Wrap - June Premiers

1. Masters 2019. What a great championships it is in every element. Tiger looks a hot chance, but Molinari seems flawless. Look for Brooks Koepka. A three time major winner and PGA Player of the Year last year. He is cool and calm and has a US Open or two and US PGA medal in the golf bag. Enjoy the theatre and the emotion. Bad weather seems to have established a new precedent, preventing the Monday late to work brigade across the country.


2. NRL. A few teams are starting to fall in a heap. Newcastle and Penrith in particular. The elusive eight wins (to beat last season) is not in danger at present from Parramatta. They will struggle again for depth and copped a complete shellacking last night. The Berries need to relocate on that form. Terrible. Two of Melbourne-Roosters-Souths will be in the Grand Final already.


3. NRL Rule Problem 1. Starting to see an area needing a complete overhaul in league. The kick receiver under a bomb needs protection, especially outside of their own ten metre zone. This 'kick and crash' tactic is weak. The bloke under the ball is highly vulnerable. The rule could simply be that if contact is made in a contested grab for the ball in the air, it is play on. If it is a one man grab, chasers need to give five metres. Simple.


4. NRL Rule Problem 2. That NFL rule for interfering with a kicker of the ball should be applied too: a defensive player commits a "roughing the kicker" foul if he (a) contacts the plant leg of the kicker while his kicking leg is still in the air; or (b) slides into or contacts the kicker when both of the kicker’s feet are on the ground. 


5. NRL Rule Problem 3. Is it time to give metreage penalties to offences? Serious foul play offences cost (automatic) further metres - then a kick for touch. It would be a fierce deterrent.


6. AFL. GWS are the June Premiers every year. They need to get beyond the hype and stay fit. Great win v Geelong. Essendon are surprising (Brisbane how bad after so much promise?) and the Gold Coast Suns may offer something more this year. West Coast look a mile in front for mine. Sydney need a re-build. A long way away.


7. EPL. Liverpool v Chelsea tonight will be critical for the title race. A win positions Liverpool nicely...a loss is unthinkable. Spurs and ManU thrashing it out for the top four spot with Man City and Arsenal.  Some teams have completely given up...Huddersfield are the worst.


8. Israel Folau. He must want a new career. Surely he has enough money now. Time to hang up the boots and relax. Enough controversy.


9. Super Rugby. A stumbling start to the year by the Australian teams... up and down inconsistency. Brad Thorne has not quite hit the success he earned as a player. Should have sought the Crusaders coaching gig instead. They will be premiers already again. So far in front.


10. NSW State of Origin. Jimmy the Jet and Latrell Mitchell do dopey things on the grog in the one week. When will they learn?


11. How good is Lewis Hamilton? Yet another win in the Chinese GP. Riccardo's sunglasses got caught in the Renault engine and it limped home seventh.