1. World Cup. Australia v New Zealand. The bowling of Johnson, Starc and Faulkner was superb. Clarke has hustled and steered the team wonderfully. I was interested to see he did not name George Bailey as his successor. Bailey must feel ripped off. Not a favourite with Ian Chappell and Shane Warne who run the team from the commentary box.
I must say that Maxwell has executed two stunning run outs in the last two games - one on the disinterested, self centred Dohni and the other on the NZ NO. 11. Match turners.
Haddin had a lot to say for a bloke who should retire. He kept well, but plays a surprisingly low game sometimes.
Watson and Finch are far too slow in the field for the modern game. They also both have lumbering front feet and terribly susceptible to LBW or bat pad dismissals. Hence Finch will never play Tests.
I must say that Warner produces an awful lot when under pressure. A special talent.
I've heard every whinge about cricket, but "heavy bails" is a cracker. Did anyone notice they were the same for both teams?
2. The Sheffield Shield is a joke. Not only did Victoria "win", but they change the rules for the Grand Final. Four day games all year - then a five day final. Changes to the rules need to occur. The final has become irrelevant. Play for a draw and you win. This is ridiculous. Hard to fathom when they did not win on first innings and did not force a result. Let's reward negativity.
3. Cronulla. A great area, but their footy team? Give me strength. Their errors and looseness is something else. They have more excuses than Luke Foley.
I cannot believe Parramatta are looking to keep Sandow. I hope they put him on lay by. He plays well one week and terrible the next. Too inconsistent for mine and can hardly win a comp for a club.
4. Ricky Stuart. When you are putting your team "on notice" after three rounds, you are at risk of losing the dressing room. Ricky rarely smiles and is too negative to coach at this level. He is under massive pressure and does not manage his own emotions. He knows how to lose...Cronulla, Parramatta and Canberra.
What about Jason Taylor? That will end in tears for sure. He has a face like a smashed crab. His own pressure on himself is hard to disguise to the team. Contrast this to Rick Stone who seems to be your average bloke who is a smart operator. He is also winning with an unlikely bunch.
5. Waratahs. "Winning ugly" is personified in their style. They look like they can get it right, but are not consistent. They should have an Eel on their logo.
6. Socceroos. Amazing to see a 2-2 result. Some sort of effort to be up 2-1 at the 80 minute mark. A victory there may have helped their world ranking. Ange may make it to the EPL yet!
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Wrap - The Wolf of Robina
1. Shane Watson. Hasn't hit the ball this well since the Brut advertisement. When Watson has a good game it's almost as if we all should genuflect and be grateful. Girls around the globe are probably meant to be doing handstands in front of the dryers at public toilets.
2. Liked the cut of the gib of Pakistan's quick -Wahiiiiib!!! Had a bit of the Wasim Akram's about him. Great pace.
3. The Windies...when there is a collapse and a shemozzle, they are close by. Lazy, self indulged. A casualty of not really representing a single nation. No accountability. Gulptil in great nick!
4. Adam Voges is finally doing what Messrs Love, Law, Siddons, Cox, Hills et al did. Score heaps of Shield runs. He is our next Test batsman. Another ton. This time in the Shield Final. Great effort by the Vics to get there, but they are done now for mine.
5. Manly. Still a champion team. Brookvale is a dog of a field. Wet, heavy and falling apart. There needs to be an investigation into this. The Dogs will be hard to beat in 2015. Josh Jackson is a definite Origin player.
6. I noticed Ryan Morgan was selected for Parramatta. He holds a world record at Sportsbet for being singlehandedly responsible for blowing out the team's price by 90 cents. He is Captain turnstile.
7. Essendon beat that underwhelming excuse making mob, the Melbourne Demons. No one is listening Mr Roos. This pre season nonsense knows no end. Ban the trial game.
8. If Sepp Blatter told you it was sunny, you would have to check. Standing next to him you'd keep a hand on your wallet. He will be appointed as head of ICAC when they finally lever his barnacled butt off the hull of SS Corruption.
9. Surely Chelsea cannot lose the EPL from here. ManU have had a great year really.
10. Let it be said that the Western Sydney Wanderers are now officially woeful and would not score at Greg Bird's buck's night. Why do I always think of the Wolf of Wall Street when I think of Greg Bird's buck's night?
2. Liked the cut of the gib of Pakistan's quick -Wahiiiiib!!! Had a bit of the Wasim Akram's about him. Great pace.
3. The Windies...when there is a collapse and a shemozzle, they are close by. Lazy, self indulged. A casualty of not really representing a single nation. No accountability. Gulptil in great nick!
4. Adam Voges is finally doing what Messrs Love, Law, Siddons, Cox, Hills et al did. Score heaps of Shield runs. He is our next Test batsman. Another ton. This time in the Shield Final. Great effort by the Vics to get there, but they are done now for mine.
5. Manly. Still a champion team. Brookvale is a dog of a field. Wet, heavy and falling apart. There needs to be an investigation into this. The Dogs will be hard to beat in 2015. Josh Jackson is a definite Origin player.
6. I noticed Ryan Morgan was selected for Parramatta. He holds a world record at Sportsbet for being singlehandedly responsible for blowing out the team's price by 90 cents. He is Captain turnstile.
7. Essendon beat that underwhelming excuse making mob, the Melbourne Demons. No one is listening Mr Roos. This pre season nonsense knows no end. Ban the trial game.
8. If Sepp Blatter told you it was sunny, you would have to check. Standing next to him you'd keep a hand on your wallet. He will be appointed as head of ICAC when they finally lever his barnacled butt off the hull of SS Corruption.
9. Surely Chelsea cannot lose the EPL from here. ManU have had a great year really.
10. Let it be said that the Western Sydney Wanderers are now officially woeful and would not score at Greg Bird's buck's night. Why do I always think of the Wolf of Wall Street when I think of Greg Bird's buck's night?
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Wrap - Drinking From The Bubbler of Stupidity
1. Mitchell Starc has responded well to Warnie's justified blast and is becoming a world force. His inswinger is well overdue. Now if he could just show Mitchell Johnson how to hit the stumps. Why is Johnson always exempt from criticism? He has the ability to single handedly lose us the World Cup. "Quick"...yes, quick to the fence and over it too.
2. Time for the minnows to go away and stop annoying people. Scotland should be banished forever. Something highly comical about their bowlers sledging Australians. A bit like Shane Heal sledging Charles Barkley all those years ago at the Olympics. UAE not much better.
There were some troubling signs in our win over Scotland. Firstly, Clarke was so concerned about not batting last time he heeds the media pressure and opens. Clearly under pressure. Then he hits 47 off 47 balls - old fashioned slowness as the clouds descend upon Hobart (why are we playing night games in Hobart?). Then old mate Shane (25 runs max) Watson returns to number 3. Was this the same bloke who was dropped last week?
Imagine this...rain hit and kept them off, seeing the match abandoned. Clarke and his slow effort against a world minnow would have been smashed. We would have been facing South Africa.
3. The Ramp Shot. We almost saw another death of a batsman...an Irish bloke who has struggled with the drink, by the name of O' Mooney, O' Dalton or O'Dear. It should be banned for mine. How are those new helmets coming along? They must be making them with paper mache. The bloody pipe cleaners and crepe paper must have just about dried and the painted paddle pop sticks should be ready to glue together. How slow has that been? The ICC have been disgraceful. It should have happened world wide months ago.
4. The whole bloody World Cup could be compressed to three weeks. It drags on like the M2 Motorway renovations - or the Parramatta-Epping railway...or the Badgery Creek second Sydney airport.
5. It is clear that if Kevin Pietersen is to make an English comeback, he will need a voice transplant. He has a voice that makes blokes fists twitch. No wonder he was punted.
6. Noticed NSW are staring at another shambolic visit to the WACA and their demise as Shield finalists. They cannot buy a wicket.
7. Last week, Parramatta fans were lining up for Grand Final tickets. This week they are back at Woolies checking out wooden spoons. Rabbits on track.
8. Daniel Riccardo. Top bloke but in a car that Mercedes have lapped with technology. Lewis Hamilton could almost take the rostrum every week.
9. Poor old Todd Carney. He was right after all. You can urinate in your own mouth, have some nuffie take a picture of it, publish it, be interviewed by the world's biggest goose apologist in Danny Wiedler, offend most people in world sport, alienate the code's last remaining female supporters and ruin the reputation of every decent person at your club and in the game...and be totally justified that his club did the wrong thing. The world has gone mad. It's official. In a word or two Todd: piss off.
2. Time for the minnows to go away and stop annoying people. Scotland should be banished forever. Something highly comical about their bowlers sledging Australians. A bit like Shane Heal sledging Charles Barkley all those years ago at the Olympics. UAE not much better.
There were some troubling signs in our win over Scotland. Firstly, Clarke was so concerned about not batting last time he heeds the media pressure and opens. Clearly under pressure. Then he hits 47 off 47 balls - old fashioned slowness as the clouds descend upon Hobart (why are we playing night games in Hobart?). Then old mate Shane (25 runs max) Watson returns to number 3. Was this the same bloke who was dropped last week?
Imagine this...rain hit and kept them off, seeing the match abandoned. Clarke and his slow effort against a world minnow would have been smashed. We would have been facing South Africa.
3. The Ramp Shot. We almost saw another death of a batsman...an Irish bloke who has struggled with the drink, by the name of O' Mooney, O' Dalton or O'Dear. It should be banned for mine. How are those new helmets coming along? They must be making them with paper mache. The bloody pipe cleaners and crepe paper must have just about dried and the painted paddle pop sticks should be ready to glue together. How slow has that been? The ICC have been disgraceful. It should have happened world wide months ago.
4. The whole bloody World Cup could be compressed to three weeks. It drags on like the M2 Motorway renovations - or the Parramatta-Epping railway...or the Badgery Creek second Sydney airport.
5. It is clear that if Kevin Pietersen is to make an English comeback, he will need a voice transplant. He has a voice that makes blokes fists twitch. No wonder he was punted.
6. Noticed NSW are staring at another shambolic visit to the WACA and their demise as Shield finalists. They cannot buy a wicket.
7. Last week, Parramatta fans were lining up for Grand Final tickets. This week they are back at Woolies checking out wooden spoons. Rabbits on track.
8. Daniel Riccardo. Top bloke but in a car that Mercedes have lapped with technology. Lewis Hamilton could almost take the rostrum every week.
9. Poor old Todd Carney. He was right after all. You can urinate in your own mouth, have some nuffie take a picture of it, publish it, be interviewed by the world's biggest goose apologist in Danny Wiedler, offend most people in world sport, alienate the code's last remaining female supporters and ruin the reputation of every decent person at your club and in the game...and be totally justified that his club did the wrong thing. The world has gone mad. It's official. In a word or two Todd: piss off.
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Wrap - Watto Blotto
1. Clarke. Has he not simply reinforced to everyone why George Bailey should be captain? He holds himself out of the Afghans line of fire as he pursues a world record (?). Then he scores a solid but unspectacular 68 off 68 balls v the Lankans. He is an ODI shipwreck really. Respected but not suited.
2. Watson getting dropped was overdue...but one game? Surely Mitchell Marsh is warming as the "next" Watson. Plenty of hype and plenty of injuries. George Bailey must be feeling bad, but he will bide his time and resume after the World Cup. Tough when other blokes could not hit sand if they fell over at the beach.
3. Are Ireland and Afghanistan actually better than Zimbabwe and Bangladesh? Apparently the pitches in Afghanistan are an absolute minefield to bat on.
4. There are also not many good safe places across the world ending in '-stan'...Pakistan, Khuzestan, Afghanistan...Punchbowlstan.
5. Parramatta turn in their most aggressive performance in a game for years. Can they back up? The commentators were asking what Reece Robinson was thinking of when he was setting up for goal...the answer? Getting away from Canberra and Rickety Stuart.
Getting Foran would be a huge signing for Parramatta. Manly's tradition of success will linger...they always defy the odds. They will find a new DCE - like they did finding him.
Bunnies, Roosters, Eels and Panthers were the pick of the teams this weekend, but very early days. Warriors were appalling and the Broncos not much better.
6. This time of year is when the AFL should be having a really close look at themselves. The same teams bow out early of the NAB Challenge every season. eg. Swans. They do not do pre-season or post season (The Irish Malarkey Ball) very well at all. Get on with the real show and ditch the freak show.
7. Glenn Maxwell showed some ticker and some freakish abilities v Sri Lanka. Starc has never moved the ball more. Johnson is back to his old ways when he was cannon fodder. First Brendan McCullum - now Dilshan (the Sydney Thunder world record dud signing). It is a special moment to be knocked for 6 fours in one over.
8. Waratahs looked solid. The Reds however look like they need a new coach already. I am going to officially give the reds Head Coach, Richard Graham till 30 May before he is sacked.
9. Davis Cup. This is still one of the great events really in world sport. immense interest and lots of old fashioned skulduggery...air conditioners blowing behind opponent's serves, mirrors shining in eyes, hooters/ horns/ vuvuzelas, distractions...magnificent viewing.
10. Luckiest bloke ever - Karmichael Hunt. However drugs will re-visit him - or someone else who may be a heavy hitter may re-visit him. No risk.
2. Watson getting dropped was overdue...but one game? Surely Mitchell Marsh is warming as the "next" Watson. Plenty of hype and plenty of injuries. George Bailey must be feeling bad, but he will bide his time and resume after the World Cup. Tough when other blokes could not hit sand if they fell over at the beach.
3. Are Ireland and Afghanistan actually better than Zimbabwe and Bangladesh? Apparently the pitches in Afghanistan are an absolute minefield to bat on.
4. There are also not many good safe places across the world ending in '-stan'...Pakistan, Khuzestan, Afghanistan...Punchbowlstan.
5. Parramatta turn in their most aggressive performance in a game for years. Can they back up? The commentators were asking what Reece Robinson was thinking of when he was setting up for goal...the answer? Getting away from Canberra and Rickety Stuart.
Getting Foran would be a huge signing for Parramatta. Manly's tradition of success will linger...they always defy the odds. They will find a new DCE - like they did finding him.
Bunnies, Roosters, Eels and Panthers were the pick of the teams this weekend, but very early days. Warriors were appalling and the Broncos not much better.
6. This time of year is when the AFL should be having a really close look at themselves. The same teams bow out early of the NAB Challenge every season. eg. Swans. They do not do pre-season or post season (The Irish Malarkey Ball) very well at all. Get on with the real show and ditch the freak show.
7. Glenn Maxwell showed some ticker and some freakish abilities v Sri Lanka. Starc has never moved the ball more. Johnson is back to his old ways when he was cannon fodder. First Brendan McCullum - now Dilshan (the Sydney Thunder world record dud signing). It is a special moment to be knocked for 6 fours in one over.
8. Waratahs looked solid. The Reds however look like they need a new coach already. I am going to officially give the reds Head Coach, Richard Graham till 30 May before he is sacked.
9. Davis Cup. This is still one of the great events really in world sport. immense interest and lots of old fashioned skulduggery...air conditioners blowing behind opponent's serves, mirrors shining in eyes, hooters/ horns/ vuvuzelas, distractions...magnificent viewing.
10. Luckiest bloke ever - Karmichael Hunt. However drugs will re-visit him - or someone else who may be a heavy hitter may re-visit him. No risk.
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Wrap - Guess What?
1.
Guess what? "Watto is just hitting the ball so well in the nets". Great news...getting old. Is
anyone not hitting the ball well in the nets? I actually think he is a weak link that opponents exploit now. His inclusion puts added pressure on the team mates. Faulkner and Mitchell Marsh will end his reign. Maybe he'll break 20 against Afghanistan.
2.
NZ. Never seem to play under lights. Why? On bigger fields and under lights
they will struggle. Kane Williamson is an emerging star.
Our
batting was awful. If there is a schemmozzle, Glenn Maxwell will be in there
somewhere. They missed Bailey - no surprise.
3.
Mitchell Johnson. Erratic. It has been a while since he has dominated. Brendan
McCullum is an awesome force. NZ can't beat South Africa. The AB De Villiers
innings v West Indies was awesome. Perhaps never to be repeated.
4. Will Eoin Morgan get sacked after a world record shortest reign as captain? That Sangakarra is a champion.
4.
Federer beat Djokovic in Dubai. His resilience over time and his fitness is
amazing.
5. The Super 15 Rugby Union season is away to a flyer with games no one can watch at a decent hour and the usual teams doing the usual things. AFL pre season cup is a poor advertisement for the game, but they get a lot of cash from it. NRL is busy shooting itself in its rs.
6. A big weekend for NZ with Ko winning the female golf masters and the NZ Breakers getting into the GF of the NBA.
7. Looking forward to the Mayweather-Pacquiao bout. That could just about be the most stunning fight in our adult lifetimes.
8. Not sure if you noticed NSW cricket got pumped up at the graveyard - the Newcastle Sports Ground. Tom Moody's son bowled well apparently.
8. Not sure if you noticed NSW cricket got pumped up at the graveyard - the Newcastle Sports Ground. Tom Moody's son bowled well apparently.
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