1. NRL - St George. Terrible. Even the collapsing Parramatta team who leaked 30 points in a half hold on when Saints needed a win for the semi finals. So bad after a good year. As for Parramatta...how can their defence be so poor? Completely unfit and they have done nothing about improving it. Saints have come home in a hearse. 44-40. Young Blaize needs complete surgery on his defence to be the great signing he and his family and his manager think he is. Good luck to him however.
Parramatta need to sign some mobile, smaller guys with quick feet...Wishart (Storm) and Plath (Dolphins) are two such guys. The Connor Watson/ Brenton Nikora style player is so valuable. Big boppers can only do so much. The Spoon Bowl awaits! Trent Barrett is a relaxed fellow... perhaps too relaxed. When you can't hold on when 30 ahead, there is a severe attitude problem. The Tigers look to be improving.
Seeing Clint Gutherson appear at the post match interview in his budgie smugglers and answer questions in a smug way, tells us that as the club captain, he may be lacking in leadership too. It said a lot about their season. Is Moses back for the final 'spoon' game - or just ready for the Kangaroos?
NRL - Broncos. What a poor effort when the semi finals were on the line. They lack spirit after a Grand Final last year. Kevvie looks out of sorts.
The eight looks much clearer now... Manly produced under pressure. Broncos gone and really it is Dolphins v Knights for eighth spot.
NRL - Sharks. How do you lose that one to the Warriors? They had so much riding on the result. A win was almost a definite top four finish. How good was Shaun Johnson v the Sharks. Suddenly teams are being exposed under pressure.
NRL - Roosters. What an horrific afternoon of injuries - Walker, Smith and Radley...This tests a team and their character. The Raiders have shown a lot over the last month, but what a terrible mid season effort. Too inconsistent.
2. AFL. Is it wise to have a whole week off for everyone? Some bad trade moves too (Petracca could not be let go from the Demons...and Bailey Smith owes the Bulldogs big time. I wonder whether he will be available if they go deep into the finals?). We love the AFLW, but it seems to lack a little at this early stage and then it will be cast aside for a month too.
3. Test Cricket. Joe Root loves a mediocre attack, but as an expert batsman, he cashes in regularly. He has picked up two tons at Lords in this current Test v Sri Lanka, adding to one in the last test. He now has as the most tons for an Englishman and more Test tons than the previous leader, Alistair Cook (34 at 50.93). Incredible record, despite having had some lower moments, mostly against tough attacks like Australia.
Apart from most Test centuries for England, Root becomes England's highest ever run scorer, most Test runs in England, most runs and centuries at Lords - and first Englishman to take 200 catches. Handy.
4. EPL. Liverpool v ManU is always special, but the Tottenham v Newcastle game is a telling one for Ange. Man City power on and are like St George NRL in the 1960s! Haaland scored his second hat trick this season. He now has seven goals in three games - a record and as many Premier League hattricks as some of the game's greatest ever players. He is one of the greatest ever.
5. US Open Tennis. Alexi Popryin beats Djokovic. Unheard of in recent years. Maybe when the Poo beat Sampras one Australian Open night rivals the upset. Won the Montreal Masters last week and was seeded, so not ridiculous. 14 double faults for Djokovic is a worry. The crowd loves to boo Novak. An unexpected early exit for the Olympic champion. No Djokovic, Nadal or Federer left in a Grand Slam since 2002!
Jordan Thompson is doing well too. Alex de Minaur has now made all four Rounds of 16 in all four Grand Slams this season... a rare Australian feat. One of these two make the quarter finals from here.
Not sure how Sinner is there after a drugs testing controversy. He should have stood down for a time, but hasn't. He is a whippet, but even still.
6. PGA Tour Championship. An awesome concept with a staggered scoring start. Shades of LIV! Adam Scott at 44 years of age is playing some great golf. A 66-67-68 start is handy. Tied fifth after two rounds in a $100M tournament puts you on good terms with your bank manager.
Scottie Scheffler though is a mile in front after a staggered start (10 in front, up front...now 26 under!). He is a gun and will net multiple millions...following his recent Olympic gold medal. He can't afford to have a free shot, let alone 10! He looks like winning his seventh PGA title for the year. Tiger at his peak won nine in a year. Byron Nelson holds the yearly record at 18 wins in a year.
7. Gout Gout. A memorable name and some memorable sprinting performances as a sixteen year old flyer. His efforts in the U/18 World Athletics titles are very promising. We get very excited about sprinting prospects in Australia. Our last appearance in an Olympics 100m sprinting final was in 1956 - Hector Hogan. There is something in the athlete's name perhaps that makes them great.
8. Wallabies. Once upon a time we never cheered when we beat Argentina. However, these days it is like winning the Bledisloe Cup. Great to see Laurie Fisher in the coaching staff for Australia. He has one of the best Australian domestic rugby coaching records. The Springboks beat the All Blacks in a boil over too. Rough times for Scott 'Raygun' Robertson's break dancing career.
9. FI - Oscar Piastri. A Melbourne lad doing well for McLaren... starting on the front row of the grid and is half a chance at the Italian Grand Prix tonight. Riccardo is starting twelfth.
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