The Wrap - Kiwi Sandwiched

1. World Cup ODI Cricket. An awesome win v New Zealand. Some of these pitches in India are absolute roads. Australia have hit over 350 in three successive ODI matches - a world record. Led by the mercurial Dave Warner (second highest tournament run scorer to Quentin de Kock on 431 runs at present). Travis Head looked good.

Sad to say it, but Steve Smith is a problem in that Australian team. Too slow and not enough strike power. Marnus is a bit similar. Mitchell Marsh... his innings almost crushed our advantage. He missed the email. Thankfully the leading wicket taker for the tournament - Adam Zampa (16) - plays for us. He gets a little tap occasionally, but takes wickets and multiples!

How good is this New Zealand player - Rachin Ravindra? Super talent. He was apparently named after Rahul Dravid ('Ra') and Sachin Tendulkar ('chin'). He bats like a great combination of both. Two World Cup tons already and he is 23 years old. Daryl Mitchell is pretty awesome too.

Australia are now really well placed with 8 points after 6 games. They have England, Afghanistan and Bangladesh to come and are on track for a top four finish in the group stage, all being equal.

2. World Cup Rugby. The world's longest tournament. It started on 9 September 2023 when France beat New Zealand and ends on 29 October...50 days! (The equivalent in cricket is started on 5 October with the final on 19 November - 45 days!).

The All Blacks are an awesome force. The courage needed to win World Cups is sometimes lost on the South African nation, so it was a bright and steady start from them and a momentus victory, albeit against a 14 man NZ team. How we all love a rugby referee and their over officiating TMO!

Northern hemisphere excitement at penalty goals is a disturbing feature of the game. The Barbarians games seems to be their version of Sevens Rugby!

Great to see the work of Cheika in the Argentian team, almost picking up third place. Meanwhile the Eddie Jones joke continues. Denials, weasel words, double meanings... honestly. 

3. Ange Postocoglou. On he rolls. A handful of points clear at the top of the table! An awesome start to his managerial career and he is now destined to be on everyone's radar worldwide. Hard to believe he lost the Socceroos job once upon a time! Chelsea this week will be a test, but he keeps lifting and building.

4. Pacific Rugby League. The Australian team crushed New Zealand with a heap of players rested. They are awesome as a group. Unfortunately it is very hard to get excited about this tournament. That Lindsay Collins is some sort of talent. He has great skills and is tough without being stupid. 

5. Kiwi Problems. A regrettable weekend for the Kiwi fans. Losing the ODI cricket, the rugby league and the rugby! The womens' league team won however...I am sure a NZ Melbourne Cup victory awaits.

6. Cox Plate. Romantic Warrior lived up to its hype with a slashing win, but Mr Brightside was a breath away. Incredible finish. An interesting Melbourne Cup field awaits.

7. Imperatriz. This horse is by far the fastest in the country. It wins in a canter every time it goes out - and against the best opposition. How an owner does not run it in the Everest for 15 million is beyond me. It laps all others and is building an impressive 'picket fence' - 11111111.

8. Matthew Wade. An incredible story of Wade being appointed as T20 captain for a T20 series in India soon. At least there are a few others under the age of 35 in the squad. It is a hard gig to make any Australian cricket side as a young player these days. He scored a Shield ton on the weekend too.

9. NSW Shield Cricket. How bad are they going? Bat and ball... terrible. That is despite a new coach.

The Wrap - Warning Signs

1. Dave Warner's amazing ride continues. He is now equal with Ricky Ponting for most World Cup tons (5) after a scintillating innings v Pakistan (and a dolly catch that was dropped to give him a life early!). He is our single most outstanding ODI player, averaging the highest of any Australian player ever. Pretty clever. His decorated career will come to a close this summer. Renshaw? Harris? Bancroft? None of these guys can turn a game like Dave Warner (Short maybe).

Warner's record in India is outstanding too. The IPL records are too numerous to list.

Good to see Mitchell Marsh hitting runs. He always looks great when on fire, but he is certainly a Graeme Wood clone - a duck or a hundred! We will take the good and cheer him on, but the bad is rotten with poor old Mitchell.

Cameron Green and Alex Carey are suddenly a long way away from selection against the Netherlands and then NZ, England, Afghanistan and then Bangladesh to come. With one spinner, we look like we have the wrong mix of players: Abbott-Green-Stoinis...three similar players. The return of Travis Head helps with some spinning option there. At least they are playing two games a week unlike the rugby union and rugby league. Faster pace!

It would be nice if Steve Smith could score some ODI runs.

The minnows are going well. Netherlands and Afghanistan are competing. It is Sri Lanka who have slipped most (and Australia).

2. Cricket at the Olympics. Don't laugh but there are six teams admitted and here's a scenario: Host nation (USA) get one slot. India and Pakistan get two others as they have driven the new market of TV rights for the Olympics with their massive populations. That is three. If they have qualifiers, England (Europe) and South Africa (Africa) are locked in. That's five. New Zealand and Australia need to play off for the last spot! Or become Americans! We could miss out.

3. Rugby Union World Cup. As predicted New Zealand are enjoying being on the easier side of the draw. Argentina were smashed and a show down with South Africa is tantalising! One game a week, they have been there for two months now! All Blacks to win.

4. Rugby League Pacific Championships. Will we be the best team there? New Zealand look awesome, humiliating Samoa who have gone backwards big time since the World Cup. Their pack is outstanding! Their cricket team looks pretty red hot too. Fisher-Harris, big Nelson... they have size and skill. Tough hombres.

5. Celtic. Winning for fun again this season, Ange or no Ange.

6. Tottenham EPL. An odd draw coming up. Tuesday (24 October) v Fulham (3 points), then Saturday (28 October) v Crystal Palace (ummm) then Tuesday 7 November v Chelsea. No gimmees in this league. Three wins here would be an amazing statement, but they can't win them all!

Haaland scoring goals again as Man City right the wrongs. Sheffield United look like collecting the spoon already.

7. Caulfield Cup. Mark Zahra did well to get Without A Fight over the line in the Caulfield Cup. A whip rule breach of course too...one of the criticisms in big money races. His wife's interview was something else... talk about excited! Soulcombe might just win the Melbourne Cup...an awesome run (poor ride). Gold Trip was unlucky. It will go very close again too!

Check the interview out: Horseracing 2023: Mark Zahra’s wife steals the show after Without A Fight wins Caulfield Cup | news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site

8. Kaylee McKeown. Backstroke legend. Holds world records in all events 50m, 100m and 200m. Handy.

9. Minjee Lee and Min Woo Lee. First brother and sister to win tour events in the same week! Macau Open for Min Woo Lee and Minjee Lee won the BMW Championship in Korea! Minjee has 10 tour wins now. Impressive!

The Wrap - Cheik Mate

1. World Cup Rugby. Starting to hot up now...a really slow and laboured draw however. Glacial speed. Rugby operates on a sun dial at the best of times...slow games, slow changes, slow TMO. 

The All Blacks will go very close for mine after a top win v Ireland who have been on a long successful stint. The work of Michael Cheika with the Pumas has also been exceptional. That is a big statement to those who sacked him and instead went with the skinny blue jumper wearer who loves to coach Japan. 

A big semi-final - All Blacks v Argentina... the easier side of the draw! Missing England-France-South Africa is a big plus in a gruelling competition. Box seat.

2. World Cup ODI Cricket. As mentioned three weeks back, Australian cricket is heading the way of the Wallabies. Terrible batting and we are on the slide out the back door. The batting issue has been problematic in the past three years in all forms of the game. Retirements will make it much worse soon.

Mitchell Marsh is not the answer as opener - or skipper. Carey and Green have been struggling for some time. Pat Cummins' captaincy when under pressure is a problem too...so is his short form bowling unfortunately. We have no devastating player who can turn the game outside Starc. Our spin stocks are terrible (but don't look to Todd Murphy who has been terrible in Shield). Tim David turns games.

3. Cricket - India v Pakistan. A clash of the Titans. Such rivalry. India is an amazing cricketing nation and should be paying $1.02 to win the tournament at home. They are on fire. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are in incredible form. Ominous. Bumrah has bounced back strongly and the great all rounder Jadeja mesmerises everyone - especially Australians. How amazing if a few of these blokes could play in the Big Bash!

4. Tim Tszyu. Lots of hype (Origin style). So much before the actual fight... but he obliterated Mendoza in the end. Charlo next. The lad can fight! He is actually a funny bloke too in the media.

5. English Super League Premiers - Wigan (10-2 v Catalans). Mitchell Pearce is finished now. Older than the old TV advertisement shots of Junior Pearce on the beach with Tina Turner. 

6. The Everest - Think About It. What a tremendous event! Such a short run for big cash! Great to see the jockey Sam Clipperton achieve so highly. The trainer Joe Pride seems like a likeable lad too. That is a premiere racing event on the calendar...yet no Group 1 status because of interstate politics (limited entry access chiefly). A grand plan that has become an institution. I Wish I Win was very unlucky. It could have won with a better luck in transit.

Imperatriz is the fastest horse in the country. Its owners are crazy (and obviously already wealthy) to refuse entry into the event. Fancy saying that it was because it is not a Group 1 event and the horse prefers running left handers (counter clockwise). Have they asked it? Strike while the iron is hot. Four slot holders tried unsuccessfully to convince them!

How about Fangirl blitzing Mr Brightside? Amazing effort.

7. AFL Trades - Swans. Three great early trades in the 2023 draft for next year...Brodie Grundy, James Jordon, Taylor Adams... This could really make a difference to their chances, but the forward line is still a worry for mine. Experience and talent... with a little extra pace too.

8. Michael Maguire. An interesting selection as Blues State of Origin coach. The footage from Tiger Town still haunts around the lack of poise and calm under pressure. He may have a Johnny Peard experience...one season. Daniel Anderson would be an inspired choice in time. Sadly Andrew Johns seems to fight with others too much and will not fulfil his potential. Matthew Johns could do it. There are some great older coaches who could advise, if their egos were checked...not just Gus.

9. NRL Pacific Championships. I wonder who will be crowned world undisputed, inter-continental, carryover champion of the Pacific? Australia I would have thought. Is there a rule to say that once you have represented one country you can't swap to another in any worldwide tournament? Surely.

10. Josh Curran. Ex-Warriors. Surely Parramatta sign him as a former junior player and St Pats Blacktown graduate. Tough, uncompromising and a biffer from way back. He could have an awesome presence off the bench, especially alongside J'maine Hopwood.

11. 'Big Ange' Postocoglou. EPL Manager of the Month again - back to back. However, he wants silverware for the team!

The Wrap - Three Peats

1. Three Peats. The Penrith Panthers crushed it and deservedly take their place as one of the greatest ever NRL teams. Resolute defence, blistering speed and strong feared forwards. However, three peats are pretty common worldwide more recently and at present:

• Penrith Panthers (Rugby League Premiers) - 2021, 2022, 2023
• English (Rugby League) - St Helens: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022.
• Manchester City (EPL) - 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23.
• Crusaders (Rugby) - 2017, 2018, 2019 (two non-COVID years) and then 2022, 2023. Five in a row.
• Formula 1 - Max Verstappen - 2021, 2022, 2023 (following the great Michael Schumacher who got five in a row between 2000-2004 and Lewis Hamilton who put four successive title wins together from 2017-2020. Sebastian Vettel racked up four in a row too from 2010-2013
• Tennis - Federer did it in 2006-07 (Wimbledon, US, Aus); Rafael Nadal did it in 2010 (French, Wimbledon, US) and Novak has done it three times 2011-12 and 2018-19 (Wimbledon, US, Aus) and in 2021 (Aus, French, Wimbledon). Noval has also done all four Grand Slams consecutively in 2015-16. Awesome.
• World Cup ODI Cricket - Australia in 1999, 2003, 2007.
• Bathurst, Mt Panorama - Brock (1978-1980, 1982-1984) and Craig Lowndes (2006-2008).
• Shane van Gisbergen is now looking for the three peat at Bathurst next year after a win in 2022 and 2023.
• Juventus (Italian Football League) - 2011/12 - 2019/20. Nine in a row.
• Tour de France - Chris Froome 2015-2017. Jonas Vingegaard from Denmark is looking for a three peat next year having won in 2022 and 2023.
• Makybe Diva - three successive Melbourne Cups (2003-2005).
• Olympics...Bolt, Johnson, Phelps, Ledecky, Fraser... lots have done three gold medals in successive Olympics in the same event over 12 years.
• One of the toughest sports to achieve this is in golf. Tiger did it in 2000 (The Open Championships, US Open, US PGA). Koepka is next best in 2018 with only two in a row (US Open and US PGA). NBA has only seen the Lakers and Golden State Warriors string two championships together in recent times.

We'll leave out boxing too.

2. Wallabies. Nice they got an extra week in France training, but hard to see it ending in anything but misery. Fiji have deserved their place alongside Wales in our group. It would be great if they could schedule some games during the week. The longest tournament on record!

The two time successive Player of the Six Nations, France's Antoine Dupont is ready to lead the host nation to glory post injury (France have won 27/31 Tests with him at the helm). However, do not dismiss the All Blacks. They will be hard to toss.

3. World Cup Cricket. What about South Africa? They are in some special form after knocking over the Australians recently. A shock to see them late in any 'World Cup' in any sport, but they look awesome with the bat sometimes... Klassen, Markram and de Kock. They absolutely laced Sri Lanka racking up a 50 over score in excess of 400! Bazball II.

4. Tottenham. A fortunate Premier League win this weekend 1-0 v Luton in many respects (10 men on the field for a long time and some duffed shots by the opposition). It keeps Tottenham right at the top and positions them well leading into the pre-Christmas break. Fulham - Crystal Palace - Chelsea are the next three games and should be knocked over by 'Big Ange' in the coming weeks.

5. Bathurst. Great and all that but the sport lacks something. Certainly not TV time at a tricky time of year. The fact Brock won it so often (9 times) is incredible. Lowndes is up there too (7 times). Gee the police must get a few heading home thinking they are the next Shane van Gisbergen! Good to see him do well in the NASCAR circuit. He won a NASCAR Cup event in Chicago and then a top ten finish in the next - the first driver to ever do that in his first two NASCAR races ever! A tough school there.

Could be the best since the great Dale Earnhardt from the Wide World of Sport days on Channel 9!

6. The Kangaroos Post Season. This provides some respite from poor TV sport, but it is hard to place what it means and why they are playing. The Pacific Championships? Sounds like something off Strictly Ballroom.

7. The Big Bash. This will start very soon (7 December - 24 January 2024). No real roster surprises again despite a 'draft'. Still like the look of Jordan Silk as an Australian player.

8. Sheffield Shield Cricket. Tons to Cameron Bancroft and Michael Neser help their cause. Our batting is so weak around the nation. Surely Bancroft is not the answer to our batting challenges. However, he looks like the only consistent scorer after a ripping year in 2022/23. Puckovski? Good to see him back. Surely we cannot be serious re Renshaw? What about Daniel Hughes from NSW? Prolific in all forms of the game.

The Wrap - Premier Excellence

1. Panthers. What a game! 81,000 in the house. How good are the big boppas for Penrith...Fisher-Harris, Leota and Leniu? Big hombres. Fisher-Harris said he has a serious "resting face". Leota looks like someone who has not had his garbage bin collected by the council. Carrigan, Haas and Flegler matched them early. Early mistakes - Farnworth, Reynolds, Cobbo, Arthurs, Staggs/ Walsh in the first fifteen minutes.. the Broncos did well to stay in the game and were right back in it at half time. 

Flegler and Farnsworth will be brilliant signings for the Dolphins. Both played huge first half footy, especially in defence. Crichton will be a big loss for the Panthers. He is a huge frame and so talented.

Ezra Mam ('The Man') has been a revelation for the Broncos. He has filled a serious hole in their line up. Bonus. Three tries in a Grand Final is sensational. Michael Robertson (Manly winger) was the last to do it in 2011 v the Storm. Hard to get a talented five eight these days. I hope Dylan Brown was watching.

With twenty minutes to go...step up Nathan Cleary! The 60th minute of big games really defines a player and a team. QLD have done it for years in Origin. Cleary began running... set up the Moses Leota try, he kicked goals from the sideline, kicks a 40/20, he took that drop out ball out on the full stepping over the sideline...then he scores the winning try and kicks the goal. Kicked three goals in the last surge and one from the sideline. Phenomenal. The third two time Churchill medallist. (Billy Slater and Brad Clyde are the other two). He is elite.

Reece Walsh is only 21 but might need to learn more quickly and not be a big head. Sport is a great humbling force. He kicked balls dead, fumbled, got stuck in goals a couple of times and threw the ball away at the end. He has already left a club with an odd release (one club destination), been arrested by police for cocaine use, sworn and cursed directly at the ref and was suspended and reacted publicly and impulsively to an idiotic comment by a fan a day or two before a Grand Final. Silliness. Park the sunglasses and pink boots. Lots of talent and speed nonetheless, but needs to grow up. Hopefully great talent realised - not wasted.

There are not many players to have won three premierships in the NRL. Cooper Cronk, Norm Provan and Brian Clay played in 10 Grand Finals (asterix two for Cronk).

Penrith (5) have now won more competitions than Melbourne (4), who have the same number as Parramatta (4). Mick Fanning was outstanding.

2. Collingwood - Premiers. Coach Craig McRae has done a top job. 16 flags for Collingwood now, equal with Essendon and Carlton as the most ever. I like the cut of this coach's gib. He famously hit a topic I cannot stand when a team loses in semi finals/ Grand Finals:

He famously said last year after a loss in the 2022 Prelim Final: “We want to act like winners. The siren goes and there’s half a dozen guys laying on the ground. For me that’s not a winner. That’s acting like a loser. We lost a game, we’re not losers. We’re here to win this thing". And so he did a year later... steel is a rare quality in life attitudes these days. Harder to teach in others.

3. Ange Postocoglou - Tottenham. ''Big Ange'...'Ange ball'. Tottenham Hotspurs are re-invented under Ange and are winning. The testing games have come and gone this month. A win v ManuU, a win v Liverpool and a draw v Arsenal. They are now second placed and playing a great brand of football. 

A shock win by Wolves over Man City 2-1 this week. A top win  against an awesome opponent. Rare gold. Reminds me of the Doug Mulray joke..."I used to be a Wolves supporter, but I am not any moooorrrreeee (dog howl!)!'. Even Luton Town won! (Everton surely get relegated this year).

4. Australian Cricket. A mess in so many ways at present. We struggled against the Netherlands in the lead up game and won the dead rubber (1-2) v India (nothing like a Mitch Marsh innings when there is no pressure!). We are in for a rough time, like the Wallabies, soon. 

Blokes likely to retire soon in the next few years: Warner (36), Khawaja (36), Smith (34), Starc (33), Carey (32), Hazelwood (31) and Mitch Marsh (31). Plus Maxwell (34), Stoinis (34), Zampa (31), Abbott (31) and Inglis (32) too. Only Marnus (29), Head (29), Cummins (30), Green (24) have a longer extended run left - and three of them, not so long!

Nice to see new blood in the ODI scene (David, Hardie, Ellis), but we return to the experienced players in the World Cup. One thing Eddie Jones did not do.

Starc is in ominous form...a hat trick v the Netherlands. Is that like a backyard hat trick?

We will do well to beat India in their own backyard next Sunday.

5. Eddie Jones. Dreadful leadership and still denying he spoke to Japan about a coaching job on the eve of the World Cup. Any way you look at it, he has to go, but Australian Rugby is in disarray. I heard on the weekend that George Gregan was approached to be backs coach a couple of years back and before deciding he wanted to speak to some of the players. What he discovered was a complete lack of game sense and intuition about the game. He politely declined. The game has massive issues.

An unfair rumour circulated this week saying Suaalli had signed with the Wests Tigers. Apparently he decided that he could play for a useless, embarrassing team who wear orange without having to travel overseas. Boom!

6. World Cup Rugby. The All Blacks remain a huge threat despite their early shock losses (96-17 v Italy).  Fiji only just got there v Georgia (17-12). 

7. Ryder Cup Landslide. The Europeans have jumped to a sizeable 10.5 to 5.5 in pursuit of the magic 14.5 win in 2023. Rory has led the way well, despite the carpark blow up!

Since 1985 there have been 18 contests. Europe have won 11 of these (USA 6, one tie) but still trail 27-14 (and two ties - 43 completed) to the USA since it started in 1927.  Interestingly, from 1927 to 1985, USA led 21-3.

A changing trend in world sport - like tennis. European strength.

8. Brad Fittler. Not a real respectful NSW coaching arrangement proposed, but Freddie has lost three of the last four series, including the debacle at the end of year COVID series when NSW should have won. He was on his last legs and changing his coaching staff so much, he knew it. Time to move on. Surely they can't go back to Laurie Daley. Other possibles: Jason Ryles? Michael Ennis? Andrew Johns? Tim Brasher? ET? NSW is not blessed with lots of options. 

9. Jai Opetaia. The Sydney born IBF Cruiserweight champion once more. With a 23-0 record, he is a sleeper world champion when Tzyzus typically dominate the media.

10. Next? Bring on the Marsh Cup and the motor sport... and the club signings, rumours, poor player bahaviour... The Integrity Commission? The 'No Dickheads' commission may be needed soon.