The Wrap - Dolphin Plod

1. NRL Trade Deadline. Well finally 1 November is here and Parramatta are about to be exposed. $700,000 a year for Reed Mahoney...please. $750,000 a year for Gutho...please. These blokes are in dream land. They are also dreaming if the Dolphins look like doing anything stupid too soon. They will be shrewd. The greedy player managers/ players better move fast however or they will be closed down. Parramatta should secure Papali'i and big Junior Paulo instantly. Nuikore is a penalty risk and sin bin risk every game. These blokes have a limited shelf life in the modern game. 

Meanwhile the Roosters look like getting the great Kevin Naiqama this week on a one year deal apparently. Never shy of being different. Connor Watson is a great pick up. They need some speed in their centres now though...as does every club.

2. Dolphin Torch. Blokes signing one year contracts at the moment are going to the Dolphins are they not? Cody Walker is off soon!

3. Wigers. Has Tim Sheens arrived yet? The row boat should be sighted soon. There is no quarantine from tomorrow, so he should be right...shouldn't he? Michael Maguire's bank manager must be getting a nervous feeling.

4. Australian cricket. We really struggle. Fancy a Marsh being dropped under Langer's watch. Clearly that was a point of his feedback...stop picking WA players who struggle. But he put Agar into the side, so maybe not! Warner has developed a terrible dab shot which gets him out every time. Steve Smith seems to struggle more and more in this format of the game. A decent quick pitch might help of course. England look sharp...Pakistan the surprise packet so far. We face the Windies soon. They have not fired yet and could do a number against us.

5. Melbourne Cup. Surely Incentivise goes close this year. However, what won last year? Twilight Payment #1. I suspect it could be close again. Surprised to see Damian Lane on 'The Chosen One' at $51. Something is up there that is for sure. Delphio and Persan go close. JMac on Verry Ellegant is in sparkling form!

6. Jarvo The Goose. Great effort by Jarvo #69. he gets into the All Blacks team photo now. The ground security in England must be non existent. Incredible. He represented at every Test match and now the rugby. He must have some gear at home near all his fines!

7. EPL. ManU bounce back. Tottenham and Leicester are dropping off the pace now mid season. Chelsea on fire! The likes of Burnley, Leeds, Newcastle and the canaries, Norwich are doomed for the drop! (already).

The Wrap - T20 Auckland Nines

1. NRL. Mitchell Pearce has suddenly become a desired commodity on the market. A sensible halfback who knows how to play. France is a great option for the ailing body. 15 seasons of NRL is a long career on anyone's books.

2. Wigers - Has Tim Sheens arrived yet? He would have to be coming by row boat for all the time it has taken him. The 'godfather' figure arriving soon (a bit like Bronson's Xerri's B-Sample) and talk of Luke Brooks leaving... The club has a lot of issues. It seems to have lost its soul, but getting Joey Leilua on a 'earn and learn' contract was not such a bad idea. Joey will keep shuffling on. He looks to have burned a few bridges in his time.

I noticed the new Premier is a Tigers fan. I hope his career goes better than a few at that club at present.

3. T20 World Cup. Is winning the T20 World Cup like winning the Auckland Nines? Australia absolutely limped home. 18 needed off the last two overs. The decks look very slow and low. Ashton (#98 Ashes innings) Agar might play a big role yet. Maxi's hair looked like the council cut it. 

Between Finch and Warner, we will be looking for new openers soon. Carey from SA? Justin Langer may need to put the pads on himself!

4. Windies. A stacked T20 side obliterated by England. They continue to disappoint - Hetmeyer, Gayle, Bravo, Pooran, Russell, Pollard... zip. No Narine? He is an EPL star.

5. Joe Mennie. Retired this week as a member of the famous 'One Test' brigade!

6. MLB World Series. Boston Red Sox. In the hunt this time last week up 2-1 v the Astros and then promptly lose 4-2. Gave up 23 runs in the last three games, scoring only 3. Thumped really. The under performing bridesmaids, the LA Dodgers, lost again to the Atlanta Braves. So Astros v Braves? The Astros for mine...despite uncovering their horrific cheating scandal not so long ago.

7. Matildas. Crushing defeat of Brazil! Lots of controversy needs to be ironed out too.

8. International Football. Celtic - Ange Postecoglou continues to scale the dizzy heights there, despite the huge pressure. What about Norwich? 7-0 down to Chelsea and Brighton also smacked. A long way to the top of that show! Everton copped a hammering themselves too.

9. Wallabies. Unconvincing, but got there. Great Britain will be a different story I suspect.

10. Cox Plate. State of Rest gave some protest excitement with Anamoe bumped 80 metres out. Incredible finish, but Verry Ellegant was a disappointment. No Zaaki was bad too. Winning on a Melbourne track is very different to the hard Brisbane or Randwick/ Rosehill surfaces.

The Wrap - World Cup of Coaches

1. Great news re the Redcliffe (shhh) Dolphins joining the NRL. Is there any difference to the Manly Sea Eagles, Parramatta Eels, Canberra Raiders, etc. Huge to get Wayne Bennett whose mission will be to beat the Broncos into submission. Suddenly there is a lot more spice in the games they play up there. Four QLD teams - North QLD Cowboys, Broncos, Titans and now the Dolphins - to rival the NSW teams.

It will really shake up the player market and signings.

Regan Campbell-Gillard. Not taking up his option with Parramatta? This could be a worrying sign to come as the Eels try and pin down their off contract players. They seem keen to allow them to hit the open market on 1 November. Could be time to do a bit of signing or pay a heavy price. Will Smith is handy, but he has gone too.

2. Josh Hannay. This guy is the Mr Fix It Coach of the NRL. He was a strong first grader and went from the Cowboys top the Sharks and now to an Assistant job with the new Billy Slater led QLD Origin team. He gets plenty of opportunities, but not a lot of success. Hopefully he can do better here in this role.

3. EPL. Speaking of which, it may be time for ManU to get a new coach. 4-2 loss to Leicester. Unheard of in the past.

4. Cricket. Hard to believe Cameron Bancroft is still in the top WA team. Struggling for runs since the sandpaper incident and should not have really been there either, but for a coach who knew of his potential. Still waiting to see it realised. Khawaja a big Shield ton... always scored before the start of the season and not another one until next year.

5. World T20. Off to a flyer with Oman (host nation) v Papua New Guinea. A 'Group A' contest. Thankfully these are short games. India and England will shine here when we finally get to the main draw next week. Australia were very lucky not to be in this 'secondary' draw themselves. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are there and need to go through that avenue to progress. We could join them soon if we can't lift.

6. IPL. Big win by the Chennai Super Kings. Hazelwood did alright. Have to laugh when "wickets" are taken by bowlers when the ball is rescued from a six over the boundary. Hardly awe inspiring bowling. Probably like a top edged six, but bowlers who are the best in the T20 format are mastering yorkers. I would be looking to sign Moeen Ali in my BBL team. Dominant and humble. BBL needs a player makeover and more cash injected into it.

7. Nature Strip. What a cracking win in The Everest! Get on Masked Crusader for next year! The work of Incentivise in the Caulfield Cup was something else too. Surely the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup double lie ahead. Get on it now!

8. Boston Red Sox. Can they do the near impossible? A wild card entry to the post season and now sitting at 1-1 with the Houston Astros with two home games ahead. The best of seven will be hard fought, but they could be 2-0 up but for a Game 1 meltdown. A super unexpected end to the season.

9. Koroibete. Not going abroad... they will need some strength and speed to replace him and Vunivalu surely has to be the man to step up.

The Wrap - Sporting Bankruptcy

1. The Sport Cycle in Australia. We really hit rock bottom after our football code seasons pass. The women's cricket is alright (what about that off cutter that cleaned up Alyssa Healey? Amazing), but we turn internationally for some enjoyment! Even the EPL is on holidays with the international round... not even motor racing this weekend!

2. New NRL Expansion Team(s). Great news for the game and a chance to break the Broncos monopoly as well. Hopefully up and running very soon. They will weigh into the player transfer/ contract market real fast. I note Brad Arthur has a new deal and the Parramatta draft horses are moving to finalise the players. They are working off a sun dial so it seems. There are  some ordinary administrators in the game sadly.

3. Brandon Smith and Cameron Munster and the other bloke...cocaine sniffing fools. And getting filmed! Deservedly hit with fines, but fines put on delay are a bit soft. Fancy being those who filmed it and releasing it to the public (for cash presumably). What sort of world have we gotten ourselves? In the end, people will just keep to themselves and not even talk to others lest they get to visit the Integrity Commission. Getting rid of drugs from your game might be a start.

4. Ashes. What a pack of whingers are the England team. Nothing ever changes. Brearleyesque. All sorts of petulant demands and quarantine demands from England. Typical England. However, we cancelled tours ourselves...so have New Zealand, so it's the new power play.  No Ben Stokes or Joffra Archer coming. Joe Root will be under fire, but is in career best form. It looms as an excellent opportunity for the post COVID rebuild of Australian cricket if it ever starts.

The BBL looks to be getting more boring every year. Same faces and skill level.

5. Socceroos. Graham Arnold has done a top job there. The 3-1 win over Oman puts them within striking distance of Qatar World Cup qualification. Big game this week v Japan that could just seal the deal with a win.

6. Tyson Fury v Deontay Wilder. Fury is a huge man with a special reach. Big personality (mouth) too. A knock out eventually, but the heavyweight game still attracts the big dollars and the big attention.

7. Zaaki. Shock loss in the Might and Power Stakes at Caufield on Saturday. Cox Plate favouritism has wavered - even if was at Winx odds. How good are the Melbourne Damia/ens as jockeys? Damian Lane and Damien Oliver. Dominant. 

8. IPL. Glenn Maxwell is smoking them everywhere. He is a rare talent and to think he was abandoned by the IPL franchises (a fickle lot) and has now gotten into the semis with King Kohli. Catches and wickets to boot. Nathan Coulter-Nile has been good too, but not in the Australian squad.

If Australia get pumped in T20 cricket, does it matter? maybe only to Justin Langer.

9. The AFL Draft. Limited talent there, but clubs are right to demand compensation. Jordan 'Doorknobs' Dawson was a no name for the Swans and now Adelaide want him for nothing... Cerra to Carlton is a good pick up. Lots wanting in to the new world at Carlton which is interesting.

10. NFL. Brady sneaks a narrow NFL win v New England Patriots last week, but what price a return there to new England for a final season post his contract with Tampa Bay?

The Wrap - Panther Premiership

1. NRL Grand Final. Souths v Penrith. The ability to stay calm and composed and absorb the ups and downs that inevitably await is the true Grand Final test. Cleary does this brilliantly and did it when the Johnston try was scored. Walker showed genius in the first half then panicked a little when a simple pass to Gagai could have paid dividends and an intercept resulted. Alex Johnston is a freak. Latrell Mitchell was missed, make no mistake. Reynolds missed the conversion and a 40 metre drop kick which is a freak result. Jerome Luai is also a positive influence in a game. He sparks better in his teammates - a rare quality.

Amazing to see so many 1%ers go against Souths, but none were incorrect. It was just uncanny how many there were!

The premiership window is a brutal one. It is a guillotine and lasts a short amount of time. Look at Jack Wighton. He was the Churchill Medallist this time only two years ago and he barely made State of Origin and then was dreadful later in the season by his standards. Canberra miss the eight and suddenly seem an age away from a premiership.

Love the cliches..."dream come true", "fairytale", "a win for the ages" and "a bit surreal" are up there with 'forwards pave the way' and 'take it one game at a time'. Referee Gerard Sutton had a good game too. He has now done 7 Grand Finals only behind the great Darcy Lawler (8) and Bill Harrigan (10).

Surely there is something in building a team with local players who are mates and together locally. Think of some of the great teams... Manly, St George and Parramatta...locals who have come together and share a strong sense of purpose - and most importantly, they succeed. 

2. NRL Administration. The NRL Grand Final presentation ceremony is rough. It looks unrehearsed. Two female reps were present who did nothing... silly. The player speeches need to be sharper and the microphone/ audio needs to be good. Why is the ARL always audible? The NRL one is always so rushed and while COVID makes this one different, but surely we hear from Ivan Cleary. The AFL controversy they could have capitalised on was no one heard from the winning coach... slow learners. Could a junior rep from each of the player clubs be there to present the ring to the players?

Brian To'o showed great resourcefulness using the NRL ring as his proposal ring. Great saving! Sounds like an incredible young bloke. Conversely, Cameron Munster looks like his reputation has brought his demise at the Storm.

2. NRL Drug Scourge. There is a problem with NRL and drugs - Naden, Jennings, Munster, Brandon Smith...probably a million more including the Bulldogs, Ofahiki Ogden. This sort of nonsense is everything bad about the game - overpaid, self indulged, bored blokes who think they are above the rest of society and above the law. 

3. Wallabies. A top effort to string four wins together in a row. Japan next, but can they stand up overseas. Not sure we are crisp enough. Big enough, but slick enough? We seem to lack the electrifying winger and speesters. Where is Vunivalu? He could change things even further. We almost have a Pacific Islander backline. They are so talented with ball in hand.

It is amazing how in rugby they own the best rule - play on after the final siren until the ball is done. Amazing how referees love to let the play flow when the game is over as well! It is hard to cop as a viewer.

Dave Rennie is a hard taskmaster which is a good thing!

The Springboks v All Blacks Test was special stuff. Appalling refereeing dominance of course, but the around the back pass was a special highlight! Second on the Rugby Championship table is a bit hollow, but a good effort. The All Blacks seem to struggle on the dead rubber...like Australian cricket once upon a time.

4. NFL. Tom Brady returns to new England for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...without Gronkowski. Lots of stories to try and stir up media reaction with former coach Bill Belichick. Brady will not be losing this one either. 

5. Women's Day-Night Test Cricket. Such a dreadful spectacle at night in any form. Slow outfields, slippery conditions, seaming balls and no atmosphere. Get rid of it. It changes the whole game from daylight games. Not sure if it attracts bigger crowds or TV audiences. Ellyse Perry is much maligned at present, but has been superb under the pressure of night cricket. Her test record is exemplary. Another high pressure 68 not out. 30 overs to boot in the match! A brilliant cricketer who they need to back in. A sporting declaration by India and they could well win it. Get runs in the daylight or perish!

6. IPL. Nathan Coulter-Nile a duck on Saturday night for the Mumbai Indians and Smith 9, bowled by Coulter-Nile at first drop, a for the Delhi Capitals. A terrible shot. Maxwell is back however! Stringing the fifties together now. We absolutely struggle on the sub continent wickets with the bat generally. 

Hazelwood looking pretty strong however the other night, but he and Nathan Ellis went for 50 off their four overs yesterday... dreadful too. The great Moises picked up three wickets tonight! Stunning. 

India has so much depth they could field two International teams. Surely Australian cricket should be asking for one Indian star for each BBL franchise!

7. EPL. ManU seem to be getting the unbelievable stutters when it should not be the case. Resting Ronaldo is not smart either. Chelsea on top and the winner of Liverpool v Man City will be a favourite for the crown. Liverpool undefeated, but a few draws are holding them back.