Wrap - The Bling Thing

1. Cricket. Jimmy Anderson picks up Test wicket number 600. An awesome achievement as the first fast bowler to hit that mark. Unbelievable talent and longevity. Broad has just brought up his 500th wicket too. Two legends and two of the best ever in the same team. Like Warne and McGrath. England will stammer when they are both gone, but not yet. Two series wins back to back for them and they are rocketing up the world ranking charts! They are stirring for one more crack at us on their seaming decks. We are in for some trouble unless we can unearth some decent batting prospects.

2. NRL. St George were woeful, but the Titans and Warriors are fighting back. Nice to see their changes and the demise of the Broncos. Too many whingers and complainers and they need a shake up.

3. Panthers. They were amazing for their eleventh win in a row. Liam Martin is a future Origin player.  Tough. They were so aggressive in defence attacking the Wigers’ runners. They look like they are GF bound. They have pace and passion. Ready to pounce. Joey Leilua once again makes a dunce of himself. Unlike Parramatta who were exposed expertly by Bennett's masterplan. A comprehensive thumping that underlines their greatest flaw...lack of pace and size in their five eight/ centre position. Compare that to Penrith. No contest.

4. Loss of Seibold. Not a pleasant club with stupid ‘cancer’ comments by an owner. Anthony seems to be chasing social media like his next win and spending a lot of his money in so doing. He needs to move on. Bennett will be back there soon, but surely they also need to uncover fresh territory in the coaching ranks.

5. Lionel Messi. What a great signing he would be for the EPL. 2 million a week is great COVID-19 coin! Manchester City will be winning the EPL if that happens.

6. Arsenal. They keep winning all silverware except the one that matters. The Community Shield is theirs again. An amazing club, but under performance personified.

7. A League. Sydney FC surely win the silver dunny seat. Dominant all year but a bad run in to the finals. An incredibly successful club. The end of the world’s longest competition!

8. AFL. Port, Geelong and Brisbane are all in the frame for the flag. GWS also showed flair at long last. Richmond are never far away either. Toby Greene has talent, but needs more smarts. Forever caught up in dramas. I suspect he needs to be told to grow up and pull his head in. Not sure if the current coach, Leon Cameron, strikes me as the man to do that.

9. Melbourne Cup. Former Melbourne Cup winning horse, Subzero, goooone! A great horse. Not many grey horses win the thing.

10. Baseball. Sydney Bluesox baseball sign the great Manny Ramirez (ex- Red Sox in his mid 40s!). Hard to know what role he’ll play, but I know my son will be trying to learn everything from him! There may be a dispute for work at first base, but that will last all of about one second. He is a baseball legend! An amazing signing for little old Australia. We'll wait to see what entourage and bling arrives. It could be a publicity myth yet.

11. Tim Tszyu. Too quick and powerful. Horn was caught counting cash too early. Under done. He is finished, but has been a great statesman for the sport. When Bob Arum calls you great, he too is counting wads of it. An interesting game the fight game. Where is Don King these days? 89 years young they tell me.

Wrap - Losers Have Meetings

1. NRL. Five more rounds to go and some teams are dusted already. The Tigers and Manly have almost given it all away now. Crushing losses both and really bad defence. The Panthers (almost perfectly injury free) are striding ahead but are 15 points ahead of the Tigers, Manly and St George! The Tigers need a complete clean out - Mbye, Marshall, Lawrence, Packer... get rid of the whinging goose element too. 

Warriors are doing well in tough circumstances. Coach Todd Payten ticking boxes everywhere.

2. English Test Cricket. Great batting from Jos Buttler and 22 year old (!) Zak Crawley (267) for England v Pakistan. Pakistan can fall in a heap like very few other teams...such talent unrealised. The wretched English weather has played havoc. Growing up, the first time I can remember seeing sunlight over there in England was on the Mark Taylor Ashes massacre all those years ago. If you bat in the overcast conditions, you pay a heavy price.

Look for a Stuart Broad-James Anderson special end to the series in the Third Test. Jimmy Anderson was in unplayable fine form. Could be over very soon.

3. Australian Cricket. There is something remarkably boring about an Australian ODI Team going in a chartered jet to England to play. Please. Who cares? The only reason they are playing is that the Cricket Australia people have ruined the game and its resource base. Not sure that cricketers are the top of any one's care list. Meaningless tournaments overseas by overpaid whingers appeals to very few. Amazing how sportstars get the green light to travel overseas when Joe Average needs to stay at home.

4. Cameron Smith. Plenty want to tell him what to do. I think Cameron can decide that... even if he needs to do it soon. Fair enough that those other players want to move on too, if he stays. Both Brandon Smith and Harry Grant are exemplary players. The Brandon Smith jaw break is bad.

5. Losing Coaches. Interesting how losing coaches whinge and whine about dives/ mock crusher tackles, etc. Winning coaches never seem to see this stuff. 'Losers have meetings and winners have parties!'.

6. NRL - Manly. Talk about imbalance in their salary cap. DCE, 2 x Trobejvics, Dylan Walker, Tapou...cap gone. A few injuries and so is their season. Their defence has rarely been so bad. Souths were slick.

7. Swans. Their current style of footy is so bad (lucky crowds are not required at present or they would truly have COVID crowds!). I am sure Buddy Franklin (remember him?) will never want to come back. They are appalling. As soon as the weather arrives, it goes down three levels again. Rebuilding phases of club need to be pretty quick these days, otherwise the end of player and coach contracts are quicker.

8. Tim Tszyu v Jeff Horn bout. A cracking one ahead. Tszyu talks a big game. Noticed the big Russian boxer has a nice uppercut. Jeff Horn can do damage if you are slow.

9. Seibold Forensics. Not sure who goes to jail first? It seems like it might be busy at the courts around this one. He is under a lot of pressure and this is cruel. Society has had enough of this nonsense (a bit like the road rage phase).

10. Bronson Xerri. That B sample should be arriving any day now...

Wrap - Going Bunkers

 1. NRL Coaches. Souths are really struggling (yet keep winning) and Bennett seems as though he should join the coach exodus - Dean Pay, Paul McGregor, Steve Kearney and Paul Green. Interesting to see Michael Morgan return when the coach was sent packing. A tough gig. The Seibold nonsense stories don't make it any easier (Who thinks this ridiculous stuff up to attack a coach? Very sad), but it is a winning game the coaching game. Very few coaches have won greater than 50% of their games! 

Hard to know why Kevin Walters has not been ushered into a coaching role. He must have out priced himself or he is on the nose with management.

2. Bites. The dumbest thing about the Kevin Proctor biting matter was that he was not wearing a mouthguard. He may be found to be 'reckless' by the judiciary on this count alone! Must know a good dentist.

3. NRL - Parramatta. Shocking loss v St George. Their forward strength has improved, but they still lack strike power in the backline. The team needs to be more astute at the pressure moments. They lack brilliance. Israel Folau may be an option? The lack of sheer pace in some teams holds them back. 

Manly have become soft too which is staggering really after years of being the toughest of all. I suspect salary cap imbalance (Trobjevics x 2, DCE) has a price. Newcastle keep rising, without impressing.

4. England - Cricket. Stuart Broad is already at 510 Test wickets and surging forward. A great chase by the Poms in the First Test v Pakistan. There is no team like Pakistan to let you off the hook. When they ever return to the top of the tree it will be when they can get a few mentally tough players again.

A day or two of no cricket in the latest Test will get the illegal bookies anxious. Collapse?

5. NRL Team Songs. Noticing a lot of dressing room fist pumping/ group dancing in the NRL post game in victories. Surely that is not to the traditional team song. 'Glory , glory to South Sydney...' and 'Click go the shears...' or 'The red white and bloosters..' should become legend like the AFL do so well (less the sexual touching nonsense - juvenile fools all).

6. NRL State of Origin. The selected NSW and Queensland teams may be like the Prime Minister's XIII team they send to Papau New Guinea, by the time the season ends. The injury toll keeps mounting and it will be a test of roster depth. The form of Wighton and Cook is most alarming. There is no one troubling Melbourne on current form. Melbourne will do a number on Parramatta next week too.

7. NRL Rules. Scrums are a farce... knock backs are a thing of the past and one challenge is needed in each half. A review is needed.

8. NRL Bunker - Jarrod Maxwell. What a cracking bunker voice he has! Big brother! This bunker voice is more popular than Tevita Pangai-Junior.

9. AFL. The effort of GWS is appalling. So inconsistent and lazy. To lose to the Swans this year is awful. Geelong are storming back into contention for the flag. Port have been great but are struggling a bit more now. It is a long season! Brisbane were fortunate, but they have won! St Kilds may finally be turning a corner too.

10. US PGA Golf. Collin Morikawa's win was pretty special last weekend. Jason Day did well but not enough. A future star perhaps...but how hard is it to string together greatness in golf? Sergio...Rose.. Retief ...Rory...Speith...all have had the tag of the next great thing in golf. They certainly have had their moments, but to win over a long period of time is tough. IBF, John Daly, David Duval and Vijay have all had the wheels fall off at different times... Nick Faldo (6) is the most major winners in our lifetimes outside of Tiger Woods (15). A tough craft. Koepka blew it and needs to watch his mouth is respectful.

11. Waratahs. What? Two wins in a row. Another win in the next fortnight and they make finals... hard to believe but the loss v Rebels will be costly. Bonus points will be critical.

12. US Open Tennis. Starts 31 August. Of course Novak Djokovic (17 Grand Slams) is attending and should pick up a cheap major here in the absence of Rafa (19 Grand Slams/ carry over champion). No Wawrinka (3 Grand Slams) or Federer (20 Grand Slams) either. 

13. Football. Barca thrashed 8-2 by Bayern Munich. Incredible. Messi may be on the move to the EPL. That would make it the star league in Europe for sure. In our parts, Sydney FC may deserve the 'dunny seat' trophy the way they have been playing the past couple of weeks!

Wrap - Fools Paradise

1. NRL Fools. Occassionally we hear the statement that "he doesn't tolerate fools". I am still waiting to find someone who does tolerate fools. Peter V'landys needs to come down hard on these fools.

Alan Langer (trainer no brainer), Pangai-Junior (bikie club links), Paul Vaughan (dumb prop), Wayne Bennett (King Lear clone)... are all fools. No one is under any illusions in "the bubble" re behaviour for all NRL players and officials. They all know what is expected. Talk about selfishness and self centredness. The game will fall in a heap if these idiots are let loose. It didn't take that long. Bennett should retire and disappear so he can go to a cafe every day he wants then. Then there was also a junior match stabbing or two today. Great look for the game this weekend!

2. Ivan Cleary. He has done some stupid things in recent times ... breaking the salary at Tigers, blowing kisses, now comments re refs that Canberra were being "managed back into the game". Is this why Gus sent him packing? Panthers are killing it without any help from the refs. He needs to get on with winning. 

The Eels had a tight win, but hardly impressive. The hands of Ferguson are a worry. Under pressure he struggles. Blake in the centres is a nightmare too. They need a better centre who is devastating. They are harder to find than an ASADA B-Sample.

3. Tigers. Woeful. Hopeless. Adam Doueihi can cry for Lebanon, but his form has still been woeful. Thumped again. Bottom line is they are dreadful - especially Benji's defence sadly. They are flat and Michael Maguire is on thin ice. They need an absolute clean out at that place, starting with Benji and Chris Lawrence... old world and time to move on.

4. AFL Injuries. Fancy hitting an opponent's injury on the field. Fancy putting strapping around the injury - without the usual decoy strapping on the same limb in a 'healthy' part of the body? The grubbiness of the AFL is being exposed badly in the COVID-19 times. Their image is suffering. Not sure if playing every night of the week helps either.

5. AFL Groping each other in the dressing room. Are they for real? Richmond AFL Club grabbing crotches, poking butts... honestly. Save the nonsense and play better. What an embarrassment. Especially when a younger and newer African player is targeted. Fines? Sackings? Or just counselling? Amazing how apologies only arise when the media get hold of it all.

6. Nathan Brown to Warriors. Not sure of this one, but good luck to him and them. Gus Gould will help, until they get sick of each other. The signings they have earmarked are not great...Adam Elliot, Euan Aiken, Jack de Belin and some English player...That is not going to win a comp for you. Roger Tuivasa-Shek has been limited this year, but he and Ken Mamalo and Tohu Harris are very good. They need leadership.

7. USA PGA Gold Championships. Brooks Koepka looks poised to strike. Bryson DeChambeau hits it off the tee that hard, the club head drops off...never had that issue. Dustin Johnson will go close too.

8. Waratahs beating the Reds. Surely not...their biggest win ever? I hope the ASADA people were there. Remarkable, but how the Reds have folded. Brad Thorn has simply not gotten this team right.

9. Horse racing. Some new exciting types are coming back from the paddock for the spring. From last week, Brooklyn Hustle is a sensational horse!

10. England Cricket v Pakistan. A fourth innings chase for victory is very difficult and extremely rare. The Poms, thanks to Buttler and Woakes got there... not without panic! A great effort.

Wrap - The Best of Times

1. NRL. Great to see players socialising post game..praying, back slapping...Maybe it is a COVID-19 thing, but the affection has never been stronger amongst players. All a bit public, but it presents a very good image of the game. Not very many hard body contact sports do that.

Very impressed seeing Blake Ferguson holding up a teammate (Ryan Matterson) last week after that concussion hit against the Tigers last week. Players waving to medical staff to support injured players is becoming very, very commonplace. Have we ever seen a year like it for injuries? There seems more care in the game..balancing out the goose element perhaps...

2. Indigenous Round. Aboriginal players have a huge representation in the code. It is an amazing strike rate of success and try scoring. Tough and athletic. A lot of clubs have seen great Aboriginal players excel through their doors...Beetson, Renouf, McGrady, Lyons, Blacklock, Mundine, Ferguson, Nagas, Meninga, Daley... on it goes.

The Panthers were pretty special on Saturday night. Travelling largely injury free and have got a great mix of youth and experience. Cleary is played well, but he needs to run to the line. This distinguishes the great half backs from the rest. Compare him to, of all players, Keiran Foran (he of the salary reduction and the small sympathy), who takes the line on all the time. A lot of hits are taken, but it gets the defence back pedaling and really guessing. Kikau is awesome.

3. Parramatta. All those fans looking to get tickets for the Grand Final need to think again. The forwards are tough enough and spirited (Campbell-Gillard, Paulo, Brown, Nicuoro, Evans, Matterson), but they have attacking problems, despite the wallpapering of some of this. They lack a centre who is truly damaging...Bradman best style. Jennings and Blake are fair, but the defense of Blake is woeful sometimes. Their wingers are solid, but Ferguson can't buy a try. Dylan Brown needs more space and looms as the ace in the pack if he gets it right. Not sure if he is big enough yet. Still time, but centre strike power is hard to find.

4. Origin. Having said that, Campbell-Gillard will be there on current form, Reed Mahoney too. I think NSW will pick Junior Paulo in their Origin team as well. His footwork and hands for a big guy are amazing. He actually plays first receiver sometimes he is that good. He is tough and mobile and defensively strong too. His offloads are golden and what's more, he is finally fit.

5. Cricket. How can they be so incompetent? Fancy thinking of cancelling the Shield. It is not about crowds. Cricket Australia killed crowds long ago at the Shield as they got greedy with their scheduling. The golden goose may be cooked. This is not helping the game's image post 'sandpaper gate' when everyone thought the big headed arrogance was eliminated. The administration is proving quite lost.

6. SBW. We will love having SBW back in the comp. He is a media superstar, but says very little. It will bring lots more stories in the paper and lots of wins for the Roosters. The Bulldogs think they are getting him...please.

7. Swans. Crushed. Re-building, but is "re-building" an excuse for poor planning and poor recruitment? St Kilda are returning to some happier times. Zak Jones will be glad he put the transfer papers in! Really liking Port Adelaide and Brisbane. Geelong had a terrible loss to West Coast. What is wrong with that team? They seem to lack purpose and resolve every year when the whips are cracking. They need more leadership on the field. Recruiters forget to recruit leaders. How many codes do you see it in? Then the talent doesn't shine.

8. Rugby. Super Star Rugby (Super 10, Super 12, Super 4?). Some tight results for the purists this weekend, but the crowds and viewing audience must be very limited these days. Do we have brave enough administrators to make changes locally to our product? Or will it just perish and be shown on Channel 2 only once a week?

9. FA Cup. Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1. A great win, but Arsenal have a good record in cups and comps that never seem to count that much. The Premier League and Champions Leagues are a struggle of late. 2003-4 was the last Premier League victory. In FA Cup finals, they have the most appearances (21) and have also won the most at 14!

10. A League. Hard to see the end...when are the semis? The season needs to be streamlined.

11. Nick Kyrgios writing letters to other players and announcing how selfish others are in COVID-19? He may have a point, but didn't Nick himself act selfishly so many times too in his tantrums and behaviours? He seems to be taking the high, hilltop moral high ground here now and well done to him, but it wears a bit thin. These players (Djokovic, Zverev, et al) are not blameless, but they will all make mistakes...like Nick.

12. Hugh Bowman. He knew he was gone and did not even book any rides for this weekend just gone. He has apologised, but still remains extremely lucky with just six weeks punishment! The owners meanwhile have no horse. The jockey has incredible scars and serious injuries.