The Wrap - IPL Money Bags LVII

1. BBL. So the Scorchers are into yet another final. After the Eliminator/ Challenger, etc...the Sixers will join them. However, an away game final is tough. An impressive knock from Ashton Turner. Sadly for Ashton he never showed this in the IPL and holds a dubious record there. He played four games for the Rajasthan Royals and scored three successive ducks. Short IPL career. 

Plenty of talent nonetheless. He and Josh Inglis have been excellent. Even 'Singlet Sam', Cameron Bancroft has been an impressive anchor too. All this with no Mitchell Marsh. It almost seems like WA is so far away no one can be bothered moving and playing for other BBL teams.

Lehmann got The Heat to the finals. A master coach still. He could do an Eddie Jones one day and return for mine.

2. Chunder Tears. Losing in the Duckworth-Lewis method is never fun. Getting rolled for 15 tells me you should take your medicine and be thankful you made a semi-final. They need to recruit batsmen. Once again a home game ruined by rain in Sydney and that hopeless Showground pitch has excelled as always. Too slow, too much uneven bounce and a total farce. Dave Warner struggled in his return it must be said, especially compared to Smith (who was unbelievable) and Usman and Marnus who sealed the game for the Heat v Thunder.

Did you know Duckworth-Lewis have retired now and Stern now looks after the maths of it all... The renamed Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system nowadays (since 2014).

I hope everyone is well across their Paul Kelly Usman song for the finals v Renegades. It seems it may have been a quiet day in front of the cricket that day for Paul, but a cracking chorus...KAWAAAAAAAAAAAJA...

Paul Kelly's Usman Khawaja Song | Full Version - YouTube 

3. Mitchell Moses. True to form for club and player, the selfishness of a player refusing to make decisions in an off season is incredible, coupled with a club allowing it to play out ad nauseum. Team mates could hardly be thrilled. It would be best if Mitchell moved on after season 2023. His future is limited, but $1.5million? Hardly worth that. That is IPL and Super League money in one.

The absence of an expert goal kicker is the biggest issue for Parramatta. I understand Ross Conlon is unavailable.

4. Bulldogs. How are they fitting all their players under the cap? Reed Mahoney, Hayze Perham, Matt Burton, the Fox, Ryan Sutton, Vilame Kikau, Braiden Burns ... throw in Steve Crichton and Bronson Xerri (drugs) from 2024, the disgruntled Broncos junior, Karl Oloapu, for $500K (and talk of Dom Young (Knights winger)... How? There are also a lot of 2023 (only) signed players (eg. Flanagan, Thompson) who will need to produce or perish. Junior players are clearly being crafted for their next phase to fill gaps around their spine.

Gus is such a masterful promoter and recruiter (but remember he caused some issues at the Panthers too...Waqar is still being paid by them). The Bulldogs members will be red hot for an instant return to success, but may have to wait a few years yet. Moses will still be in their sights for the future. They need a playmaker. Maybe he goes to the Tigers, but what about Brooks?

5. Rugby. A quiet confidence has descended. Eddie will be hard at work. Enjoyed his comments re rescuing rugby talent from league! (Sualili, Penesini, Cameron Murray, Angus Crichton...).

6. Novak Djokovic. Novak sits on 21 Grand Slam titles and has a chance to join Rafa on 22 Grand Slams as the equal winningest champion ever. If he wins, he will also join Nadal as the second player ever to have won double figures titles at a single Grand Slam event. Nadal has 14 French Open wins (count them: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022) and Novak will have ten Australian Open titles (2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021...2023?).

Tsitsipas is a character, but not a chance. Too inconsistent. Novak will wear him down. As mentioned, the hamstring injury didn't last long. Nadal's end is nigh with injuries galore, but Novak is a machine and the least liked of the three legends.

7. Women's AO Final. Aryna Sabalenko won a great women's singles match (has suffered the 'serving yips' in the past...). High quality and part of the excitement of women's tennis is not having the same name on the trophy each Grand Slam.

8. Doubles Final. Hijikata and Kubler in the doubles were amazing. Wild cards into the tournament itself, but Jason Kubler was a world number one in a past life, so has plenty of ability. He has suffered repeated knee injuries in the past that have hurt him.

Most won't remember that Kubler also made the Mixed Doubles final at the AO in 2022 (losing).

8. Golf. Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed will reflect in years ahead about how stupid their combined behaviours have been around LIV and the USPGA. Embarrassing.

9. NFL Conference Championship Games. Bengals v Chiefs will depend on the fitness and durability of Mahomes who is under a leg injury cloud. 49ers v Philadelphia Eagles ("yes I do...!) will see Australian behemoth Jordan Mailata crunch a few and get many plaudits. It is a big assignment for him this weekend (Monday morning our time). The 49ers punter Mitch Wishnowsky is a gun. Two cracking games ahead with the winners playing the SuperBowl on 12 February (the tradition is the Sunday, based on the number of games in the season) in Glendale, Arizona. It is Superbowl LVII.

10. Football Pain and Triumph. The Lampard prediction from last week came true... gone from Everton, but they are in crisis. Ange has ten-twelve games left and is nine points clear in the Scottish premier League with Celtic. His to lose.

Does anyone know anything about the A league any more...apart from Dwight Yorke's dummy spit and walk out as manager of Macarthur last week. His comment re them being a 'pub team' was harsh, but some feel the A league needs sharpening up for it to survive.

The Wrap - Magenta Magic

1. BBL. The BBL is becoming a familiar two horse race again. It has a fascinating history where since 2011-2012 (eleven seasons), the Sydney Sixers have won it THREE times (and THREE as Runners Up) and the Perth Scorchers have won it FOUR times (and THREE as Runners Up). They have played each other in a final FIVE times in that period.

There have only been three years out of eleven where neither the Sixers nor the Scorchers have been involved in the final. Nothing looks like changing this year. Both are by far the most superior teams. 

Darren Lehmann is a winner however and has done well to reinvent the Brisbane Heat who loom as the only credible threat. Hobart have been a disappointment all season too. The Thunder - chunder.

Look for Olly Davies to join the Sixers next year.

2. Steve Smith. Steve Smith is a phenomenon. He hits back to back BBL centuries (the second on the dodgiest of pitches) and completely dominates. He is a special gift to the viewers like us. The fans will wait years for someone as good to ever appear again. There is a reason he averages 60 in Test cricket, second to Bradman (and the great Adam Voges of course).

3. Sydney Pitches. The pitches ditched up to the players, public and TV viewers are appalling for T20 cricket. Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane - even Melbourne, kill it. The lack of true bounce means it is always a scramble. The Thunder continue to fall in a heap every time and are hard for their fans to follow. Time for drop in pitches.

4. NFL. Philadelphia Eagles crushed the New York Giants and The Kansas City Chiefs exited the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 49ers v Cowboys and Bengals v Bills games tomorrow loom as the more impressive match ups. Conference finals next week.

5. EPL - Everton. Grim times there. Relegation looms and Frank Lampard needs to be sacked quickly. The tears from the Toffee supporters will drop like acid.

6. Australian Open Tennis. Injury seems to have ruined a lot of this year's tournament and crashining out of seeds like Medvedev and Swaitek has hurt too. Djokovic seems to be hanging in there with a hamstring complaint (beware the injured player), but surely a new name or two will be required on the honour board in 2023!

7. Parramatta Luck. Missing out on signing Marty Tapau could be a slice of gold. A tough hombre and great at his peak, but well passed it. Of course the mandatory pre-season injuries have arrived of course too. The great Waqar Blake (in his last contracted season) has broken his arm. It was apparently a freak training injury, not another botched effort to catch a high bomb hitting the forearms.

8. Michael Clarke. The less said the better, but what a disgrace having such a public spat...the lot of them. Spoiled brats who have little regard for others. Like a scene out of The Great Gatsby. 

F Scott Fitzgerald's words in 1920 seem so relevant 100 years later. "They were careless people... they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made".

9. Eddie Jones. He returns with a new harder attitude and instantly the fans will be more interested as Eddie brings his brand of toughness and character to the side. The players will know they need to aim up more as well. The party is over. Rennie it must be said, may have been unlucky, but sadly (despite a string of extremely narrow losses and draws), he was also ultimately unsuccessful.

The Wrap - Covers and Sightscreens

1. The BBL. The same faces are dominating and our national team needs to have a huge overhaul... despite the one hand off the roof rule.

A gun BBL Australian team based on this year's BBL performances: Ben McDermott, Matthew Short, Josh Inglis, Oliver Davies, Jordan Silk, Tim David, Daniel Sams, Sean Abbott, AJ Tye, Jhye Richardson, Pat Dooley. 12th: Spencer Johnson. 13th: Chris Lynn. 

Some argy bargy by Warner and Wade in the BBL. Two blokes who know how to chirp and carry on. It should never come to that. How bad are the Thunder/ Chunder. They recovered and have been anchored on ten points forever. Dreadful. 

2. Australia v India Cricket Series. Pant and Bumrah out of the series, but they will have ten more blokes to step in! We have Starc out for the first test too. We will have our work cut out for us with their spinners. Jadeja returns. Pujara returns. No Ajinka Rahane who captained brilliantly in Kohli's absence at that time last time India toured here.

3. Sightscreens. When did white sightscreens take over five bays of seats for precious players? Honestly. What a sad indictment on the modern player. I can recall hanging off the side of one at the SCG as a young lad while Greg Chappell hit a ton!

4. NRMA. Leaky SCG covers that don't cover the whole pitch and run ups is bad advertising. It started out well before the leaks set in. Back to the marketing team for some feedback and planning. If you need rain, put the cricket on at the SCG. At least the old covers could be used on the sightscreen seating.

5. Celtic. Ange Postocoglou has stepped up again. Into the Scottish Cup Final. More silverware beckoning.

6. EPL. ManU beating Man City early on Sunday morning is incredible at a number of levels. ManU have been dreadful for a few years now, but signs of a resurgence now! Everton are in a world of pain now. Frank Lampard will be chopped this week I suspect. Arsenal have a major opportunity now with Liverpool falling in a heap too.

7. Australian Open. Starting this week. Suddenly everyone needs to be quiet and accept Novak. Craig Tiley has always been a player's favourite... no wonder. The game is in strife. Lots of whining, half-baked aspiring players who as Rafa has said, will never reach the heights of the Big Three. 

8. NFL. San Francisco on fire v the Seattle Seahawks. The comeback of the Jacksonville Jaguars against the LA Chargers was amazing. Third best ever. Will be interesting to see how Tom Brady holds up on Tuesday morning.

9. NRL. No signing news of consequence just yet, but I would let Mitchell Moses go to the Tigers. He would be mad not to take the cash. Save the cash, sign up Pennissini long term and invest in two gun Australian Schoolboy half backs. Move on. You could do worse than get Brooks into your team.

The Wrap - Popgun Power

1. Australian Test Cricket. Some remarkable work in recent weeks (Warner 200, Khawaja 195no, Cummins/ Lyon/ Starc/ Green with the ball). However, Dave Warner as Man of the Series v South Africa was a bit rich. One score (of significance and under immense pressure in awful conditions), but Travis Head was the consistent one with blistering assaults on some of the fastest bowling in the world. Green stamped his class (how good is he in the gully?) and Alex Carey seems like such a sensible operator whose work up to the stumps to Boland was first class.

Warner looked a bit embarrassed to be fair.

The umpiring of those close catches was dreadful. Too analytical and too many dodgy angles when the ground falls away off the pitch square. All of them were out. The on-field umpires are simply overruled regardless of what they think. Nathan Lyon was dudded three wickets in the end. Paul 'Popgun' Reiffel would have been sulking for weeks had he received one of his own decisions today at the SCG that he gave out!

2. Matthew Renshaw. An interesting addition, but we are in strife if he is our next best. He was well behind some of the others - Handscomb and even 'Singlet Sam' - Cameron Bancroft. I'd prefer to see Jordan Silk there to be honest.

We never seem to hear a lot about the Australian Cricket Academy as a pathway to test cricket excellence (as it once was), but it needs to be resurrected. Cricket selections confound and baffle. Cash bonuses for Test players need to be ramped right up too. If it is lucrative and popular to play, it will always be strong. The corrupt countries struggle to see its worth and have little appreciation for its majestic past.

3. BBL. Big crowds and TV ratings are returning in season 2022-2023. Every night can wear thin, but the crowds love it. The most valuable player - Jordan Silk. So sensible in a crisis and the best catcher and fieldsman in the comp. Like Dan Christian. These guys are under valued, but are huge in the scheme of things.

4. NFL. The playoffs close in. New England suddenly have the impossible...a win over the Bills to secure a wild card spot, but who have rallied so tightly over Damar Hamlin who was freakishly injured and near killed on prime viewing TV. Hamlin sounds a lot better so that is a relief. 

5. Daniel Anderson. A great friend of The Wrap and strong rugby league ambassador is in a bad way at present after another freak moment. We wish him every strength and support on his recovery too. A man who has stared adversity down so many times in his life and who has triumphed every time to be the pre-eminent recruitment leader in the NRL...with a coaching record better than so many in so many contexts.

6. The Warriors. Getting the feeling they may be a sleeper in season 2023. They have such talent, but coach Webster is not interested in the media hoopla and has recruited soundly too. One to watch. The Knights and Titans are already a worry.

7. Celtic. Stretching to 12 points ahead of the Old Firm rival in Rangers and $100 million spent on transfers... Ange will be getting the EPL tap on the shoulder soon! Lots of Japanese superstars in the team makes them very unique too in the Scottish Premier League.