The Wrap - Chunder Riot at 15

1. Australian Batting. We are in trouble longer term with a complete dearth of talent in the ranks in the longer formats of the game. Where are the younger fellows and it is time to really examine the pipeline of younger Australian cricketers now. Who were the last U/19 Australian players to excel at the national level?

We have a despairing Ashes series ahead. Our bowling will be fine, but the batting... ouch. 

Warner is fading (still 24 Test tons equalling Viv and Greg Chappell at 45; the third most IPL runs ever; the second most ODI tons ever for Australia), but who is coming through? Marcus Harris? Matt Renshaw? Cameron Bancroft? Please. We need Warner firing. Clear the mind and fire. Pukovski? 

2. Test v South Africa. They could absolutely roll us with their pace attack, but they have no batting either. Rabada is all class... 259 wickets in not many tests at 21. Awesome.

Travis Head is all class and was easily the MOTM. Pat Cummins is getting good at bowling himself when a hint of a wicket might be there...typical bowling captain. Not a good look hunting down five fors and then being all powerful shuffling off coaches at the same time.

Interested to see Aaron Finch in the Renegades T20 team again... he loves the game, but does the game love him now?

3. T20 - Sydney Chunder. Just appalling to be rolled for 15 in seven overs. They should all be read the riot act. That is how you kill a franchise. Bottom line: awful, awful, awful. Daniel Sams is rated highly by many, but he is so inconsistent. 

4. Croatian Football. In the last two World Cups they have cleaned up with some red hot results.... 1998 (third), 2018 (second) and in 2022 (third). Pretty impressive no matter what way you look at it.

5. B-League Football. What a complete disgrace that effort by Melbourne Victory fans was against Melbourne City. Memories of the 1985 Sydney Olympic v Sydney City when blokes chased the goalie and were whacking each other with corner posts and parts of the goalposts. Disgusting and no place for it in the game. Football administrators will be tested. Vacant stadiums will be the first step. 

Incredible decline going from the heights of a final 16 World Cup finish to that. The game has gone back to the sewer again.

6. Eddie Jones to coach an NRL side... Gold Coast? Newcastle?

7. World Cup Final - Argentina v France tonight. One for the keen to get up and watch. They tell me Castle Hill RSL is like AAMI Park with flares, etc and roaring crowds - even at 2.00am!

The Wrap - Abrar-cadabra Morrocan Lamb

1. Windies Woeful. The fabulous Australian record at pink Test matches continues in Adelaide with a dominant display. The West Indies are abysmal. Funny how the last time they were any good was in the early 2000s. They have had their moments, but so much politics and disappointment... truly a schemozzle at times. On the road they are woeful.

2. Marnus Labuschagne is on fire, but poor bowling can help there. Nonetheless he is peeling the tons off with great regularity. Steve Smith getting a duck is like Bradman getting one. Marnus is now scoring at a higher average than Smith, such is his dominance. He would be well in line for the Benson and Hedges Player of the Year car!

The fitness of Hazelwood and Cummins is pretty ordinary. Always fit for T20s and IPL... but not really across tests. Give me a break about the number of overs demanded of them. They need to get better. Scott Boland never complains and is delighted to play a game! So too Neser.

Mike Baird becomes the fourth chairperson of Cricket Australia in four years. They truly have no idea and the whole Dave Warner captaincy issue is a disgrace. 

3. World Cup Soccer. Morocco have done amazingly well. Not a lot known about the country other than its Moroccan lamb and its rugs, but its soccer team have been extraordinary...beating Canada, Belgium and a draw with Croatia in the group stage...then Spain and Portugal. Not bad for an African nation who sets a new standard now! Ronaldo starting on the bench...um?

England were humiliated in a strange way, but the losing teams love to cruel the referees. Harry Kane's 83rd minute penalty kick was a shocker. Surely coach Gareth Southgate doesn't get cut because of this. France warm as favourites now playing the Morrocans, but Argentina will have something to say about that, but they have struggled over Australia then against the Netherlands.  

What a festival of talent regardless! Really enjoying the English commentators - magic voices.

The Moroccan team boast many players in the Spanish, Italian and other European leagues...and a handful in the EPL. Croatia are also a sneaky chance and play tough football that is hard to crack!

4. Pakistan. Love the name of their leg spinner who has picked up ten wickets on debut: Abrar...(cadabra). England have batted well there and will be hard to beat with 350 runs ahead. Pakistan at home are a force however. 

5. BBL. Coming soon, but I am not seeing any great change to the usual cast of players each year. This comp needs more cash and more stars to attract ratings. 

6. Women's Boxing. Brutal win by Ebanie Bridges who sought revenge for some petty comments. She is tough and uncompromising. Incredible admiration for any boxer. 

7. NFL. Bills, Chiefs, Cowboys, Bengals, Eagles and Vikings look the most dominant, but these teams do not always win the Super Bowl. Often it is the one who can remain injury free in this post Christmas stretch as the weather gets colder.

8. Dylan Brown. Could be some discipline issues behind the scenes making the club nervous about a long term deal. The toilet issue from a couple of years ago was seen as a 'privacy breach'... not a discipline issue. 

The Wrap - Socceroodimentals

1. Socceroos. Graham Arnold and his team of relative unknowns have done an exceptional job. Beating Tunisia and Denmark is substantial. It will be interesting to see the next FIFA world rankings.

A 2-1 loss to Argentina - with the hint of a possible equaliser late - was a top result really. He is definitely the best coach in Australia and his line about critics wearing 3XL tracksuits... hard to argue.

It would be great to see our national soccer team become the main national focus. Everyone loves that sport at the highest level...and when you are winning. Cricket is on the slide. AFL has no international dimension (despite releasing their draw on the morning of the Socceroos match!)

2. Australian Test Cricket. I like the look of young Chanderpaul. He is likely to get a lot of test runs. A little unconventional and different, but an eye like a dead fish. His old man Shiv scored 11,867 runs across 164 Tests at 51.37. That will be hard to beat! Shiv has the eighth best ever batting record in test cricket.

Meanwhile Marnus gets his 9th Test ton, equalling the great Graeme Wood and one shy of Bob Simpson (yes, for all the legend, he only scored 10 Test tons, but three double hundreds). It must be said that Greg Chappell was the one who identified Marnus' talent. Rare gold. 

Steve Smith notched another double century (4) and has a record that is the second best Test average ever (61.62) ...better than Sobers as well (57.78). He is a freak. Adam Voges' Test average doesn't count.

Interestingly Bradman hit 12 Test cricket double tons, Ponting 6 and now Steve Smith 4.

Nathan Lyon has also quietly made his way into the top ten Test wicket takers of all time as well, now coming eighth of all time (446). He needs to pass 519 (Courtney Walsh) next. A super talent really. Resilient.

3. England - Cricket. Hitting 500 runs in a day of test cricket v Pakistan is amazing. Brendon McCullum has ignited a new standard in that team. They will be hard to beat in England in the Ashes. With Joffra Archer, Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad, Ollie Stone, Mark Wood, Jamie Overton... that's enough to crush most sides. 

However Pakistan at home know how to bat too. They are never out of it there.

Conversely, we have little batting prowess and Shield cricket batting stocks has never been so poor. The one name that keeps appearing scoring one is none other than the singlet himself - Cameron Bancroft. Surely not.

4. Shield Sacking. Not sure how many noticed the quiet sacking of Phil Jacques who has presided over a complete shipwreck at NSW cricket this season. Gone and replaced by the great cricket coach, Greg Shipperd. NSW need new blood and a few sackings of players to follow suit. Kurtis Patterson and Moises Henriques are two to start with now. An horrific loss to Victoria on the weekend.

5. Parramatta. Mitchell Moses is not worth $1.4 million per season and will go. Dylan Brown needs to be signed up for a long time. The question on everyone's lips is how does it get to this? Useless administrators. Reports that Parramatta could lose both players... At least Jake Arthur and Shaun Lane are signed. The young centre Penisini needs to be signed next... or not by those lumbering clowns at Parramatta.

6. NFL. new England Patriots are terrible this year. Belichik in moves to bring Tom Brady back there? Surely not.

7. Marathon. Interesting to see Aussie Brett Robinson broke Deek's incredible 1986 Australian marathon record of 2:07:51 in 2:07:31 in Japan. A 36 year old record! Could be an omen for Parramatta who last won the comp in 1986, if they have any decent players left.

8. Australian Open. Adam Scott...ouch.

The Wrap - Winners, Winners, Chicken Dinners

1. FIFA World Cup Victory v Tunisia. Tunisia's Game 1 draw v Denmark may have been the pivotal moment for Australia's hopes, but the truth of it is that the Socceroos won a really tough game 1-0 on Saturday night but will struggle v Denmark to make the Round of 16. We have never won two games at the football World Cup before.

It is our first win at the World Cup since way back when we beat Serbia 2-1 in South Africa in the World Cup of June 2010. Glorious to win a game at the World Cup however. It vindicates a lot of hard work and preparation and also gets away from the embarrassment of just an appearance and a straight sets exit - Qatar style.

Graham Arnold is still one of the best coaches in all sports in the country that is for sure. He is so centred and flourishes despite the heat applied by loud mouth ex-players especially. I can confirm that Mark Bosnich never played at a World Cup for Australia. The way he talks you would swear he played five like Ronaldo.

The World Cup of football is the premier World Cup across the world. It brings out the super stars and heavy weights all at once. Very exciting to watch - especially the second half with the run into full time. The game opens up massively.

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2. Wallabies. Finally a victory and an excellent win v Wales. How many tight games has this team either lost or won? Dave Rennie has coached Australia from 2020-2022 (34 Tests). In this time he has had 18 Tests decided by 5 points or less (8 losses and 7 wins). An incredible stat:

• Lost by 2 to France
• Lost by 2 to Scotland
• Lost by 1 to Wales
• Lost by 4 to England
• Lost by 2 to NZ
• Lost by 1 to France
• Lost by 1 to Italy
• Lost by 3 to Ireland
• Won by 2 v NZ
• Won by 2 v France
• Won by 3 v France
• Won by 2 v South Africa
• Won by 2 v England
• Won by 1 v Scotland
• Won by 5 v Wales
• Drew with NZ
• Drew with Argentina
• Drew with Argentina

3. Cricket. Justin Langer needed to remain quiet in the media, but could not. He is an intense fellow, but a winner. He does need to smile more often. Cricket Australia again can't do anything right and always seem to be playing catch up. Finally Ronnie McDonald and the hamburgulars have reason to smile with a mean nothing, do nothing ODI tournament won by them v England 3-0.

There is something not well with the fast bowlers in that team. Starc has been dropped and reinstated, barking back in the media; Hazelwood became captain for a game (please) and Cummins..we know about his world more now as he patches up soiled friendships and ex-player relations and comments on world energy issues.  That Alinta Energy bath did not help any of them. There is a need for renewal there too. 

4. WBBL. The Adelaide Strikers beat the Sydney Sixers in a bit of a canter, heralding the commencement of the BBL on 13 December. Will be interesting to see if the draft they instituted brings a jot of difference to the quality. They need to bring through new talent and should be mandated to play two rookies in every team. The women's version of BBL is more entertaining.

5. Cameron Smith. Killing it at Royal Queensland again (third Australian PGA title), but still not content. That is the sign of a legend in the making. High expectations of self first...then others. Sustaining the highest level of performance over time is the other challenge. Look at Adam Scott, Jason Day...great moments, but unsustainable. A three time winner of the Joe Kirkwood Cup. 

Who was Joe Kirkwood? Our first US PGA winner and a player who it is said hit 29 holes-in-one in his career! He also beat his age in a round of golf (62) at the age of 63. Legend...not a lot of major success - three fourths at the British Open and a third at the US PGA., but handy!

6. Australian Davis Cup Tennis. Into the final for the first time in quite a few years. Not a Kygrios or Tomic in sight which is a great thing. No place for ego in a team tournament. Alex de Minaur is a rising star (24th in the world) and led the team. Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson did the business in the reverse singles, but Purcell made a goose of himself swearing in the post-match interview. He will regret that ill discipline and needs to do better. First time since 2003 into the final. No surprise that Lleyton Hewitt is the captain. He is a winner through and through.

The Wrap - Dead Set Winners

1. NRL - World Cup Final. Kangaroos v Samoa - 30-10. A great game to get up to watch in the dead of the night! Cleary was strong, but Latrell was magnificent. So powerful. Junior Paulo was possibly the best on the ground. Luai and Crichton are talented too. To'o was a bit clumsy and disappointing. I think Australia were lucky not to play England it must be said. However, they got it done.

Imagine the NSW backline in Origin: Tedesco-Addo-Carr-Latrell-Wighton-To'o - Cleary. Throw in Turbo and Sualli... unbeatable if the coach picks the right team.

Mal Meninga is such a successful coach. 53% winning rate at the Raiders (125 games); 67% winning rate with QLD Origin (30 games) and 89% as Australian coach (18 games). Pretty impressive numbers. We will ignore the Titans record as coaching coordinator!

Australia incredibly were sitting at No. 4 in the world prior to this game...they are back at No. 1 fittingly.

2. Jillaroos. How powerful and skillful are these women? Awesome win. They are the All Blacks of the women's rugby league game. 54-4.

3. World Cup Cricket Final and ODIs v England. How good is Ben Stokes? He beat Pakistan on his own last Sunday in the T20 World Cup Final. Stokes will continue to win Ashes games for England. He has more and more in the tank. A dead set winner.

Pat Cummins is a good guy, but how many runs does he give up in T20 and ODIs? Incredible. He must be doing well for himself however resting in the ODI games (Hazelwood the skipper? Please...). Cummins has also bailed out of the IPL too. A few lazy million sacrificed there.

Plenty of other Aussies brushed from the IPL this time around. The BBL is not doing the business.

Australian cricket is on the nose in so many ways. A really poor cricket crowd at the SCG on Saturday too. No one wants to know them. Steve Smith looked much tighter with his technique and a happier man too.

4. FIFA World Cup. Starts this week. France, Denmark and Tunisia will make it a three game effort for the Socceroos. If we go further it will be an absolute miracle.

Get ready for fake injuries, stretchers, scandals and no beer. 

5. Wallabies. Another week and another tight loss. The team are almost getting used to it. Not good enough, no matter how many injuries or how many issues arising... no problem drop another 11 players next week and do it all again. Tick tock...tick tock...

At least Georgia didn't beat us...they beat Wales instead 13-12! NZ-England pa 25-25 draw! Cracker of a game.

6. Celtic v Sydney FC/ Everton. The ground looked a picture, but Celtic have come away with two losses... interesting reality check for the team leading the Scottish Premier League.

7. F1 - Red Bull. Daniel Riccardo comes back to F1 as the fiftieth choice driver at Red Bull. A shame his career has stalled. He is too good to keep quiet. 

Most wins and podium finishes ever by Australian F1 drivers? (Brabham - 14 wins/ 31 podium finishes); then Allan Jones (12 wins and 24 podium finishes), Mark Webber (9 wins 42 podiums) and Daniel Ricciardo (8 wins and 32 podiums). Ricciardo also holds the Australian record for most points won in F1.

The Wrap - Underdog Feeding Frenzy

1. World Cup Rugby League - England v Samoa. Samoa were brilliant underdogs - and so talented. That try where Luai passes to Junior Paulo who then gets it across to Stephen Crichton...awesome. Plenty of dry sunshine razzle dazzle rugby league which is a missing feature of the game these days. 

Not sure about the defence at times, but an exciting result for an island nation that beat the biggest of fish on their own turf. There needs to be more definition to heritage when selecting national teams, but players are petrified that they will not play Origin because of it. Our Origin rules have always been a mess. Thankfully quite a few players opted to represent their country...and to good effect.

This Jerome Luai is not liked by all, but he is such a leader and a winner. Hard not to like that.

2. World Cup Rugby League - NZ v Australia. An awesome standard of league with some great collisions and battles. Jack Wighton was tough. How he and the Fox missed Origin selection this year...please. They are big game players.

Perhaps Fittler himself is finished as coach when his judgement is so lacking. Australia lumbered a little in the game. When you shuffle and shift combinations you invite this. We certainly lack punch up the middle. Strong props are gold these days.

A slow tournament overall, but starting to hot up now. Two super high quality games.

3. Signings. Can Parramatta do a classic Parramatta and lose Dylan Brown to another club now? He should have been re-signed last year when he was a bit flat. He is a ten year signing at his age. Not sure clubs actually get it. He was superb for New Zealand. Letting players test their value on the open market tells you that the club is mismanaging it all - again. Reed Mahoney is a classic example. 

Moses is older and a different story. Where are the half backs with quick feet of the future (Jake Arthur is not that type of player to win you a comp and break open defensive lines)? Development of a half back academy might be a strong investment by an NRL Club. Imagine the premierships in time.

3. Wallabies - Dave Rennie. Time is ticking for Dave Rennie. Losing to Italy (first time ever?) is never good. He seems to panic at the selection table. Every one or two point loss (and haven't there been a million in the past two years), he changes eleven players around... then they lose again. I think his tenure is drawing to a close. He clearly has the worst coaching record in living memory and he has coached for a fair stretch now.

This table below doesn't take into account the Italy loss overnight. That included, allowing for the error in the maths below, his win/ loss % lands at: 37.5%

4. EPL. Great to see Man City knocked over at home by none others than the Brentford Bees. Who? A slashing underdog win. Everton are in a world of pain yet again, scoring less than one goal per game on average. They need to sign some strike players or they are gone.

5. Jeff Fenech. Interested to see the WBC retrospectively award him the world boxing title that he was robbed of in the early 1990s v Azumah Nelson. I wonder what else may follow this precedent in world sport. Parramatta getting a premiership when Melbourne cheated? All East Germans eliminated and legitimate Olympic winners awarded gold medals?

6. World Cups. Can we have any more? We have them in everything at the minute... womens, mens... from lacrosse to luge..basketball..the lot.

7. Cricket World Cup - Pakistan v England. The 1992 ODI World Cup Final and the great Wasim Akram is etched in our minds. I wonder who can step up for them this time? Babar Azam is talented. Watch for Shadab... signed by the Hobart Hurricances for the BBL. He is a superstar of T20 with bat and ball. If they can knock over Hales and Butler cheaply they are a huge chance.

Poor old Glenn Maxwell, tripped on a tennis court and broke his leg while running at night? We are told he was not intoxicated. Understandable. Nothing to see here. Cricket Australia can barely get anything right.

8. The FIFA World Cup - Football. Are Australia the Lebanon of the FIFA World Cup? Playing France, Denmark and Tunisia (they beat Mali to make the World Cup), we will struggle. Three games max. unless we get a miracle. Hopefully the air conditioning works at the stadiums. A great world wide - truly 'world' - cup.

The Matildas looked sharp v Sweden on the weekend. memo to self: a friendly is not a World Cup game.

The Wrap - Hunted and Beaten

1. Australian Cricket. Well that was great. A new softer culture and feathering the Finch nest...all for nil. We even dropped Starc in the final game (and nearly lost to Afghanistan) who can win a game on his own in his first two overs. It won't surprise that Andrew McDonald is a lovely bloke, but a cricket coach? He's a pushover for spoiled brats. No steel in that mob and quite frankly, most Australian cricket fans are (a) not surprised and (b) don't really care. They fell out of love with this team many moons ago. I fear that cricket is on the skids in all forms for Australia. We have too many older blokes and the younger guys are not impressing. 

In case you wondered who the Australian cricket coaches were meant to bring us to glory - Andrew McDonald, Clint McKay, Daniel Vettori, Michael Di Venuto, Sri Sriram and Andre Norovec. No wonder we lost. Honestly. A rabble.

Not as bad as South Africa who lost to Netherlands when a semi final spot was theirs to grab!

2. Wallabies. Has there been a team (since the Titans) who lose more close games than this lot? With every one point loss comes fifteen squad changes. I think Dave Rennie's reign needs to come to an abrupt full stop soon if he can't reverse this. It is a pattern now. A 39% win rate does little for your career too.

3. Celtic. Two wins on the bounce in the Scottish Premier League and they have secured their lead. The pressure is on Rangers who cannot afford a draw or loss.

4. World Series Baseball. The cheating Astros win again (v the Phillies). They are a despised franchise - mainly because they got found out when others had been doing it for years. Doing what? They used cameras in 2017 and 2018 to identify signs and signals from rival players...banging on drums to identify which pitch was coming. Amazing how their batting averages were so much better at home!

5. SBW. Knock out. Stunning hit by the Samoan Storm - Mark Hunt Memo: you should have taken up the Paul Gallen cash!

6. Rugby League World Cup. It is a great tour if you are not playing... a week of touring around before one game a week. New Zealand lucky, but England look very good this time around. I wonder how the Lebanon local league looks these days - or is it just a national team?

7. EPL. Leicester have bounced back. How hard is it for the newly promoted teams. They don't hang around long in the top flight. Money wins. Newcastle the early surprise... and Brighton. 35 points gets you out of the drop zone. Everton needs a rocket. A proud old club on the wane.

The Wrap - The Little Show

1. T20 World Cup. The work of the minnows has been impressive this week. Ireland beating England and Zimbabwe nailing Pakistan was impressive. Incredible results really. However Duckworth-Lewis can impact like that. The weather too - despite an indoor stadium at Docklands in Melbourne not being used. How can that happen with Australia v England? Typical poor Cricket Australia organisation. Organisers seem so locked to their schedule that catch up games/ dates are too hard to consider. There should be a reserve day for each game!

Australia will need a miracle. The Big Show has become a 28 inch black and white Rank Arena TV. Calls to sack Cummins are interesting. Finch could be souring the good work he has done over time. No surprise to learn he is extremely close with the coach. hence his elevation and Langer's demise. Langer would not have put up with it. 

2. World Cup Rugby League. Australia look specials, even after all the others disappear (Greece, Scotland and Jamaica all look like they have had enough already). It is incredible league is actually played at all in those countries. Australia has so much depth and smart players. Ben Hunt is such a talent. Then Cleary...Latrell. If anything, our forwards are the weakness. 

3. NRL Coaches. Anthony Griffin seems to have a target on his back as the club leaks and lurches from release requests to dud signings to no one turning up at Hook's end of year presentation. No BBQ was on offer apparently. Adam O’Brien and Justin Holbrook have had it much quieter in the media by comparison. Perhaps their clubs are more united, but the wolves may be howling soon! 

4. NFL. Tom Brady. Sadly divorced from his supermodel wife. There will be much pain… a bit like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who are slipping fast. If anyone can rescue them it will be Brady. Meanwhile the New England Patriots are in huge trouble. Belichick's promises of new quarter back talent are fading yet again. The knives are sharpening. The gun teams are starting to sort themselves out now…. the Ravens getting stronger.

5. Scottish Premier League. Tight between Celtic and Rangers. One point with Celtic having a game in hand tonight. This ding dong battle meets a crescendo when they both play each other on 2 Jan and 9 April 2023! Long season yet.

6. MLB World Series. Astros v Phillies. This is tight already, with the home diamond advantage truly massive. 1-1 after a shock Phillies win away ion Game 1.

7. EPL. Chelsea copped a hiding from Brighton 4-1. Arsenal have started to slow and Man City have started to really ramp it up.

8. Wallabies v Scotland. A cracking win in their European tour. Close, but significant as they try and rebuild and rescue their inconsistency.

9. Melbourne Cup. It is unknown, but Hoo Yah Mal may just about win the thing. Gai Waterhouse trained and an overseas stayer. I also like Arapaho at $81 with Rachel King and down in the weights.

The Wrap - Old McDonald Had a Shocker

1. Cricket. What a thumping. Old Ronald McDonald the coach will be thrown out on his ear soon. Soft and gentle on the players...and no silverware. It was Justin Langer who won the last T20 World Cup last year. All strength to New Zealand. Too good and too courageous. How often do we see Glenn Maxwell produce in Australia? Not picking Cameron Green was gutless and Aaron Finch should hang his head in shame...and what about those who agreed to this? Steve Smith either plays or he is replaced in the squad. Too many bowlers who don't bat as well.

2. Loud media mouthpieces. Once upon a time it was Neil Harvey. Man Mundine was an expert. Ray Price has dabbled and Jana Pittman was pursued and gave us comments on everything from medicine, marriage/ divorce and bobsleds too. Move over the lot of you...Erin Molan has arrived and re-arrived. Bullied, oppressed, downtrodden, married, divorced and comments on everything, from motherhood and politics. There is a reason her radio show rates so poorly... unfortunately it is all a little boring.

3. Netball. Talk about poisoning the whole sport commercially. $15 million for an organisation that is bereft of business acumen was a bonus. Now everyone is claiming it wasn't them that influenced it. Aboriginal programs are broad and flourishing under Gina Rhinehart and the silly old goose of a father is dead a long time ago. - and with it his twisted, sad comments.

Businesses are rightfully wary about going near sport. I am yet to see a wind farm sponsorship or a 'Climate Change/ Greenpeace' sponsorship of mainstream sport. Has anyone seen this?

If it is a betting company, alcohol, even banks and insurance companies... forget it. Qantas bailed. Cigarettes went years ago (Benson and Hedges, Winfield Cup, Craven Mild Cup), but what is left? Milk (OAK), but flavoured milk is unhealthy, car companies like City Ford are dangerous too...every single one has a fault in the eyes of many of our new age viewers. Casinos are in trouble. Even Souths pledged not to have pokies... is that still in place?

So too much squabbling - bad publicity - and now all players from the grassroots upwards suffer. Cricket has done this as well. Soccer/ Football as well. No strength or substance. Players need to be reminded that your never sponsor sport to make money. Pat Cummins is now a world energy expert too I see. If he took more wickets in T20 cricket instead, we would be better off.

4. Celtic. They break free and now are four points ahead of Rangers (who drew with Livingston) beating Hearts 4-3 on the weekend. I am noticing some loose play this year in Celtic however. They need to be on guard. It could come crashing down. 

Liverpool are experiencing this in losing to Notts Forrest 1-0 and their former legend, Steven Gerrard is particularly feeling it having been dumped by Aston Villa. Had to laugh re the home crowd's chant here when the result went to Chelsea 2-0: "you're getting sacked in the morning". And he was.

5. Rugby League World Cup. Love watching tries, but the minnows are a joke really. Addo-Carr is loving it. Jamaica? Italy? Lebanon? Scotland lost 84-0. Bring on the real stuff. 

Surely you fill the competition with those games which are fair dinkum contests only and play more regularly than once a week. The squads have enough players to do this. It stands to be a decent competition, but clean out the minnows. The game will never grow there. 

John Ribot promised China in Super League (1997). How's that one going? Russell Crowe promised the USA? How are they progressing? (Like NFL in Australia I suspect). We played Origin at Veterans Stadium in LA in 1987. Any day now we should see their excellent steps forward. They are not even amongst the minnows!

6. MLB. The Philadelphia Phillies lead the San Diego Padres 3-1 and the Astros lead the New York Yankees 3-0 in their best of seven games series. Both the Phillies and the Astros look like contesting the MLB World Series (limited to the USA - but played by the best players from across the globe).

The Wrap - Roodimentals

1. Rugby League World Cup - Kangaroos. There is always something amazing about watching rugby league in England, but the conditions always seem to be wet and slippery. Games in sunshine are rare in those parts. The small in-goal areas are annoying - and how long before we have  injuries from hitting boarding and camera stands and the like?

Munster excels in those slippery Melbourne-type conditions and Harry Grant is such a talent. So quick on his feet. Yet this is the thing with most under performing NRL sides - no pace around the ruck. Korisau has made a career on it. Cook used to have a bit more toe at his best. The Storm did the right thing in opting for Grant over Brandon Smith who is a different style of player.

No surprise to see Victor Radley do well for Great Britain under coach Shaun Wane (Warnie always haunts us with this fellow's name). Samoa were a major disappointment it must be said. Lazy and ineffective, despite the hype. Where was the great Luai? Paulo? A few of those boys will be regretting their decision to avoid playing for Australia already. All of a sudden to have Nanai and Tino playing for Australia suddenly seems odd.

The strangest thing of all is the ridiculous numbering on the jerseys. I hope Michael Hagan can offer more than this in the dressing rooms. Unfortunately Mal has been weak here. He needed to can this nonsense before it began. The organising mob should have ended it as well. Will this will be the next nonsense in the NRL?

These 'world' tournaments always seem like exhibition games in the early stages, before the real stuff kicks in.

2. T20 Cricket World Cup. Underway soon, but having Aaron Finch there as skipper exposes us a little. If he doesn't fire, we are in strife - especially now that Dave Warner has a neck injury. He has good hands in close however. No Cameron Green is unbelievable too. Dopey selectors. It will be interesting to see if Glenn Maxwell can do anything in Australia in T20. He is often a non-event at home.

On Warner, the governance and nonsense around re-instatement as a captain is unbelievable. Fifteen committees and twenty three panels. Please... No wonder we are in strife and the game is on the nose with the public. I wonder how ticket sales tot the T20 World Cup are going. Dreadfully high prices and no soul. This is no longer the 1980s-1990s white ball cricket. They need a serious marketing campaign with the 'C'Mon Aussie C'mon' tune again...

3. Western Sydney Wanderers. A bright early start to their A League campaign after years of misery. After three losing Grand Finals in 2013-2016, they have finished 8th, 9th, 8th, 10th in recent years. Time for a recovery!

4. EPL - Leicester. Still anchored to the foot of the EPL table and in desperate need of points. A terrible decline. I noticed Harry Kane played his 400th game for Tottenham, He is on 192 goals for Tottenham, the highest number of goals by a player for a single EPL club. 

Meanwhile Celtic knocked over 6-1 in an emphatic display against Hibernian, which certainly helps the for and against (35 goals for and 6 goals against now)!

5. The Everest. Giga Kick was sensational there. It has been running brilliantly in Melbourne and actually entered the race with the fastest time. Nice return at $20. Nature Strip was strong early but faded... too strong, too early. A big day and a thing called the Caulfield Cup also was run and won brilliantly by another outsider in Durston. Cox Plate next weekend.

6. Undisputed Lightweight Boxing Champions. Such a tough gig to earn money, but George Kambosos Jr did well - but not well enough against Devin Haney. There is a lot of hype in this show that is for sure. Thankfully belts are not allocated on the weight of ink on one's body. Kambosos would be up there in that world championship. You wonder about boxer health with concussions, but also in making weight limits as well. Kambosos looked like he was desperate for a feed after the weigh-in. 

7. Netball. How can such a popular women's sport be so incompetent in securing appropriate sponsorship to support their game? Defies belief. Too many white Larco tracksuits filled with self importance running the game and no business nous. It is also still one of the only sports on the planet that does not have a senior level female AND male option to play. Where are the men's action groups?

8. MotoGP at Phillip Island. Once upon a time when it all began back in 1989-1990 it was huge for Australians...Wayne Gardner (2 wins), Mick Doohan (3 wins), Casey Stoner (6 straight wins from 2007-2012).. now Jack Miller is the hope of the side. Remy Gardner (son of the great Wayne) is floating around too. Still picturesque and amazing talent on show - Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin. 

9. Des Hasler. The former Penrith great is out the door for Anthony Seibold (yes, really). He lands four games short of Bob Fulton as the greatest serving coach at Manly for all time. Ironic and significant. The decision is rough and clearly the Fulton faction have won and protected their father's memory. Can't for the life of me reason why anyone would be relying on Scott Fulton's or any of his surnamed relations rugby league knowledge. Bob was a legend...some others wish they were.

Manly are a club in for a tough time, no matter how many Trobjovics you may have in the locker room. They have never been a club to lose and leak players, but perhaps things are about to change. Their 'feeder' connection with Blacktown looks shaky too. You have to love private ownership of clubs...it often brings little stability and rash decisions.

10. AFL. Talking of coaching panic stations...what about St Kilda and Brett Ratten? Sacked with a few years to go on his contract. Please spare us with some of the names of coaches to come in...Ross Lyon? Retreads the lot of them. Some fresh faces might help.

11. Australian Cricket Batting. We have very poor batting stocks across the country. Not enough domestic tons either. When Peter Siddle is still getting four wicket hauls we are in trouble. To dominate, you need multiple tons from individuals. Jake Lehmann having a good start to the season.

12. MLB World Series. Coming soon, but League Championships first. The often failed San Deigo Padres (can you believe?) will play the Phillies (National League) and the once cheating Astros will play the winner of the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians (once the Cleveland Indians) in the American League Championship game, with the Guardians up 2-1. These next League Championship games are the best of seven series. 

The Wrap - Sporting Chance

1. NRL Premiers. Winners have parties and losers have meetings. The Panthers do it in their own way, but two premierships back to back is unheard of really in the modern era. The Storm, for all their brilliance, haven't even done it. The Roosters have in 2018, 2019 (as have the 1990s Canberra, Broncos teams). A three peat would mark them down in history of one of the best ever (Parramatta/ Canterbury 1980s, Manly/ St George in the 1970s, Rabbitohs/ St George 1960s, etc).

Not sure Ryan Matterson should be opening his mouth. Takes a three game suspension rather than surrendering $4K? Please.

2. EPL. Every now and then a sensational talent bursts into the limelight. And so it is with Erling Haaland, the Norwegian who plays for Manchester City. As a result of his 20 goals in 12 matches, Man City will no doubt be crowned winners this year. 33 goals for and 9 against. They are scoring so many goals it is ridiculous and unbeatable.

3. Celtic - Ange Postocoglou. Talk about last gasp. St Johnston's nearly take points from them in a 93 minute equaliser...until a 95 minute winner! Celtic are limping a little at present. 29 goals for and 5 against is pretty imposing, but Rangers are only two points behind them. Tight.

4. T20. Australia have done well against the West Indies. Tim David is killing them and suddenly Steve Smith is on the outer. Smith has been holding in there with T20 for far too long. He does not score briskly and needs to face facts. He is one of the best ever in tests - even ODIs, but T20? Almost defies belief that Cameron Green is not in the team. England will be a sterner test later tonight.

4. Bathurst 1000. The chaotic start reminded me of the excitement in the voice of Steve Raymond commentating on the Hardie Ferodo 1000 (asbestos brakes) and the Tooheys 1000 (1988-1995 great look) and the FAI 1000 (pre Mr Adler's prison term) all those years ago! The big names of Garth Tander and the biggest/ longest name of all in Shane van Gisbergen did it again in a Holden for their sign off from the sport (who can believe that?). 

Tander now has five Bathurst 1000 wins in the 161 laps (and 100 podium finishes now!). That is getting up there with the very best of them ever:

5. Mankad. Great to see its official sanctioned return into cricket. Every backyard cricketer can breathe a sigh of relief when their big brother notches up 200 no.

6. Parramatta. A great season for them in the end, but why would you allow Dylan Brown out of your sights. The guy is a 10 season purchase. Lock him in and set your club up forever. Moses...um, hard to replace (esp. goalkicking) and a a little older, but Brown and Penessini are worth investing in for 10 seasons each. Clubs need to get smart and lock away ten season players around whom they can build a club.

More discord and grief for them looms otherwise. A bit like Manly who want to get rid of Hasler. Honestly.

7. Kangaroos. The traditional Kangaroo tour is missed, but now we are apparently numbering players' jersies from 1-24 based on their Australian debuts and then alphabetically? A brainwave of Michael Hagan. Still trying to work out why Michael did not last as an NRL coach.

The Wrap - NRL Grand Final Recap

1. NRL Grand Final. It is almost unbelievable that Penrith won every layer of rugby league in 2022. What an outstanding achievement of high performance. They are applying for a NRLW licence next year too. They are set to extend their dynasty for some years to come yet. 

Four premierships (equal to Parramatta now) and more to come. Arrogance seems to be their only hurdle and we all love to see the tall poppy knocked over...eventually. No tears are ever shed for Melbourne. However winners can be a little loose with comments about the Tigers never winning premiership rings. 

Interesting that there was no HIA issues in the game either. 

The game itself. Hard to nail any really bad Parramatta performers, but some tactical areas were poor:

• Waqar Blake. He is a complete liability at times (29 errors for the season and 50 missed tackles and only 117 tackles made, admittedly playing on the wing). His tackle busts and running metres from his own area have been strong. He averages one error per game, so that was inevitable.
• Weaker players cannot be hidden in Grand Finals. Waqar played in the line and was clearly under instruction not to get in the way of the high ball.
• The absence of a centre with wisdom and pace. Young Penissini was absent early and needs an experienced, talented head next to him. I note they have missed out on some centres more recently (Gagai, Curtis Scott...).
• This cost them in defence at critical times as well.
• Short drop outs - low percentage, impatient tactics of panic.
• Kicking high balls to Brian To'o endlessly. Did they remember he has played State of Origin? Charlie Staines struggles under the high ball and did not get one all night.
• Failure to adapt: kicking hard and low to hit the ground and gaps to turn Dylan Edwards around with a strong chase?
• Not dominating the ruck, fearing another Ashley Clown penalty - and failing to bend back any of the Panthers forwards early in the set. Quick play the balls then result with greater flow.
• Slow Parramatta play the balls.
• Not playing the ball wider and getting the Panthers forwards running more earlier - especially when it was obvious that tactic of beating it up the middle was not working.
• Lack of genuine pace. Dylan Brown looked good when he can play with the ball. Arthur stifles this flair. He is a match winner. The forwards looked tired and spent from a torrid semi final campaign.
• Mitchell Moses. No running game.
• Offloads. There was fear early of errors and no creativity. No surprises allowed Penrith to fix and lock in their defensive patterns.
• Lack of leadership. Look at the Jack Gibson era... Sterling, Price, but Steve Edge and Bob O'Reilly were there...Stumpy Stevens. Even Mick Cronin. Parramatta need voices and wisdom under pressure.
• Absence of Parramatta juniors in the Parramatta system. Year after year there are no players coming through their system. Forging combinations and friendships early make it happen later. Division 1 players fade out and leave at the highest levels - clearly no data tracks this at all however. Why is this occurring? It cannot simply be talent. What pathways programs do they have? The NSW Cup area is a big weakness for the club. Second rate purchases prevail when local product should dominate.

2. Parramatta Under Pressure. Time and time again across the season, Clint Gutherson, for all his talent and perseverance, makes some bad decisions under pressure. The team lacks leadership.

In Grand Finals things go wrong, but the winners iron out the dips and troughs better than the loser. 

There were so many close challenge and other refereeing decisions where the leadership of the Panthers got it right. No emotion, just sensible leadership. 

Many will not have noticed, but at half time, Isaiah Yeo was being interviewed as the team left the field and the whole Panthers team waited for him before entering the sheds. Respectful and united. 

Where has the short drop out come from in the last twelve months across the NRL? Horribly low percentage. It has risen as a tactic for the desperate. The first effort goes out on the full...then Gutherson tries a short grubber drop out and misses out again. Send it deep, suck it up and play field position. Those desperate tactics send an awful message to the team. 

Here's an idea... when will the driving drop kick OR kick off to the sideline along the ground - at high pace - enter the minds of the NRL coach? Clearly you get the ball if it goes out, yet the silly low percentage drop kick is utilised. We used to do this in U/8s!

3. NRL Grand Final Media. It is hard to find any angle not explored in the media in the run up to the Grand Final. There were ex-players interviewed, Wally Wynn has never seen business like it, blue and gold donuts and sausages, wives, girlfriends, hard luck stories, inspiration stories and 'where are they now' stories... brothers, ex-coaches, signings, exits... nothing left in the journalistic draw. When Kevin Kingston was getting a run, it was time for the game to start. 36 years... was it 36? Of course it was.

4. Panthers. Awesome. An incredible first half without an error and with complete dominance. Their forwards - Leota, Fisher-Harris and Liam Martin were outstanding. Aggressive and disciplined. Cleary didn't really have to do much at all in the first half. Dylan Edwards was gifted the ball too often and what do you know he weaved and wound his way through the tiring defence. His tackle on Simmonsen was outstanding. Made better by sliding him over the sideline. Edwards is quicker than you think. A deserved Churchill Medalist.

5. State Cricket. The Marsh/ ING/ Gillette/ McDonalds/ FAI Cup is a sign that footy is over. NSW look to have a long season ahead, being rolled for 76 by WA! They like flat tracks that don't turn.

6. ManU. Any time you lose 6-3 in football, the lazer heads to the coach. A terrible loss as Man City surge back to greater things. Arsenal are proving more durable season.

7. AFL Trade Period. This is a good feature of the AFL, keeping interest in the off season. The losses GWS are set to experience are immense. They are right up there with North Melbourne for the spoon again... especially with Alistair Clarkson under fire. The request of North's young Horne-Francis to move clubs is interesting. Port are moving quickly and look good for 2023.

The Wrap - Final Wash Up

 1. NRL Grand Final - Eels v Panthers. The Eels surprised everyone and themselves in beating the Cowboys while away from home. A top defensive effort and a little help with that first try too. Dylan Brown's defence was superb, but his attack needs work. He steps off his left foot, but has so much more quality. Moses was inconsistent (two kicks out on the full had Jakob Arthur feeling like he should warm up). RCG and Junior Paulo were immense and the contributions by Lane and Matterson are really adding to Parramatta's style. Reed Mahoney is going to be absolutely missed in season 2023. He knocked over another 50 tackles against the Cowboys. Can we have an explanation as to why they missed out on re-signing him?

A big congratulations to Brad Arthur whose loyalty to Waqar Blake is staggering, but the wins have come at the right time. Not everyone makes a Grand Final, despite the media wanting ten teams to make it each year!

In an extraordinary turn of events, the Parramatta NRLW team snuck into the semis on for and against with a 1-4 season record (!!) and have now knocked over the reigning premiers, the Roosters, to make their NRLW Grand Final as well. Their two centres have more pace than the men's centres. Such toughness by so many of the girls. A tremendous standard really, especially when compared to the AFLW.

Reminds me of the other extraordinary Parramatta performance in semi finals when Parramatta men's team of 1975 won three games (two playoffs) in a week to get through the semi finals.

2. NRL. Souths were disappointing after a top start. Losing Alex Johnston and Tom Burgess pre game were big blows, but the ill discipline surfaced again. Three disallowed tries and the To'o try on the stroke of halftime probably demonstrated that their demise was not far away. The Milne send off was a six week reward for his ill discipline. He was sin binned twice v the Roosters a couple of weeks back and needs to tidy up his work. Can't help but think that if Cody Walker could control his anger and resentment on the field, they would win more big games. He is a senior player these days. The Panthers hammered both Latrell Mitchell, who was very quiet and Campbell Graham who has been one of the best for Souths more recently.

Three straight Grand Finals for the Panthers. Ivan Cleary has an exceptional coaching record now at 72.9% win percentage in 54 games as Penrith coach. Bellamy's record is awesome too at 70.1%, but over 349 games! The Panthers are losing a few stars this year, but they are well placed. Who would not want to play there with their talent and success. They will be very hard to beat.

3. AFL Grand Final - Swans v Geelong. The Swans were outgunned and briskly. By quarter time it was season over. At the end, one of their biggest losses on record: 133 v 52. The centre bounce was a feast for Geelong. Poor old Tom Hickey just didn't have it. There was also a reluctance to intervene and make a change by the coach until it was quite late. Buddy Franklin was a non-event and the inexperience of the Swans was evident everywhere.

That said, the Geelong juggernaut picked up momentum in the semi finals and never looked back. Maybe they can challenge again next year, but longer term that club will need to re-invent itself. Dangerfield, Rohan and Cameron get a premiership and are rewarded for taking the big steps required in their contracts.

4. Presidents Cup Golf. Teams golf is in trouble with the PGA-LIV divide. A neat comeback from 2-8 to 7-11 gives the International team some hope. However the divide seems to be affecting people's view of the sport too. Big pay cheques for elite sportsmen are one thing, but political disputes, bad press and cranky administrators annoy people who admire the playing skill. The Internationals have been put under a lot of pressure, but are fighting...

5. ATP 'End of Federer' Laver Cup. Roger has left the building. Plenty of tears, with Rafa joining in too. However, one of the best ever! Some of the tears may have been for the state of tennis when he leaves. 

6. Australia v NZ Football - Qatar World Cup Preparation (Centenary Games). A shocking miss by Marco Tilio (A League standard sadly) just before half time in the 2-0 victory in Auckland today. No goalkeeper in front of the goal and he pushed it away. 

Interesting to see GUUUUUS Hiddink around the national team with Graham Arnold again. It was interesting what he said about "getting the right referee" being more important than most things in your preparation for a World Cup.

7. Wallabies v All Blacks. Another thumping! This 37 year losing streak is one more than the Eels premiership drought! The Wallabies cannot seem to get it right. The selection merry go round is extraordinary. So many team changes and such a large squad... Time to consolidate. Rennie has chopped and changed every game. No team wins consistently with that approach.

8. Full Time. Both football (soccer) and rugby have the most exciting moments when the full time hooter nears and sounds. Playing on after the final siren adds a tantalising number of possibilities. A shame the previous minutes are both dominated by refereeing issues and 

9. NFL. All underway again. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have an early jump with two victories. The familiar team names are swirling and it will interesting if the Chiefs, Bills, Dolphins and Giants can aim up in the coming weeks after their bright starts. 

10. T20 Cricket v India. A great innings by Cameron Green in the first game, steering the team to victory. An 8 over game in the next match? Surely a reserve day or half day should be scheduled for all of these games. You don't need that much time to complete a game. Decider later tonight. Can Finch hit it off the square? He hit them well in the second game. Matt Wade is in cracking form. He knows how to get an IPL contract!

11. Bathurst? Sadly, this always signals the start of the miserable post league/ AFL season. Brum brum! The Marsh Cup ODI Series starts a different pace. 

At least the T20 World Cup (16 October - 13 November) and the Rugby League World Cup in England (15 October - 19 November), provide a little extra transitional hope this year!

The Wrap - Preliminary Exhillaration

1. NRL- Eels v Raiders. The Raiders ended a great season recovered, but were hammered really. How good is that fullback, Savage however? A dreadful nutmeg bounce, but that aside, he is a future star. The work of Mitchell Moses was extraordinary after his head knock. His defence and pace was on show - as was his goalkicking excellence. He has improved so much this year, especially in tough moments and games. He may not know how much more growth he has, but the leadership of that group was much better. 

No bombs to Waqar Blake were intriguing tactics. Gutherson stood up. Junior Paulo and RCG are tremendous players. Shaun Lane and Ryan Matterson have become top shelf operators. Tough assignment ahead with the Cowboys at home however. A successful year in the end regardless for Brad Arthur, despite the dramas and released secret reports.

2. NRL - Souths v Cronulla. Cronulla were disappointing and unlucky. That flick pass for a no try was a season highlight! After half time they had chances, but Campbell Graham was superb out wide. His defence is something else there. Without Tom Burgess they were susceptible, but the loss of Talakai out wide by the Sharks hurt them. Their outside backs struggled... but this Ronaldo has incredible pace. What a talent!

Latrell Mitchell is easily the best player in the game now. Everytime he touches the ball something significant happens. His goalkicking (7/7) is so sweet from both sides of the field. Tough and uncompromising, but a winner. The way he runs the ball and his size is hard to counter. Souths will test Penrith and look for revenge from last year's Grand Final. Penrith though will be incredibly hard to toss. 

Hopefully Cody Walker can maintain a smile and not fire up. If he gets the cranks, the team struggles. Alex Johnston would be a huge loss of composure and strength out wide too against those Penrith outside backs.

3. Mario Fenech. A very sad and sorry tale re brain impact for Mario tonight on local TV. A telling tale of why head knocks and concussion need to be managed sensibly and strictly. Sadly there must be so many Marios out there from all levels of the game. 

4. Roger Federer. The GOAT is no longer, retiring at the age of 41. Such grace and humility as a player and someone who set a new standard in world sport for precision and excellence. What a career!

5. US Open Tennis - Carlos Alcarez. Keep that name close. He is the next huge force in world tennis. A slashing US Open final win at a very young age.

6. AFL - Geelong and Sydney to contest the Grand Final. Brisbane were whacked and lacked in every department. Collingwood have shown a remarkable level of intensity this year and really were the most improved. Their drive to possible victory at the end of the play was a telling moment of their character - and for Sydney to work further on. Sydney wilted it must be said and made a number of rushed and pressured errors. They could not find a point for long stretches. Buddy needs to be used more as a decoy, not a 'go to'.

However, Longmire has a top record. He has melded the group together and brought a lot of young players through the system. They will need their running legs at a packed MCG. They have so many promising players. A chance to play against Gary Rohan for many, but Geelong are full of stars - Selwood, Cameron, Hawkins, Dangerfield, Stewart, Guthrie ... on it goes. 

The heart stopper on Saturday night should get them in the right mood for Saturday! Can't wait!

7. 2022 Brownlow Medal. Clayton Oliver and Lachie Neale surely fight it out. Oliver is so consistent but faded a little later in the season. Will be an interesting outcome and a top awards night that is really well planned and structured. The AFL has a lot to teach many other sports.

8. EPL - Leicester. Once again the coach, Brendan Rodgers looms as getting the chop soon. Rodgers cannot have this team anchored to the foot of the table. To be relegated would be dreadful. Starting to sift the wheat from the chaff now... Man City, Liverpool and even ManU are rising fast.

9. Nature Strip. What an amazing horse Just has a turn of foot like no other. A handy weekend for James McDonald with five winners too. That keeps the bank manager happy. The performances of Zougotcha are starting to stack up. Tremendous horse!

The Wrap - Queen's Gambit

1. NRL Crowds. Do league commentators try and make more of rugby semi finals than they really are? "A semi final try"..."A semi final tackle"....Origin yes, but semis? High stakes, but at suburban grounds is sounds a bit odd. Exciting coverage nonetheless.

It really hotted up at Allianz Stadium today with Souths v Roosters. High intensity and in a way better than Origin. Brutal and brainless all in one.

For years though rugby league has struggled to get crowds to their semi final games. Penrith v Parramatta may have played in front of a capacity 25,000, but the Storm v Raiders was dismal - especially when Melbourne are meant to have 40,000 members. "Home finals" are great, but please fill the ground. Cronulla did this well at 12,500 capacity (and then some), even with some rain about. But these are small numbers really. Rugby league is a TV game these days.

The losses at home by Melbourne, the Roosters and the Sharks were as unusual as they were significant. 

Conversely, the AFL can't fit them all in. 62,000 Brisbane v Melbourne on Friday night and 90,000+ for Collingwood v Fremantle on Saturday night. There is no rugby league promotion, no advertising, nothing... The TV stations promote their own shows, but that is it.

2. NRL Semi Finals. Parramatta were dreadful really v Penrith. One half good, one half bad. One win one week...one loss the next. An inconsistent team who cannot concentrate. They actually lack intelligence under pressure on the field. They lack composure and decision-making excellence. They need pre-season work here. 

Gutherson is meant to be the leader and did not produce in a big game. Dylan Brown was barely sighted. They need proper experience and leadership. The performance of Waqar Blake was appalling for a first grader. The truth is meant to be downplayed these days so no one is offended, but the truth was there. Unforced errors in critical field position that led to points. He should have been replaced by Bailey Simonsen. The Panthers still pay some of his wage apparently. England surely beckons. 

Jack Wighton was outstanding and Hudson Young and they will take some beating. Big Pappa is also quite awesome. The Canberra forwards dominated and while they may have gotten a little lucky at the end, the bunker will make sure luck is at a premium.

The ill discipline of the Roosters killed them. JWH and Victor Radley make Matt Lodge look like a saint. They could have won, but again, no leadership and game smarts outside of Tedesco, who was off the ground. Ashley Clown was in his element, setting records and getting the players riled up with no control. Sending everyone to the Principal's office has never worked.

So next week:

• Parramatta v Canberra at Con Bank Stadium. (Canberra 13+, esp. if Moses is unable to play).
• Sharks v Rabbits at Gladys Stadium (Rabbits 1-12 if they can back up)

Then for the Preliminary Finals and a spot in the Grand Final:

• Panthers play the winner of Sharks v Rabbits
• Cowboys play the winner of Parramatta v Canberra

Worth noting that a team finishing third (Cowboys) in the last 20 years has never lost a Grand Final if it makes it that far!

At least in 2021, a top four team (Penrith) lost a Week 1 semi final and won the comp! Not many others spring to mind (Sorry Eels and Sharks fans).

3. AFL Semi Finals. Brisbane showed great toughness to out muscle a disappointing Melbourne, whose dominant start to the season tailed off badly. Melbourne just could not sustain the required pressure and got distracted. Clayton Oliver uncharacteristically went the niggle. Gawn was muffled, Petracca was injured... Zorko dominated the centre, despite the boos.

The Collingwood v Fremantle game. A huge crowd and atmosphere. Such a spectacle and the crowd are so animated! The Ginnivan effect gets the crowd going, but the work of the Daicos', Crisp and the ball movement left Freo behind. The SCG will be different for them as it is smaller and swarming defence will be king there. Hopefully the week off has not dulled the intensity of the Swans.

Next week Preliminary Finals for a place in the Grand Final:

• Sydney v Collingwood (SCG)
• Geelong v Brisbane (MCG)

4. Aaron Finch. Thank goodness his ODI career is over. It was getting embarrassing for him, so good timing. Bowled through the gate is a sure sign for all of us that the eyesight and footwork is fading. The T20 bit is retained for now, but that will change soon. His youthful talent has faded and he needed to sign off. The T20 World Cup win as captain was a great achievement, but his technique has just gone. It was always loose, but it was really an outstanding eye that helped him most. His BBL form has been really bad for a number of seasons now. However, he has scored 17 tons and 30 half centuries in ODIs averaging 39. Not bad, but the clock has beaten him.

Ponting scored 30 ODI tons...Mark Waugh and Dave Warner have 18 tons and Finch has 17 tons! Fourth best ever should not be forgotten.

5. ODI Series v NZ. A winning series result v New Zealand is a strong outcome for Ronnie McDonald and the Australian team. It's hard to believe how Kane Williamson has come back to the pack so quickly. He was a world beater two years ago. We need to keep an eye on the future here as the team is aging. This Tim David is an exciting prospect. Dave Warner as captain? This will be an interesting decision.

6. US Mens Open Tennis - Carlos Alcaraz. Three five setters to make the US Final v World No. 5, Casper Ruud (Norway). Alcaraz is another Spainard destined for the extraordinary. Nadal could just about be finished now. Sadly, the implosion of Nick Kygrios is becoming almost par for the course now. It is unusual that Djokovic, Nadal and Federer are not mentioned here at all at this stage of the tournament. Ruud is a fierce rival however.

7. US Womens Open Tennis - Iga Swiatek. From Poland, Swiatek is quickly becoming unbeatable on the womens' circuit. She has an awesome presence and record in finals. She beat Ons Jabeur (Tunisia) quite easily in the end for the US Open crown to add to her two French Open titles. The new sweep of names in womens' tennis is changing the game yet again. It is evolving and European players are dominating.

Swiatek now has three Grand Slam wins (the same number as a few other names: Davenport, Capriati, Barty, Kerber).

8. English Sport - Cancelled with the Death of the Queen. The Third test v South Africa delayed (3 day Test)...the EPL round cancelled and the BMW PGA Championship (54 holes).

9. England v South Africa Test Cricket. 17 wickets roll over on Day 1 (of 3 days) and the test seems like it will have a result depsite its abbreviated timeframe. No wonder Broad and Anderson have so many wickets. Near unplayable at the Oval on that green top deck. England are lucky they didn't bat first because South Africa would have rolled them for sub 50! 

No Jonny Bairstow to rescue them either...he broke his leg on the way to the first tee playing golf last week. Dangerous sport. 

The Wrap - Off The Ground

1. AFL Finals. Craig McRae, the coach of Collingwood, shared what we have all felt as viewers for years. "When you lose, don't sit on the ground! You look like a loser". Self pity and self centred. His team lost a heartbreaker v Geelong, but he has transformed that club and their campaign is still alive. Gary Rohan rose from the finals graveyard and put a really good performance together.

The Swans were next level in their intensity and now have a lot more speed - Florent, Warner, Hayward... and their defence and pressure was amazing v Melbourne. Richmond gone and Western Bulldogs too. Giving up a 30 point lead is catastrophic really, especially when that has plagued them in recent months. Fredericks was dynamic...such pace. Brayshaw is a gun too. Serong superb. Richmond (7) and Western Bulldogs (8) out.

So it becomes...

• Melbourne (2) v Brisbane (6) (winner to play Geelong (1)) and 
• Collingwood (4) v Fremantle (5) (winner to play Sydney (3) at the SCG in a fortnight).

2. Australian Cricket. When did it become so obvious that the Australian public had turned away from this team? Was it South Africa's sandpaper gate, the removal and mismanagement of Justin Langer's exit, or was it the filthy riches of the IPL and the inferior BBL rosters? Shane Warne's death? 

No one really cares about cheap tournaments in QLD v Zimbabwe in winter/ spring, but are we fair dinkum in losing to them? Typical arrogance and carelessness that really annoys the viewing public. Surely we can do better. The Andrew 'Ronald' McDonald coaching era has been only so so to date...wasteful may be one description. ODI form dreadful. So far in 2022, 10 wins and 8 losses...50% win-loss ratios never win in the end. NZ this week will prove interesting...then India. A string of losses may have the steak knives out.

• 1-0 Test series win v Pakistan.
• 1-2 ODI loss v Pakistan
• 1-0 T20 win v Pakistan
• 2-1 T20 win v Sri Lanka
• 2-3 ODI loss to Sri Lanka
• 1-1 Test series v Sri Lanka
• 2-1 ODI win v Zimbabwe

3. Golf Danger. Another red head, Jonny Bairstow broke his leg playing golf this week. Dangerous sport, be warned.

4. NRL. Apart from the Eels v Storm contest, there was not a lot of sheen to the final round. The less we see of the Titans and Warriors the better. The Tigers the same....and Newcastle. Mad Monday celebrations should be banned for them. A blow up with a player in one of these teams publicly or in the media is paying $1.01.

Cronulla were awesome and look sharp for the finals. The Dragons finish an honourable 10th too!

The absolutely pathetic efforts late in the season by Manly and Brisbane were disastrous. They can get a bit precious NRL players... a contract dispute news story, a club media storm and they implode. Both clubs used to be so strong. Amazing decline.

The draw though advantages some. The movement away from the Panthers is the key.   

• 1 v 4. Panthers v Parramatta (winner to Prelim, loser plays winner of 5 v 8)
• 2 v 3. Sharks v Cowboys (winner to Prelim final, loser plays winner of 6 v 7)
• 5 v 8. Storm v Raiders (loser out)
• 6 v 7. Roosters v Rabbits (loser out).

4. Wallabies. Talk about 50% win-loss teams. Over the last two years: 10 wins. 11 losses. The ultimate in inconsistency. 

5. Daniel Ricciardo. Gone from McLaren. Oscar Piastri is a talent, but the hoopla looks like ending for the shooey himself. Results count more than good looks in the end... but he is a wealthy man regardless and set up for life. He always looks happy regardless of the politics.

6. Celtic v Rangers Derby Day in Glasgow. Ange Postocoglou has once again led Celtic to a 4-0 hammering of their fierce rivals. There is a lot of new found love for Ange! 6 wins and on top of the table once again. An EPL call up will not be far away for him. Harry Kewell on the coaching staff will be learning a bit too.

7. EPL. Arsenal on full points thus far (15 - 5 wins) take on the resurgent ManU team (9 points). There is some difference at the top of the table which is exciting. Brighton are up there early with Man City who are limping, not legging it as usual - and Leicester sit cold stone last on 1 solitary point, with an extra game to play. 

8. MLB. Some familiar success stories this season: the Astros, Dodgers, Yankees...and the Mets are up there too for a change! The Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles and Oakland A's... all familiar faces at the bottom of the tables again. The newly named 2022 Cleveland Guardians (not the Indians) are doing great business too.

9. US Open Tennis. Nadal marches on. Kgyrios v Medvedev will be interesting. I cannot see Medvedev losing. He is a machine.

The Wrap - Hoax, Stokes and Jokes (and Foakes)

1. NRL. The prospect of a loss this weekend brought out some excellent footy (except for Manly and Brisbane). Parramatta have managed to string two wins together (!) and with an unexpected crack at the Storm for a top four finish ahead. They are due for a loss on their season long 50% win-loss pattern. Paulo is a cracking player. A ball playing wrecking machine with quick feet and blissful hands...hard to find on the open market. Mitchell Moses is an enigma. A superb goal kicker and a better defender than attacker, which is rare in a number seven.

The game between Storm and Roosters was outstanding. JWH is a dill sometimes and brilliant at other times. Flattening big Nelson who crumbled badly, was a big moment. However, up 14-0 and JWH goes ballistic and costs the team, narrowing the gap. The Roosters could win the premiership on that form. So strong. Sualli is amazingly skillful. The addition of Lodge has really toughened up their play. Lindsay Collins is a top class player but has been rubbed out now which will hurt.

The Cowboys will need to sharpen up as Souths are also on a charge. The Sharks motor on and have had a tremendous year again.

2. NRL Finals. Pretty clear now... Panthers-Cowboys-Sharks all safe in the top four, pretty much (Cowboys don't need a loss)... Melbourne v Eels for the last spot in the top four. If the Eels lose, they drop to 6th spot on for and against, being leapfrogged by either the Bunnies or the Roosters who play each other. If the Bunnies win they could grab 5th spot ahead of the Roosters. If the Roosters win they take 5th spot. The loser of Roosters v Bunnies comes 7th. The best the Raiders (or Broncos) can do is finish 8th.

The reward for coming fourth? Play the Panthers in Week 1 of the finals! Your team is better off not being in the 1 v 4 side for mine. Roosters may lose comfortably knowing they could go onto the 2 v 3 side! There is no point busting a boiler there as the difference will be finishing 5th or 7th.

At present, assuming the Broncos miss out (and they deserve to miss out after conceding 110-6 in the last two weeks) and the top three teams win:

Team 1 v Team 4 (eg. Panthers v Storm)....loser plays winner of Team 5 v 8.

Team 5 v Team 8 (eg. Roosters v Raiders)* elimination.

Team 2 v Team 3 (eg. Sharks v Cowboys)... loser plays winner of Team 6 v 7.

Team 6 v Team 7 (eg. Eels v Rabbits)* elimination.

3. AFL. Still can't cop a week off pre-finals in the AFL. All momentum is lost, but the Storm were laughing... a packed Friday night house at headquarters. Having hit 40,000 members, they are a remarkable success story.

4. England v South Africa Test Cricket. Back to the old way... England send the opposition in to bat on a green top and cash in on Day 2-3 with the bat. An overdue ton to Ben Stokes (12 Test tons now), but this Ben Foakes can play (two test hundreds now). 200+ ahead in the first innings positions you well. The pressure there for England to rip through South Africa comes to pass and a 1-1 level series results. James Anderson nets another six test wickets. He is fast approaching Warnie - taking 30 more Tests!

5. Wallabies v South Africa. A cracking result from the Australian team after their Pumas loss last week. Koribete was indeed awesome! Hooper may come off the bench soon too. Daytime rugby? How refreshing. 

However the Pumas' performance v the All Blacks was truly amazing. The All Blacks' coach, should be familiarising himself with a few employment apps the way they are travelling at present. Cheika is almost doing the impossible here.

6. EPL. Liverpool finally strike back. 9-0 v Bournemouth. There's a relegation story right there. Ironically, Bournemouth sit on 3 points and Liverpool sit on 5 points now. Arsenal have had a cracking start (12 points), ManU is on the rebound now (6 points), but the two big stories...Brighton on 10 points and West Ham yet to break their duck. A big worry for their vocal fans!

7. US Tennis Open. Commences this week with no No-vax Djokovic (21 Grand Slams). It will be a great effort if Rafa Nadal can win it. He has already won the 2022 Australian Open and French Open and sits on top with 22 Grand Slams. It would be nice to see a few genuine contenders emerge. These younger players need to get busy..and soon.

8. BBL Draft. The fans love a good draft in any sport. This could be a game changer, but clearly there is a pool of T20 journeymen who just circle their way around the worldwide leagues, gathering cash. Good luck to them!

9. ODI Cricket. Great to see an ODI series v Zimbabwe. I wonder how long before you can't remember the venue or result? Silliness, but Maxwell's 32 off 9 balls sums it up!

The Wrap - Blow Outs and Blow Ups

A huge difference between AFL and NRL this weekend. One tense, the other had everyone questioning effort levels at some clubs by professional players.

1. AFL. On one hand you had the last AFL round of the season (ahead of their ridiculous bye round pre semis), scheduled brilliantly. Melbourne v Brisbane, Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn, Carlton v Collingwood (90,000+ crowd!) and Swans v St Kilda all influenced the final eight and the excitement was amazing. 

In the end Carlton needed to beat Collingwood as a team that had been in the eight all season and in the end were the only team that has ever missed out on the final eight from that position all season long! Incredible impact on the top four and the final eight teams. The Western Bulldogs are cheering! They have done it before from eighth place.

Collingwood have moved from 17th in 2021 to 4th in 2022. Incredible improvement. Sydney limped over the line and will find it tough at the big MCG v Melbourne.

In the end, the top eight AFL match ups:

i. Geelong v Collingwood

ii. Fremantle v Western Bulldogs

iii. Brisbane v Richmond. 

iv Melbourne v Sydney 

Interested to see Alistair Clarkson head as coach to the perennial losers, North Melbourne. Maybe they can rise from the ashes with his standards and guidance!

Essendon continue their terrible form as a club. Peptides, sacked coaches...a mess.

2. NRL. A smash up! Almost every team not in contention simply just gave up. The Warriors, Manly, the Bulldogs and the Tigers. The Tigers were the worst 72-6 does not help your reputation, especially coach Kimmorley. A coach wearing a hoodie looks slovenly. Keep it for when you get home in front of the tele. 

The Wigers club is in crisis. They have lost their soul really. Unbalanced and not many clever players. Not much can improve there either. Likely to lose Brooks and Doueihi - not bad losses in some senses, but they need to rebuild. Korisau and Papallii will help but not solve much. They have lost so many decent players and their best hooker Jacob Liddle looks like leaving too. 

So far in 2022 they have also lost: Luciano Leilua (Cowboys), Gildart (Roosters), Garner (signed at Panthers), Nofoaluma has been inexplicably gifted to the Storm... Peachey is playing reserve grade, Utoikamanu has been injured forever and Jimmy Roberts looks like it his last season. They are a mess.

The Broncos were only marginally better, getting thumped by the Storm. bad timing and at home too.

Manly.. incredible decline.

3. NRL Semi Finals. The Panthers (40), Sharks (34), Cowboys (34) and Storm (32) are all locked in to play semi finals with two rounds to go. Parramatta (30) are at greatest risk of missing out on the semi finals, with the worst for and against - a product of their highly inconsistent year. However, Canberra's record is even worse and need one of the other teams to fall over - not the Eels, unless they get belted by a team like the Storm and make up point differential.

The Eels (30) face the Broncos and Storm and could well lose both. Canberra (26) face Sea Eagles and Tigers and must win both. The Roosters (28) face the Storm and Rabbits - challenging. The Broncos (28) face the Eels and Dragons. The Rabbits (28) face the Cowboys and Roosters and also have a tough run home. Tight.

4. England v South Africa Cricket. An England special. Absolutely hopeless if they have to face pace on their own seaming decks. Prefer the opposition batting on it! A crushing loss by an innings and 12 runs as South Africa keep producing excellent fast bowlers. No rescue innings from Bairstow and Root this time!

5. EPL. Arsenal, Tottenham and Harry Kane on fire. (185 EPL goals for Harry Kane and fourth on the highest goal scorers ever! Beating Sergio Aguerro, two behind Andy Cole, 23 behind Wayne Rooney and 75 behind Alan Shearer)  ManU scraping the bottom of the table is a disgrace. A million rounds to go however. Leicester in early trouble too. 30 points beats relegation most times.

6. BMW Championship. Adam Scott in with a sniff... two behind heading into the final round. A hope after a long tournament drought...no LIV yet!

The Wrap - Coach Challenges

1. Paul Green. The mind and trials of an elite sporting coach are complex. The loss this week is awful - as it is in society where young people and older see hopelessness and pain, not opportunity and optimism. The coach is in the public eye, yearning for success, yet is powerless to influence a team in many ways. It is a frustrating journey in the spotlight of the media and public.  

The cranky or emotion charged coach is often the one in the firing line (eg. Michael Maguire, Trent Barrett, Ricky Stuart), but quieter blokes have deliberately taken a step back (eg. Nathan Brown) in recent times. Others have gone quietly...Brian Smith, John Cartwright, Rick Stone, Garth Brennan, John Morris, Dean Pay, Ivan Henjak... to where?

Green could play the game well (Rothmans Medal winner in 1995) and coach (2015 Cowboys premiership), but look at some of the greats who have been hesitant in this coaching space: Peter Sterling, Darren Lockyer, Andrew Johns. These blokes may assist here and there, but they realise they can sit in a warm commentary box and in the end not really be troubled by the outcome of a game. They travel and they chat. Great life. Flanagan looks comfortable there - as did Matt Elliott once upon a time. Vautin dabbled, Fittler dabbles... Gus constantly avoided a return to the fray and the "grandfather coach" has emerged as a better position for many too. 

One bloke who looks lost and terrible physically at present is Adam O'Brien (Newcastle). He sounds terrible at press conferences and needs media training. Even Mick Potter's golden run came unstuck this weekend. 

Potter is another 'quiet' coach who has given way now to Cameron Ciraldo on a five year deal - huge. Hopefully Potter continues as an Assistant Coach, like Ciraldo was for Anthony Griffin at Penrith. Ciraldo was also apparently a finalist in the 'Sexiest Man in League' contest back in 2006 (doubt that contest will return again) and played for three clubs - Cronulla, Newcastle and Penrith. I recall he broke his leg badly one night all those years ago.

The coaching fraternity does look after each other (Steve Kearney with Storm, Paul McGregor with Fittler, Anthony Seibold with Eddie Jones in UK Rugby, Jason Taylor to the Roosters), but Paul Green's situation has been a big reminder of the well being and safety of the individual in the world at present. Not sure how the EPL managers cope, they send them packing after five rounds!

The player taking a mental break from the game is a popular one these days: Meg Lanning, Naomi Osaka, Michael Hooper - and even early shock retirements (Ash Barty). How many coaches take a mental health break? Ricky Stuart won't regret having a week away. The world is shifting.

2. NRL. With three rounds to go, two teams surging ahead at present are Souths and the Roosters. Both look the goods for a premiership tilt... and of course the Storm. Shut out scorelines are desperately hard to achieve and the Storm v Panthers (16-0) and Souths v Eels (26-0) were incredible efforts really so late in the season. The Eels are still a 50% win team, so with Bulldogs, Broncos, Storm remaining in the year, it will be interesting to see who they beat. So inconsistent and so disappointing really. 

The Roosters will not finish eighth that is for sure.  Three rounds to go and Manly have bitten the dust with the Titans crushing them. Tom Trobjevic has again proven to to be the lynch pin at Manly. The Raiders have the Knights, Manly and Tigers so could sneak into the final eight. Of nine teams in contention, one misses...Eels? Broncos? Raiders?

3. AFL. The Melbourne v Carlton game on Saturday night was one of the best for a long while. The work of  'Kossie' Pickett at the end was electrifying to win it with 12 seconds left. It is a congested leading pack in the premiership at present - Geelong will be minor premiers, then Swans-Brisbane-Melbourne-Collingwood. Buddy has hosed down speculation too in a very classy and emphatic press appearance.

The Swans have really bounced back in the past month. Six straight now. The carrot for Collingwood in their clash today was outright second place and a home final....a top four position for the Swans too beckoned with a better % result than Collingwood. In the end a crushing Sydney win at home and a win v St Kilda next week gets them a top two finish. A huge win today really. Melbourne v Brisbane on Friday night now looms as a must win for both teams. Very exciting times!

Longmire is a sensational coach (62.02% win record as coach of one club). Unbelievable record really - and Chris Scott (Geelong too - 68.97%). The tenure of AFL coaches interestingly, is a lot longer as a general rule than most sports. Patience and time to achieve glory.

4. Manchester United. This team is a shell of its former self. The golden era has gone, but clearly they need a new direction after a 4-0 loss to the might of Brentford. The woes of Everton continue too...2-1 losers to Aston Villa.

5. Rudi Koertzen, the former ICC umpire has passed away. His 'finger of death' that did the slow rise after an appeal was his trademark. A sad loss.

6. Ian Chappell. Apparently fading away from the commentary box after all these years with poor health impacting, yet he is still swinging about Steve Waugh, Ian Botham and many others. Chappelli has always appeared cranky and intense for a bloke with great cricketing nous. His playing (75 tests at 42.42, 14 tons) and captaincy record (30 tests 15 wins, 5 losses, 10 draws - becoming 49 tests with WSC thrown in and 19 wins, 14 losses, 16 draws) is not as flash as many other cricketers. Was he gracious and accepting of the feats of others? Undoubtedly however, if he backed you in, you were always on the high ground of Australian cricket eg. Shane Warne, Michael Clarke.

7. Cameron Smith - St Jude Championship. He is surging at the St Jude (two off the lead into the last round) and on top of his game right now. The LIV Tour is being neutralised as a menace with every signing. The 'fear of missing out' is descending on many more of the elite golfers, regardless of the cost, price or impact. There is no world wide rule that one tour can operate only. Player reputations took a hit with World Series Cricket and Super League, but no one really cares now.

8. Wallabies. They can really disappoint at times. Nothing like losing to Argentina 48-17. Humiliating really.

The Wrap - Chocolate Shooeys

1. Michael Hooper has long been a concern. Fronting up and leading the Wallabies grandly as our most capped captain ever. His physical health - let alone his mental health - has always been of concern. A legend of Australian rugby and he wants a break. Fair enough. Tests against the Pumas don't rate that highly in the minds of most... players and fans. A good win nonetheless and to beat Cheika may be the best reward of all for many of the team. Cooper will be a loss with an achilles injury.

2. Commonwealth Games Medals. At one stage earlier this week it seemed like they were giving out the gold medals with the chocolate inside them, but a great reward for so many fledgling and emerging athletes. Some tremendous efforts however. Emma McKeon is just superb as the GOAT. The Oliie Hoare's 1500m win was outstanding! The relay...not so great. We have so many young athletes achieving excellent results and getting a taste of what is needed for further honours.

3. The Hip Drop NRL tackle. This needs to be barred and Brandon Smith can consider himself very lucky that he avoided suspension. He is developing quite a bad judiciary record, but nothing on Jarred Waerea-Hargreaves or Tariq Sims who are the kings at the judiciary. They have a reserved seat each. 

4. Buddy Franklin. When an experienced legend seeks too much of the salary cap and injury and retirement hovers, they need to be cut free. Wally Lewis was the famous example and then the Broncos created a dynasty. Buddy may go to the Gold Coast or Brisbane by all reports. Good luck to him, but the Swans need to be future focused. For them to be in the top four now this year is incredible really. Parramatta hung onto Sterling and Kenny for years after their expiry dates. No loyalty these days. Everyone wants a competitive team, but not all teams can play a GF.

5. F1- Daniel Ricciardo. Surprised with talk of his axing from McLaren? Daniel loves the glamour, but his top ten finishes are not enough for the elite level. 5ths and 9ths may pay bills, but don't win championships or favours by team owners. 12 top ten finishes last year...only four this season so far. More excuses than an after school detention session with kids.

6. NRL - Parramatta. Great win v Manly, but the Manly club is all over the place at present. An injured Keiran Foran heading north at year's end, may be on the same plane as Buddy. I cannot see him completing that contract at all. Parramatta were steady and young Jake Arthur played well. He defends well for a newbie and a couple of smart plays. I think it is his height that throws people. The tallest halfback in Australia and lacks a bit of speed. His kicking game is not as great.

What Moses' absence has revealed however is that Dylan Brown is an absolute gun. A $1M player who needs a long long contract. He will win comps. The impact that Junior Paulo (the M4 biffer) and RCG have when they come back on in every second half is amazing, but Parramatta fall in a hole without them.

7. Ricky Stuart. A desperately poor post match comment about a player who it seems some ten years ago may have been an insensitive and inappropriate clown. However, for a super experienced head coach to blast someone publicly in a press conference is not on. Ricky is sounding crankier and crankier. He needs to retire and explain the horrendous results for his team. 2019 Grand Final, finals in 2020 and now a tenth place (2021) and something similar in 2022. It is not good enough with his roster. He has had blow ups with all sorts of people in the club, players and media...and refs as well. Time to visit Centrelink. 

He's going as well as the Tigers...they are truly terrible. Bad attitudes. How does Channel 9 pick these spectacularly poor Sunday afternoon games?

8. Anthony Griffin. His days are sadly numbered. When you get rid of Assistant Coaches, it looks like you are not taking responsibility. This is not lost on the players. He is in trouble. No doubt there will be a review happening soon, bring Gus back in and then he is on his way. Nice guy, but too many off cut recruits which divides a club already famous for BBQs and blokes jumping over neighbour's fences and scooting away in the dark to avoid police (Kenny Edwards style). Not a semi-final in sight. Awful really.

9. Collingwood. A cracking win v Melbourne on Friday night. They are roaring after 11 straight wins. At some point they need a let down, but their ferocious defence and intensity is a far cry from the Nathan Buckley days. They will go close because they are fit and smart, using angles really well across the park. Melbourne? They will be back. Maxie Gawn was on fire with nearly 30 touches!

Richmond are a danger team... so well coached. The Western Bulldogs are nearly gone, but super talented! The Swans v Collingwood game next week will be a cracker!

10. Adelaide Crows - 2018 Pre Season Camp. Possibly the most famous stuff up in years - and revisited every year too. How this could ever occur is beyond everyone. A massive financial legal case looms.

11. EPL and Scottish Premier League is back already! Not much of an off season at all. Liverpool 2-2 v Fulham was a shock. Saleh is a gun. The newly promoted Notts Forrest will need to do better after a 0-2 result. Everton, lucky to stay in the top flight, have already lost in Week 1. They are under close watch! Big win by Tottenham v Southampton.

12. Kyrgios... into another hard court US circuit final in the Washington Open, but the lack of ATP points from Wimbledon has him sitting around 60th in the world. Unlucky. Playing like a top ten player at present.

13. BBL. Good to see Dave Warner clean up from Cricket Australia for the BBL. He may never reveal all about the sandpaper fiasco and how much the bowlers knew after all. 

The BBL Draft has a million dud players in it, but hopefully better options ahead. The Romanian bowler, Pavel 'The Bodyguard' Florin, surely won't play. 

If you thought your bowling was bad..."Well...you can see that he hasn't been playing cricket for decades"... understatement of the century. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmOyLYpxX-Y