1. Ashes Miracle. No matter what way it turns today, there will be an Ashes miracle. A miracle that Australia with their poor batting and lack of application could retain them - or a miracle they could score so many fourth innings runs to win it. Ben Stokes is the man for it if they can do it. Hopefully Nathan Lyon will produce. He is the GOAT Australian off spinner, but he rarely rips through a team to drive us to victory. perhaps tonight is the night. We have had a fine history of not being able to win the tight one, so hopefully we can tonight...I think Botham/Border/ Thomson... Flintoff/ Brett Lee... can we win a tight one?
2. NRL. Manly seem to be getting better and better. Des Hasler has done a spectacular job this year. Their wins away at Melbourne and Canberra are tremendous. Canberra need to tighten up under pressure. Brainless Joey Leilua needs to be more composed under pressure. He put his team behind when they did not need it through his ill discipline and resulting 8 point try. Roosters and Storm both look commanding. There are not that many in it this year. Souths still look awful. Eels a bad loss this week.
3. Nathan Brown. Newcastle are an amateur show there in so many ways. Getting thumped this week is a bad sign. The clubs not in the semis are imploding... the Cowboys' coach and Morgan are bluing, the Titans are hopeless and Saints are no doubt looking for a coach like Flanagan with McGregor going south. McGregor's pre game chat was appalling. He has lost the dressing room and the carpark.
4. Richmond - now nine in a row. I suspect they will be unbeatable on the MCG if they stay there. So in control when on that field. Geelong are rallying...Collingwood a possible, but the Western Bulldogs could surprise.
5. Rugby. Sydney University win the Shute Shield and 67 players are selected for the Wallabies World Cup team. It is harder to miss out on that one and the newspapers just don't bother listing all the names any more.
6. EPL. A slow start and you are doomed. ManU look to be suffering this curse as Liverpool stride on.
7. PGA Golf. Rory, Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka are in line for the FedEx $15 million prize. Big dollars.
8. US Open Tennis. All getting underway this week again. Put your money on Djokovic and Serena for mine.
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Wrap - ICC Incompetence Yet Again - Near Death at Lords
1. Steve Smith. The efforts by Steve Smith confirm our worst fears. England can knock us over cheaply when the sun is not shining. If it was not for him, the Test could well be almost over, even allowing for two days missed through weather.
Like many, I was watching when he was dropped by the Archer delivery. I honestly thought he was dead - like Phil Hughes. The mandatory inclusion of side levers on helmets is a continuing disgrace following Phil Hughes' death so long ago. Uncomfortable? Awkward? Bad luck. Death is more uncomfortable. I have been banging on about this for years. That was a sickening blow live. Archer was generating some huge speed. Scary. Then Siddle comes out wearing the side levers. Go figure.
While we are at it, when is someone going to produce cricket gloves that withstand a cricket ball? Has the technology improved in the last 30 years?
The booing from the Lords crowd was disgraceful. Those Pommies wonder why Australians hate them so much in sport. Arrogant and pompous. We love thrashing them.
Jofra Archer was generating great pace after lunch on Day 4. Jimmy Anderson, as good as he is, was not really missed. Broad is amazing against Australia. He lifts and executes brilliantly. Smith was unflappable. Awesome leadership under immense pressure. The rest come and go far too quickly.
2. Wallabies. After a big week last week, the Wallabies were punished badly. Not having a Test win in NZ for 23 in a row is terrible. However 36-0 may have looked a bit harsh. Rarely do the ABs lose a game at home under lights. get them into the sunshine! We really never looked like winning. We have plenty of people believing, but it came crashing down after 20 minutes, if not before.
3. AFL. North Melbourne crushed Port Adelaide to do an 'All Blacks' on them. One week terrible, the next awesome. Both Adelaide sides have fallen in a heap. Collingwood storming home and the Lions are doing the business with Charlie Cameron on fire. Nine in a row for the Brisbane team whose pace and fight is killing the opposition. McCarthy's mark was awesome! Geelong have some worries heading into September. Richmond will be the team to beat. Geelong and the woeful GWS are too inconsistent.
The standard of footy is getting better and better as the weeks go by.
3. Cameron Bancroft. Great catch at short leg, but simply not sharp enough with his batting technique. He labours around trying to absorb the strike and see off the bowling, but fails when it matters. Broad has a field day against him. He potters, wafts at thin air like a golfer before teeing off on the first, and he has had more edges than a 50 cent coin. He puts incredible pressure on his batting partner. His steel has been tested and he has not risen to it. Warner has been a massive disappointment too after a splendid World Cup.Warner is in a world of pain...dropping catches reveals the inner mentality.
5. NRL. South Sydney are in a world of pain. They are looking worse and worse as the year unfolds. Sam Burgess was not himself (under threat of joining his brother in England I suspect), but Foran and Cogger were solid. Damien Cook is not running the ball enough. They are stopping his creativity and the same is true of Cody Walker. Bennett needs to lighten up or his season will crumble. Reynolds looks uncertain too.
Canberra made a stunning statement as Melbourne lost another one at home - but after having led 18-0. The scrutiny on the Storm tackling techniques on the ground are important for the game. Ben Cummins is woeful gifting Melbourne two sin bins.. even still Canberra bounced back to win. Papalli did the business. How many tries would he have scored as a junior footy. He is a big man.
Parramatta have stuck to the task well and face a stern test with the Bulldogs this week. The Bulldogs have had a great second half of the season.
The Sharks are struggling. Is Moylan worth the cash? Woods? Roosters on fire.
6. NRL. There are some heads that need to roll in that joint. The great cover up (not the deed) after giving Barbara Smith, Cameron Smith's wife a diamond ring; the inability to get the Match Review Committee's consistency right; the refusal to acknowledge James Graham's 400 top flight games and the concussion test fiasco. Peter Beattie makes it all a bit comical at times. What else?
7. Ash Barty. Still having to put up with being World Number 2. Hopefully she can lift in the chase to US Open glory. Not sure she is fast enough on that surface, but she will go close. Can we fine Kgyrios a million? Fool.
Sunday, August 11, 2019
Wrap - Reverse Swing Retires
1. Wallabies. Beauden Barrett. He still can write his own cheque to move to NRL. What a star he is. Kerevi strong. Nic White very sharp. O'Connor looks bigger and humbler. I liked To'omua at the end, but the game was done by then. The All Blacks were ordinary it must be said. Not having won a series since 2002, the Bledisloe decider at Eden Park will be great watching. 47-26 is a good result for Cheika. Can we have a daytime test v New Zealand? That is our best chance? Bring back old afternoon time rugby. Hooper is an amazing player. NZ cop a red card for a shoulder charge and Ponga almost puts Gutherson in the grandstand and cops nothing...
Can we get a ref who has some fitness? That ref from France had a gut. The northern hemisphere stooges love to try and sink our showpiece games.
2. NRL. Upsets. Warriors over Manly and Bulldogs over Tigers. Paul Momorovski had a shocker at the end with a goalkick you would have been embarrassed with down the park. Parramatta are winning and you can't argue with that, but they will need to work hard to beat the loss of Ma'u and Moreoa next year as well. Signing David Fifita would be huge. Alvaro and Gower will not win you a comp. Amazing when a half back takes the line on, how the team wins. Look at Croft at the Storm, understated, but the best in the business. The half back who stands and passes all game is not threatening the opposition and not driving the team forward. Look at Keary, Cronk, Munster..to the line and a really late pass. The cut out pass to the winger is the key play these days! Rushing up and in defence by wingers is extinguished with that tactic.
3. AFL Upsets Weekend. How awful were Essendon? 21 goals in a row for the Dogs at one point. 137 v 30 odd (and Essendon kick the game's first goal - their next one was with 4 minutes to go). Just tipped out the Gold Coast Suns who should be shipped out and closed down. Rodney Eade was laughed out of town way back, but he did best there. Geelong beat North 69-14 to confine them to their lowest score ever (one goal only). Hawthorn crushed GWS who are easily the most inconsistent team in the comp. Teams did not cope with the cold at all - or the snow. Geelong, Brisbane, Richmond and West Coast continue to dominate.
4. Ashes. Can Bancroft stay in the team? He should be banned for another year the way he batted in the first Test. He can't get a run and needs to lift big time. Bancroft is under a lot of pressure and should be punted if he can't produce. Harris is easily our best bat over the past twelve months and is very unlucky. Wouldn't be that Bancroft is a West Australian would it?
Great win by the Australians. Lyon three wickets shy of the great DK Lillee and only 31 years old. He could hit 500 wickets by the time he is done. Smith a superstar and captain in waiting. Smith has 25 Test tons (same as Kohli) and Ponting ended on 41. Smith has played 65 Tests, Ponting 168 Tests. Tim Paine is a great guy and gloveman, but we have never chosen fieldsmen as skippers. Score more runs!
5. Retired. The great Hashim Amla has retired. South Africa have a lot of rebuilding to do now. Faf du Plessis is 35 years old and AB de Villiers is gone. (I notice he still kills them in the County Cricket T20 blast.. and Darcy Short too).
6. Reverse Swing. Has anyone noticed that since the sandpaper scandal, there has hardly been a ball that has reversed in world cricket? I wonder what has happened... maybe those new Kookaburra and Duke balls... or would it be that illegal tactics have been stopped? I still think Starc and Hazelwood knew a lot more than they have ever revealed. Ironic that both were left out of the first Test? I wonder how the Pommy lolly supply is going?
7. The Quick NRL Tap. Is there anything other than poor fitness from referees that stops the quick tap? Or the right spot of paspalem to take it from? Open up the game please... This would smarten up the game, but instead they are not using the correct mark (please...). Refs need to speed up at the breakdowns and shut down arguments and captains questioning decisions. Yet to see a decision reversed this season! "Sure, you're right...let's reverse that penalty or overturn the bunker's hopeless work"...never happens - move on!
8. EPL. Back on as the world's longest and possibly most entertaining comp. Liverpool come colliding back into form and the top five clubs will thrash it our as usual - Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, ManU and Arsenal, perhaps Tottenham. The English crowds are awesome as usual. Very amusing seeing the second tier debutants go around. They need to learn quickly how the game is played at the highest level.
9. Who is the bigger galoot at present - Josh Maguire or Nick Kygrios? One grabs your eyes with his hands, the other makes you put your hands over your eyes and wonder what could have been.
Can we get a ref who has some fitness? That ref from France had a gut. The northern hemisphere stooges love to try and sink our showpiece games.
2. NRL. Upsets. Warriors over Manly and Bulldogs over Tigers. Paul Momorovski had a shocker at the end with a goalkick you would have been embarrassed with down the park. Parramatta are winning and you can't argue with that, but they will need to work hard to beat the loss of Ma'u and Moreoa next year as well. Signing David Fifita would be huge. Alvaro and Gower will not win you a comp. Amazing when a half back takes the line on, how the team wins. Look at Croft at the Storm, understated, but the best in the business. The half back who stands and passes all game is not threatening the opposition and not driving the team forward. Look at Keary, Cronk, Munster..to the line and a really late pass. The cut out pass to the winger is the key play these days! Rushing up and in defence by wingers is extinguished with that tactic.
3. AFL Upsets Weekend. How awful were Essendon? 21 goals in a row for the Dogs at one point. 137 v 30 odd (and Essendon kick the game's first goal - their next one was with 4 minutes to go). Just tipped out the Gold Coast Suns who should be shipped out and closed down. Rodney Eade was laughed out of town way back, but he did best there. Geelong beat North 69-14 to confine them to their lowest score ever (one goal only). Hawthorn crushed GWS who are easily the most inconsistent team in the comp. Teams did not cope with the cold at all - or the snow. Geelong, Brisbane, Richmond and West Coast continue to dominate.
4. Ashes. Can Bancroft stay in the team? He should be banned for another year the way he batted in the first Test. He can't get a run and needs to lift big time. Bancroft is under a lot of pressure and should be punted if he can't produce. Harris is easily our best bat over the past twelve months and is very unlucky. Wouldn't be that Bancroft is a West Australian would it?
Great win by the Australians. Lyon three wickets shy of the great DK Lillee and only 31 years old. He could hit 500 wickets by the time he is done. Smith a superstar and captain in waiting. Smith has 25 Test tons (same as Kohli) and Ponting ended on 41. Smith has played 65 Tests, Ponting 168 Tests. Tim Paine is a great guy and gloveman, but we have never chosen fieldsmen as skippers. Score more runs!
5. Retired. The great Hashim Amla has retired. South Africa have a lot of rebuilding to do now. Faf du Plessis is 35 years old and AB de Villiers is gone. (I notice he still kills them in the County Cricket T20 blast.. and Darcy Short too).
6. Reverse Swing. Has anyone noticed that since the sandpaper scandal, there has hardly been a ball that has reversed in world cricket? I wonder what has happened... maybe those new Kookaburra and Duke balls... or would it be that illegal tactics have been stopped? I still think Starc and Hazelwood knew a lot more than they have ever revealed. Ironic that both were left out of the first Test? I wonder how the Pommy lolly supply is going?
7. The Quick NRL Tap. Is there anything other than poor fitness from referees that stops the quick tap? Or the right spot of paspalem to take it from? Open up the game please... This would smarten up the game, but instead they are not using the correct mark (please...). Refs need to speed up at the breakdowns and shut down arguments and captains questioning decisions. Yet to see a decision reversed this season! "Sure, you're right...let's reverse that penalty or overturn the bunker's hopeless work"...never happens - move on!
8. EPL. Back on as the world's longest and possibly most entertaining comp. Liverpool come colliding back into form and the top five clubs will thrash it our as usual - Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, ManU and Arsenal, perhaps Tottenham. The English crowds are awesome as usual. Very amusing seeing the second tier debutants go around. They need to learn quickly how the game is played at the highest level.
9. Who is the bigger galoot at present - Josh Maguire or Nick Kygrios? One grabs your eyes with his hands, the other makes you put your hands over your eyes and wonder what could have been.
Sunday, August 4, 2019
Wrap - Overcoming Sandpaupers and Paine-staking Ashes
1. The Ashes. The pathetic softness by our batting was best revealed in the pre Test shootout between our batters. Most players got single figures in both teams. This then continued at Edgbaston in the first Test as well. Our openers with their sandpaper memories and the boos needed to did deep and really be patient. They were sloppy. Warner's form in England has never been great. He has never hit a ton there. He needs to knuckle down and get hectic. My worries re Bancroft's temperament have been founded. He needs to be rested already. Marcus Harris needs to enter the fray.
We also need to quietly remember that these are two teams not at the top of world Test cricket. England (4) v Australia (5).
The selectors are clearly overthinking things. Too much left hander/ right hander obsession. Is Greg Chappell still sniffing around or has he gone? Fancy not playing Starc and thinking that Rory Burns was a soft dismissal that would be easily achieved? Brad Haddin has said that the rest/ rotation policy needed to occur across the series (please...). Rory Burns batted all day and we had nothing - not even Carpet Burns. In fact, Cummins bowled around the wicket to him at one stage, inadvertently emphasising how silly the decision to omit Starc actually was. Sure, Hazelwood rarely gets big wicket hauls, but nor does Siddle. When Matthew Wade is needed to bowl it shows the error too.
The crowds were not strong in number really either. Small grounds. However the theatre and excitement when Steve Smith was in full flight was incredible. A great theatre for cricket at Edgbaston. Smith has been extraordinary and really it is time for Paine to exit quietly and let the real captain takeover. This batting was the quality of a batsman who knows how to lead. Paine meanwhile is painstaking - and his batting in complete ashes...
The crowd's rendition of "He's got sandpaper in his hands..." was very funny. They sing like no other nation those Pommies. However, how much do we love a pompous, arrogant Englishman who thinks their lolly rubbing on the ball and other tactics with zippers on the ball are all forgotten. They are a strange lot.
The efforts of the bowlers are worth congratulating, but Siddle still looks like a trundler. Lyon may be the key man. An Edgbaston Test can turn on its head at times.
2. NRL. Melbourne Storm should do the lap of honour now. No one gets close to them unless there is a major injury to Cameron Smith or someone else like Munster or Chambers. Brisbane, Warriors are finished. Penrith are too (pathetic loss to the Berries) and it looks like the Knights as well. Tigers are rallying and with the semi finals up for grabs, Parramatta. The eight looks like: Melbourne, Roosters, Souths, Raiders...Sea Eagles, Sharks, Tigers.. Eels? St George have a great roster but have been awful. Their coach is under immense pressure.
3. The Gold Coast. I have called for it to be banned for all sporting teams and nothing changes my mind. Thumped in every code. Justin Holbrook is crazy. A cash pit.
4. AFL. GWS again beat the Swans - and the Swans lose by less than a goal for the fourth or fifth time this season. Richmond march on. Geelong are weak...they need to switch on and start dominating or they will bow out early, despite the excellent start to the season. West Coast could do a Storm and sneak back to back titles!
5. Robbie Farah. Almost gone, but continues to mouth off. As a bloke with ability, his attitude has held him back a lot. He needs to become the world president of Lebanon Rugby League now. Oh and don't forget a beer on the scoreboard before you go...
6. Nathan Brown to Jesse Ramien..."I won't take it personally that you want a new club and are looking around without telling me. So don't take this personally... take your gear and go!". They say that Ramien may head to the Storm. He won't be getting the dollars he seeks there either. has talent however.
7. Tennis. Kgyrios winning in Washington, but can never exhibit enough discipline to win when the whips are cracking. Not getting anywhere near Federer, Djokovic or Nadal in the US Open. Will enjoy the seniors tour when he gets there.
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