1. The Masters Legend. Synonymous with Easter (who can ever forget Norman's 1986 six shot lead disaster?) and it never disappoints. Brooks Koepka is a gun, but has surrendered the lead in a similar crash. He had been a bit of a pop gun recently. A four time major winner already when he burst onto the scene winning the US PGA in 2018 and 2019 - and the US Open in 2017 and 2018. 17 professional tournament wins.
Phil Mickelson still has a bit of life in him yet! Jon Rahme is easily the best in the world at present. He was World No. 1 for 46 weeks in 2020 and has 19 professional wins and one major only. He will add to this record.
Interesting to note that the LIV Man, Greg 'The Great White Goldfish' Norman won two majors and had seven (!) second places in majors. 88 professional tournament wins however and 331 weeks as World Number 1 (and three marriages). This is second to Tiger who holds the record with 683 weeks as World Number 1.
What about the performance of the US Amateur champion, Sam Bennett? Super talent. One to watch.
The conditions in the wet at Augusta were outrageous for those finishing their second round. What a disadvantage on the greens.
2. Masters - It's Over. Finally after so many years, Larry Mize (Masters winner in 1987 with that ridiculous chip) has completed his 40th Masters and has pulled the pin. Sandy Lyle (equally ridiculous Masters winner in 1988 and British Open in 1985) goes too, after racking up big numbers for many years. Nostalgic however and part of the magic of the tournament. Gary Player holds the record with 52 Masters appearances (Arnold Palmer 50, Jack Nicklaus (45).
The other bloke still playing well is Fred Couples in his 37th Masters appearance. He has made the cut 31 times, including this year at age 62! Jack Nicklaus holds the record number of cuts made at 37. (Gary Player - 30 times). Couples is second! An amazing record.
3. Good Friday. Annually, this day always dishes up gold or dust sporting wise. Gold was Latrell Mitchell, who can polarise the fans, but he is a superb player. So strong and tough; a real game changer. The Bulldogs fell apart after a really bright start. They are building a new empire, but were found out. Cody Walker was exceptional too - and always is when he puts the niggle away and the antagonism to the game officials. This takes some effort from him.
Really liking the patterns that The Dolphins play with. Fast and fit. Their line speed is so unified and strong. Quick play the balls and pace. Kodi Nikorima has never played better. Isaako and Tabuai-Fidow were awesome (put them in an 'Anytime Try Scorer bet!). Both so athletic and strong.
In the AFL, North Melbourne were game, but hardly a great game. Carlton steam rolled them eventually. Both games found a similar end. Tight early and loose later. All of a sudden Carlton rush to top spot on the ladder and are the only undefeated team on 14 points.
4. NRL. The rest of the round saw some devastation... Manly belted by the Panthers and The Bulldogs belted too. The Raiders did the impossible at Suncorp Stadium. What a draw Brisbane have received? Five games at home in a row! The NRL need to get this stuff ironed out to be fairer across the 24 regular rounds of NRL in a season.
One home/ one away game is a long season (17 teams but 32 home/ away games), but every other code does it (eg. EPL has 20 teams but 38 home/ away games).
Getting a really bad feeling re Parramatta on Monday. Their defence when Junior Paulo is out is terrible. Waqar Blake has finally been dropped 20 games too late. His defensive errors at that level are woeful. Sean Russell has a chance to prove himself and at least has some pace! They need an outside back with size, pace and skill. There are a few rattling around in England Super League. Maybe a player swap for Mr Blake?
5. NRL Fairer Restructure. In the NRL, what about one game against everyone - a year about home/ away, making the main season 17 games long. But then, like the Scottish Premier League (12 teams), split the comp after 17 rounds into one pool of bottom 9 teams/ one pool of top 8 teams. This gives another seven rounds to make up the existing 24 rounds (one bye for the lower team pool).
The bottom teams cannot enter the top tier however many games they win, consigning the bottom nine teams to the dustbin. However, they had a fair chance like everyone else.
In the top pool of eight teams, it allows the order of the final top eight to be decided against top opposition, but it gives every team a fair chance to make that top eight after playing everyone once across the year. At present, not playing some teams at all and playing some teams twice, etc is a biased nonsense. The bottom nine teams play - first game early on Friday night, early two games Saturday and late game Sunday. The top teams fill prime time - Thursday night, Friday night second game, Saturday night second games, Sunday 4.00pm game timeslot. Much slicker! No extension to the season length! Better games leading into the semi-finals. Bad teams are punished, but still play.
The bottom teams might also consider playing a game on Wednesday nights like the old Amco Cup/ Panasonic Cup for those last seven games.
It would make the 17 home/ away premiership games even more valuable and intense.
5. AFL. In other games, the Swans are fast earning a 'choke' reputation which is very unfortunate. Lots of blokes with neat kicks and handballs, but no forwards. They were up by 20 points with ten minutes to play. They capitulated against Melbourne last week too. Is Sam Reid around still or injured again? Buddy is largely ineffectual these days in so many ways. The only bloke with some toe is Chadd Warner. He has to run fast to get away from the fans! Swans need to recruit pace to win on big grounds. They will get lapped again at the MCG.
St Kilda crushed the Suns who are taking on a familiar character in 2023... one week good, one week bad (Arthuresque). Love the Geelong v Hawthorn Easter Monday clash. A lot of theatre!
6. Australian F1. Max Verstappen won in fine style late last week. Huge Melbourne crowds and not an Aussie in sight of the podium. Daniel Riccardio is the reserve Red Bull driver. Young Oscar Piastri registered an encouraging eighth place at McLaren. Talk of a night fixture next year at Albert Park. Interesting.
7. Green - NBA. Delighted to see young Castle Hill lad, Josh Green, doing well for the Dallas Mavericks. Delmus the old man was a massive architect of the Castle Hill Basketball Centre and taught at Kings.
8. Green - IPL. It is striking how few Australians are in this tournament now. We have not succeeded on Indian soil in the T20 form of the game, but did win the ODI series recently. It looks like fewer international players world wide are included now.
Another Green, Cameron Green, is struggling but the bank manager is not. Stoinis solid, Warner fortunate, chalking up fifties (2), but not flash and still very slow! Nathan Ellis is the pick of them so far, getting wickets for fun at present. No one standing out early, even the great midnight tennis court runner himself, Glenn Maxwell. However, Tim David continues to shine in lower order cameos!
9. Scottish Premier League: Celtics v Rangers. Big showdown over this weekend with that familiar nine point lead for Celtic sitting strong going into it. In the end, Celtic won 3-2 extending the lead to 12 points.
Interesting to see the record of Celtic. In the past 24 years, Celtic have won the Scottish Premier League Championship 16 times and been Runners Up 8 times. High performance! Add one more to Celtic for season 2022-2023, to make it 17 titles in 25 Years. Extraordinary. One of the most successful clubs worldwide in any sport.
10. EPL. Arsenal are getting the hippy hippy shakes as Man City close in with their trademark ruthlessness! The 38 game EPL season has only seen Saleh (Liverpool) crack 32 goals for a season. Both Andy Cole and Alan Shearer got their 34 goals in the old 42 game EPL season (pre 1995-1996).
Norway's Erling Haaland is on the verge of greatness in season 2022-2023. He sits on the magic 30 goal mark already, with plenty of games (eight) to follow. Shearer is an EPL legend, breaking 30 goal in a season three times! Haaland may make his EPL season record beyond reach forever.
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