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.