The Wrap - State of Shock

1. NSW Origin. A great win and a long time since NSW supporters can go into half time feeling positive about a favourable outcome. The impact of Latrell Mitchell out wide was awesome. He terrorised Holmes and co out wide. NSW have dreamed for a long time of Nathan Cleary-Tom T - Latrell being in that backline. It was a silly decision to go with Suaalli in the centres for Game 1. Wing perhaps, but not centre.

Spencer Lenui is an amazing bench weapon. The aggression of Angus Crichton and Liam Martin and the work of Stephen Crichton out wide made a big difference. He is the best centre in the game.

Ashley Klein and the head rub sin bin. Was that honestly a decision that is supported by the NRL?

2. Nicho Hynes. Poor Nicho. The missed field goal and the criticism will sting, as will the absence from Origin since Game 1. He is going through what many players have done before, but if he never plays again for NSW he will still be remembered for his scintillating season in 2022 as Dally M Player of the Year. Short memories for some. 

3. Parramatta. How can a club self destruct like this one? And so regularly? They have spent every cent of their cap and their decision this week for a new coach will be very interesting. If it is Jason Ryles, he will last five minutes once he looks under the hood. A lot of their team are about to get a salary haircut. Gus has shown what you need to do. Remove the problem players and get new names, before it is too late. The Tigers are always there to make the Eels look good!

The form of St George is scintillating under a new coach (top eight!) and the Storm look solid, now four points clear at the top...all without Munster. What a club! The Bulldogs and St George are looking good, while the Roosters always look sharp. We keep hearing rumblings about the Broncos and the coach losing the dressing room.

4. T20 Cricket World Championship. It is hard to get excited about T20 World champions, but given the timing of the IPL just before the competition started, there was a nice leg up for India. Kohli once again defied the critics after a lean tournament. Now both Rohit and Virat bow out retiring from international T20s. That may give a few bowlers some hope. South Africa did well and should have won it. 30 off 30 is very gettable.

5. AFL. Collingwood and Melbourne have been major disappointments this year. Both seem to be struggling with basics and their inconsistency is something else. Melbourne look like they are slipping faster than most. Small premiership windows disappear quickly. They won in 2021 and a repeat looks miles off. Clayton Oliver has lost it too. Collingwood won in 2023, but they will need a transformation.

The Swans got found out big time. Wet weather really sorts them out, but to lose at home is pretty bad and at full strength. What a shocking effort after the siren just quietly...

6. Demons. While the Melbourne Demons falter, Alex di Minaur is looking for Wimbledon glory. Losing first round in Queens was not great, but a semi final gig is not beyond him.

7. NHL. Florida Panthers prove victorious. An awesome Stanley Cup in 2024. 4-3 victory.

8. Travis Bazzana. Travis is an Australian baseballer who is about to set records that may never be broken. Going to Oregon State, he has set college records that have stood since 1907 when they were founded. Incredible. He was the MVP of the best Cape Cod Summer League and he set records this season that put him in the top echelon of players in the USA. He is about to be drafted in the MLB first round. This could net him $12-15 million AUD. Incredible. Lives in Ryde and attended Turramurra HS.

The Wrap - Under the Dogs

1. NRL. State of Origin. This is meant to be the biggest week of the year (outside of the Grand Final). Mitchell and Moses are back. They look a better team. However, it is a little wearisome in the media these days. Moving the games to Monday nights could be a master stroke. Players have more recovery time and fans have less media nonsense.

The NRL comp has seen the Warriors go right off the charts now, losing by 60 to the Titans. With Souths and the Tigers both winning well, the Eels under Trent Barrett (not in coaching contention surprisingly) are spoon bound. The underdogs have been barking.

Souths are an outside chance for the top eight now. Ben Hornby has done a top job. Interesting see them muscle up now they know Wayne Bennet is arriving. He has already sent Cook to the Dragons (handy signing, provided he runs the footy). The Tigers big man Stefano, who is mucking around with contracts... not one I would touch.

The Roosters seem judiciary bound too often of late. The arrival of Mark can't come soon enough.

2. AFL. Swans have the worst record in the first quarter which is a big worry. That is how they lost two comps (v Geelong in 2022 and Western Bulldogs in 2014). Get out of the blocks quickly and pile on pressure. The 'even-ness' of their roster is the key. So many blokes who can step in and step up. 

North Melbourne are hitting some strides now under Alistair Clarkson, but a narrow loss to Collingwood (1 point) and now Melbourne (3 points) is soul destroying.

3. Super Rugby. The Blues beat the Chiefs 41-10 for their fourth championship. NZ are so far ahead of everyone else. The Chiefs have back to back losses now but the Bledisloe looks safe with their domestic depth. It is truly incredible.

4. T20 Cricket. 'Slow, dewy, humid'...that is the forecast that worries Australian cricket fans...The turning decks sort blokes out. Travis Head is officially the new 'Duck or a Hundred' man. Graeme Wood set aside. His shot was appallingly wasteful. Good to see Maxwell shine, but a win was not to be. Afghanistan were awesome really, playing best in the conditions.

If you get both openers out for less than 10, you almost win T20 cricket games. That is where Starc is critical (where was he in this game v Afghanistan?). We showed a bit of arrogance I suspect and paid the price. Pat Cummins...two hatricks in a week is surely a record. India will be ready for us.

5. NHL Stanley Cup. The Edmonton Oilers. Down 0-3 to the Florida Panthers, they stand to make history as only the second team on record who have come back from 0-3 to win the Stanley Cup. They are back at 3-3 now! Florida will not recover from this if they lose it. Another underdog doing amazing business.

6. Golf. The criticism of the Rory US Open 'implosion' is a bit unfair. He is such a consistent performer. There are more critics in golf than in most sports, that is for sure. Majors are hard to win. Only three golfers have ever won double figures numbers of majors (Nicklaus, Woods, Hagen). Mickelson (6), Koepka (5) are the only current players ahead of Rory (4), who incidentally has twice the number Norman won.

The Wrap - Stormtroopers

1. NRL - The Storm. Has there been a better team week to week in the history of the game over the length of time they have done it? They are on top of the comp yet again. Their ladder position every year is to die for in most clubs. What a powerhouse.

Conversely, the 50% Eels look like picking up another spoon. They have glimpses but can't play for 80 minutes. Opponents know that if they keep the game fast, Parramatta have no answers. They lack fitness and pace. Simple. The Roosters have struggled this season at times, but they have class and steel.

Poor old Sean Russell holds the worst try scoring record for an outside back in the comp in 2024 sadly. He has scored one try all year and has played 12 games. However he has kicked 3 goals. More goals than tries! This is a big part of Parramatta's problem. They can't score tries on that side of the field and are easy to defend against. This is also due to their crossways attack. They do not play straight enough because they have no pace. The Roosters did it brilliantly. The other is their inability to play pressure defence in their own 20. Another wooden spoon awaits. Trent Barrett is trying, but is not the answer. 

The Storm's recent seasons:

Meanwhile, Alex Johnston passes Billy Slater into second spot (191) for most tries EVER in the NRL, nearing Ken Irvine (212). Amazing longevity and talent. Wayne Bennett will get him across the line!

2. Origin. Again Queensland loom as ready to put a nail in the coffin of NSW. The hype and hysteria of the NSW media is something else. Latrell Mitchell comes in - and Mitchell Moses. Full stop. They look much more balanced with those changes. McInnes is unlucky. Yeo must start. He is no bench player. 

3. Brumbies. A loss at Eden Park on Friday night by the Brumbies to the Blues who will now play the Chiefs for the title. The Chiefs are aiming for their third title. The Blues have three, looking for their fourth. The Wallabies winning anything look a long way away. Suaalli is coming for their money and they are losing players to the Titans...please. The code is in strife.

4. AFL - The Swans. Well on top of the comp, but not sure we are all yet convinced. They over finesse at times. They move the ball well, but still lack pace. A promising squad, but the bigger fields may sort them out. They are certainly fit! Joel Amarty kicks nine goals... clever, even if a little unexpected.

Dustin Martin 300 games. He is a special talent. 300 games in anything by anyone is some sort of achievement. Collingwood lucky.

5. NBA Celtics. Up 3-1 with a shocking loss in the latest. Can the Dallas Mavericks be the first team to win a NBA final series from being 0-3 down?

6. NHL. Mirroring this is the Florida Panthers who are up 3-1 v the Edmonton Oilers. Domination by the Oilers today. Interesting similarities between the NBA and NHL at present.

7. US Open Golf. Ludvig Aberg has the best name in world golf. His golf game is up there too! Plenty of play yet, but as a US Open debutant he has done well. Lots more major wins ahead for him. However, even the great Brooks Koepka and others before (eg. David Duval), only enjoy a small window of possible dominance in their careers. Maybe it is Bryson's turn three shots up. He has the game to either dominate or perish with poor patience.

8. T20 World Cup. England could yet win the whole thing. They have the talent and they were unlucky with whether basically. Nepal almost knocked over South Africa (one run loss) which would have been an incredible moment. The USA have done well. Scotland played good cricket. Sri Lanka and Pakistan were terrible, but the worst of the lot were New Zealand. Incredible demise. The Windies look strong but being on PrimeTV, no one really watches it in any depth. India are still the favourites for mine. 

9. Australian Womens' Swimming. Is it harder to make the Australian Olympics swimming team than most other sports? Purely results based. Cate Campbell bows out after four (was shooting for FIVE!) Olympics. An awesome record. McKeons x 2, Titmus, Jack, O'Callaghan... these are amazing talents, the quantity of which we have rarely seen. The Paris Olympics loom as a special world event again.

The Wrap - Dodgy Decks

1. NRL. Hard to know what to make of Cronulla... beat the Broncos, Roosters, Warriors, Raiders (twice) and Storm...but lose to the Tigers and Eels. Can't win them all, but the hammering by the Panthers was the worrying one. Nonetheless, they are beating many others on the table who would die to be this inconsistent! The Broncos have injuries (as do other teams), but they look a little loose this year. Is Kevin Walters now the crankiest coach in the league?

The Storm have fired again and the Panthers rarely lose two in a row. The top teams are clearly a cut above.

2. State of Origin. What a fizzer. The leaking through the right hand side defence for two tries before half time was soft. Challenging with one player down, but far too easy. Latrell needs to play at that level and fire. Spencer Leniu was awesome. Such speed and leg drive. Liam Martin tough and uncompromising. Queensland are far too good... and far too often.

3. AFL. Sydney striding out at the top of the table. Gold Coast had an opportunity to absolutely stamp themselves in the comp, but lost to St Kilda. Love the Melbourne v Collingwood match up. Eels v Bulldogs does not compare.

4. T20 World Cup Cricket. Fancy the USA beating Pakistan (sounds dodgy) and Canada beating Ireland. Then Afghanistan thumps New Zealand (all out for 75!). There are some upsets, but Australia absolutely crunched Oman and now England with no super standouts...other than a cracking start in the Power Play. A good team win.

Lots of 30s (Marsh, Warner, Head, Stoinis, Maxwell), but tight bowling in reply. Zampa has a knack of taking a lot of T20 wickets. Australia is pretty much guaranteed to progress now. Rain can be the ruin of you (esp. against a minnow) and England are poised precariously all of a sudden with a wash out v Scotland as well. Jonny Bairstow is still haunted by his antics in the Ashes. 10 off 10 is not really good enough in the middle order these days.

The pitches look like they are from the MCG in 1981. Never knew how short those boundaries were for Viv and others. Imagine them with the modern bats!

5. French Open Tennis. Iga Swiatek has now won three straight French Opens and was in Ash Barty's shadow... Barty had a chance to do the same but shunned it for the joy of family. She obliterated young Italian, Justine Paolini, 6-2, 6-1. This is Swaitek's fifth Grand Slam (four French Open's in the past five years). She now joins Hingis and Sharapova on five wins. Awesome record.

In the Men's Carlos Alcaraz stands to become the youngest ever winner of THREE Grand Slams if he can knock over the loud and controversial Zverev. Alcaraz has won in the US Open and Wimbledon (never losing a final), but ironically not on his favoured clay surface as yet. Zverev's checkered past is not lost on the French crowd.

Djokovic's injuries are mounting, but if fit, he still the best. He bowed out injured after long games late into the night/ early morning. 

6. Super Rugby Finals. The Hurricanes and the Chiefs knocked off the Reds and the Rebels and will play each other, while the ever consistent Brumbies won and now play the Blues in the other semi. Sadly, most would not even know this was on!

7. NBA. The Celtics have skipped away v the Dallas Mavericks to a 1-0 lead. Dominant display in the first game, when an extended break for the Celtics as they waited for their opponent, was feared to become a disadvantage.

8. NHL. Underway... The Edmonton Oilers v the Florida Panthers. The Stanley Cup is on the line! Florida win the first one and are looking strong at 1-0 up.

9. Super Netball. Privileged to watch our great mate Damian Sligar's daughter Amy who is the starting team for the Giants Netball franchise at Ken Rosewall arena in Homebush today. A sensational game where Amy's vision and strength shone brightly. Amazing pace and rigour in the Giants' win.

10. Prime Video. Not a sales pitch, but one to note... 'The Test' (Ashes focus) is a good watch if you are interested. A free 30 day trial is available and you can cancel anytime. No dramas.

The Wrap - False Teeth

1. NRL. While some try to pass it off as the great time of the season, in many ways it is the worst time of the season. The 'excitement' of the Origin fills news pages for days and days, but it is the NRL where the true interest lies. The comp is absolutely ruined at this time of the year... upsets galore - Cowboys win, Eels win, Panthers lose...

How good are the Bulldogs doing? Their second half fitness and defence has become super solid. They look good, but have played most of the middle and lower teams. An extraordinary draw. They seem to play the Knights, Titans and Dragons more than most.

The Sharks have lost their teeth... gummy sharks. Extraordinary how poor their defence has become, but they cannot stay at full tilt for the whole year and it is all about pacing your run. The Cowboys had a shock win. Scott Drinkwater is a talent. A Central Coast lad too.

2. Waratahs. If ever there was a great example of a team winning close games, it is the Storm. They have had six wins by less than six points (and two losses the other way) and are on top of the comp. In absolute contrast are the Waratahs who have won the spoon but lost FIVE games by less than six points. Those wins would have seen them in the semi finals. It is a fine line between pleasure and pain! 

Now what type of wood would you like that wooden spoon crafted in?

3. T20 Cricket - World Cup. The cup starts this week. Starc was Man of The Match in the IPL semi and the final of the IPL. How good is he? Defied the $4M critics big time. Hopefully he can lift for Australia. A bit of a joke mid week v Namibia in an Aussie practice match with the coaching staff in the field. Please. Time's up - grab a laptop.

4. NBA. So there it is...Boston Celtics v Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Final for 2024 starting at the end of this week coming. Josh Green is a talent. Former Samuel Gilbert PS student and Kings later... now on the Dallas Mavericks team with a great chance to win a NBA ring! His older brother Jay played a bit of sport with our kids. Always a super competitor and a quiet, but super talented kid. They tell me when he was in Year 6, he was a State schoolboy rep (in the final team) in boys basketball, AFL, football, swimming and athletics. Pure talent. The old man Delmas is a top bloke. Fabulous to see their success.

5. NHL. Oilers and the Stars are at 3-2. The Florida Panthers win 4-2 v the New York Rangers to take the East Conference and enter the Stanley Cup final. The Panthers bared their long teeth!

6. AFL. A lot of byes this season are driving the fans crazy. Melbourne were awful getting hammered...no chance this year. So bad. The timing with Origin weeks makes it convenient for the AFL, but again.. The Gold Coast Suns are a different team this year knocking off Essendon. The AFL umpiring is become worse than the NRL. They need to be told that the fans are not there to watch them and the best umpires/ referees are ones that are not noticed.

7. French Open Tennis. Nadal gone in the first round and Djokovic equals Federer with 369 Grand Slam wins...he looks shaky though. The changing of the guard is upon us.

8. UEFA Champions League. Un-Real Madrid. Carved out their 15th ever win. Impressive. Liverpool have 6 wins, ManU have three wins and man City one win!