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.