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...