Wrap - Stripping Brains From Statues

1. Wallabies. Seventh in the world in rugby. Now that news shows how the game is struggling in our neck of the woods. Wallabies losing to Argentina is almost unbelievable. How Folau does not pass that ball is beyond me. Such selfishness in a player is hard to bear. Equally unbelievable that the Springboks can win in Wellington v the mighty All Blacks. It has been a while that they have lost under lights in New Zealand. It won't happen for a while to come now.


That ridiculous local competition in Australian provincial ball continues...60-41 results don't fill you with confidence that the game is being played with strong defence needed to move up the world rankings.


2. NRL. Great finals on the weekend with two one point games. Incredible that a team kicks three field goals in the modern era to win, but it probably tells us why Souths will struggle v the Roosters. They just seem unlikely to score. Reynolds was channelling the inner Eric Simms. Inglis needs to rise up more strongly. Typical league antics happening at present. Roosters v Storm for mine in the GF. The Sharks look busted and tired. Too many injuries.


Has anyone noticed what an advantage the Storm hold for semi finals having them at their home ground? If someone like the Sharks can knock them over at home it would be huge! Cameron Smith to go around again next year...amazing that he may play 400 first grade games. Write your own post career media ticket.


Is the rugby league toss one of the most stupid things in world sport?


3. Parramatta. Did anyone notice that TRex has been done for a drug offence again? No wonder he went to Parramatta. They tolerate this loser behaviour. Yet Blake Fergu-sin will be on the straight and narrow? Hardly. That club needs to strip out every ill disciplined fool on the roster and punt them. Play with young kids and stop cultivating a culture of adapting to the goose. Brad Arthur is still on shaky ground for mine. He has endorsed this ill discipline through his recruitment policy...Hayne, Auva'a, Evans, Junior Paulo. Looking forward to seeing a copy of their 2018 internal review.


4. NRL. When did the penalty goal make such a glorious return? Its popularity is helped by the fact there is no shot clock at these times. A time waster. Great to see the seven tackle rule when you kick the ball dead has really changed the game. Four one on one strips in the Saints v Souths game. Impressive stuff. No link whatsoever to the stripping in recent weeks by boof headed players.


5. AFL. The Giants die in the early stages of the semis again. This is getting too frequent for their talent on their roster. Collingwood may surprise, but Richmond will power on. They are too quick on the big MCG ground.


Major rule change in the game needs to be when the ball is kicked out on the full, it reverts to a free kick from where it was kicked! This would make the game quicker and challenging.


6. Cricket. The new domestic ODI series is underway. The JLT Cup (aka the McDonalds, Gillette, FAI, Mercantile Mutual, ING, Ford Ranger, Ryobi, Matador BBQ Cup). This has absolutely no bearing on anything, it is at a ridiculous time of the year and amounts to very little. Why does it exist? These sponsors know it too...


7. Lleyton Hewitt. Still playing Davis Cup tennis and winning. Incredible spirit and fight in the bloke. Cut to Kgyrios et al who have nothing like it. Millman, de Minaur are credible and gutsy however.