1. British Lions v Wallabies. A tremendous game. Not often you say that about rugby. For all its ridiculous over-officiating, the final decision was made very quickly. Usually there is a committee meeting, the ground microphone man and four Royal Commissions with ICAC involved too. Typical northern hemisphere influence and domination of the game. The ref seemed OK, but was he too pliable when it mattered?
Michael Hooper's comment that 'this would have been different if it occurred at any other minute in the game!' is hard to ignore.
Nonetheless, to see a 20+ half of rugby from an Australian team is incredible. Rare gold. Strong close losses are hard to accept - and tolerate. Yet another Wallabies loss in the end. Gallant, but a loss. Really like Jorgensen, McDermott, Gleeson...lots of promise... and NRL clubs will be swarming. Wilson as skipper?...ummm not so sure.
That advantage rule is the greatest blight on the game. Box kicks (?) and the TMO who could have explained the final rule which mattered. We should have put the game to bed, but couldn't!
2. Joe Root. What an incredible year and career. Better now than when he was younger. Like Jacques Kallis and Kumar Sangakarra. The second most Test runs ever, 38 Test tons and the king of England. Prolific run scorer in England and against India. Awesome record.
England are shaping into a formidable team, but Crawley (31), Duckett (42), Pope (35) and Stokes (35) all average in the high thirties/ early forties still. Not dominant, despite the hype. However, they will be extremely hard to beat in the Ashes in Australia because they string scores together. Their efforts against India have been uncompromising...sending the opposition in and then beating them. They have dominated them with the bat making Bumrah look second rate - on featherbed decks it must be said. Jofra Archer back and fit will be a tough assignment, especially if Mark Wood aims up too. Stokes is immense. Bothamesque with 16 wickets so far and the leading wicket taker in the series.
A fascination in this India-England series is the leading run scorers (all on seven innings each, with Gill and Rahul now into their eighth innings) are mainly Indians. Gill (697), Rahul (508), Pant (479), Jadeja (347). Then comes Jamie Smith, the new England wicketkeeper (424), Root (403), Duckett (365), Brook (317) and Stokes 304) are not far away. Yashasvi Jaiswal needs to check his temperament. He is getting found out too many times too early.
3. T20 Cricket - Tim David. 102no off 37 balls with 11 sixes. Incredible hitting. As Bill Lawry would say..."a crisp hitter of the ball". Our Australian international T20 record is getting stronger. Our bowling is weak, but is that the way of the future...any old hack bowls and you hunt it down with great hitting?
A series win already... 4-0 out of five games. The fielding of the West Indians is SO bad. Watched the fourth T20 for half an hour and saw four dropped catches including a sharp caught and bowled where the bowler moved the mits away because it may have hurt!
4. Belgium F1 Grand Prix. A fantastic looking track at the legendary 'Spa' course and Oscar Piastri was running hot in the early phases of the weekend. Lando Norris (with Belgian heritage) forms a formidable 1-2 on poll for McLaren. Piastri is clinging to the drivers championship lead, but there are a lot of races remaining. Should be excellent as always. Such exciting and fast action. Love the way Piastri dissects and owns his mistakes. An elite high performer!
5. NRL. Some upsets this weekend with the Eels beating the Broncos. Possibly a casualty as top teams rest and reset for the semi final load ahead. However the speed of the Parramatta team is much improved. So much better. Even Sean Russell is chipping and chasing for tries. The axe must have swung close there. Pace wins. Moses adds massively to that and is one of the absolute elite NRL players now.
The Dragons lose another tight one and some teams are now completely out of action for the semi-finals. The Roosters have also lost too many close ones this season. Losses by 8, 6, 4, 2, 2, 4 points this year so far. They can kill your season.
Interesting to see if the Broncos players remain loyal to Australia with news that Kevin Walters will be the new coach. Seems an unlikely appointment. Surely we have others too but the candidates seemed to be limited to Kevin. The good news? He will be out of the commentary box!
The Panthers are steaming ahead... six rounds left: Titans, Knights, Storm, Raiders, Bulldogs and Dragons to come and they are on the cusp of the top four! Incredible. The Titans helped them a lot by beating the fading Warriors in their own paddock.
Canberra keep winning. Second half demolitions are their specialty. Will be interesting to see how they go against more top teams. They have not really been tested too often. Their defence still needs to smarten up. They leak too many points.
Bulldogs v Sea Eagles. Tough defence and patience. A la Penrith. The Bulldogs are the only club who can fill the Allianz Stadium. A professional, really well supported club. Xerri superb.
6. AFL. The efforts of the Swans was so predictable. Big game? Big fold... they have done it yet again after having a 40 point lead. It was very predictable and has been seen before with the same roster. They have a massive problem. Missing the finals is a crime with the Swans. Coach Dean Cox is under pressure. Not a mathematical chance in hell!
Contrastingly, the Adelaide Crows look sharp. Gold Coast crushed the Brisbane Lions/ Bears which was a firm statement. Damien Hardwick can really coach a team. Alistair Clarkson may need a new gig soon because North Melbourne are getting worse! John Longmire surely needs to coach somewhere soon.
7. Golf. Scottie Scheffler seems to be the absolute top bloke who is also supremely talented. Humble, hungry and smart. Perfect golf to win The Open. He is in a rich vein of form. Long may it last. Getting to seven or eight majors puts him in golf royalty. He now only needs the US Open for the Majors Slam too. (Only!).
Conversely, Cameron Smith was the only golfer to miss the cut at all four Majors this year. Ouch.
8. Vale the great Hulk Hogan. Having caught up with 'Jake the Snake' and Jimmy 'Hacksaw' Duggan overseas in Charlotte, North Carolina recently, they were supreme entertainers for many, but at great expense to their own health and wellbeing. Slow drawl and struggling. Jimmy much better than the snake. He was chirpy and upbeat and recalled Australia well and 'misbehaving'!
9. Netball - Sydney Swifts. Sydney Swifts were up by 10 goals and got run down - and out of the comp - by the Melbourne Vixens. The Vixens go on to play the West Coast Fever who will be paying $1.01 as red hot favourites! Funny things can really happen in Grand Finals however.
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