The Wrap - Final Kings

1. State of Origin. Every year it seems that Queensland are able to exhibit so much more intensity, focus and strength in the battle than NSW. They were deserved winners and look like winners most years. NSW always look close to losing the plot. Freddie Fittler is done. Won, lose or draw it is time for the curtain to end it all. He has been out coached by a bloke who is a legend but who never coached before in Billy Slater! 

Let's consider some of the issues in State of Origin Game One:

• The Preparation. What a schemozzle. Endless reports of injuries and fitness clouds... a dud jersey... (That bloody great red Westpac symbol is a disgrace). All very boring.
• Latrell Mitchell. How do we get simple injuries on the training paddock? Inevitable or lack of proper preparation and professionalism? Club sides would lap this lot. This was a huge loss.
• The lack of leadership in clutch moments. The forwards have little there too. No voice. Murray and Cleary are now injured and are both unlikely to play in Game Two.
• Api Korisau and Liam Martin were strong. Yeo, Murray, Frizzell, To'o all solid. Yeo is not flash but needed in that middle. 
• It was interesting to note that from the World Cup winning team in 2022, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Jake Trbojevic and Jack Wighton were the only ones not playing this Origin. All NSW.
• James Tedesco has been a star for many years, but all stars fade a bit. He was great v the Bulldogs, but the Bulldogs are not Queensland. 
• For a few years now, at his worst, Teddie rarely if ever passes the ball in big games (should have passed to Addo-Carr for an early try). This makes him too easy to defend and he crabs across field too often against shrewd defences, inhibiting attacking formation (too similar to Luai's style). You can't have both of them in a team.
• Tedesco also has a terrible habit of not keeping on his feet. He slips and slides repeatedly and is of no use to his team on the ground. If you watch closely in night games especially, he does this in attack and defence. Longer studs?
• You have the best prop the game has seen in 20 years - Payne Haas - and you play him for 30 mins?
• Tevita Pangai-Junior. Freddie gets clever and tries to be unique, but he misses the obvious. An under performer with poor discipline in an underperforming team. Fittler then starts him in the team. 
• He then starts Hudson Young as well who is a known hot head. QLD could not believe their luck. They did not select Horsborough and if they did, he would not start. These blokes come off the bench as their red cordial settles.
• You need composure and purpose from the get go. Junior Paulo. Surely he starts a game.. Rock solid and experienced.
• Nicho Hynes. It was a romantic selection of a talented good guy, but really he replaces a pivot and that is it. They lacked zip around the ruck. Nicho is not that player to come on and change the game in that manner.
• Slow play the balls from lumbering forwards hurt NSW. No urgency.

Apart from that, NSW did well. Queensland too sharp and desperate.

How bad were the Storm? It has not been this bad for a long time. They need some serious decisions to be made, including around the unfortunate Ryan Papenhuyzen. Canberra just keep winning too.

2. NRL - Alex Johnston. He rattled past Brett Morris on the most NRL tries ever on Saturday night. He is now two behind Steve Menzies and 12 behind Billy Slater. 

You sometimes get the feeling sometimes that Alex Johnston could score enough tries in a game to beat Ken Irvine this year. What a talent in such quick time.

3. Ange Postocoglou. Celtic FC win the Scottish FA Cup Final and celebrate winning the three main trophies in 2023 ... Scottish League Cup, the Scottish Premier League Championship and the Scottish FA Cup (3-1). He has now got the second highest winning percentage as a manager in the illustrious history of Celtic FC. That is a pretty amazing achievement.

4. Man City. Meanwhile, this 2022-2023 Man City season is one to savour. Premier League Champions, English FA Cup Champions (2-1). They are in the final of the UEFA Champions League v Inter Milan too and could scoop the pool of everything! Harland has been kept quiet recently in front of goals, but it has opened up opportunities for his teammates!

The Pep Talk promo here shows why they win (five EPL Championships in six years!): Watch here.

5. Central Coast Mariners - A-League Champions. An extraordinary contrast is what Melbourne City did on the weekend. Runaway stars all year (minor premier by 11 points), they were crushed 6-1 in the Grand Final. The lack of spirit from City was very surprising. After all the protests, the Grand Final venue decision looked a good one... and it gives a great excuse to some teams too.

The CC Mariners (2 titles - 2013 and 2023) now go to fourth highest ever Champions of the A-League behind Sydney FC, (5), Melbourne Victory (4) and Brisbane Roar (3). They have more wooden spoons.

6. The NSW Waratahs. Into the Super Rugby quarter finals after losing to the Pasifika team who had not won a game all year. There is a lot to dislike about rugby and this caps it off. Resting players...Michael Hooper's last game and all... no effort or pride in their performance seemingly and lose the impossible. Sure, not important for the semis, etc, etc, but really? The Queensland Reds were no better, losing to the Drua who secured a top eight spot.

There will be plenty of excuses, but this is precisely the lack of dedication and concentration that sees Australian rugby lose, lose, lose...despite the media talk and wasted money on Suaalii or Haas - or Crichton or Murray... The public affection has evaporated. They will be hosting test matches at Brookvale Oval at this rate.

The only Australian franchise worth anything are the Brumbies. They just win regularly without hoopla. For the others, they will all be bundled up and spat out in the first week of the semis. The gap between the top Super Rugby franchises and the rest has never been bigger.

7. NBA Final. The Boston Celtics comeback from 0-3 to 3-3 was crushed by the Miami Heat and their Butler who was immense! The Denver Nuggets however are already 2-0 up against The Heat in the final! They sure know how to milk their fans of cash with these best of seven series.

8 NHL. The Florida Panthers are against the Las Vegas Golden Knights who now lead 1-0. What an awesome pair of team. A massive sport or physicality, skill and endurance. Incredible.

9. AFL. The impact on AFL players' bodies at this time of the season is telling. There are a few teams in remote control at present, but the Western Bulldogs curse v Geelong continues. They have not beaten them for a million years. Collingwood keep wining and Port Adelaide are enjoying the most remarkable of runs - nine straight now! Richmond had a nice win, but GWS still have the worst crowds in the AFL. They have no identity and should be relocated. North Melbourne almost did the unthinkable, but good on them.

10. Dave Warner. Dave Warner has given much joy, but no one likes seeing players tell the world when and at what venue they might retire. Dave may want to go out in the New Year's Test in Sydney 2024 (think McGrath, Warne, Langer, Chappell...), but he has a bit to do before then. It starts this week in the Test Championship game v India. 

A little worried seeing how dry it is there at present. India will revel in that. We need a juicy, seaming wicket to win. That man Ravi Jadeja, who single handedly won the IPL last week for the Chennai Super Kings, will be especially hard to contain.

11. French Open Tennis. There is a predictability about this tournament in the Mens most years. Djokovic will be hard to beat. Alcaraz maybe. The Womens play is far more interesting and enterprising.