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.
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