Wrap - Back In The Pouch

1. NRL Media. How they love a story of 'rags to riches'. Nearly every story post Grand Final is the same in essence. Sounded like the whole Roosters team had been to the Somme at one stage. It is a game and they won with more talent and remarkable courage. Full stop. Nice to see Keary get a start ahead of Munster. Unfortunately, it sounds like Munster has a few demons to settle and control which is terrible for the young bloke. The GF was not good for him.

2. Joey Johns. Is Joey always fully there? He jumps from club to club and then utters the silliest of comments regularly. Calling for Melbourne to shake up their club and warning they will come back to the field, is a nonsense. The club is too smart for Joey. They have succession planning down to an art form.

Brodie Croft, Curtis Scott, Joe Stimson, Christian Welch, Brandon Smith, Jahrome Hughes, Nelson Asofa Solomona... no one had heard of any of these blokes up until 2018 and they have all played a Grand Final. Extraordinary. Sure they will miss brilliance of individuals, but they are in safe hands and at least ten clubs would trade all of their roster for the set up at Melbourne. It is still strong.

3. Greg Inglis. He himself claimed it had nothing to do with earlier mental health issues, but the newspapers tread necessarily lightly in this space. He clearly has taken a heavy hit for his behaviour, losing the captaincy so publicly, but how does this get announced first if communication channels are as they should be? Typical amateurism by the code. He could have been spared the embarrassment.

4. Virat Kohli. Perhaps one of the most disliked characters in world cricket this side of Mumbai, but how talented and prolific? Another ton v the West Indies this week. He has played 72 Tests only and with an average of 54 has scored 24 test tons the same as Greg Chappell already (who was phenomenal in his 87 tests). Border hit 27 Test tons in 156 tests by way of comparison! He is destined to be the greatest of all time at this rate.

5. Australian Cricket. Ian Chappell is right. Tim Paine is seemingly not strong enough to keep Justin Langer at arms length as coach. Paine has not got enough form himself to be really confident in the position. Relying on the Marsh brothers, Khawaja on spinning decks, Travis Head and Aaron Finch who can be up and down in the longer format of the game.... there will be changes if it goes south. Marnus Labuschagne in the Australian team? We all wish him well, but how unfair at this point of his career. It brings back memories of Julian Weiner.

Can you believe the nonsense idea of putting plastic bottles down on the pitch to help the Aussies play spin bowling? Ridiculous. Up there with the plastic chair idea in India. By the way, whatever happened to that method of controlling dog faeces in the local neighbourhood with a few plastic bottles full of water?

6. Manchester United. This once proud club needs an overhaul despite its gritty win v Newcastle. They need some old fashioned steel and flair. I would not be surprised to see Alex Ferguson return for a year to set them right after the misery of Jose Mourinho subsides and passes. No shortage of ex players who enjoyed amazing success at the club, ready for a comment or two...or three on the current disaster.

7. Wallabies. Some sort of second half to secure the win, but the Argies should hang their heads for their appalling defence. Cheika needed to wake a few up at halftime. They have been a rabble for too long. Over paid and lacking hunger for the jersey essentially. They get out of jail, but so much more work on attitude is needed.

8. Conor McGregor - UFC. His bout v Khabib was a cracker, but what a mug's game. It is brutal and stupid at the same time. The post match violence is a complete disgrace. Always amazing how McGregor never seems to get the full brunt of an attack - until this one. For all his showmanship and bravado, he is a master in this space and really amps it up for the crowd. A master entertainer, even if he is a fair bit to take for most. His earlier attack on the Khabib bus was outrageous. These blokes are lawless too. Not wanting to press charges continues to allow the poor behaviour. The Nevada licensing mob are usually pretty brutal themselves in this space.

9. Bathurst 1000 - Hardie Ferodo, Tooheys 1000, AMP 1000, FAI 1000, Bob Jane TMarts 1000 and Supercheap Auto 1000. You always know you've hit rock that tricky dearth in the range of annual Australian sporting events when Jamie Whincup and co start dominating the TV screens. However, good luck to them. The event has become iconic in the calendar and provides an ideal opportunity for all the rev heads to re-live their youth and celebrate in the rain. Holden too good. It is an iconic race of endurance. Lowndes seems to be ageless. He now has 7 wins (v Brock's 9 wins) and has had the most podium finishes of 14 ever!

10. AFL Draft Talk. This is becoming an annual kitbag of complicated nonsense with restricted and unrestricted trades, father and son rules and the like. It helps player prices, but really is a lot of rumour relying on the 'generosity' of clubs to accommodate players they really don't want. Having said that the Tigers recruiting Tom Lynch is a joke. How strong can one club become at the expense of another? The Gold Coast could well be the first AFL club to wind up as a failure.

11. Formula One. The efforts of Lewis Hamilton continue to amaze. Not quite in the Schumacher class just yet, but getting close. Four World Driver's Championships to Schumacher's seven...closing in on five in 2018 to equal Fangio in second spot. Awesome. Best we have seen since Eddie Cheever, Keke Rosberg, Jackie Stewart, Andrea de Cesaris, Rubens Barcichello, Jenson Button, Gerhard Berger, Martin Brundle or Nelson Piquet.