1. Mitchell Moses. His missed goal after the siren sums things up for Mitchell. Talented, creates opportunities but never really produces consistently under pressure. It would be a risk having him in the NSW Origin team - even a dead rubber. He has got the best chance now, but when has he dominated against a top three team? You'd sooner go with Matt Burton. Moses' boot is superb (goalkicking and general play), but his defence is not. Reynolds? Running over the dead ball line when you are gunning for an origin spot doesn't help your cause.
Can someone explain why State of Origin players need to back up and play for their clubs between games? Maybe after a decided series, but NSW will not have the required team or intensity to compete this time around. A great effort to beat QLD twice in Queensland to start a series. Keep remembering that Queensland won eight in a row! Then start talking about eras and 'best evers'.
Get Katoni Staggs into the team too. He is a cracker.
2. Sky Racing. With COVID lockdown in Sydney, suddenly the highest rating TV show on the television. Great runs by Grand Promenade and Oscar Zulu especially on the weekend. A few upsets too of course in the damp conditions.
3. AFL. The form of Richmond is disturbing. For the carry-over 2020 Premiers they have completely turned it up. A disgrace and now they lose their best player in Houli to injury. Melbourne losing to GWS was appalling too. They seem to be cursed. How that happens at a clutch time of the season is unbelievable. Essendon are cooked for the season again. Parish got 40+ disposals which is outrageous. He's been doing it all year. Brisbane were strong as always...they look like they are firming for a GF appearance too.
As soon as the rain comes, the game totally changes its complexion!
Swans were dominant. Callum Mills is on fire in 2021. He has toughened up. Florent and Hewitt are growing in strength and speed too. West Coast missed Gaff, but surely the cold of Geelong may have been a bigger influence. Big 'local' South Melbourne support of the Swans!
Western Bulldogs are on top of the comp now and should be minor premiers.
4. NRL. Parramatta won their first premiership in 1981, some 34 years after joining the NRL top flight rugby league in 1947. It is now 35 years after their last premiership in 1986. Incredible drought that does not look like breaking.
Parramatta are finished for the season. The tally now goes to 35 years without a premiership. A tight loss to Penrith confirms the worst. Put the queue in the rack and get overseas and look for three players for the backline with speed. Maybe an All Black? They are completely lost and Haze Dumpster is simply not up to it yet. Small and not quick! They completely leave Dylan Brown lost and he needs to be coached properly to get the best from him. They need to sort the backline out. Get rid of Waqar Blake and Opacic and sign some speed! They are slow and in wet conditions, completely painful.
5. NRL Blow Out Saturday. Apparently this is all to do with the new rules, Peter Vlandys and head high tackles... and nothing about poor coaching, ill discipline, terrible recruitment or awful defence. Sportbet punters love it with try scorers!
6. Blow Out #1 - Bulldogs 66-0. Worst result in 60-80 years. What a miserable mess they have become. Trent Barrett has done nothing really this year. He was touted as the next best thing, but he has been dreadful, presiding over ill discipline, slackness and insurrection. He seems obsessed with new signings, but we all know that will paper over the problems. He is close to being shown the door as well. He'll have to race Kyle Flanagan. His future is not in Australia sadly. Unfortunately he does not get it and Barrett has still not picked up on it.
7. Blow Out #2 - Raiders v Titans 44-6. The Titans are the best first half team in the comp, but when they meet Canberra it looks so much easier. The efforts of some of the Canberra players are dreadful. Ricky's time may be up. He should move on.
The cranky angry coach has a short lifetime...Michael Maguire (Wests Tigers) is in trouble too. A bye next week gives the club the perfect preparatory phase for a transition coach.
8. Blow Out #3 - Newcastle v Cowboys 38-0. Amazing what a player or two does to a team - Ponga and Pearce... new team. Cowboys disastrous.
9. The St. Broncos. How many Broncos can you fit into the Dragons...Maguire, McCulloch, Hunt, (Sims, Norman)... Pangai-Junior? Hook needs to watch out too or he will be on the slippery slide out of the joint. Looks like the ill discipline has travelled south too...COVID parties. Honestly. Hook may cop the hook himself if he doesn't smarten a few of them up!
The Broncos looked good on Sunday. Unfortunately they were a bit lost on the words for the team song!
Reuben Garrick is an impressive Manly player. Low maintenance and easily one of the underdog signings of the year. Hasler can coach! Tommy T is the gun player of the comp. With Cleary injured, Tommy will be the Dally M winner.
Has 'Blocker' Roach lost it as a commentator? He needs to be more insightful.
10. The Warriors. They are the misfit vacuum cleaner of the NRL at present - Townsend, Lodge, Johnson, Dallin WZ... surely there are better local products in a country that pumped Tonga 102-0 in rugby on the weekend..
11. Wimbledon. Put your house on Djokovic. He is going to blitz them. Roger is superb, but struggling at 40 years of age. No Rafa. Barty looks to be struggling a bit, but still winning. Hopefully the heat cranks up and the courts get faster and less slippery.
12. Nick Kgyrios. An entertainer, but not a winner sadly. No one is really that surprised to see him withdraw from the tournament. Interesting to see if he plays doubles with Venus Williams still.
13. Tim Tszyu. I think everyone knows how Michael Zerafa must have been feeling. Stevie Spark...keep running! Tszyu is world class. Cinderella Man. Didn't Cinderella blow a sand shoe and turn into a pumpkin? There's no sunshine here.
14. England - Euro 2021. Awesome play by the English team...first semi final since the early 1990s v Denmark. First time a clean sheet has been kept in five straight European Championships tournament games. England don't know what to say with a semi final birth. Gareth Southgate has been composed and courageous as coach. Impressive signs.
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