Wrap - Pressure Points

1. Wallabies. A sign a team is in strife is when there are blokes stood down. The coach has lost the dressing room - and the carpark. How two experienced players thought it a good idea to bring people back to their room is beyond me. Relatives or not, dumb.

On the field, the second half capitulation has been an extraordinary feature of their recent demise. Errors and ill discipline abound. The worst ever Wallabies? Where are the changes at different levels? Raelene Castle is beginning to get a common reputation across codes for under performance.

2. Women’s T20 World Cup. Awesome achievement from these girls who are by far the best Australian team in world sport at present. Their names are becoming more familiar than Australian men’s cricket names. Their talent may just be better as well!


3. Australia v India in T20 Cricket. Not sure how we got a 1-0 lead, but with a second game washout, it will be nice not to lose a series for once. A drawn series is as close to a win as we will ever see.


4. Crowds. Isn't it appalling that the roar of the crowd followed Indian cricketers and their achievements in the T20 from the SCG? The Australian cricketers barely raised an eyebrow from the crowd. Are we that over our cricketers? Is it the "NRL or Wallaby Effect" where spoilt, over indulged players are not interested in the fans. Rather just themselves. In return, the fans can't give a tinker's cuss about the players.


4. NRL. Jarryd Hayne. Surely even he could not be that dumb, inappropriate...and offensive. Gunshots at a Kings Cross niteclub, dodgy folk who they hang around, inappropriate matters of all kind, accusations and allegations. Social media has taken care of another naive and out of touch person.


5. A League. Adelaide on fire. Melbourne City continue to disappoint. The standard is improving all the while. Sydney FC have been rolled by a Honda.


6. ManU are showing more patience than a child waiting for the Council Christmas visits with santa in the back of the truck. Coach must go ASAP, before Champions League hopes are dashed.


7. Newcastle Super Cars. A sensational looking track and plenty of thrills and spills. Scott McLaughlin the winner after a long season! Plenty of loyal supporters to the cause here.


8. Tennis. How about young Zverev in the tennis. Knocked over the big guns like Djokovic to win this week.

Wrap - All Over It Ringerdingding

1. Cricket. The Australian cricket team is clearly looking for a new opener. Alex Doolan seems set to get the job, but a miracle happened today at Manaka Oval in Canberra when both NSW openers - Daniel Hughes and Nick Larkin - both scored tons. Even the famous Moises got a ton this game. An outbreak of runs is new territory in Australian cricket. Yet Renshaw was a dud again. Labuschagne struggled and Mitchell Marsh too. Of course Shaun Marsh hit 70no and looks destined to stay in the team. Young Lehmann promises much and gets nothing. The star bowler of the country is Victoria's Chris Tremain. The trouble he faces is Starc-Cummins-Hazelwood-Lyons, but also that he gets too many wickets to be considered. We are more into promise these days.


2. Wallabies. A solid victory v the Italians. However no time for handstands...England awaits. The Irish beating the All Blacks was an outstanding achievement. It is remarkable that people celebrate the impossibility of such a feat as much as the feat itself.


3. Australian Open Golf. Great work by this Ancer. Four sub 70 rounds in the wind is some sort of achievement. Great strength and concentration.


4. Indian Cricket. They have arrived this week and it may not be an exaggeration to consider Kholi getting a ton in each test this time. Last time he missed out. These days that is real rare. Rockinghorse rare. A bit like a parent who is prepared to watch cricket every Saturday morning.


5. NRL. Good to see some change up at the Broncos. Josh Maguire is not that old to be letting go. No loyalty in this gig. I am seeing some strength heading to the North QLD Cowboys. Holmes as well apparently. What price Kevin Walters as their next coach?


Can anyone quite believe that Parramatta have a tight salary cap? Where is their money? Honestly, this ruling by Greenberg that back ended contracts are out is a fair ruling. Pay today's dollars and today's rates and stop the player manager influence in the game. Greed has become the game's greatest enemy.


6. Socceroos. A lucky 1-1 result v Korea and they were happy. Hard to see it as that great. These international friendly weekends get in the way of the best soccer worldwide - club level. And for what gain?


7. Usain Bolt. I noticed the Jamaican rugby league team are off to the World Cup of Rugby League. Will Usain play on the wing for them?


8. ATP Tennis Finals. Alexander Zverev will play Novak Djokovic for the title. Djokovic is a machine. He has won the last two Grand Slams and not looking like losing. He may beat Roger Federer's Grand Slam record one day in this rare run of form.
9. Horse Racing. The horse tip last week got up again...Ringerdingding!

Wrap - New Blood

1. Cricket. Great to see some youth step up in the Sheffield Shield/ Pura Milk Cup (Sangha and Edwards), but the standard is terrible as Ponting has said. Do they still have an Australian  Cricket Academy? The most exciting cricketer is Pope the SA leggie and what happens? He has to go to the Sydney Sixers to get a BBL gig! Too many old worn out voices and no modern thinking.


Are we trying to learn from India - or too proud? Where is Nick Bolleterri when you need him? IMG? There appears to be more interest in Sutherland v Randwick in the cricket than in the national team. Finally Pat Cummins is back. He has had more time off than Eric Grothe senior, Brett Papworth... Have we seen a tear away quick in recent living memory? No.


Sad to see Pat Howard sacked as High Performance Manager of Australian Cricket. How will we keep the standards up now?


The ODI looks like a crushing loss is in order early. Lynn and Short are very disappointing at International level...no runs!




2. Tennis. Young Alex de Minaur is doing really well on the ATP circuit. He has just been voted ATP World Tour New Comer Of The Year. Great accolage for a young man on the up. Who was Kygrios? What about Nadal...the fairest and Federer was voted the fan favourite for the sixteenth successive year.


3. F1. Lewis Hamilton is world champion once again and now they want to tinker with the season again and try and get 25 races in. Too many. Corporate sporting greed knows no bounds.


4. Wallabies v Wales. We always promise a lot. I really feel for Michael Hooper. He tries so hard every week and looks like he has run into a bus. Yet they lose repeatedly. An outside back or two of quality for the Wallabies would be a nice change.


Would Tim Mannah or Michael Cheika have the worst win/loss record in world sport?


5. NRL Coaching Merry Go Round. Des will be too cranky. Maguire too intense. Bennet too old and Seibold too inexperienced. Cleary has a shocking record as a coach really ,so he could be the worst of the lot. Not sure that being coached by your dad is the best thing in life...think Jelena Dokic, Mary Pierce, Tony Mundine... break the umbilical cord please and stand on your own.


Trent Barrett could just about have ended his coaching career in Australia with his antics. He has not been smart. But Jason Taylor still gets work (and premierships) so there may be hope yet!


6. AFL and League. Just about now the Integrity Commissioner starts sharpening the pencil and filing all contracts in alphabetical order with some red tabs on the known fools out there. I noticed that Parramatta are slowly getting the message...Jennings, Mahu, Hayne all about to exit. If dopey Brad Arthur brings in more ex-criminals and drug accused, he needs to be marched over to the Parramatta Weir and thrown in head first. Clean up the place and publish the report for transparency to the members of the joint.


7. A-League. The excitement of former years seems to be dulled with each successive year. No big names and an average standard. Possession is yielded and surrendered far too easily. Who is improving the standard of the game? How? Big crowds should adorn the game in Australia. Thankfully Graham Arnold has the national team. Gee we are missing Ange Postacoglou.

8. Horse racing. Hopefully The Wrap's Melbourne Cup tip last Sunday of Cross Counter was seized upon. It paid handsomely. Re-read it. Great run from the back of the field.


Really liked the run of Trap For Fools leading from start to finish in the LS Mackinnon Stakes on Saturday. Paid $26.00 for the win. Sweet rewards! Keep an eye on Belflyer as well. A Cracking horse from the bush who won the recent Kosiuscko. It had a great win on the Sunshine Coast on Saturday, paying $4-$5. Redzel ran a disappointing fifth in the VRC Sprint. Two to watch: Top Prospect and Order of Command. Roughie: Snitch. Black book the lot of them. Jaameh and Ringerdingding too!


This big lump of a horse - Sexy Eyes - is a strong thing too. Another thing called Brax nailed them on the Sunshine Coast too.

Wrap - Punting Hang Time

1. Australian Cricket. By the end of the summer there may well be no one left watching this lot. There is such a distance between all elements of our cricket compared to others that it is laughable. Lots of big mouths with poor techniques.


Lots of rhetoric and reports, but not much has changed. We seemingly want a team of cleanskins who can chant slogans to each other. Justin Langer may end up with a Thesaurus where the sun don't shine if he is not careful.


The effort v South Africa was pathetic really. Channel 9 may have made the best business decision since Allan Bond bought it off KP all those years ago. The Big Bash will out rate the international forms.


2. Shield. Cannot see anyone other than Tom Cooper, Jake Lehmann, Peter Handscomb scoring runs regularly in Shield. If ever there was a time to do it... Australian cricket jersies are being raffled at present.


Has Darcy Short scored over 20 since the Big Bash? He is in world class horrible form. More ducks than the great Graeeeeemmmme Wood.


3. Jarryd Hayne. Would there be a reason Parramatta can't make a decision to end him? With that one should go a few others. Interested to see Brooks being pedalled to other clubs too. Is he poisonous? Norman is gone... others?


4. Western Sydney Wanderers. That crowd is frenzied but also ridiculous too. They need a reality check. Loud is different to loud and obnoxious.


5. EPL. Newcastle finally crack a win and Liverpool look the goods in 2018. They have a hard edge that will be hard to toss in the tough games.


6. Melbourne Cup. WhoShotTheBarman must be the oldest horse still running. Has a great Melbourne Cup record but not in great nick at present. I like Finche and Cross Counter. Good punting!


Best run of the weekend - Divine Quality.