Wrap - Sin Bin Whim

1. NRL. Souths will be kicked hard by Canberra. What an advantage to have beaten Melbourne and get away from the Roosters/ Storm side of the draw. Great reward. Souths were pretty flat and Manly were marginally worse. Terrible sin binning of Trobjevic, but don't grab blokes in support I guess.


Melbourne were just too clinical for a Parramatta team that simply cannot defend in their own red zone. They put the ball in the in-goal time and time again and simply dominated possession. They were more desperate and know how to win. Parramatta make too many handling errors and basic poor tackling reads. Under pressure, the Parramatta decision-making was awful. The nerves and stupid kicks... the shoulder charges... the slow defensive line speed... Luck off Moses leg, the Fijian flyer, Vunivalu, was exceptional knocking the ball back in.


It was like the 2009 Grand Final. Shell shock and inadequate play under pressure by Parramatta. Their Grand Final was last week v the horses.


Sivo had a complete shocker. Did a shoulder charge, knocked into the winger not even looking at the ball, dropped the ball, took the ball when he should have let it go dead...scored a try in his own in goal. The naive newcomer Fijian player cannot wash any more after 22 tries. Parramatta's inability to take the line on in attack was pathetic really. Gutherson and Moses were the main offenders. Gutho's efforts from the back were woeful really. They got a little lucky but Parramatta deserved nothing else. The difference between blokes who make poker machines and blokes who use them.


2. The NRL Referees have lost the plot. Open palm slaps - fair dinkum. The Jake Trobjevic and Cameron Smith sin binnings were ridiculous. The NRL referees want to become the star of the show in finals time and have once again over reacted to the whole Storm v Canberra game. can't believe they dropped Ashley Clown... he'll be back.


The Souths fight under the posts...the Souths blokes are both fined and the Manly bloke who used the initial open palm gets off! Go figure.


Referees are best not seen - ever. That is the best ref. Bill Harrigan was good at this.


Three Parramatta players gone to HIA in three minutes. This is where replacements should be able to come into the game. Silliness.


It may be time for Todd Greenberg to step up - or out.


3. AFL. Richmond will be pretty impossible to beat at the MCG. The GWS stagefright (Parramatta) factor may become real (?). If it is dry, both teams have players who have so much speed. This needs to be observed by other clubs. Speed wins in the modern game. Note that Swans. GWS finally deliver on their promise and against the odds it must be said. Will be a cracker. A Grand Final in the middle of the day is such a better thing. We miss this in the NRL.


4. World Cup Rugby. Great stadium and awesome atmosphere. Ireland, NZ impressed and France/ Australia impressive in patches. However the game is far too slow for viewers these days. Some re-assessment of rules need to occur in rugby:


1. Time off when ball not in play. Eliminate the NFL approach which has crept in however. Laboured.
2. "Scrum clock" to enable scrums to be completed and done in a set amount of time - no more. Scrum resolved or penalty given.
3. Quick tap in rugby is excellent but it needs to happen more often.
4.  No stupid bombs/ kicks from the scrum by the fly half. Useless tactic.
5. Advantage is only for 10 seconds  - no longer.... then it is play on! It goes too long.
6. The 'play on' for the final play at the end of the game is excellent... but why not save a few more minutes across the game.
7. Replacements are made in the flow of the game - not to slow down the game when it is getting interesting or a a team is under pressure.
8. Get defenders back further at the breakdown.


5. Marsh Cup OD Cricket (Did Justin Langer name this?). Stoinis hits a six on the last ball of their innings to get a ton...and brings up Will Sutherland's ton as a bowler (1/102). This is a ridiculous tournament with super poor timing...Why are we playing it now? Young Nick Bertus from Castle Hill debuted for the Blues on the weekend making 69no. Great prospect.


**Must say that Matthew Wade produced in that final Ashes innings under pressure. I wonder whether his mouth pushes him out of contention. Surely Kurtis Patterson and Will Pucovski need to come in and Head needs to make runs.