Wrap - Jerusalem's New Fullback

1. Ashes victory. Some stunning bowling and aggression which have been the hallmarks of our cricketing success for so long. Short pitched bowling hurts but it cuts both ways. I am still amazed we have players in all forms of the game wearing helmets that expose the key neck arteries (Phillip Hughes). When will this heap of junk ICC mandate things for the safety of all players who put whites on...young or old? I can see disaster repeating itself.

Steve Smith is too strong. Less chat this Test and more focus. I like Tim Paine's contributions too. He has a very solid technique and some real steel. Nevill is a long way from a recall. Smith is not a fan.

2. Elyse Perry - ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year. What a stunning player she is. So composed, calm and strong. An outstanding cricketer under pressure.

3. Sydney FC continue to power on relentlessly. They are well ahead of all other teams with Graham Arnold who looms as the logical replacement for Ange - even if he had a stint back in '06-'07. Poor old Ange is more thin skinned that we all thought. Fancy letting anything Peter Fitzsimons says worry you. With that whining he definitely needed to leave. It didn't take long for the family excuse to fade as cash rolled in!

Hopefully we are spared some lazy international coach. Not sure that we have ever gotten over the Guuus effect. It has been a misery before and since. Rudi Gutendorf, Les Sheinflug, Frank Arok, Eddie Thomson, Terry Venables, Rale Rasic, Pim Verbeek, Han Burger, Holger Osieck....

What a shock that FIFA had two corrupt officials exposed this week. What a disgraceful organisation.

4. Newcastle Jets. A rags to riches tale there which is igniting the city. What with all the Roosters players there too, it might be a successful NRL year as well.

5. The Sydney Kings get a fifth win and I can't help but think that Andrew Gaze is too nice a bloke to be a coach. He panders to the players and appears quite weak in press conferences - although he dropped a few bombs mid game and they came back from the dead! That squad needs a rocket for its inconsistency, failures and its inability to win. 

6. BBL. The Scorchers and the Renegades look the goods to me. Our obsession with all rounders could start with how well Dwayne Bravo bowls - and what about that Afghanistani leg spinner for the Strikers? Top notch. Once again however the lack of brilliant batting is a weakness across the country. Surely Cameron White is one of the best in the world and needs to be in our Australian team. Brad Hodge doesn't miss much either. Super reliable. 

It must be said that the Scorchers' Andrew Tye got a hatrick on the weekend from one of the worst umpiring decision I've seen in the last five years. No review system in the BBL will need to change.

7. EPL - Manchester City - 17 in a row. Awesome. They had the championship in the bag weeks ago. It is now in the trophy cabinet. A disappointment for the premiership - but top 4 and relegation keeps our interest.

8. Jeff Horn. A procession in the end, but hard earned. He just could still surprise on the world stage. The best bout since Jeff Fenech defeated Smaaaartarse Pyakaroon - or Greg 'The Flea' Richardson.

 
9. Jarryd Hayne. The human headline will need to be stood down if they are managing these matters like Brett Stewart's matter some years back. Not a word to the NRL is intriguing. To coin an old phrase, Jarryd may yet be the first to play fullback for Jerusalem - and Hillsong - since Jesus. Maybe too after all there was a genuine reason why the family issues have emerged. Horrible stuff if untrue. Worse if factual.

10. Does the ATP/ WTP Tennis circuit have the shortest off season in all sports? No wonder so many players struggle to remain fit and well all year. Federer is a rare and special exception. More like a test of resilience in the end.

11. NRL Pre-season. I am liking a fit Panthers outfit...the Sharks look strong but are getting old in the forwards. However, if fit, the Cowboys with Jordan McLean are specials for the 2018 NRL premiership.

12. NFL Playoffs. After a rusty start, the New England Patriots look too strong for me as the playoff end of town fast approaches. They will do well to knock over the Buffalo Bills and secure some home ground advantage (no deflate-gate hopefully) in the upcoming playoffs.

The Cleveland Browns may yet secure a full losing season at 0-14 (that with 4 x back to back pre-season victories!). Terrible. Brown crap. Not since the Detroit Lions of 2008 (0-16), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-14) of 1976 or the Dallas Cowboys (0-11) in their debut season of 1960 has it been this bad.

13. NBL. They may need to turn off the comp and forget about it already...Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State, the Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Spurs, Pacers...the same old names of the successful franchises in the modern era are streets ahead already. A problem for that competition.

Wrap - Ashes Car Crash

1. The Poms looked invincible Day One and suddenly they are/ were on the rack, not able to punch home the early advantage that Bairstow and Dawid Malan secured. Steve Smith was hitting the ball so smoothly on Day Two that a century almost looked inevitable from his opening strokes. And so it was...a double century by the end of day three even! And how about Mitchell Marsh? Much and deservedly maligned, but he comes good and punches out a big ton.

No doubt about it though, the Marsh boys also know how to disappoint...

You have to hand it to Steve Smith. He is revered in that team by his peers and everyone he has backed (outside of Nick Madinson and perhaps Callam Ferguson) have produced...Renshaw, Handscomb, Tim Paine, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh (both need to work on their hands however, dropping too many basic ones). Some of these blokes may not have stayed long, but they have produced.

What about Smith's record? Awesome. Unorthodox, but an eye like a dead fish.

It will be interesting to see, if England lose the series early - or in Perth:
i. Will Cook be axed? (I suspect Strauss needs to bite the bullet here for the future).
ii. Will Cook, Anderson and maybe Broad retire at the end of the series? This would leave a big hole in their bowling.

Handscomb is suddenly a long way away from a recall. A cruel game cricket.

When it rains in Perth it is a rare, rare day...England may be in luck.

2. Socceroos. Ange Postocoglou's replacement is slow in coming. Surely Graham Arnold needs the keys to the Datsun 180Y. He is a winner. I note that Tony Popovic just got the Turkish kebab sword from his brand new gig. Finally the WSW won a game too under the unintelligible Gombau.

3. Rugby League. The Roosters have now shed quite a few players, getting rid of three drug involved players - and a host of others - Pearce, Guerra, Watson, et al. Even Gordon went last week. It sounds like a lot of eggs in the Cronk basket - or Crichton! It will be interesting to see if he has the goods in a new gig without a few other superstars. Hoping for no injuries...

A couple of ex-Parramatta players caught as possible crims in a police sting..who would have thought? Lucky the leagues club is equidistant from the Parramatta Supreme Court and Parramatta Jail.

4. NRL Central. When will they do the obvious: hold all money centrally for salaries and pay it themselves when contracts are registered. They give the money out for it to be misused, but I note they have warned clubs that they are now on their own legs. No rescue packages.

And, have all third party contracts transparently published. This may actually bring more money the way of players as more people realise what support their business can give their beloved club. At present it is a circus.

5. B-League Video Ref. This video ref nonsense in the B-league has become a farce as blokes huddle around sideline monitors to make a decision to dismiss players from the field. Surely it should be used just to check on side/ off side and goal line disputes involving a possible goal.

6. NBL. It is hard to believe how popular the NBL basketball is in Australia. For the uneven standard, they do a good job attracting a crowd. The Kings have been horrible under Andrew Gaze and need a talent transplant. Lack of success can ensure a crowd will evaporate.

Wrap - Poms Trainwreck

1. Unsure why this weekend there was a starvation of sport - not even the Sheffield Shield. The women's T20 offered something with some crazy scoring...the B League something...but small morsels by the standard of most weekends.

2. England could't handle our pace attack and they can't handle their drink either. How much fun is Kevin Pietersen having bagging out Andrew Strauss. The plan to keep Stokes handy in NZ is a ridiculous distraction too.  Their coach, Trevor Bayliss better put his foot down soon or his career will vanish. These long gaps between games are not conducive to good behaviour. Anderson has always been a favourite to have a drink thrown at him - or a broken arm. The Stokes stance encourages the idiot  amongst them to think anything is OK.

A crushing loss in Adelaide after getting away on us the night before. Some serious soul searching needed. The pace of the WACA - if it still exists - may be brutal when Cummins steams in!

How Mitchell Marsh even gets his nose in the front door is beyond me. A Greg Chappell/ Steve Smith favourite.

3. Is there a reason why Australia is such an under performing, inconsistent nation with Rugby 7s? One week world beaters. next week being pumped by USA. Or is it just a mickey mouse tournament that attracts good tourists who enjoy a drink and don't quite care about too much?

4. Chelsea a shock loss to West Ham. Looks like Leicester are on the rise with a few back to back wins. Tonight's ManU v Man City clash will see City basically handed the comp if they win. They will go 11 points clear and should not be caught from there...even with many weeks to follow.

5. What has happened to the Western Sydney Wanderers? They have hit the wall losing 5-0 to Sydney FC. Coach Gombau better get busy or he finishes this year too. They are anchored to the bottom section of the table and when their new homeground is finished, they might want to be somewhere near winning a game.

6. Jeff Horn jumps back into it this Wednesday. Hopefully he doesn't get caught by an unexpected one to the chin and the dream collapses.

Wrap - Ashes Captaincy Rooted in Nonsense

1. The Ashes. It always amazes me with a run out in Test cricket - or any run out in Tests for that matter. What makes that single run so important? Are there not many more singles ahead? Warner absolutely barbecued Bancroft when they were completely on top.

Love seeing England try to sledge and amp up their manner. It is so out of character. False. At 8/442, England went a little quiet with the sledging surprisingly - especially after having won the toss and sent the Aussies in to bat. Dropped catches, slow over rates and even two blokes going for the same catch and coming up empty! It became farcical.

However, I thought Smith got tangled up in their crap too often. It did take his concentration away - and his exaggerated 'leaves' looked very silly. More calm and composed leadership required. We need to remember that while this is The Ashes, it is also a series between the 6th v 7th Test playing nations.

2. Captaincy. Some of the Pommie field positions were completely ridiculous. They did not learn from last test with their deep fields in the fourth innings, letting the Aussies off the hook and paying heavily with 0/173 and losing. They were too inventive - started stupidly - and probably confused themselves. The bloke fielding right near the bowler - Anderson - was completely useless. Smith needed to step away and laugh at them loudly. Broad behaved like a tool and will come under fierce scrutiny when he bats. Short pitched bowling at the head might be a fan favourite.

3. Pink Ball Cricket. It really just becomes a game of survival at night. The cricket is interesting, even intriguing - but not entertaining. The ball dominates too much and slowing down the over rate becomes crucial for the batting team. The fewer overs played under lights the better for the batting team! The swing bowler becomes more lethal. Get your runs in the daylight overs or you will struggle! The rain break on night two was perfect for England because had they played on they were in strife. Joe Root is going to get smashed when he comes to the crease.

4. Batting Brilliance. Thought the Shaun Marsh innings was exceptional in the circumstances. Not often I write that. I also thought Paine turned the game our way with aggression. Still worried about Handscomb and Stuart Broad smells an LBW victim every time. Better from Kahwaja.

5. Rugby League World Cup Final. Brutal contact. Great fast game. Dry conditions in Brisbane makes rugby league such a better spectacle. The rain tested them too later! It's rare that these Queenslanders ever lose at home. Maguire played well. Gillett superb and even Aaron Woods was excellent early. Hard to write, but he offloaded and hit the line forwards, not backing into the defence for once. When he came on later he was off the pace. His connection with Klemmer was strong. The Poms put it to the Aussies...great chasing game.

Sam Burgess is a complete goose. Dumb liability and ill disciplined. It would not surprise if Souths cut him, but Rusty is a huge fan. They have some big units those Pommies. They would all love to come and play out here. Liked their halves. Tough and skillful.

Had to laugh when James Graham said he regrets nothing about his foul language in the middle of a World Cup Final. Turn the volume off was his recommendation. I think he is correct! Cooper Cronk continues to make himself look superb. He will be a long term NRL coach or commentator whenever he wants. A true professional.

6. Quayde Cooper. Gooone. Nick Frisby gone. The experiment is over and Brad Thorne has laid it on the line. About time QLD rugby had a makeover. Take nothing for granted and take as much money when you can.

7. Virat Kohli - 243. His run making skill is getting better and better. Not the most popular bloke, but clearly one of the best in the world - and likely to be ever. Averaging over 50 i nall forms of the game - Tests, ODI and T20. Incredible.

8. Jarryd Hayne. The human headline needs to shut up and work hard on his game. No crap. No laziness and no excuses. No looking around at other blokes when you miss a tackle or don't pass it to a bloke when he is destined to score. Tough it out and harden up. There are no promises and expect nothing. The only positive is that he will be better than Brad Takiarangi. Otherwise he will enjoy the sights and sounds of Wenty Leagues. I am still suspicious of his signing with Radradra coming off contract in July as well. Someone is not staying/ coming.

9. Ange Postocoglou. It didn't take long before the family excuse (a Hayne/ Foran special) was forgotten and cash took over. An excuse maker and whinger. The World Cup draw of Peru, Denmark and France was outstanding. It may now make another coach look brilliant. However who might score goals for us is a mystery. We have nothing at the front.

Wrap - Wobblies Mirage and Ashes Headbutts

1. Cricket. Steve Smith must be getting sick of bailing out his mates, but he has inspired them to a likely win. Warner has been great in the second innings and batting with a right hander suits him too. Aggressive running between the wickets - and a six too from Bancroft is a far cry from Renshaw's dour stodgy approach.

However, a long way to go yet in the series. Far too often we are in top order trouble. "Smith out - all out" reminds me of the AB days. The Bancroft first innings shot was terrible for a test batsman. Outside his zone and a windy woof snick! Khawaja is the next Shane Watson with his pads. Too lumbering and a real risk to LBW too often.  Handscomb is next in line for the chop without a lot of runs. He is under delivering big time at present.

Tim Paine was up and down (great stumping, but turfed a sitter), while the catching of Shaun Marsh - like everything from him - was inconsistent, brilliant, unpredictable and he almost took out Mitchell Starc with his sprigs. Such a risk. Batted real well on the second evening and then for 51 until his final shot said it all. The Maxwell 270+ at North Sydney Oval can just about be halved on that ground. Still a solid knock...(like Mitchell Marsh) sadly when it is too late...unreliable, wasted talent...a familiar record.

2. England. I really like the cut of this Moeen Ali. Mentally tough, resilient and resolute...not your usual Englishman. He saves them a lot. Runs and wickets. What about Broad...is he one of few bowlers worldwide who look like getting a wicket most balls? The Root LBW trap will be short lived. He is too good to get pinned down with this deficiency. Cook needs to improve or perish.

The spin in that deck so early was ridiculous. These old curators need to move on sometimes and I am told it is Kevin Mitchell Jr's last Test. Good. Haezelwood, Starc and Cummins need to fire up as well. Too tame for me on Day One. Starc smiles way too often on the field. They need to menace - and finally did late on Day Three.

Johnny Bairstow in a bit of strife for a headbutt on Bancroft at a niteclub early in the tour when playing WA...weak arsed England don't suspend him at all. I'd suspend him for that terrible shot that got him out in the second innings when he was in control. It cost his team badly. Self indulgent. Talk of Ben Stokes returning to play is beyond belief too.

The best part of the Australian showing thus far has been the fact that we DO NOT NEED an all rounder. Four bowlers can do it. Warner turns the ball a mile but never bowls. Smith too. I noticed Jon Holland got a lot of wickets v NSW.

3. Indian Test Match v Sri Lanka. I noticed at the same time, Pujara hit another test ton v Sri Lanka while Kohli hit a double ton. Kohli is as prolific as Smith. He hit a ton in the last test too.

4. Ange Postocoglou. How complicated is this nonsense? Pulls the pin before the World Cup? Ange has a million reasons for pulling up stumps. Fair enough. Will be interesting to see if a million here or there from a rich European or Asian club changes his mind in the coming weeks. He may "freshen up" quicker than a few boys on a night out in the queue outside The Orient.

5. Brad Fittler. How long does it take to appoint a coach? Saga of all sagas. No wonder we can't win a thing in Origin. Finally he is through the door. Excited to see this Reagan Campbell-Gillard play. He is awesome - and hopefully a few other names walk into camp. We need Ivan Cleary and a few speed machines...Cotric has been mentioned. Out with the busted attitudes of Ferguson et al...Woods would want to get better too. Hopefully Fittler has the courage to pick new folk of talent.

6. Rugby League World Cup. Fiji were outclassed 54-6, but won the singing and prayer stakes. A great effort by them all, but Australia looks unbeatable. Dugan looks very strong out wide and how good is Valentine Holmes. A good combo for Cronulla if they can get him away from trouble and the niteclubs. Awesome!

The Tongan effort v England was awesome. A shame they did not win. Typical arrogant NRL ref at the end. Cecchin. Not prepared to test the video ref in case uncle Wayne got upset (?)...please.

7. Wallabies v Scotland. After what looked like a late year recovery, the house of cards has crumbled in a heap. What a pathetic effort by a team that has more excuses than NSW Transport. Cheika's coaching career is on life support. But who are the options? Steve Larkham? less Kiss? Phil Blake? Surely there are better NSW options...

8. Golf. The Stonehaven Cup. Cameron Davis brilliant in the stretch home with a 64! Beating Day and Speith is no mean feat. Great to see some new young talent rising in Australian golf.

9. A-League. Melbourne Victory are struggling this season early. Newcastle Jets are going great guns but Sydney FC appear to be a cut above the lot - again.

10. Western Sydney Wanderers. They are on a winner with Josep Gombau as coach - but are anchored to 8 lousy points early. When Gombau arrived at Adelaide he famously told a sychophantic journalist whose son played in a lower division side with aspirations for the big league and who was annoying him: "your son is a shit goalkeeper". How can you lose with that honesty? He or Tony Popovic could be a Socceroo coach surprise...

11. V8 Supercars. Jamie Whincup in Newcastle was immense. He had to win and did. The Novacastians now have a new meal ticket and a new track. A hit for the town and you can't underestimate the petrol heads. They are massive fans who travel and party hard.

Wrap - F1J1

1. The Rugby League World Cup is still on and these teams being represented by NRL stars (Fiji, Tonga and Lebanon for example) are adding so much to the spectacle. Two cracking games this weekend: Fiji v NZ and Tonga v Lebanon.

New Zealand were appalling it must be said. A proud nation of league stars - McGahan, Freeman, Filipana, Marshall...David Kidwell is yet another 'Assistant Coach' who attracts headlines when near Bellamy and others, but on his own, he looks more like Steve Kearney. A modest, failing record. He has clearly lost the support of players. Hayne has done well here. Worth noting.

Are we headed to an International situation where players are aligned with certain nations from the outset of their careers? The World Cup has been built on the strength of this. Having them all play for Australia or NZ would have been terrible.

Looming as an Australia v England final. Tonga were lucky to beat Lebanon. F1J1 will not beat Australia...even if Kevin Naquama cries.

2. Socceroos. They got there in the end but expect them to get blasted off the park. There is zero attack really. Plenty of enthusiasm but short on talent. Honduras were kicked hard, but had we missed out we only would have had ourselves to blame. The saga about Ange Postocoglou continues...he needs to wake up to himself.

3. Australian Cricket Test Team. We exclude Bailey, Cowan and the like, but keep on selecting Shaun Marsh. Surely this is a cruel hoax. Marshmallow is pathetic under heat and stress. It has been a repeated failure (seven times!). When will this repeated mistake be put to sleep? Once again under Hohns and Greg Chappell, they have gone conservative with an escape clause after two tests. Bancroft was a well deserved selection, returning to the days when sheer weight of runs got you in the team. Tim Paine's selection is baffling, but he attacks as a batsman. Unlike Nevill who should be blaming himself. Nevill just refuses to dominate. While clearly tentative, he must be a tentative type of person, fearing leadership. True Australian wicketkeepers always lead and excel.

4. International Rules - Australia v Ireland. Actually a reasonably exciting game - and very physical -, but it would be great to have other countries play the code seriously. And not just Papua New Guinea.

5. Wallabies v England. We were robbed by yet another terrible rugby ref (is there any other kind?)...but then threw it away with some silliness and laziness. This says a bit about the group...and the coach. You have to endure the tough moments of refereeing stupidity...and rise above it. Regardless. Whinging wins nothing but talkback radio acclaim.

6. Soccer - A League - Newcastle Jets v Sydney FC. Sydney FC get back to the winning post first. Man City still miles in front. A shock if anyone gets close.

Wrap - Tongan Surprise

1. The Rugby League World Cup. What a joy to see the Tongans excelling - and the pre match hakas! Strong island nations in rugby league allow for some greater international possibilities. Maybe even some State of Origin expansion of what is a tiring concept (especially for NSW!). The Kumuls continue to dominate the fellow minnows. This Lachlan Lam (son of the movie maker) was outstanding and has tremendous skill and pace.

Lebanon were gallant in losing 34-0. Not the biggest loss against the Australian outfit. They probably will continue to be an exceptional force too given their affection for the game. It would be great if they could get stronger and bigger.

Lots of injuries from this tournament and it is starting to get quite late in the year in terms of preparation for the new season. Nervous NRL coaches abound! Makes the efforts of Cronk and Smith, especially, all the more amazing. Those guys have played a lot of football this calendar year, without missing a beat.

2. Cricket. Here's an idea...have a whole weekend off in the two weeks before an Ashes Test and play no games until the following Monday when no one can follow it. Ever since "High Performance" became a Cricket Australia catch cry, performance has been less than high. I wonder how we will look back upon this era's legacy...busted fast bowlers, rotation policies, dodgy selections (Heazlett, Stanlake), selectors that play charity golf days rather than watch cricketers. (Again the 'Greg Chappell Effect'). Look for Jake Lehmann to make his debut. He only needs to crack a half century and he is there. Not convinced about Wade, Nevill or Carey. Nevill is too stodgy as a bat. Ironically, this may help Wade's cause. Bancroft is a batsman, not a keeper. Tim Paine may be the best option.

Two hat tricks in a game by Mitchell Starc was an amazing achievement this week gone v WA. He cleans up the tail regularly - becoming known as "dunny paper".

3. Socceroos v Honduras. We are on the brink of obliteration. A goal against us and we are cooked. We need a 3-0 result our way as a minimum. (We wish!). New Zealand however look to be in the box seat v Peru. Now that would be salt in the wounds if that happened - they qualify and we don't. The lack of goal finishing ability by the Socceroos has been a curse all campaign. If we don't qualify we will only have ourselves to blame. It won't change world sport either. Significantly, it may precipitate some necessary changes in the organisation. One big change will be fees at the local soccer club will climb to cover the wages of the bloated administration of the game.

The question really needs to be asked...where are the great young Australian footballers? That sport impacts on so many kids, but is tossed aside too regularly by the same kids. Why is this game and its reach not having a bigger impact on our young sportspeople? They are not even in the A League either.

4. Redzel. What a phenomenal force in the sprint races. A colossus of a horse that has won many millions this year, including the Everest. Vengeur Masque won on Saturday too and looms as a massive threat this time next year. Should have been a late entry into the Melbourne Cup field. Great win by Rekindling.

5. Wallabies. Beat Wales in the end which was an enterprising game where finally more belief and a bit of razzle dazzle has emerged. Beale is in career best form, but Genia looked sharp too. More athletic and more expansive.

6. Australian Women's Cricket. A double ton to Ellyse Perry was an outstanding achievement. Her play under pressure here and in other contexts for Australia is immense. Lots of hard work by her father Mark (my former Maths teacher) over many years...sparkling skill and a balanced, beautiful kid. Hopefully this unusual Ashes series can fall Australia's way. Pure, clean and striking cricket without the big headed egos appeals to cricket purists.

7. International Rules winners. Relax and don't panic. International AFL is in safe hands. We beat the Irish and the world remains on an even keel. The annual farce, but someone must be making some good coin from it all.

8. Conor McGregor. He is mad and is out of control. His entry into the ring following a bout in Ireland and his aggression to the referee was extraordinary. Mind you, the ref was not worried. I think he would have dropped him. Wouldn't be a rematch with Mayweather coming up soon? A publicity hound...a rich one too.

Wrap - World Cup of Patience

1. Salary Cap Capers. The pathetic leadership of the NRL and the useless salary cap is starting to really impact. These third party agreements are an absolute farce.

The farce of Nick Politis obtaining Cooper Cronk...and wait for it, possibly the best young player in the game, Angus Crighton, from the Bunnies. Remarkably - and coincidentally - "The Rorters" have now exposed young Nikorima as a drug cheat and are looking to axe him on this moral count to free up the necessary funds. So much for the caring, concerned club who looks after player welfare. They actually have more drug cheats than any other (Paul Carter, Shaun Kenny-Dowell...any one they don't need or don't want...Ferguson?). This 'love' for Mitchell Pearce is a joke too. A club bankrupt in so many other ways - but not cash. Stealing others' junior players...not developing their own...on it goes.

The solution?

i. All player payments should be made centrally from the NRL. Presently, they give money to the clubs and then register contracts centrally. Odd...instead, why not have the clubs present the contracts to them and they pay centrally? They should pay the contracted sum centrally and publish a very accurate public record of it all. No back-ended deals, no savings one year for a boost the next year...an annual amount, use it or lose it. Nothing else.

ii. Third party agreements should be registered publicly by the NRL and limited to a set amount per club (ie. the same for everyone to prevent 'rich' clubs benefitting).

iii. All monies should be on the public record - disclosed and public.

iv. All overspends should constitute a fine amount that is then payable by that club to every other club in the NRL.

2. The Rugby League World Cup. Great...feel good...some better broader representation worldwide, but fair dinkum...how long is this going to take? We wait a whole week to watch France play Australia. A great league nation of 25 years ago, but really? 52-6 thrashing and then another week off. It drags on like the widening of the M2. Two games a week and move on. Like the old Kangaroo tours. There is only a modicum of interest in other games, but no one understands the draw or the qualification...is there one? If Australia can't win this we really need to hang our heads.

3. Lebanon. Who else but Robbie Farah to get caught up in a biting allegation? The Lebanese were busy and willing, but very small. They did well, but so long as you have heard of the country...not been born there, live there, visited there...just heard of it...you are signed up in this World Cup.

Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Papau New Guinea have added a bit of spirit to the event and make it viewable. Channel 7 are doing no favours to anyone with their discarding of the event to 7Mate.

4. Shield Cricket. Some crucial match ups again, but can anyone believe how weak our batting has become? Remember the days of Martin Love, Jimmy Maher, Trevor Barsby, Michael Divenuto, Stuart Law, Dene Hills, Jamie Cox, Michael Bevan, Brad Hodge, Tom Moody, Jamie Siddons...and these blokes couldn't get selected at all - even with a Shield average of 50+.

These days, we will settle for a bloke who scores a 30 average ... Cartwright, Ferguson, Head, Maddinson, Bailey, Daniel Hughes...Surely we are kidding.

The ton by Jake Lehmann may well land him in Dad's team. He has some steel. Steve Smith also needs to start becoming more of a player, and less of a selector. Matthew Renshaw is in terrible nick. He may struggle to hang on to his position. He is also so slow and stodgy, he puts a lot of pressure on his fellow opener. This feedback from Warner would not be lost on Smith.

This is the same problem Peter Nevill faces. He survives and accumulates, but does not really take on the attack and ever dominate.

5. Bug Snappell. Couldn't help but notice that Greg Chappell is up to his old arrogant tricks, preferring a day at golf than being "at work"...a bit like most blokes. He skips out on attending a Shield game. That's high performance for you.

6. At Pace. Keep an eye on a horse called Merchant Navy which won the fifth race - The Coolmore - at Flemington this weekend just gone. It has a turn of speed that is electrifying!

7. The Melbourne Cup? Almandin looks the best (again)...Marmelo...Wall of Fire/ Amelie's Star. For a bit of value, this Thomas Hobson looks a tough horse over the big distance...Single Gaze, Ventura Storm. A big winner in the Caulfield Cup - Boom Time - but that may have been a career high then.

8. Wallabies...a crushing win v Japan - and so it should be! A minnow, but keen. Keen does not win Test matches.

9. EPL. Aaron Mooy keeps doing the business for Huddersfield - another minnow. His confidence and class has really grown in recent months. Hopefully he can lead us to victory v Honduras now that they may not have Tim Cahill to lead us. We could really struggle - especially in Honduras.

As wild as this may sound, Man City being 9 points clear of Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal, may be enough for the season! A huge lead really, but a long way to go.

10. Breaking News....Jarryd Hayne, Le Bron James, Clayton Kershaw, Winx and Roger Federer will sign this week for the Roosters. Apparently all fit under the salary cap as they off loaded Sonny Bill four years ago - and Aiden Guerra.

Wrap - Cricket Ashes Hashes

1. Blake Shinn, the jockey extraordinaire of Moonee Valley on Saturday.  He won on Blondie ($21), Lubiton ($6.50), Who Shot The Barman ($8.50) and Lucky Hussler ($9.00). A genuis in getting his horse to the right spots on the track. A third with 'A Touch of Mink' and a near miss to Winx on Humidor in the Cox Plate makes him a special option in the next week. An outstanding effort - and great if you had a few dollars on his horses! If not, remember the name next year at Moonee Valley! A course that looks like a badly designed oval.

2. Shield Cricket. So what did we learn? Why the hell are we playng pink ball cricket when full day cricket is ahead of us in Brisbane? That would have to be that very successful High Performance group at Australian Cricket weaving their special brand of brilliance. We are also going to struggle at night facing Anderson and Broad.

Steve Smith is still in terrible form. Warner hit 83 and turned the game as usual, Starc got 8/73 in the SA second inns and Coulter-Nile got 3/18. Cummins quiet. Smith's mate Daniel Hughes got 50+, but Kurtis Patterson got nothing and fades out...with him goes Lehmann too. Nevill 20 and one catch. Ho hum. Carey 12 & 4 with the bat. Nothing special to see there...keep walking.

Tassie cricket is still a trainwreck (all out for 63 in the second innings and Wade 1 and 6 just about ends him - 4 byes in the whole game). No Marsh impressed too much (Shaun 60 odd), but the Hilton Hotel lovers may get excited about his 61 and 38...no bowling. Stoinis did nothing too 9 & 32 and no wickets.

Khawaja hit a ton and returns to the team of course. Siddle is done. Tremain is getting wickets, but not important ones.

Generally our batting is appalling with one ton from six two innings games. Sadly, no surprise there.

3. Rugby League World Cup. Hard to get excited about it all with half filled stadiums (a universal reality these days with live sport and Foxtel in lazy Australia who also won't cop a stupid $10 pie and a $10 half beer). Good to see Lebanon get a win. They have some handy players. Not sure if many of these players for the international teams actually live in or have ever lived in this 'adopted' country they now represent. No matter.

A bit of entertainment at a dreadful time of year (think NBA, motor sport, A Minus League)....but no fun for rugby league clubs picking up injuries. Kane Evans (eg. ex Roosters and Parramatta bound) has a broken wrist. Great for that club coach. Trent Barrett now has Dylan Walker and Jake Trobjevic on the long term medical disabled list. Ouch.

Can't blame the Roosters for seeking to sign Cronk. Pearce needs to go. Simple. They need a fresh start.

4. World Series Baseball. The fancied LA Dodgers are down 1-2 v the Houston Astros, so with two games in Houston early this week, it could get messy for the Dodgers. Lots of home runs, questioning the integrity of the actual baseball itself, with many thinking a new World Series quality ball (by stealth) is providing for more action and excitement as a result.

5. Barbarians v Wallabies. Easier to move a cemetery than get a smile out of the coach, Alan Jones. Entertaining, but Alan Jones is a wet blanket. He'd be the first to denigrate another sporting coach for having a shot at a referee. Rugby referees are terrible - penalty hopers - maybe Alan has just realised how they are single handedly killing the game.

6. EPL. Man City still carving out a nice lead, but ManU are within striking distance. The gap between the top teams and the rest is ridiculous. Crystal Palace are as good as gone already..but will scrap and fight it out until the end! Newcastle and Huddersfield are doing well early. A long journey ahead...

Wrap - Astro-noughts

1. Rugby League World Cup sounds good in principle and may do better being in Queensland venues as they prepare for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Can't believe Robbie Farah is still playing there for Lebanon, but good luck to him. Surely Australia will win the thing. It appears it is one up on the Auckland Nines, but not much higher than that.

Cannot believe the Roosters are seriously looking at Cronk. Those Third Party agreements are an absolute joke and as Bernie Gurr suggested, should be published. Failing this, the NRL should publish all salaries for their own NRL Operations staff - and of their players. Why they do not pay from the centre with their own money for clubs when they register contracts, I'd never know. A contract between the player and club sure, but clearly this could be a hell of a lot of more transparent.
Pearce is on the skids and deservedly so in recent years. He is not a natural leader, although he has won comps.

2.  Wallabies. A great win on the weekend v the All Blacks in Brisbane. A lot more discipline. A shame it wasn't a decider, but even still, time to get excited when we ever beat them. Israel Folau's try scoring record is mammoth. Stunning pace and toughness really.

3. Cricket. Great to see such rigorous preparation for the Ashes...the ING/ McDonalds/ Gillette/ Mercantile Mutual/ Ford Ranger/ Matador BBQs ODI Cup...a useless tour to India. When will we get serious? Dave Warner's bat is so much more brilliant than his mouth. He just needs to believe in this lifetime advice, before making stupid comments re 'hating' the English cricketers in an Ashes series.. even if we all do.

An outstanding list of rule changes to cricket is available at: https://www.lords.org/assets/Uploads/Law-Summary-Paper-Interactive-V6.pdf  

4. World Series Baseball. The Cubs lost the National Championship game v LA Dodgers. The Yankees also bowed out leaving: Houston Astros v LA Dodgers to fight it out. The Dodgers have been the best all year, but you never know!

5. Aaron Mooy for Huddersfield win 2-1 v Man United. A stunning display by a clever and skillful player. He will not be at Huddersfield for too long. Offers will follow him soon enough from some of the top clubs.

6. Lewis Hamilton has been awesome. What a star in the F1s. A fair bit of the goose about him, but amazingly talented. A few more points in the USA GP overnight and he wins another driver's championship. That will take it to 4...the same as Vettel, Alain Prost and one less than the great Fangio (5) and Schumacher (7).

Wrap - An Unfamiliar Ring

1. B League. When the Newcastle Jets play the Perth Glory in the A Minus League - and dominate prime airtime with post match forensics and interviews - before throwing to the NBL Sydney Kings v the Illawarra Hawks - you know you are at a quiet time of year for sport. The motor racing tries hard but is simply a niche market. Internationally and on the track there is relief!

2. NRL - Kangaroos. Why did the Australians play Fiji and New Guinea in league on the weekend? A trial? An exhibition? Seemed odd. I suspect it may be to keep the "emus" (those who will not play for the kangaroos) happy.

3. Shanghai Tennis Masters. After the disgrace of Kgyrios continued, Federer and Nadal brushed aside the other pretenders to make the final. Federer wins again, taking his victories over Nadal to four this season, including the famous Australian Open. What a supreme athlete! The older athletes seem to be showing up the softer younger ones now in many sports. There seems no end in sight for either of these powerhouses.

Even Maria Sharapova has had a drug free win at the Tianjin Open!

4. AFL Trade Period. This is an added batch of excitement for the true blue AFL fan...and it makes for a clear window where it can happen openly and freely, independent of the season proper. What for some good leadership in the NRL...25 sacked from the staff last week! The Paul Kent article re NRL waste and mismanagement is incredible (if true)...and not a promotional advertisement/ campaign on any TV in the country for the code of rugby league - ever!

5. EPL. How about the performance of Chelsea and Arsenal on the weekend? Both losing the unthinkable...Chelsea to the previously winless Crystal Palace, while the formidable Arsenal lose to the minnows Watford. Stoke got towelled up by Man City big time 7-2...more like an Amco Cup scoreline.

6. Cricket. Our new Number 6 for Australia? I will back in Jake Lehmann. Young, very gifted and knows the selectors. Or Stoinis. Travis Head may be a chance, but what great scheduling...the national team in India for 20-20 games and the local blokes playing useless ODIs against each other...the Shield anyone? Surely...with an Ashes series around the corner. That would probably be the great work of your high performance manager, Pat Howard.

7. The NRC. Never heard of it? Nor have rugby fans who know none of the players and do not know where it is even played.

8. Major League Baseball. In the climax of the MLB this year, there are two scenarios playing out for the World Series:

a. Chicago Cubs v LA Dodgers (National League). LA Dodgers lead 1-0 (best of 7).
b. New York Yankees v Houston Astros (American League). Astros lead 2-0 (best of 7).

The Cubs will need a miracle this year. As will the Yankees. The winner of (a) plays the winner of (b)!

9. Redzel. Picked it all week in Saturday's ridiculously rich 1200m Everest, but what about this horse, Vega Magic which ran second? Get it in a 1400m or 1600m race and it does not lose! Kachiiing!

Wrap - The King of Tonga

1. NRL World Cup. Tonga have placed a fair bit of pressure on themselves with Fifita and Taumalolo jumping ship to represent. Half their luck. This multiple representation is a joke, but a rugby league World Cup needs something as it lacks a lot. The problem for Tonga is that smart halves and little generals are in short supply in the Pacific Islands and those with cunning leaders who drive their team around the park, trump all others.

Can someone please explain the Josh Mansour selection? Please. Surely Ferguson, for all his sins, is a better option...or Addo-Carr. Unbelievable. What about Tedesco on the wing? Mal seems to have forgotten a number of things...Thaiday's phone number and the 'choose the best players first - then determine a position' philosophy...?

Fifita made a great decision to head to the Sharks over the Bulldogs and won Cronulla a premiership. However, his choices around abusing junior league referees, supporting criminals in jail, running across field in the last moments of the semi final where a straight run to the posts would have netted a chance for a field goal...his decision making is pretty poor.

2. Grand Final and State of Origin. And so it was that the Storm smashed the Cowboys in a pretty drab affair. Methodical and incisive. The "big three" are now no longer, but what a ride. Maybe now the Storm may become a bit more human. Hopefully their salary cap is in check and not being rorted so this one stands. The most dominant team since St George in the 1960s...? Easts? Parra? Manly? Bulldogs? Raiders? Broncos? have all enjoyed their moments over the last 50 years, but the Storm have eclipsed them with so many GF appearances and so many premierships.

When will there be an update to the State of Origin concept to include the Island nations/ NZ? The 'two International' option would be outstanding eg. Sam Burgess, Jason Taumalolo, etc...As would an Islander team or 'north' and south'?

3. Cricket. Liking the look of Coulter-Nile, but James Pattinson has done it again...broken down. A shame, but he needs to get himself right or be forgotten for ever. It is crunch time for him. I am extremely worried about our batting...Handscomb needs to make some hundreds. Renshaw, Warner, Khawaja, Smith, Hanscomb, XXX? WK XXX? Starc, Lyon, Coulter-Nile, Hazelwood. I think this Stoinis could be the answer. Mentally tough. Sure as hell Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Moises and Maxwell are not!

Pete Nevill got eight dismissals in a ODI v Cricket Australia today...a world record. Great timing.

4. Ben Stokes. Fame does strange things to people. Stokes is lucky he did not kill that bloke who collapsed to the ground. He appears to be yet another sports star who makes it big and no one is there who can contain him from himself! Self discipline vanishes and hope takes over.

I note that Warnie has somehow had all allegations of impropriety with a 'porn star' quashed. He is either the world's unluckiest bloke - or the world's luckiest, beating allegations and negative publicity repeeatedly. His behaviour seems to be spiralling.

5. Winx. What a horse! After 21 victories in a row is it simply a case of other owners and connections running away and leaving Winx to rake in the dollars? Does 21 become 30 soon enough because of this?

6. A (Minus) League. The public want to fall in love with it, but the standard at times is horrible. We need to attract some of Asia's best players to make it a better league. It really speaks to the misery that is the Socceroos...a 1-1 v Syria was unlucky, but when it is all said and done, do we really deserve to be there? Will it be that disastrous if we are not there for the two mandatory losses? Conversely, the EPL remains the most engaging, spectacularly entertaining game in the world. Spirit, excitement and strength as a brand.

7. Bathurst 1000. One of the great days for the petrol heads...A David Reynolds victory. Popular and great to see the lesser lights profiting when the big boys fade fast... Hope for all the lesser lights burns bright!

8. Japanese GP. Lewis Hamilton has been dominant all year. Riccardo...a great year with many podium finishes, but not much gold! A highly consistent performer!

9. Tennis. Nick Kyrgios in the China Open in Beijing - in the final v Nadal. Kgyrios has done well, but only for the ATP Cash Cup at year's end. A conundrum of a human. Talented, but more goose in him than your average farm.

Wrap - Richmond Rage in a Brilliant Storm

1. AFL - Richmond. Richmond have turned it around and given every team across the country hope - especially Parramatta. 48 point winners! A long time loser and could snatch a loss from a win like the worst of them. How good were their fans? The affinity the players have with the crowd is so good...this is what NRL lacks. The connection. When Rance asks the crowd "how do you feel...how good?", he epitomises this spirit. No NRL player would care to ask. The lap of honour was tremendous. The crowd connect and believe in their club. 40,000 in Punt Road at the same time as the main event. Incredible. Adelaide were gipped by Eddie Betts not getting a free kick in front at a clutch time and then Eddie vanished! The pressure from the Richmond defence was awesome...exactly like Hawthorn v Sydney a few years back. Dominant. The access to the change rooms and the celebration team song is special - and typically AFL. A true celebration.

BTW, The Killers were outstanding! Jack Reiwoldt did real well with his lyrics of Mr Brightside!

2. NRL - The Storm. Mackelmore is no more. The NRL fell all over itself to keep many groups happy at this year's GF, and the Mackelmore circus was no where near as deadly as the hype suggested.

However, surely a rule change is required when there is a serious injury like the medicab one for Fensom? If a player is so seriously injured that he cannot return to the field of play and requires a medicab, another player should be permitted. The Cowboys were shot from that point. Slater ran riot...Smith was out of this world and Cronk rock solid in leading the team. I can't see a team beating them next year either.

Justin O'Neill had another shocker and the Storm pinpointed him and Te Marie Martin in defence and cracked them open repeatedly.

I must say the half time entertainment of club mascots running up the field in an obstacle course, followed by U/14 players running 100m, was an insulting disgrace. The NRL is completely out of touch with the fans. It was pathetic really...the League Olympics concepts would be much better. An underwhelming Grand Final really. The Cowboys did not offload (you can't beat Melbourne without this) and they kicked silly bombs ...but none to the weakest link in the air - Addo Carr.

Melbourne far too good.

3. Cricket. Thank goodness David Saker (sheep eater) pulled the reins on Maxwell and Wade. Courage that Lehmann suddenly lacks. The need to eliminate this cronism is important to the future. Coulter-Nile has surged into Ashes contention. He actually swings the ball! Sad to hear, but it actually is unusual in Australia. So too Stoinis who actually competes and is mentally tough. The Hilton Cartwright experiment needs to be ended. His elevation to the opener position was laughable. The selectors need to be brought to account...Boland, Heazlett, Paris, Worrall, Tremain, Mennie, Stanlake, Swepson...in recent years...please. Great to see Finch and Warner step up. Travis Head needs to produce as well. Steve Smith has been in average form too it must be said.

The common problem in the selector table and again presiding on the decline of a cricket team and culture - Greg Chappell.

4. DUD - Greg Chappell - a terrible record without the pads on.

a. Australian selector 1984–88. He resigned in mid-1988. Among the decisions made by the panel when Chappell was a selector included encouraging Kim Hughes to resign, not selecting Hughes on the 1985 Ashes, trying Wayne Phillips, Greg Dyer and Tim Zoehrer as wicketkeepers.

b. South Australian coach. From the late 1990s, Chappell coached South Australia for five seasons during which time the team failed to win a single trophy.

c. Indian coach. In May 2005, he was appointed coach of  India for a two-year term until the World Cup 2007. Of late, he came in for criticism for his tinkering with the batting lineup and unorthodox cricket coaching methods. Several senior Indian players whom Chappell coached have come out to criticize his methods. However, his coaching and methods were not very effective as India crashed out of the World Cup in the first round, the first time since 1992. Embattled coach Greg Chappell resigned after reports that none of the senior players, including Tendulkar, were happy with him and his coaching methods. His rift with arguably India's most successful captain, Sourav Ganguly and poor performance of team in 2007 world cup, made Chappell, a dark figure in the history of Indian Cricket.

d. Australian selector 2010–11. Chappell was made a selector of the Australian national side on 29 October 2010, replacing Merv Hughes. This period coincided with a lack of success for the test team, losing the 2010–11 Ashes to England 3–1, although they defeated Sri Lanka 1–0. Chappell was banned from the Australian dressing room at the request of the players. He was later sacked as selector during the Sri Lanka tour in August 2011.

e. Australian selector 2016-17. And back again as a complete dud as the Australian Test and ODI record plummets off the charts.

5. President's Cup Golf. That USA crowd have had a lot to scream about  - a crushing winning advantage that looks unable to be surmounted. The crowd behaviour left a little to be desired too. Bad on TV especially. The form of nearly all Internationals has been average to sub for mine. The Indian bloke has been terrible in particular. For mine, there was not enough 'care factor'...do they really care and is part of the reason blokes play golf, to avoid the team environment? The USA have Ryder Cup experience and it matters. This showed.

6. Asleigh Barty. A tough comeback of success in running second at the Wuhan Open in China. A far cry from the women's Brisbane Heat cricket team. Top 20 in the world. An incredible effort. 

7. Wallabies. South Africa v Australia. Another draw. Both of these nations are getting further and further behind the All Blacks. Good moments and plenty of ordinary ones!

8. Dean Pay at the Bulldogs. Same or worse roster...different result? I must say that those pictures of Kieran Foran's new love with her finger stuck up to the camera must make her parents very proud.

9. Cricket. Underdone. Under performing and under par with 240 odd tonight.  A 4-1 series loss beckons. We are on the slide. Pat Howard will solve it however. He is Mr High Performance.

Wrap - High Performance

1. How good are the Melbourne Storm? 2-0 tight under pressure..8-0 at half time. 30-0 at full time! The Broncos were smashed. It is so hard to score tries against Melbourne. They have been unbelievable over the last ten years. A golden era that may never be repeated. The Cowboys only hope? If Smith, Cronk and Slater are injured in the first ten minutes, they may have a chance. Really, put their name on the trophy mid week.

However, the Cowboys have been massive. Their forwards are immense - Bolton, Hess, Cooper, Ethan Lowe, Taumolola and even ex-Raider, Shaun Fensom. Their hooker, Jake Granville is outstanding. Another Queenslander hooker of quality. Like Jake Friend....and NSW have Peats (!). Pleeease! Michael Morgan has become a sensation. His hands and pass remind me of Lockyer. The hard, fast pass is one of the most potent weapons in the game. The Linnett try was outstanding. The Ethan Lowe goalkicking is pretty special too at present.

Again, woeful NRL crowds. Has anyone asked the AFL how they do it? Why would you bother going to the NRL live? Most blokes I know have not been to a game outside of State of Origin/ GF for years.

The Roosters/ Rorters, well...Pearce seems to get stage fright and retreat into that loser's psyche. We expect a lot from him, but maybe he is simply not that great at all. The Roosters will need to cut him soon if they are to win another comp. Like NSW, they need a change.

2. The quick tap must be allowed in the NRL. Too often refs inexplicably stop this, pause this or try and stop it. Why? This unsettles defences and we need it to sustain the entertainment value. The refs in the Roosters v Cowboys were at least able to minimise penalities and keep a cracking pace...this opens the game up too. The Cowboys need that pace. If the Cowboys can offload the footy and have extremely quick play the balls they are half a chance.

3. Adelaide awesome and will need to fight the usual umpire bias in Melbourne at the MCG against visiting teams. It is Richmond's to lose...They are the absolute favourites because of the home town crowd. A great Grand Final atmosphere ahead.

GWS are in need of greater steel when it matters. They have folded in two preliminary finals in two years. A young club of course, plenty of bright stars of the future, but these opportunities do not repeat too often in a player's career. What with the whole Riverina as their drawing area, GWS surely must get there one day. That Haynes at the back is incredible.

3. What about this Australian cricket set up? They are a joke. High Performance seems to be working really well. 12 straight ODI losses and a plummeting Test cricket ranking. Get rid of that Pat Howard. Fascination with Hilton Cartwright seems to be dominating thinking and two straight failures as opener has been bizarre. Anyone remember Sam Heazlett? They are completely out of touch.

Finch comes back in a punches out a well made hundred.

How many times can Maxwell get stumped before we call off his career? An unbelievable frequency of stumpings before he has reached 20 in total.

4. Australian XIII v Papau New Guinea. Great novelty value but talk of teams playing New Guinea as a member of the NRL are way off yet. Even if they are the only country on earth whose national sport is rugby league! I reckon a second Brisbane team surely has to be first. There always seems to be some serious injuries after playing the Kumuls. They are tough. Ask Dylan Walker who has picked up a nasty leg injury.

The PNG team - 'The Hunters' - won on full time to take out the 2017 Intrust SuperCup QLD premiership. They play Penrith (NSW winners) for the title on Grand Final day.

5. Laver Cup. Europe v Rest of the World concept seems good. The tennis Ryder Cup. Bjorn Borg coaching the Europeans and McEnroe the Rest of the World. Playing doubles against Nadal and Federer would be daunting!

6. Man City are carving up teams this season. They look the team to beat, but Chelsea and ManU are not far away. The Matildas are surely the women's football team to beat worldwide now. They are an attacking powerhouse! Hope the men can trouble Syria to qualify for the World Cup...fancy losing there (!).

Wrap - Semi Trailer

1. Stadiums. This outrageous advantage for certain clubs with the NRL stadiums policy needs to end. Every year the Broncos, Roosters and Storm get two home finals, while the Panthers, Cronulla, Manly and Cowboys need to come to the big three. For what? To play in half filled stadiums of no atmosphere to eat an $8 pie and a $10 half beer. Live footy is not what it used to be. Get back to three games on the field (relocated if wet and grass churning) in the day and stop the nonsense. Take hold of pricing and give a stuff about the spectator. And spare us the need for finals outside of Endeavour, Brookvale, etc. They are the heartland of the game and the game does not have enough fans for other locations.

Even the GWS experiment failed with 14,000 at an AFL semi final. Is Fox/ Sport TV forcing people into night time viewing - and a warm house with cheaper food is too appealing?

Just on stadiums, is there a more boring story than building another stadium at Moore Park? It is a terrible bore and started when Allan Jones did not want the railway station to come there. Poor access and not near population. Homebush, for all its faults, is the best option.

2. Swans. Absolutely smacked. 'Due for a loss' as they say, but this was a loss where once again they could not cope with the size of the MCG. We have seen it time and time again over the past few years with the Swans. They simply do not adjust when at the MCG. They do not alter their play laterally enough and their speed is woeful. The cauldron atmosphere sees them go quiet and then fold. They really need some stronger leadership. McVeigh is busted and needs to go. Gary Rohan must be the biggest 'big game' dud of all time. The fumbles and turnovers were out of control - and where were the turnovers? Straight up the guts as usual and each time Geelong had their number. Awful.

3. AFL. Geelong are firming, but Adelaide and Richmond will be ready for both of the latecomers. Hard to see Geelong (who were brilliant) winning in Adelaide. A Melbourne v out of town team will again test the umpires who love a Melbourne team on the presentation dias. Watch out GWS!

4. NRL. Similarly, the Storm will not be troubled by the Broncos - unless they can offload the footy sensibly in traffic. Offloading teams will win the comp. It disturbs the defensive line and unsettles the prescribed form of footy Melbourne do brilliantly. I don't think the Broncos have enough skilled forwards for this and Thaiday is an "error laden nightmare". How good is that Campbell-Gillard? He and Clearly are Origin bound. He is a huge hombre.

Parramatta? A great year for them with some bargain signings - Will Smith, the DV winger, Nathan Brown...no Gutherson, but they need smarter footballers in their forwards. Handling errors to nearly every Pacific islander forward killed them. Who to sign? You walk up to Simon Mannering at the Warriors and offer him a heap of the expanded salary cap. He is a leader and and 80 minute footballer of class and composure. He could lead you to a premiership.

Semi Radradra will be near impossible to replace. The Parramatta club will need to source someone who is big and fast - and quickly. His impact has been incredible.

5. Kgyrios. A sensational performance in the Davis Cup v Belgium in the first singles rubber. Lleyton Hewitt ('Rusty') has rallied the troops well. He has always been a great winner. The doubles were absolutely dominant. Here's hoping Kgyrios can beat Goffin in the reverse singles for the honour of making the Davis Cup Final. Maybe the men's national team may restore hope!

6. Wallabies. If you thought we had trouble, what about South Africa? Surely one of the lowest ebb eras but at least we could beat Argentina. The All Blacks are awesome and do the business again emphatically. 57-0.

7. Cricket v India. Even without Ashwin and Jadeja India are a handful at home. However, Coulter-Nile showed some style early to nail Kohli for a duck. But they bat deep. The skill of the Indian batsmen on their decks to dominate bowlers who do nothing with the pill (eg. Faulkner) makes them perpetually dangerous.

8. Ange Postocoglou. Is Ange the embodiment of what is wrong with football in Australia? Cranky, and defensive at present and he just can't cope with deserved criticism. I wonder how much not qualifying really matters to this current group who just head back to their rich paymasters post catastrophe (v Thailand!!!) and resume transmission. Playing Syria? They will come out all guns blazing, bombing the ball downfield, taking aim for their shots, rifling their passes cross field and dropping bombshells (of course), but they will have spirit and character...will the Socceroos under Ange?

9. Aaron Mooy. Killing it for Huddersfield. A funny Voldemort Harry Potter crowd call to Mooy! From one lookalike to another.

10. Nadal. Clearly the best - possibly the best ever. Federer is huge, but this bloke is amazing. He has more Grand Slams left in him and could power on to have the most ever.

11. Mark Leishman. A tremendous and deserved victory at the BMW golf surely. Day in great form, despite injury, too.

Wrap - Video Refs Killed The Sporting Team

1. Cameron Smith. Most NRL games ever. Amazing resilience and plenty more to come. Throw in the most ever Origin games (42) and most ever Tests (49), surely he is an immortal long before a lot of other players. Immense. A genuine quality leader who should be snapped up on $2-3 million as a coach as soon as he retires.

2. Parramatta did a hell of a lot better than most thought. 16-18 loss. Semi's replacement in the new season will be hard to find. He does a lot of grunt work. In the style of David Vaeleki, Brad Takairangi should be retired quickly and gracefully...He is too slow and makes defensive errors at the worst times. A chip over the top straight to Billy Slater just about does it for me. Parramatta have a crack junior centre or two...they need to bring them through earlier. First time they have been in the semis of the NYC and the NRL! A good season by Parramatta nonetheless. The prospect of playing the Cowboys will not be easy. Their forwards are amazing - Bolton, Hess, Cooper, Lowe, Granville. Taumalolo is an awesome machine. Cronulla unfortunately met them on a day they have never had before post Thurston.

3. Manly appear to have been gipped by the video bunker, but Tony Archer could justify a murder. The likelihood of a knock on by Peachey was pretty high. The on field ref made a howler really and the bunker fell into line with that. That is the issue...how does an on field official make that call. Dylan Walker needs to grow up. He can be a team liability as well. Uate needs to go down and play cricket in the off season...hands like canoe paddles.

4. AFL. The Swans were awesome, but playing at the SCG will not happen again in 2017. Parker, Lloyd and Kennedy were incredible. Towers, Naismith and Sinclair were great too. Tippett was not missed and really should be traded ASAP (if anyone wants him). Playing at the MCG is a huge hurdle for them. Geelong won't be lying down. A cracking game ahead.

The West Coast victory after the siren in extra time was massive, but the penalty that lead to it was dubious. AFL refs love these. It must be said that the finals experience of Sam Mitchell mattered. This is where Stevie Johnson not playing for GWS was an issue too. Those blokes can swing games big time. The GWS were shattered and could be on the slippery dip out of there.

There is some great culture in AFL - the banner, the team song, the on field team huddle at the end of each quarter, the applause for an opponent who achieves a great career milestone. NRL misses out on that front, but the group prayer and chest slap post game seem to be the new equivalent.

Richmond are suddenly an exciting proposition. They have energy and are making the fans believe it may just come true. Hardwick is a calm presence as coach. These composed leaders stand up and make their mark in September.

5. A good bounce back win for Aussie cricket. Lyon has stood up and made a huge difference. Warner too. Two great tons. Big question marks still hover over Maxwell and Wade. Cartwright is surely a failed experiment for the short term. He is no Ben Stokes. Smith refuses to bowl him or back him. A new keeper who scores runs is essential. The chirpy keeper has lost a Test series in India and struggled with the Bangers...hardly a reason to retain him long term.

The West Indies were unfortunately thumped by 9 wickets. This Shai Hope is something special. The problem of course in English cricket is that if the sun comes out, the conditions change dramatically. Very seldom do lots of wickets fall in the sunshine. If you are lucky enough to bat with sun, you can win. Tests change with weather of course, but over there they change total complexion with their weather. Jimmy Anderson shuffles along to 505 Test wickets. An incredible achievement.

6. Wallabies - 23-23 draw v South Africa. Their defence is still poor. and the lineout/ scrum...we say they "need work", but how many camps and sessions will it take? Are we simply not good enough? What will it take?

7. US Open Tennis. Surely Nadal will take his Grand Slam total to 16 wins v Kevin Anderson? Astonishing dominance in this era of tennis with Federer 19 wins and Djokovic 12 wins. We once thought Sampras at 14 wins would never be beaten! Sloane Stephens too had a cracking win. A great character and a spirited, quality person. Well deserved after fighting back from injuries. US women dominated this year as all semi finalists in the women's draw.

8. EPL. Man City pump Liverpool 5-0 and Arsenal win 3-0. ManU held to 2-2 by Stoke on the weekend which was unexpected. Stoke are one of those great tribal teams that have energy and spirit. With a vertical striped jersey, they need something. Not many vertical striped kits left in world team sport!

9. Nadal. He is the man. 16 Grand Slams and more in the vault than most of his rivals. An absolute champion!

Wrap - Out of Love

1. Men's Australian Sporting Teams. It may be just me, but the arrogance and self absorbed nature of a number of our men's Australian sporting teams seems to be getting out of hand - and with it the results are going south with the general public's view of them. Think the Australian Swimmers (drama, drama, drama), the Australian Wallabies and their attitude, the Australian Cricket team and their money obsession, the Australian Rugby league side and their threats of a strike, the Australian Socceroos and their availability/ injuries/ softness under pressure... pay disputes, money, endorsements, partners...$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

Are we as a nation falling out of love with our national teams and their attitudes - and more in love with the local scene?

The Norths v Rats rugby Grand Final at North Sydney last weekend may be one of the most significant indicators of a change in Australian sentiment yet. Crowds are swelling for the localised FFA Cup, as the main national soccer knockout cup competition in Australian soccer. Brisbane v North QLD in the NRL was a sell out last week. The Western Force by all reports are not going away any time soon either. BBL rates more highly than Test matches.

Are we over the national drama queens?

2. Cricket v Bangladesh. The efforts of our team were appalling. Firstly, I am absolutely gobsmacked that the outdoor furniture chair was not used in the lead- up preparations. I am laying all the blame on that. Warner was brilliant in the second innings and has now hit 19 Test tons whether traditionalists want to admit it or not. The thought of dropping Warner I am sure passed through the minds of the same galloots who picked Maxwell and Wade.

How does O'Keefe being selected work? They have Agar, Lyon, Swepson, Maxwell all there and now they want O'Keefe? Odd.

I have to say that the Victorian batsmen obsession is terrible at the moment. They have all failed to be consistent enough...Handscombe (20-30 run max.) has been very disappointing of late...Maxwell erratic (who would have guessed?) and Wade (hopeless). Wade surely cannot continue. He has never scored runs in the past three seasons. As a young keeper-bat in Australia, surely your career is mapped out for you if you can hit a few pre-season. Maybe the Ian Healey approach is needed...choose a really young bloke of strong character and pedigree.

Khawaja is by far the most disturbing. What was he doing in the first innings run out? His second innings sweep shot was not much better.

Surprisingly, I am also troubled by Renshaw. He is too slow and limited and puts a lot of pressure on the batsman at the other end. He has to play more shots.

3. NRL. The Storm are minor premiers (The $100K cheque might be left in the club ashtray...) and will be crowned premiers too. They will probably beat Parramatta by 40 points. They are all that is QLD. Speedy play the balls when they are in possession...brilliant defensive line speed...never are they seen lying in the ruck ('dead marines')...great lines run by their left and right edge forwards (eg. Harris and Browmich) which often results in points. Speed on the outside and they have possibly the best outside back in the game for mine - Will Chambers. Impossible to beat - especially at home.

Cameron Smith is the most resilient league player ever to have played the game. He is about to beat and then put a heap on the existing NRL 'games played' record of 355 first grade games. Incredible, but it shows you that running the football into the line repeatedly is far more damaging on the body than defending. Either way, he is a legend and yet another immortal. (It's getting crowded in that box - Thurston too).

Who will the Storm play in the GF? I thought Brisbane...but it can only be the Roosters on current form - and even that is patchy. A cakewalk this year. Maybe Cronulla can fire up, but how quiet have some of their stars been - Fifita, Maloney, Bird...? The loss of Ennis has been a major loss. Why can players leave the Storm and it not affect morale and yet every other team whines about it all? Bellamy is a genius.

St George - embarrassing! But how good will the Roosters be with Tedesco? He has premiership winning talent.

4. AFL. Essendon will trouble Sydney this week. A finals surge for a few will start in earnest. There is great anticipation there, but how can the AFL start later than the NRL, then have a week off before the semis? This gap weekend before the semis is a joke. Surely the fans deserve more. The momentum of the season is jolted and then it resumes...I think it advantages the lower rung teams. GWS could surprise with their pace. Hopefully they learned a thing or two from last year as well.

5. Socceroos. The desire and strength for the national jersey is under real pressure. Surely we beat Thailand, but there will be no guarantees with that lot. If japan lose on the road we are cooked. The arrogance and self centredness of the average soccer star is only matched by their coach...Ange has to go. We need the genius of an international figure in that role who has the international respect.

6. Conor McGregor has apparently just finished counting his cash and is absolutely exhausted.

7. How about Lewis Hamilton and his record breaking number of pole positions. Impressive stuff.

8. Winx. 19 wins and counting. Great confidence in the other owners who all participated in the race, knowing two place spots were up for grabs. Keep an eye out for a horse - Merchant Navy - who won on the weekend in Caulfield. A brilliant horse. I also liked the run of Vega Magic. Two to watch!

9. US Open. Surely without Murray, Djokovic and Wawrinka, Federer and Nadal will fight it out. The thought of Federer winning another Grand Slam in a year when he has won two already at his ripe old age, is tantalising! Keep an eye on this name for the future: Denis Shapovalov. Talent!

Wrap - Business End

1. NRL. So Parramatta have been a lot stronger than anyone - especially me - thought. There is a strength that Moses has brought to their attack and Semi is on fire. Since Moses arrived, Jennings looks like he can play again. While the rusted on Eels fans don't want to admit it, they have actually been better since Gutherson has been injured. The Broncos were terrible, but Parramatta still have much to work on. Penalties is the first thing. A 2-10 penalty count v Broncos is hopelessly ill disciplined. Offloading a few of the reckless blokes will be needed once Scott returns to full fitness. He can lead a team to glory.

A final round win v Souths gets the Eels a top four finish. Unfathomable.

However, Grand Final winners? Not a chance. Not strong enough defensively. Their hooker needs more pace and their defensive concentration across 80 minutes is not a patch on Melbourne, or even the somewhat inconsistent Cronulla or Roosters.

The strength of St George and Manly under pressure situations were the weekend highlights. Both should be doing a lot better, but are delivering with their necks on the line. A bad loss by the Panthers in their circumstances.

2. Daley Coach. It is hard to get emotional about Laurie Daley's passing as NSW coach. It is based on results. Laurie has had his shot, but has come up empty. It is a fine line -- sometimes a point or two - between the glory and the glum. My fear is we will have half the Channel 9 commentary team in the sheds in future. Staggered to read that Sterlo may throw it in already. Please...toughen up.

3. Test Cricket v Bangladesh. Has there been a time in Australian cricket over the last 50 years where so many have cared so little about our cricketers abroad. It will be interesting to see the impact of the pay dispute on TV ratings and the like this summer. Especially if we continue losing.

Cummins, Agar and Lyon all combined well to roll them for 260. Lyon now is the second highest spin bowling wicket taker for Australia, eclipsing the great Richie Benaud. An incredible effort really. However the old Khawaja run out tactic and the silliness of a night watchman has Australia reeling at 3/18. Who would have thought it...Warner failing on a tough deck overseas. Is it unthinkable, or could he be benched for the first time in his career?

The star of Jimmy Anderson continues to burn bright. Yet another five for v West Indies. How good is he? Is he the only world bowler that swings the ball?

4. AFL. Heaven help them all if Hawthorn - and the Western Bulldogs - had squeaked into the final eight. It must be said that outside of the first six weeks, the Swans have been immense in 2017. However Adelaide, Geelong, GWS and Richmond have been the best. It is anyone's flag. The inconsistency of all of them has been staggering. Sydney (sixth) head to an elimination final v Essendon. This silly week off before the finals business is a disjointed reality that the AFL cling to for some reason.

5. EPL. More than likely the best world TV sport week in, week out. AFL would be up there too. ManU have been electrifying early in the season. The less the coach talks, the better they do.

6. Wallabies. They were brighter and led for strong stretches. How you can allow a kick restart to come loose is beyond me with so much on the line. The hunger of the All Blacks is awesome. The clutch moment saw a familiar weakness. A lot of players are happy to come close.

Chieka seems incapable of stirring them. It would be interesting to see how the high rotation of players through the Wallabies jersey at present compares to the Wallabies numbers of the past. There is a distinct lack of knowledge regarding the identity of too many Wallabies. Better, but still hard to get any traction with an already perplexed and agitated fan base.

Conversely, the Rats v Norths at the North Sydney Oval showcased all that is great about rugby - to its absolute faithful in the GF of the Shute Shield.

7. Winx. I neglected to mention this last week. An unbelievable horse with a stunning penchant for winning. How we all love a winner...even at $1.01.

8. 'Money' Mayweather did all that everyone thought he would... win. Some sort of spectacle. Some sort of record for 50-0. What a champion. The Irishman McGregor reminded me of a Monty Python character claiming he was dudded by not being able to smashed to the canvas. Please! Now how would Jeff Horn go here?

Wrap - Reward Equals Effort?

1. Wallabies. Is there anything more predictable than a Wallabies loss to New Zealand? The inept first half display was staggering. The defence is atrocious and the will to win seems vacant. The affection for the jersey and its tradition sadly seems to be fading under the weight of money internationally and locally for this group of players...I am seeing a pattern from cricket to rugby league as well. Are we becoming a greedy nation where rewards need to be twice as much as effort?

Surely there needs to be some serious surgery here. Chieka...can he stay? Surely not.

2. NRL. The Melbourne farm system of player development is superb. Why does this club get it so right when so many others fail? If you are a CEO, the future of your club needs to be richly invested around Cameron Smith as your coach. That is where future success lies, but I suspect melbourne have already got him signed up for life!

Canberra gone. North QLD and St George are on a thread. Manly have been a major disappointment of late too. Brisbane and Cronulla may trouble The Storm for a short period of a semi, but it all looks like a purple shower of glory in 2017. Eels have over achieved. I had them for spoon winners early, but a terrific 10 point Origin stretch got them into the box seat. They will need a huge replacement for Semi when he moves on.

It could be a busy week for the Bulldogs at the stationery store, buying lots of paper for release forms and signing agreements to shed excess players. Pens too. Mbye is super over paid.

3. Alistair Cook scores 243 with the coloured cricket ball in their test v West Indies. His form over many, many years has been super impressive. Especially given he has survived for so long. The top order of the English is a worry, but no less than our worries...The bangers may really trouble us this week.

4. ManU looking very sharp and positive early in the EPL season. Chelsea and Liverpool too. Great to see Mooy score the first goal for Huddersfield in the EPL for a million years.

5. Nick Kyrgios. A solid performance in Cincinnatti v Nadal and Ferrer. A final in an ATP event...and a crushing loss. We are dreaming but maybe Nick may in fact get it before too much longer.

6. Swans. The win away at Adelaide on the weekend was incredibly tough and well earned. No contract offer to McVeigh for next year is a de-stabiliser as his composure is so important. I suspect that Jack may be the man to fall on a sword. Richmond may be seeing some light this year, but they have been inconsistent at times in a year of major inconsistency across all teams.

Wrap - Piercing Performance

1. Sally Pearson. The self-coached Sally Pearson is an intense athlete. But how impressive is she? So focused and determined and has screamed back to the peak of her powers once more. An incredible effort from a driven and determined athlete. An exceptional highlight of the weekend. Dual world champion.

2. Usain Bolt. A sad way to end. He looked cooked to me at any rate, but the injury will be debated. Was he pulling a school athletics carnival fake trick? Why was the race starting so late? I was watching it live and the high jump presentation did drag on, but it was outstanding. Maybe Usain should have left after the last Olympics. A shame the winners were not given the glory.

3. Mo Farah. No go for the Mo 5K/ 10K distance running double this time but is he the world's best athlete outside of Bolt? He now turns his attention to the marathon...watch out!

4. The Swans' demolition of Fremantle was immense on the weekend. They monstered them early and were relentless, chalking up a few more points in their percentages. They look sharp, but I still think others can get them in the end. It has been some sort of fabulous effort to get this far. A huge test v Adelaide coming up. Geelong look there or there abouts and GWS seem to have it, if they can keep their discipline and intensity across four quarters,

5. Brad Haddin. A champion bloke by all reports, kind hearted, competitive...but fielding coach? That is hard to buy. With respect, what does he know about throwing and proper fielding? A silly appointment of looking after an ex-player who is not "ex" enough.

6. NRL. In the tight game, the Storm rarely lose. The Roosters pressed and pressured, but could not hang on...the QLD origin effect. Parramatta absolutely horrible last weekend (they could not win two games three years back to make the semis...is this happening again?) and the effort of the Titans was pathetic again. Jarryd Hayne could be in rugby by the end of the month! Canberra getting on a roll, but could be too late. Manly getting the hippee, hippee shakes!

7. Are the Tigers kidding? They have signed Josh Reynolds and Lolohea and have Brooks. Now they want Marshall? Next thing we'll have Benji up on top of that crowded scoreboard at Leichhardt. What a backward step. And there was Cleary offering hope. He has really only offered a chance of a wooden spoon so far.

8. Jason Day. Seen better days... a terrible end to his PGA round. Pampling's Happy Gilmore shot to speed things up for his playing partners is worth watching: https://www.sbnation.com/golf/2017/8/12/16137994/rod-pampling-drive-2017-pga-championship 

9. Bledisloe Cup. The scoreboard attendant has been in the gym all week. His arm is warmed up and ready to go. It should be being played at the SCG.

10. EPL. What a crazy start to the campaign. Chelsea got smashed. That competition is stunning. majestic. Good to see Rooney score for his new (and old) club, Everton. The sooner this show gets back to its rightful home on Fox, the better.

Wrap - Mo Go Bolt

1. NRL. A few NRL teams have almost given up. Surely the decline of the Warriors under Steve Kearney has to be arrested. Steve seems like a lovely fellow but has an awful coaching record. He has to go to a place where the trees sway and not a lot happens.

The Titans were pathetic. A 54-0 loss is a 'coach ender'. It is an embarrassment to every bloke who walked on that field in their jersey. Where has Hayne's pace gone? Left it in San Fran? I wonder how much impact Hayne has had on the attitude and culture of that team. Is League on the Gold Coast ever going to work? Coach Henry will be on the scrap heap soon enough too.

The Dragons were terrible in their last ten minutes and seem like they have had enough. No desperation or energy to win. Bulldogs are keen to show their coach up too. They are done. Des will struggle to stay. James Graham needs to move on. I like how Newcastle are playing for their contractual lives too...plenty of new signings for 2018+ has woken a few up.

2. Ashley Clown. I noticed that the world's worst ref, Ashley Clown, is up to his usual standard. Paul Green will pay his $10K and nothing will change. He might win the penalties next week though.

3. NRL Violence. How that Ofehengaue was not sent off for the Broncos late v Gold Coast I'll never know. May not play again this year once the judiciary get hold of him with their lettuce leaf treatment package. Terrible, terrible tackle. League has violence issues and a send off would have delivered a powerful message. Mums everywhere that were watching (rare) may just have decided this will be their son's last season of rugby league.

4. Pujara and Pommie Power. I noticed the Poo Jar - Pujara scored another first innings ton v Sri Lanka. He is prodigious. Unbelievable focus and an unbelievable resilience level. So too are the whole Indian cricket team. 

England have South Africa cooked too. 2-1 up in the series and getting plenty of wickets through Jimmy Anderson and Broad. Batting on English decks in overcast conditions is one of the toughest assignments in world cricket. Tougher than India these days with IPL exposure giving world players a lot more experience on their dusty decks. Tough County cricket import rules in England are closing off exposure there too.

Moeen Ali continues to impress...a hat trick to end and win the third test. A very, very handy cricketer. He will torment and triumph in the Ashes.

5. Speaking of Poo...what gives with Tennis brats and their parents as coaches? This week Poo's father is arrested for a despicable child-related crime...John Tomic continues to look more and more like Damir Dokic. Kgyrios makes a fool of himself yet again at the Washington Open, not understanding that his trashed reputation in the USA will hurt him in the pocket...speak to Anthony Mundane.

All the while, Thanasi Kokannakis reaches his first  ATP final in Los Cabos, Mexico and arranges an autograph session to thank his fans. he beat Tomas Berdych to make the final. Not a bad effort.

5. Cashola. Thank goodness all Australian cricketers will continue to get lots of cash. We can all rest easy now.

6. James Pattinson has pulled out of the Australian cricket team tour to Bangladesh with yet another injury after a huge county cricket season. Hopefully with plenty of treatment he'll be ready for next year's very important English county season. Joke.

We might struggle to beat the Bangers over there too. They can play these days and we are typical big heads with little respect...this can cost you in the sub-continent. Now that would be a wake up call to our team and the embarrassing administration of the game. Cricket may just have set itself back many years over these past six months.

7. AFL. That win by the Swans over Geelong down there was outstanding. What a performance. Exceptional. I watched the North-Collingwood clash on Saturday night. What a bumbling klutz of a game. Hopeless. What does Nathan Buckley do all week? Skills were awful.

8. Super 15 Final -  Crusaders Eight Time Winners. And there it was... the reason for the ordinary nature of Super 15s...midnight plus time scheduling for us to access games in South Africa. Can any Australian bear that? The break dancing of the winning coach, Scott Robertson, was outstanding. Sounds like a top bloke and doesn't take himself too seriously. That might just be the best thing that has happened in the game all season! Maybe that is why they won!

9. Bolt. Beaten by Gatlin, the multiple drug cheat. The crowd hated him and the International Athletics Federation of Fools should not have had him on the track. A disgrace, but Bolt was not making excuses. he struggled most of the week. Mo Farah didn't though...what a drug free legend he is. Ten successive wins on a highly competitive world stage. Amazing.

Wrap - Storm Clouds

1. NRL. Let's give the comp to the Storm already. They have been outstanding again this year. What about Cameron Smith? 350 games and another 100 in him! He has set every longevity record in the game - NRL, Origin and Kangaroos. A true great of the game. Terrible displays by the Titans, Rabbits and Saints. Souths done for the year and the Dogs (although I suspect the Eels might struggle to beat them this week coming). Saints were awful losing unexpectedly to the Knights too. Eels a surprise and Manly soft. Manly are leaking a lot of points of late and have fallen in a heap. Broncos will not enjoy no McCullough for the rest of the season.

Whether the Eels can make the semis is another point. Moses looks slick and sensible. Kenny Edwards has unfortunately become a complete goose. Two or three seasons back Parramatta required ONE win to make the semis three weeks out - and failed. They now require two wins to seal it. Surely...

2. Cricket I. India have annihilated Sri Lanka. Kohli yet another ton. The work of Cheteshwar Pujara is amazing. He has chalked up yet another first innings ton. He has twelve tons from 49 tests at 52.18. His concentration is immense. He meditates at the crease and simply cannot be removed. Sheer talent.

3. Cricket II. The continued blitz of South Africa by England has continued. Jimmy Anderson is outstanding, but South Africa has been found out with the bat in hand. They have crumbled like the Australians do in England. Meanwhile England have the hippy hippy shakes with their top three bats. They simply cannot find a number 3.

4. Super Rugby. Has anyone any idea where this comp is at? Who won the semis? How poorly promoted are the semis. What a schemozzle! For the record the Lions play the crusaders in South Africa. A great reward for the Crusaders after NZ smashed all teams all year!

5. AFL. Hawthorn could do a lot of damage in the finals if they can get there. They have the absolute wood on the Swans. Play on a big field like the MCG and they win. Geelong are looking sharp. Adelaide need to pick things up away from home and were super lucky to draw v Collingwood after the siren. Western Bulldogs could surprise again from lower in the semi final mix.

6. Swimming World Championships. One world championship swimming medal for Emily Sehbohm - and no one else (?). What is going on in that sport?

7. Sport Rort. I get the distinct impression that in Australia, everyone in sport is trying too hard to be greedy in and around sport. (eg. Cricket, NRL, SANZAR....on it goes). At the local level, sports management and high performance hangers on are being funded heavily by parents. It starts at the junior level where rego fees are a joke. Everyone is trying to screw over the parent or the participant and accumulate funding for their opulent specialist coaches and directors of duds. Time for an absolute clear out.

8. How about this for an injury in sport? Baseball pitcher, Robbie Ray (AZ Diamondbacks) copped one this week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Kdm4BcZeJ8

Wrap - Narcissus Norman

1. British Open Golf. Speith is a genius. Down to earth, solid, seemingly a top bloke and a two time golf major winner. Maybe three? Compare him to another two time golf major winner in Greg Norman whose supplies of lakes and mirrors at an age makes him an avid fan of himself. Tremendous physique, but he is sadly and desperately out of touch. Very sad for a bloke who did so much in the game. Humility and judgement seem to have gone south. Extremely hard to like. Who posts a photo of themselves like this? Greg, you are fair dinkum kidding mate.

"Unable to leave the beauty of his reflection, Narcissus lost his will to live. He stared at his reflection until he died. Narcissus is the origin of the term narcissism, a fixation with oneself and one's physical appearance and/or public perception"

2. AFL. Adelaide look like they will smash most comers in 2017.  They have a clear break now. Their swarming defence is outstanding. They absolutely overwhelmed Geelong. Precision, but I worry about them in the wet. Essendon it must be said have really excelled after a bad drugs related year in 2016. GWS have hit the wall. They need to seriously regroup or they will not figure.

The rise of the Swans has been impressive. Kurt Tippett is finished. Earning a motza, but unable to crack it back into the team. Attitude. Great win by Richmond as well. Their terrible tide may be turning.

3. Cricket. This whole charade is a very, very boring joke. $200K for a Shield cricketer? That is a healthy earn for a zero crowd pulling player. The Ashes are probably under genuine threat, but these blokes are not putting their bodies on the line each week. Physicality is not taking a toll on their futures. They are very fortunate to be in an era of immense cricketing wealth. This summer may see the rise of the women's game instead. Fewer whingers, despite the World Cup exit.

4. NRL. How bad are the Bulldogs? Jackson, Morris x2, Klemmer, Hopoate, Reynolds, Mbye...surely they should win more than this. Stranded on 18 points and feeling like Parramatta fans. Des Hasler has stacked on the beef of late. Maybe they are all getting a little too indulged. Time for a clean out. Foran and Aaron Woods to come in? Not sure that will cure it. Watch Kasiano become an absolute powerhouse at Melbourne.

I noticed Cronulla have signed Aaron Gray from Souths. A talent. They may be worried re Dugan, but St George look like they may have made a very good decision. Widdop is possibly the best pivot in the comp at present. Cowboys doing really well without Thurston and Manly...an awful loss.

5. Parramatta keep winning ugly and are the only top eight team with a negative point differential. Good luck to them. They need the hard headed Beau Scott back on the run into the semis. The first bloke I would sign for them would be Simon Mannering from the Warriors. What a week in-week out champion he is in a dud team. Unfortunately, The Eels simply cannot beat a top four team - Storm, Roosters, Broncos or Sharks. It won't happen. The Storm are a mile in front in July...but September is when the sun shines.

6. NRL Referees. A weekly refereeing wrap surely is not too much to ask from the NRL. A published sheet to the papers - or an appearance by Tony Archer on NRL360 or similar. I wonder whether Tony Archer has counted more than five errors by referees in 2017 after their remarkable numbers in 2016? The first bloke sacked needs to be Ashley Clown. This business of

7. Brumbies. As the top ranked Australian team, they sunk to a dismal exit Friday night. A deserved thrashing for Australian rugby. They don't get much right rugby. Even their GPS Sydney heartland are giving the game the flick. Crusaders to win it again for mine.

8. Federer. Legend. Unbelievable finesse and power for a bloke of his age and experience. He must enjoy smashing the younger Tomic/ Kgyrios type brigade.

9. Origin. Blame Dugan and Ferguson? What about just applauding the greatest team since St George in the 1950/60 era. Phenomenal spirit and skill.