a classy performer. A shame, but he may be on the slippery slope out of a career.

6. Keep an eye on this Angelo Matthews, the Sri Lankan middle order bat and skipper. He has an amazing record of scoring first innngs runs. He may need to become yet another consultant for our top order.

I noticed an unusual dismissal this week in the Sri Lanka v South Africa Test in Columbo:
N, Dickwella - run out for 72 by Q.de Kock.