Wrap - Grand Finale

1. NRL Grand Final. The rain makes it tough - and a long day before a 7.50pm kick off! (too late). The last wet GF was when Penrith won in 2003! However the weather was OK through the game...terrible on the way back to the car! Too many errors by the Panthers who did well to get so close. Quicker play the balls v the Storm are critical. Playing wide works, but turning the inside ball does not deceive anyone. The Panthers were overawed and panicked when they did not need to. The panic gets a lot of teams in trouble.

2. Clive Churchill Medal. Ryan Papenhuyzen has been incredible in 2020. Great pace and tough. How good are the Storm at recruiting...lose Smith pick up Harry Grant...lose Slater, pick up Paps...lose Cronk, pick up Jerome Hughes. The play to bat the ball back in from over the sideline was incredible by Papenhuyzen in the second half. Watch how George Jennings goes there and becomes a huge success next year.

3. Aftermath. Kikau is devastating, but he made too many errors. He and a few others at Penrith panicked. Their discipline was found wanting. Cleary scored a great solo try, perhaps one of the best in GF history, but too late. Top class. The pace of Melbourne wins however... the Fox, Vunivalu, Paps... it wins. Crichton was great in the closing stages. He has a great step, speed and size. He could be amazing in a few years time.

4. AFL Grand Final. Pretty good for not being at the MCG, despite the rain. Pitch invaders - idiot Queenslanders! Did I miss the 'Up There Cazaly' version this year or was it a victim of COVID? The AFL do a lot of clever things in their GF that the NRL miss out on. The half time at the NRL is a joke... egg and spoon races, potato sack races. Bring back the League Olympics with specific events that entertain!!! They don't have to cost a lot of dollars. Loved Sheppard. Great band choice which set a top standard. A great way to reinforce your talents to an absolutely massive audience as a band!

Is it time our advertisers in Australia started getting serious about Grand Final advertisements - like the Superbowl?

Not sure what to make of the shorter quarters in 2020. Not certain it makes the game better.

When will the rule change to take the ball back to the spot where a ball is kicked out on the full? That will make the game more exciting....no negative tactics.

5. Dustin Martin. What a champion! Had to laugh when Bruce said that "it was the first time he has ever failed on the football field" following a missed banana kick. Martin's upper body strength and mobility is pretty special. The start after half time was immense and Martin's four goal effort was incredible. The three time winner of the Norm Smith! 

81-50 was a smashing in the end really. To be able to win 2017, 2019 and 2020 premierships after the 11th, 13th and 15th placings of the early 2010s has been a remarkable transformation. That song 'Tiger Town' was on high rotation at the after match!

6. Norm Smith Medal. Thank goodness a typical NRL or Cricket Australia stuff up (submitting votes before half time, miscounts, loss votes, missing drunk judges, leaked outcomes) with MOTM votes did not occur and Dustin Martin received it. Leigh Matthews seemed to be struggling to do it right, but they got their man in the end. 

7. The Gabba. The field there in Brisbane is amazing. How dry was it after a million inches of rain? Not sold on the night Grand Final  however. Peter V'landys missed an opportunity this year to go back to the daytime in a special rescheduled year. I must say though, he did a good job this year. A few key changes. He needs to look at the NRL pre-game approach though. Reserve Grade games before the main game need to return and the players need to warm up somewhere else. They are a boring part of the modern game.

It reminds me of Tommy Raudonikis who said that you never see Winx stretching the leg on the rail of the racecourse before running. Let's move beyond this amateurism! Next thing we'll have half time on the field and ABC doing the coverage (oops...that is rugby).

8. Sir Dragonet. Glen Boss has an uncanny ability to deliver on whatever horse they give him. He is an old wily hoop! That Mooney Valley track gets them every year - no real straight and sloppy jockeys... How ordinary was Kolding in Melbourne after nailing them in Sydney for weeks?

9. IPL. Marcus Stoinis is certainly making a name for himself in the T20 game. The Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals look the two best teams. Pat Cummins finally got some wickets. Finch has struggled. Warner solid, but not spectacular. Watson playing his last season. Ponting continues to be the star coach.

10. EPL. Manchester United are a schemmozzle once again. Man City are not much better and suddenly the competition is wide open. Leeds are carving it up! That makes for such better viewing!

11. MLB World Series. Locked at 2-2, the LA Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays. Some sort of ending to Game 4. Errors and panic and a loss to the Dodgers. They seem like they are destined to lose!

The Wrap - Grand Final Glory

 1. NRL Finals. Well then there were two left... Storm v Penrith ('The Rith' for anyone who is an outsider!) and the Tigers v Geelong. Cannot get past the whining from Ricky re the QLD government may have unsettled the team. It was a joke, but they did not turn up in the first twenty minutes. Even though he got two tries, Nick Cotric had a shocker...and was placed into the Origin team! Surely not. They looked weather beaten. The cold of Canberra v the heat of QLD! 

The bye for the AFL teams (Port Adelaide and Brisbane) counted for zip, but the NRL teams who had the week off both won. How fortunate were the Panthers when Reynolds kicked what everyone thought was a 40/20. Still waiting to see a 20/40 kicked...maybe in the GF!

Hard to see Melbourne being beaten. Their forwards are immense. Munster's recovery from his knee injury is quite amazing too. The whole Cameron Smith retirement thing is very bizarre. Chaired off, but no media announcement. Odd.

Brisbane squandered a GF birth in front of their home crowd. A shame there is no MCG this year as Richmond v Geelong would have packed the stadium. I will be interested to see Gary Rohan's form in the GF. He has struggled with the Swans in a GF.

2. Origin Squad. Do we really need 27 blokes in a State of Origin squad? Honestly. Ridiculous.

3. Everest v Caulfield Cup. Classique Legend in the Everest. Remarkable speed. So dominant and yet every other horse would lick most opponents in their own right too. Great wins by Graff in the earlier run and Verry Elegant in the Caulfield Cup. The Everest has certainly taken the sheen off the Caulfield Cup north of the COVID infestation.

4. Brownlow Medal. A complete dud of what is usually a cracking evening. Different timing and all over the shop. Selfie photos, etc. Picnic tables. A dominant winner in Lachie Neale. 

5. Wallabies. How many missed tackles? 40 plus! Really ineffective to be honest. Then there is this impulsive silly movement of the ball at time too. Great passing sometimes, but really low percentages. Admittedly two tries disallowed too. Great to see a day time test again. When will Australia ever consider this? A big crowd will flock! Viewers make the adjustment. Totally walloped really. Some really bad defensive reads out wide too. Not sure we have the pace. Vunivalu will walk into that team next year.

6. Tennis Slam. Nadal equals the best ever on 20 titles. Awesome power and poise.

7. MLB. Baseball's World Series is coming to an end. The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Astros who are shrouded in controversy after their cheating...and The LA Dodgers and Atlanta Braves are locked 3-3 with one to play!

8. The Wash Up. Looking at a Melbourne - Richmond double for mine this week. Enjoy the carnival atmosphere and the media hype!

9. Recruitment. Love the ins and outs in the post season...Can anyone think of a reason why you would chase Bevan French and not Josh Addo-Carr? Apart from cash and costs. He has supreme pace. Put Ferguson into the back row. Clubs are desperate for centres. St George are happy to take Jack Bird back at top dollar. Just can't see the value there... even though the talent is there.

10. Bathurst. Suffered for atmosphere this year, but Shane van Gisbergen joins the ranks of the greats! Lots of excitement on the Great Western Highway tonight I am sure and some fools getting booked by the Police endlessly.

The Wrap - The Winning Post(s)

1. NRL. Ricky Stuart and Wayne Bennett saved some cracking coaching tactics and plans for this weekend. Both crushed their rivals. I liked Bennett's reflections on the COVID period where over working the team backfired and how pacing the team for the full semi final run was wisest. That was a Broncos special for 2020. Roosters and Eels...out in straight sets!

Parramatta's attack was too limited at key times and was more vulnerable as the game went on. The ball hitting the posts off the Moses kick was dreadful and the lack of desperation afterwards (esp. Takarangi) - bring back Pricey! 

I think it is also a significant worry when teams like Parramatta are super hyped up when they run onto the field. Every point was roared for by the players...too over the top. The composure required was not there. The wasted energy and emotion - especially for some early points - really costs the team late in the game. How many times have we seen this with Origin teams in the past? Inexperienced finals exponents.... It is a long journey. 

When Taka starts on your centre/ wing position you have troubles. Too slow and Souths were probably not too severe on it. The Parramatta roster needed some rejuvenation and more depth with outside backs. It could be time to farewell Fergo too. Gutherson can't do it all alone. He needs speed and size from a few friends... they need flair and speed. More speed for Sivo - less weights. Is Semi Radrardra sick of union yet? Moses needs more work too. He will struggle to lead a team to a GF victory on current form. Unfortunately, he goes quiet when it matters most and forgets the basics.

The character of South Sydney to score 30-6 in the second half was outstanding. The mistakes as Parramatta started to panic under pressure with 15 minutes to go was staggering. They lack leadership (Moses?) and Dylan Brown has hopefully woken up to himself with newfound humility...All Blacks? Million dollar contracts? He made three horrific errors in the last ten minutes. 

I think it is time for a 30 second  'time out' to be given to both teams at the 65th minute of finals. 

The skills of the modern backrower as ball playing forwards are amazing. It started with the James Graham/ Jake Trobjevic examples, but Junior Paulo has changed the game again. A super talent. His offloads, his hit and spins and his grunt work... so many hit ups from the scrum as well. So tough. His step is like David Solomona who killed teams out wide for a long time. A deserved NSW Origin jersey for Paulo. He brings to the game what great ball players like Arthur Beetson brought... excitement and anticipation when he touches the ball.

2. Jennings - Drug Drama. Fancy Michael Jennings letting down his team in such a serious and stupid manner. He vows to clear his name...a bad kebab, toothpaste, a rogue tablet in the bottom of the sportsbag, a cocaine fuelled flatmate, a bad piece of meat.... Surely taking such 'dirty' basic drugs is either an incredible mistake or one of the dumbest errors in NRL history. Interesting that there are other athletes in this same drug category (the swimmer, Shayna Jack). 

His brother George plays better these days. Michael has been on borrowed time for mine. Hopefully he is not another desperate league player, intent on extending a flagging career. It may be gilt edged with more speed coming into the team as a result. However Michael Jennings has the best manager in the game. He has just negotiated a two year contract extension...! The Sailor lad has a highly serious time ahead too.

3. Passing Fad. The passing game of Cook and Mahoney is something else. Both are supreme talents from dummy half. Not since Darren Lockyer have we seen the quality of passing as this year. Throw in Cameron Smith and Munster's skill here...it is critical in the modern game. Canberra struggle in this area from dummy half with the injured Pommy hooker, Hodgson out. The Panthers have it from Cleary outwards. 

4. AFL. The halftime of 60-6 from Geelong v Collingwood was embarrassing (100-32 final score). Richmond still look very good. Their game v Port will be a cracking showdown. Not so sure about Geelong v Brisbane. I think Brisbane have too much pace and talent...but Geelong have the experience. The Melbourne teams are getting a good taste of what it is like for a team outside Melbourne to win the flag. Geelong are up and down. Next week they could get lapped! 

5. Bledisloe Cup. Just when you thought we were no where near the standard.... we bounce back and have everything go against us really. The new NZ - AUS coach, Dave Rennie is to be congratulated! The power of youth and opportunity. The refereeing oversights however were staggering. That last one in front of the posts...incredibly bad. His brother must be the trophy engraver. The touch judging from an Aussie was equally terrible. The VMO checks things fifty times, and is the world's slowest, but still an error. How can a NZ ref go to training with the All Blacks and then do the game? COVID-19 seems to be the excuse that carries most weight in society at present. Maybe Michael Jennings needs to think about this one in his defence! 

Anyhow 16-16 it is and it is not changing. Fancy the ball hitting the goalpost again and causing such turmoil! Two pivotal moments in crucial games in two different codes in two days!

6. Sheffield Shield. This Michael Neser (5/32) seems to get more wickets than most, but the invisible ceiling on 140kmph bowlers making the Australian team is alive and well. Interesting to see Siddle playing at Tassie (1/50 expert off 25 overs). Surely a younger bowler would be a better investment? Lloyd Pope got 5/164 as well... back the brilliant red! The absence of dominant batsmen domestically is a real weakness of Australian cricket. Hopefully the new season unearths some talent. Labuschagne hit a dominant 160+ but other than that.... Liking the look of the WA middle order player - Cameron Green. Seems an incredible talent. 

7. NBA. LA Lakers v Miami Heat. Hotting up, but surely Le Bron wins on the back of his skill. Time will tell.

8. Great French Open Finals. To have the 19 year old Iga Swiatek (Poland) win the women's final v Kenin, really shows how the axis of the world tennis game has shifted to the European strength. She has been phenomenal. She gave up 28 games in ten sets of tennis ie 84 v 28...dominant and did not drop a set all tournament. 

Nadal has given up 46 games and won 110, without dropping a set so far. The final is tonight.

Nadal v Djokovic in the final was almost inevitable too. This will be Nadal's 29th Grand Slam Final and Djokovic's 28th Grand Slam Final. If Nadal wins, he equals the great Roger Federer with 20 wins and makes it 13 French Open wins - surely this will never be beaten! Djokovic zooms in closer to it too and would land on 18 Grand Slam wins!

All-time Rank Player Total Years Australian Open French Open Wimbledon US Open 1  Roger Federer 20 2003–2018 6 1 8 5 2  Rafael Nadal 19 2005–2019 1 12 2 4 3  Novak Djokovic 17 2008–2020 8 1 5 3

 9. MLB. Tampa Bay Rays, LA Dodgers, Houston Astros (post suspensions for cheating!) and Atlanta all through. The next phase sees Rays v Astros and Dodgers v Braves for positions in the World Series. A truncated season, but the world is getting there still! The terrible COVID-19 situation in Florida has elevated the Rays' success to great heights!

Get ready for the Astros games to really hot up with their cheating proven over recent seasons. Emotions will be red hot!

10. Ole Kirk. How good was he in the Caulfield Guineas? Looks like now it will never be seen past the doors of the breeding barn, given its bloodline connections to Black Caviar. Sounds like a popular career move.

Wrap - Finals Fever Pitch

1. NRL. A wide open comp with pretty poor defence from all sides at different times on the weekend. Entertaining nonetheless. 57 points (Roosters v Panthers), 52 Points (Raiders v Sharks), 60 Points (Storm v Eels) and 66 points (Souths v Knights). Panthers looked great, then ordinary...Storm looked weak wide, then strong... Roosters terrible in patches, great at other times...Eels inconsistent...Raiders up and down too. Souths will beat Eels and Roosters will defeat Raiders. Roosters-Storm and Panthers - Bunnies....for the GF.

Standout players: Cook, Wighton, Papenhuyzen, Cleary... State of Origin beckons for them all.

2. Parramatta. The poor defence of Waqa Blake out wide for Parramatta is staggering. He had 8 runs for 8 post contact metres, dropped balls, went into touch and generally struggled. The worst since Steve Mavin had that forgettable day at the SCG years ago. (Newcastle's centre was awful too - Tuala - 8 tackles, 7 runs, 4 post contact metres). Talent, but pressure hurts. 

It has been a problem all season and yet Brad Arthur keeps him there. They signed a bloke called Rankin who could hardly be any worse. The long passing game of the Storm absolutely dazzled them. The quick play the balls by the Storm kill other teams. The Storm are expert at then delaying the opponent's play the balls. The poor game awareness of Ferguson and Blake has really hurt Parramatta. Mistakes, errors and poor decisions. They will go out in straight sets.

The Reed Mahoney pass to both sides is incredible...so accurate. The Junior Paulo work is amazing - and tough too. Shaun Lane does well too. They need more pace out wide and tougher backline defence. Jennings has done his dash for mine. Too small and not quick enough these days. They need some dynamic outside backs of strength... Folau?

So next week is: Roosters v Raiders and Eels v Rabbits. Great games ahead.

2. Storm. It is extraordinary how few Melbourne players get injured in so many games of high intensity. Munster is unlucky but he also lacks composure. There will be a few first graders looking to get hold of him once Smith disappears into retirement. He has a poor attitude and perhaps it is the finals intensity, but we all recall how he made a goose of himself in a Grand Final v the Roosters from memory.

3. Referee Ashley Clown. How we all love a surprise or unexpected Ashley Clown decision. Really want him in the NRL Grand Final. What about his miraculous recovery from last week when he looked like he was bound for the morge He is courageous and ridiculous all at once. Stopping the game for cramps...please. Only Ashley...

4. New Rule. Not surrendering the ball back to an opponent at a break down or penalty should be an automatic twenty metre penalty and a quick tap option (sin bin if inside your own 20 metres). There is too much of this. The AFL '50 metre penalty' is a ripper in this regard. It returns sportsmanship to the game (even if grudgingly) and the players are entirely cooperative.

5. Canberra. Jack Wighton killed the Sharks, but that decision by the ref on the quick tap was the first quick tap we have seen in months of footy. Poor. The refereeing inconsistencies need to be ironed out. Now if the Sharks can offload Moylan, Woods, Dugan and Townsend, they could be awesome. It is amazing how premiership windows for any teams are really narrow. The Roosters may be discovering this after a massive few years.

6. Panthers. Nathan Cleary was awesome in their narrow win v Roosters. A hat trick before half time was pretty special. The Roosters looked like they wanted to win this week, but had some uncharacteristic lapses. They are really missing their quality hookers (Verrills and Friend) and the toughness of Victor Radley. They are also suffering with their halfback Flanagan. He reminds me of Jason Taylor - great goalkicker, good passing game and clever...but not fast enough and sharp enough in defence...yet.

7. French Open Tennis. Nadal and Svitolina will go close. Halep a shock loser tonight. There is lots distracting the players who seem easily distracted at present... except Djokovic and Nadal. Hopefully the whinging about schedules and game times vanishes soon. Australian tennis is a schemozzle. No one left after the first week. I can't believe Barty did not defend her crown COVID or no COVID!

8. AFL. Port on fire v Geelong. They will be hard to toss. Brisbane Lions (aka 'The Bears') did well to win v Richmond. Having a permanent home ground advantage makes a difference too. The work of Collingwood v West Coast was sensational. Loved the light show at the start of the final quarter...setting a new standard of anticipation! The small forward is dominating now in the shorter format of the game. Agility and great hands and a vertical leap that is amazing. West Coast absolutely dominated possession and field position, but Collingwood would not be shaken! One point winners! Suddenly West Coast, who were earlier specials for the comp, are gone.

Richmond v St Kilda and Geelong v Collingwood. Tipping Richmond and Geelong to triumph here. Geelong need to be up for the arm wrestle!

9. IPL Championships. Really like the spirit of the IPL. A shame Cricket Australia doesn't insist on a premier competition with Indian players out here. They have such depth and the integration of nationalities (with the exception of Pakistan) represents all that is great about sport. The amazing thing about the competition is that all teams win games, so no game is easy. That is the perfect competition. Jofra Archer is still the worst fieldsman in the game. The Dehli Capitals are the best team for me (but Stoinis better start hitting a few or he will be banished! Pat Cummins too for the Kolkota Knightriders...KKR). Shreyas Iyer is a complete gun... and yet largely unknown. A superb T20 bat. Surely he and a few mates can come and play in the BBL!

10. Sam Burgess. There are some extraordinary claims in all this. I suspect the Police might need to act, rather than journalists to ascertain any truth or case to answer. There is always something not so right when the Police hear about it after it is in the newspaper. Shouldn't the Police have heard about it all first? Something is not so right here. The timing is always curious too.

11. NBA. Incredible that the LA Lakers are already 2-0 up. Le Bron is surging to greatness. Three championships already... another nearly in the bank. Game Three tomorrow and another likely victory!

12. Horses. What took the eye this weekend?  Persan at Flemington in the Bart Cummings was a super run... Melbourne Cup hope. Two regular place getters also got up at good odds...Toffee Tongue ($16) and She Shao Fly ($8). Khoekhoe did well too. In Sydney, Libertini blitzed them as did Montefilia. Kolding won again too - a top reinvigorated horse in the Waller stable. Starting to hot up for the spring championships and the Everest!