Wrap - Air Swings of Life

1. Australian Cricket. Justin Langer appointed coach.  One of the great sledgers and competitors. Maybe he will bring a new attitude that won't involve and dodgy tricks or ploys. I recall a trick Justin played in a test with knocking off bails in Sri Lanka that raised a few eyebrows. Hard to see our intensity lessening under Langer, but standby for the selection of Hilton Cartwright and a few others from WA....Shaun Marsh, our perennial under performing batsman will be delighted too. Both have not done a lot in England county cricket this summer either.

2. NRL. The strength of the Storm and the Roosters is starting to rise. What a pathetic effort from the Warriors who at home lost 32-0. They started well this year but it may have been a mirage. The Roosters’ forwards were strong. Big hits! The strength of Souths under their new coach is starting to bite. A great win v St George.

Cameron Smith is a legend, but there is a grubby underside to his play sometimes, including his work on destroying Kevin Proctor’s groin this weekend. He needs to be rubbed out for a few weeks to galvanise his respect for the game. Disappointing and unnecessary.

Clint Gutherson was meant to save Parramatta. His air swing to cost his team a win sums up their season. They have nothing as a team. Ageing players and no hard nose leadership. Recruitment of players who make poor decisions on and off the field never helps. Spiralling. Now Kenny Edwards is involved in yet another incident of ill discipline fleeing police on a suspended licence. The ill discipline just rolls on. Who do you recruit then? Paulo who has a chequered past too.

3. AFL. The Adelaide showdown. Both Adelaide AFL teams look red hot this year. The West Coast will be hard to toss and both Swans and Hawthorn look to be declining at the same rate. GWS need a rocket with their mediocre efforts proving very troubling. At least Carlton broke their duck.

Such is the strength of the AFL, every game is so intense and the crowds so big that each takes on a finals feel, no matter what position they are on the table.

4. Super Rugby. The Reds pathetic. Fancy letting the Japanese team put 50 on you. Rebels and Brumbies played in front of three dogs. The Tahs blew a 29-0 lead and lose 32-29. How can you do that? Foley’s boot didn’t help. Our losing streak v NZ teams just keeps growing. We are sliding away ever so slowly. They booted the Penrith Emus...who's next? The Waratahs?

5. F1. Riccardo in Spain is again too far back on the grid. He does this too often in qualifying. Meanwhile Lewis Hamilton surges on, pressing to be the best ever!

6. Tennis - Clay Season. Dominic Thiem from Austria looks sharp on clay, beating Nadal in a shock loss. No matter, Nadal will be hard to beat at Roland Garros.

7. New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. They are enjoying the greatest of seasons at present. Both have had record streaks and the intense rivalry is captivating! The best in the business right there.

8. EPL Relegation Race. The drop has almost been finalised - Stoke, a fast finishing West Brom and  Swansea (unless an unlikley ten goal disaster strikes). All others breathe a sigh of relief and start recruiting. The financial loss by being 'dropped' is immense. Very few recover within ten years!

9. Tiger Woods. Streaming up the leaderboard in the Players Championship at Sawgrass (love that name)...can he do it? It would have happened ten years back, but now (?). Playing with Speith will lift him on the homeward turn.