Wrap - Crowing and Coasting

1. NRL Grand Final. 21-6. It is hard to imagine a game of league when the Storm have made more mistakes with their hands. They were under pressure and got a terrible case of dropsy. Attacking defence won the day for the Roosters. However, the penalty rate from the Roosters provided the Storm with every opportunity. Munster has had a shocker. Two sin bins in one Grand Final is some sort of record! He needs to gather more composure under pressure as a young player. Kicking blokes in the head is never a good look. The effort of Cooper Cronk at a new club in the state he was in was pretty amazing. A broken scapula. Ouch!

The dynamic first half by the Roosters was scintillating! Never like to see a team shooting field goals with 20 minutes left. There’s a defensive mindset that can backfire.


Trent Robinson has done really well. Two Grand Final wins is rare for an NRL coach. Played one game for the Eels in 2002 and his renewed connection with Jason Taylor there has been brave, when no one wanted to know about Taylor at all.

2. Roosters now have 14 titles ever (since 2000, 3 titles, 4 runners up, 5 minor premierships). A remarkable effort and that is success. The Storm stay behind Parramatta (4) on 3 titles. The back to back winning of premierships is a tough gig! (How successful have the Storm been (3 premierships, 2 stripped, 3 minor premierships). 

3. AFL Grand Final. An amazing game from West Coast with the skinniest of leads in the end. Great comeback as an out of town playing group. Hopefully they won't self destruct like the Ben Cousins group all those years ago. Collingwood will continue to strengthen and Maguire’s support of Nathan Buckley when under fire for years has been amazing. Loyalty repaid.


4. Cricket. D’Arcy Short’s 23 sixes in his 250 in ODI was phenomenal. Outstanding talent, but Hurstville Oval!?

5. Ryder Cup Golf. Always a cracking competition. Huge crowds and sensational standards. The European team simply looked too good from the start, but the US had the names! The European home course is hard to crack for the US! Time to change the ‘in the hole’ call. Old and passé... put it in the ‘oi, oi, oi’ basket!

6. NFL. From New England way, the Patriots were under immense pressure in their 16 game season, with an unexpected 1-2 season start. Coach Bill Belichick, famous for his ‘do your job’ mantra for his team, absorbed this pressure and they bounced back 38-7 v the Miami Dolphins. An old salt!

7. MLB. The Boston Redsox also sitting at their most wins ever in a season (108). This is a 66% winning percentage, The best since 1912. Their run into the play offs has been really patchy however. Their policy of resting blokes is not helping. Their risk is playing against the Yankees in the second game of the playoffs without rhythm. Time will tell. Their bull pen is skinnier than most teams, but their hitting is exceptional.

8. ManU. Big troubles now and Jose will need to go very soon. Something needs to give!
9. Wallabies. Last for a reason. Awful. Cheika seems a bit clueless still. His time is ticking.