The Wrap - The Great White Goldfish

1. The pictures of Greg Norman nude. All in a week when this two time major winner was crushed in terms of relevance with the sad passing of Peter Thomson (5 time major winner). Who thought that was a good idea other than Greg himself? A deluded narcissist who needs to temper his ego and get a grip on reality. An ageing fool.

 

2. The Robbie Farah re-signing back at the Tiger may have snuck under the radar for some...For most however they see him as a past legend who is on borrowed time. He is so much slower compared to Damien Cook.

 

3. Rugby. Australia v Ireland thrashed it out nicely, but we were just not good enough in the end. Nothing like a northern hemisphere ref to ruin a decent game.

 

4. Aussie cricketers. Terrible. The standard of bowling is park standard. The Big Bash League is a long way away. How bad is D’Arcy Short’s form? 47 not out tonight is a shock. The team chosen the other night was awful. Carey...Stoinis and Agar....batting 4-5-6. Not good enough when all your hopes rest on S. Marsh!

 

Can someone please identify what Tim Paine offers? He is a hell of a guy, but his batting is abominable. His gloves are solid, but skipper...really?

 

5. Origin II. Edge defence found out a little tonight by a willing QLD team. Klemmer strong.

 

Latrell Mitchell is going to be a huge human. Damien Cook is fast and a fixture there for a long time to come. Maloney...pressure player and a fantastic competitor. A five NRL club man...North Sydney Bears (juniors), Parramatta (Wenty) plus NRL with Storm, Warriors, Roosters, Sharks and now the Panthers. Goalkicking the difference!

 

Jimmy The Jet. Banished never to play again. I’ll disciplined goose.

The Fox was strong, but also terrible in defence too. He needs to sharpen up his defensive reads.

 

6. Brad Fittler. Great time to be launching your coaching career with no Smith, Thurston or Cronk in the opposition, but good luck to him. He backed in new guys, the unproven and took a successful punt.

 

7. Tonga v Samoa. There were ballboys in those anthems who could have run on!

8. Socceroos. Suddenly some big contracts may fall the way of some of the Aussies - especially if they can beat Peru! Peru are eliminated, so hopefully they turn it up and let us dominate!

 

The Wrap - Slate of Origin

1. Wallabies. Outgunned by the Irish 26-21. Too strong and these northern hemisphere teams love a penalty. There were 26 in the game! There is a reason they are recognised champions in Europe. The decider/ showdown commences. Meanwhile the All Blacks juggernaut just steams on v France. Outside of the combined Lions Team, have they lost a home test at night in the last five years? Hard to recall.

2. World Cup Soccer. Great to watch I must confess. Intensity in all games - especially the last twenty minutes. Deliberate free kicks need harsher punishment - a sin bin in soccer? Matt Ryan and Aaron Mooy were stand outs for mine. Hard to beat the arrogance of a soccer ref. Just hope the video doesn’t let them down at the key moment. The goalline technology is a good invention. How good is Ronaldo, C.? A hatrick to save his team was stunning, regardless of what you think of him. Minnows get bad ref decisions...that is how FIFA work. Accept it.

3. Australian Cricket. Fill it with West Australians or ex WA players.... Agar, Tye, S Marsh, Short, Stoinis, Richardson (with Bancroft, Cartwright and M. Marsh to come)...and watch us struggle. The obsession with all rounders is destroying the team, esp. when they go for 80+ runs anyhow! Jack of all, master of none.

4. AFL. Swans have morphed and suddenly have more pace. Cracking win v West Coast. They will need every ounce of speed when they get to the MCG again.  They genuinely struggle to compete with the incredible width it offers. Carlton simply awful. Richmond are firm flag favourites today after their number on Geelong. Hawthorn’s footsteps are never far away.

5. State of Origin. The clean slate that Fittler has brought in is refreshing. Great timing with the retirement of so many QLD legends. Regan Campbell-Gillard reminds me of a young Mark Geyer. Mad and powerful. You get the feeling this broken jaw won’t stop him playing Origin for long. Tariq Sims would be a similar replacement! St George have been decimated and will be tested over the next month. However, St George have a winner in James Graham...he leads and has more steel than most - and the Berries are about to punt Aaron Woods!!! Terrible recruitment. Recruit Raelene Castle and Ray Dib instead.

Talking of poor recruitment...had the Cowboys ended Thurston on top of his game, they would still have Ponga, who they treated poorly when he signed with the Henny Penny Knights. The Cowboys have been appalling this year. It's about to get worse with Michael Morgan out for the season too!

6. Parramatta. Poor, poor defence. Poor, poor attitudes. Wayne Bennett to Parramatta? Revealed here two weeks ago.

7. NRL. Lots of close games tells us the salary cap may just be working. Souths are mighty impressive. The Tigers and Raiders are entertaining sides, but lose too often. Manly horrible. Very few can win it. Broncos, Panthers, Storm, Dragons and Souths...that's it. Maybe the Roosters and Sharks too with more consistency. half way through and the sheep and the goats are well and truly separated.

8. US Open Golf at Shinnecock. Tough conditions. Scott got massacred...and was not alone. The arrogance of Mickelson is breathtaking. It was actually pretty smart as it would have cost him at least two shots had it rolled away....but nothing more in the USA for a favourite son like Phil. He should withdraw from the tournament. Disrespectful to the game. If they slow the course down as promised, Dustin Johnson should clean up and win.

Wrap - The Small Show v Rafa 's Jaffa

1. Cricket. Well they eventually got rid of James Sutherland at long last. His terrible handling of the Smith sandpaper affair was reprehensible. Allowing that media conference to progress was ridiculous. Pat Howard is surely next before the new summer commences. Ever since he arrived for 'high performance', it has gone backwards.

Replacement? Raelene Castle of course. No salary cap to worry about...no worries!

2. NRL. Cracking State of Origin crowd at the MCG last Wednesday. A superb spectacle. Funny how Melbourne always produce the goods despite the doomsdayers predicting empty seats. What a sports kicking city. I liked the look of the Blues... Cook and de Belin were superb. Not so many tatts and fools this year. It can only help.

An odd time when Parramatta win. How bad have the Cowboys being going? Paul Green must be on the move. Thurston is going in slow motion this year. An incredible decline from that side. Liking the work of Souths. Six wins in a row. Funny when you get rid of problem players, the team functions.

3. AFL - Swans. Still this team surprises. They are morphing into an excellent outfit with much better midfield speed. I still like the toughness of Geelong. Those Gold Coast Suns are a complete disgrace. They have never been worse... and that is saying something.

4. Nadal. Yet another French Open final and surely his 11th title is about to be won. This will never, ever be beaten. It is a superb record from one of the absolute greatest ever. 17th Grand Slam title? Federer has 20...and we all remember when Sampras was considered the legend of them all with 14!

5. Glenn Maxwell.  The Small Show. What a perpetual disappointment he has become. In the Most Disappointing IPL XI for this season and again is letting everyone down for Australia in England. He is loose and a waste. He needs to be dropped on his head by the selectors. Yet he will surprise occasionally. He is like Halley's Comet... a big deal every 75 years... Stoinis and Head have been the early standouts.

5A. England v Australia ODI Series. Best line of the year: "Hey Lyon is that sandpaper in your pocket?"...response? "No...just The Ashes".

6. Jeff Horn v Terence Crawford. A cracking battle, but Horn was out of his depth in so many respects. Crawford is quick on his feet!

7. Rugby v Ireland. An interesting thing is this world rugby. Both hemispheres play each other out of season and marvel at how wonderful they each are for half the year! A good win by the Wallabies knocking down the world #2. However, as always, they should win! The World Cup unites the challenge.

Ironically, amidst a forest of crap rules, one of the best rules in world sport is owned by rugby...the last play of the game when the game rolls on after the hooter. That is exciting! A shame the previous 80 minutes detract from it.

8. World Cup Soccer. This is an amazing tournament which is riveting, even if you don't love the game. The Aussies? If we win a game it would be a miracle.... here's hoping. Tough to get animated about the players in the game... all on big contracts that in the end propel them when the love of winning for one's country can fall apart. Looking forward to seeing how England might fall in a heap this time around again! Their love for their country and passion for their flag is not authentic sometimes. They need to lift.

Wrap - The Matter with Parramatta NRL

1. Parramattta. A broken bad record perhaps...but it has to be said and confronted...

Well the hits keep coming for Parramatta and Brad Arthur. Despite a grand year last year (over achievement), there is little to salvage from the 2018 trainwreck. All of the woefully ill disciplined 'dickhead' signings that Brad Arthur has overseen are starting to sizzle and burn.

Kenny Edwards running off down a street in Merrylands. Corey Norman on the drink and missing rehab (wasn't that Kieran Foran about this time a couple of years back?) and now seeking a release. Even today Kane Evans, another ill disciplined addition to the fold is accused of a racial slur when playing for the Wenty Magpies this weekend just gone. Ill disciplined blokes make bad decisions on the field and off it...and this club does not learn...Tim Smith, Chris Sandow...on it goes. Sign a clown and be disappointed in the colour of his pants? Fair dinkum.

The net is circling around Brad Arthur. For it was he who bought Jarryd Hayne and has overseen the return of the talented M4 biffer and road rager, and part time consorter, Junior Paulo as well. You've got the domestic violence accusations, rape accused players, consorters, cocaine addicts, ex crims, the NSW Police shadowboxer, reformed crims, gambling addicts, drink drivers, racial slurs, those who doctor urine samples for ASADA, on it goes...

Wayne Bennet is in the frame, make no mistake. They need discipline and Brad Arthur has shown himself incapable of insisting upon it and embedding it. A shame, because he is no doubt a decent man. He sadly has surrounded himself with those who have not learned how to be decent to all yet in their lives.

Losing to Newcastle 30-4? They have given up. A young new halfback is needed. Gutherson ran for 0 metres in the game!!!

2. NRL. Despite the good games, how boring is the NRL at origin time? The NSW Origin team was nearly as predicted last week. Not enough hard heads in the forwards for mine. Trent Merrin was needed. Don't like James Roberts and Mitchell in defence. Two other blokes with poor discipline. They do not win you games sorry, despite their pace.

3. AFL. Melbourne have surprised this year, while GWS have bounced back with a good win. The Swans just keep continuing to do enough with a minimum of fuss. West Coast sensational. Collingwood and North Melbourne are the surprise packets. The Gold Coast are abysmal.

4. Super 15. No defensive coaches needed in a 52-41 game between the Tahs and the Reds. Good to see the Rebels win v a NZ team (Blues) as well.

Did anyone see the rugby test Wales v South Africa in Washington DC? Stunning concept and a healthy crowd of 21K (by our lowly standards).

5. Shane Watson. What a superb innings to win the IPL for the Chennai SuperKings. Watson smashed 117 off 57 balls as Chennai cruised to 2-181 in 18.3 overs. He has always been so frustrating, but what a time and place to produce the goods. He will have rivers of gold for a long time to come! What a stage to excel upon!

6. Rafael Nadal is well on track for French Open #11. Can anyone fathom how fit and how brilliant you have to be to win 10 French Opens? He has 16 Grand Slam wins (23 finals and 7 losses). His record on clay at Roland Garros: 79 wins/ 2 losses. A great.

7. World Cup Soccer. Love this tournament despite the corruption and atrocious referees. Australia will go out in straight sets more than likely but who really cares? A great spectacle.