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.