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.