1. NRL. The Knights are locked in to the semi finals which is a good recovery from earlier in the season. Pearce is still a clever player. The Tigers are just an embarrassment. They need a new mini-series with a better storyline. Coach Maguire has simply not got the cattle and they are not able to hear the message between the swear words. His efforts in 'Tiger Town' tell us why he has not clicked. You need to watch these stories from the inside...the casualties seem to mount up!
The Cowboys have been awful too. Todd Payten has been a huge disappointment after a bright start. St George looked good in patches but they were awful in the end. Surely de Belin was not put forward as skipper? The Roosters with all their injuries, still keep winning. Amazing really. Surely a few blokes might be ready to return for them soon.
Great work from the NRL and AFL television sound team. Amazing how the game can still sound exciting when no one is in the stadium!
2. The Coach's Sons. Jacob Arthur-Brad Arthur, Billy Walters-Kevin Walters and Kyle Flanagan and Shane Flanagan. You have to admire their passion for the game, but as soon as the son goes to the club. Watch out, bad things can happen. Not all are like Ivan and Nathan or John and Martin Lang.
3. Dud Buy of The Year? Chad Townsend to the Cowboys? Kyle Flanagan? Nick Cotric? Corey Allan? James Tamou? A cruel tag, but it does happen.
4. Best Future Buy? Ethan Bullemor is a ripping signature by Manly, once confirmed. You heard it here. This bloke could be like Menzies and will play State of Origin - no risk. Top talent spotting. An awesome signing.
5. Moses Mbye. Have I missed something about how he was so hotly in demand? St George have picked him up for 2022, but I hope they got a bargain. Has he done anything? Great person I am sure, but he must share the smartest manager in the NRL - Chad Townsend's manager.
6. AFL. A cracking final round. Very exciting. Port Adelaide crushed the hopes of Western Bulldogs in a tight win. Wines will go close to the Brownlow award this year. Clayton Oliver should win it for mine however - so consistent. Bontempelli was very disappointing when he needed to excel. Brisbane then jam them out of the top four in an exciting chase to get their for and against right. . A costly loss by the Western Bulldogs who slipped to fifth. They have won it before from the impossible position, but this was a bad one.
West Coast have been a misery it must be said in 2021, particularly lately. Interesting to see Buddy enter the nervous 990s for goals scored. A legend of the game with eight more goals till the 1,000th is reached!
A draw by the Hawks and Tigers too... a great send off for Alistair Clarkson. The great Bachour Houli retires too.
The Melbourne v Geelong game was simply outstanding. Geelong know how to lose after an unbeatable lead. How does that happen? The Melbourne comeback was stunning....and there they were...two points in it with a few seconds remaining... the great skipper himself Max Gawn marks on the siren and converts soon after! For the win... the minor premiership and the home final. Oliver awesome.
Eddie Betts has had a distinguished career too. Amazing efforts right to the end by Eddie for Carlton. Their coach, David Teague was funny... "I'll be sacked this week". Something to look forward to. Surely Ross Lyons is not the best option to replace him.
How much longer can the AFL persist with the Gold Coast Suns disaster? They are terrible...every year. Stuart Dew should resign and leave before he never ever gets another coaching job.
7. Justin Langer. As mentioned some weeks back, Langer is clinging on as Australian coach. Ponting is next choice surely. A winner in every way - or Steve Waugh. Langer has too many spoiled brats in the team and in the end, the coach is easier to shift than the coach. Too many squads, too many captains and when they falter, they whinge loudly. Some of these blokes would complain if a pot of gold fell from the sky at their feet while at training.."How do you expect me to get that to the car? Where's the trolley?"
8. Rugby Union. The amateur status is alive and well when the opponent (All Blacks) cancels out on the game without telling anyone. Essentially a forfeit! We'll take that outcome anyhow. A win for the Wallabies. The series sits at 2-1! That is as good as a series win. We're back!
9. Scottish Premier League. Well done to the prickly Ange Postocoglou, who it must be said is pretty successful as a football manager. His Celtic team are on top of the comp now. He may need to coach Justin Langer in media relations too!
10. EPL. Everyone loves a sporting fairytale, but Brentford are newly promoted and unbeaten to start the season on 4 points. They need to get to 35 points to be safe from relegation, but these early points are gold! Ridiculously early days, but I fear for Norwich. They have already let in 8 goals in two matches!
11. Cameron Smith. A course record 60 at the Northern Trust PGA event. Still he is only the joint leader with Jon Rahme (a walking COVID success story). They are shooting the lights out of Liberty National in New York. Tomorrow will be different, Hurricane Henri is bearing down on the area and I'd be surprised if they get started at all - even for a couple of days.
12. Tennis. Ash Barty is killing them in Cincinnati ahead of the US Open. Hoping she doesn't go too hard ahead of the US Open like she did with the French (and had to withdraw injured). Into the final.
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