The Wrap - Livin' on a Prayer

1. Reece Walsh. Talk about confidence, flair and skill. He is absolutely on fire at present. He makes the odd error, but his pace is electric and his intercepts in that 2:1 defensive fullback situation will be exploited in the NRL next year. A resounding win by the Kangaroos. The Poms look cooked. This is a very good Australian team, despite a number of stars who went to the Pasifika teams or who are injured. Such a great tour to be part of ...like the old days. Jon Bon Jovi even stopped by which adds to that star power!

How good was Tonga v Samoa. Intense, skilful and with so many first grade footballers. Incredible crowds and love of the game. Looking forward to the planned international launch weekend being planned. The Jillaroos keep winning by over 50 points. They are dominant but it would be great to have stronger opposition. Our men's and women's rugby league games are surging. 

2. Wallabies. After promising so much v the British Lions, things have limped along since. The Joe Schmidt era is grinding to an end which is such a relief. He has unearthed some talent, but it is never on the field at the same time. Nightmare way to coach for consistency. Sneaking past Japan by a handful of points is not great for the resume.

3. Nottingham Forest. It must be said that the players did a right royal hatchet job on Ange Postocoglou. Not one of them accountable and not one of them fronting the media since. Not prepared to do the work to transform and sat back and let it collapse, knowing their hot headed owner would sack him. Time to sack some players. A relegation would be a good gift for their fans too who were incredibly impatient and pining for the ex-wife. Get over it and move on. Perhaps this is why they were not in the top flight league for a long stretch (2008-2022). Patience is learned quickly in Championship level play.

4. Cricket. Matt Renshaw is a dear fellow, but hardly the solution as a Test opener. AB said a telling thing this week re Sam Konstas: "can he play a cover drive? I've never seen one". That is the key. No technique and this 'shock' player who is destined for a long stint in Grade. I wonder if he will persist or play franchise cricket in T20 worldwide? Jake Wetherall may be a good selection. An experienced player who is tough minded is needed. We may need two such players...Khawaja is a risk still with his refusal to move his feet. He is looking for an SCG farewell in January 2026...if he gets that far.

5. Sharma and Kohli. These are two of the best ever ODI players in history. Both averaging 50 in ODIs for India with Sharma 30+ ODI centuries in 276 games and Kohli 50+ ODI centuries in 305 games! Incredible talent and domination, despite the odd duck or two. They may never return to Australia now. A miracle we won the series 2-0.

5. Liverpool. Four straight losses is a huge concern. They are stumbling at present. What about the Black Cats of Sunderland (''Till I Die)? into second place on 17 points and needing 35 to avoid relegation, which is often the fate of recently promoted teams. Hopefully Netflix are still tracking them for a sixth or seventh (?) series!

ManU are up the top all of a sudden too. Maybe the tide is turning?

6. Women's World Cup Cricket. The longest competition in world sport, but the Australians are doing really well without the injured (and prolific) Alyssa Healy. So much talent, but Perry is on the slide after so many years at the top. She may be retiring soon I suspect. Alana King 7/18 killed South Africa. South Africa still do not like leg spin after all these years.

Her 7/18 pips Andy Bichel's 7/20 in the 2003 World Cup in South Africa v England.

7. Oscar Piastri. The championship looks grim. He has really fallen away since the long break and needs to get back there. Have McLaren adjusted his car so Norris wins? They have the constructor's championship already and suddenly his car slows down. Strange. He is back in seventh spot now for the Mexican GP. No serious threat from there, barring a big pile up!

8. NBA. What a shocking disgrace for the NBA with allegations of betting anomalies and cheating. Black eyes sadly for the sport, impacting many excellent players and staff.

9. NFL. The New England Patriots are leading their AFC East division in 2025 which has shocked everyone - including themselves!

10. The World Series. The Seattle Mariners collapsed in a heap and the Toronto Blue Jays took an early 1-0 lead over the Dodgers in their best of seven World Series final. The Dodgers steamed back in Game 2 for 1-1 and now they head to LA for Games 3, 4 and 5. LA may not need any more than that. Yamamoto was the first man in ten years to throw a full game. An incredible Japanese link with the LA Dodgers.

11. Moonee Valley. The best news of the weekend was that Moonee Valley is being knocked over and revamped! That dog of a track is 'straight-less'. It is like a circle and really hard to tip. 

What a fabulous win by Via Sistina in the Cox Plate! A tough horse. Four in a row for James McDonald who surprisingly went winless last weekend.

The Wrap - Ange(r) or Ange(l)?

1. Ange Postocoglou. A doomed time at Nottingham Forest of only 39 days (the second shortest ever!). The players have seemingly rejected his style and just sulked, while the fans deserve relegation. So negative and never gave Ange a chance. Ange has once again carried himself with great grace and style. The owner is a rash and impulsive person. 8 games is pretty ridiculous. The private ownership of sporting teams is always fraught. 

2. Ariarne Titmus. Some surgery setbacks and a fine career as she retires now. Mollie O'Callaghan becomes our No. 1 now. An exceptional career really. Incredible feats, but a lot of sympathy for someone doing the hard and relentless work every day. Time for a new chapter in her life. Hopefully her personal life is not splashed across every tabloid and every magazine, like Stephanie Rice, Jana Pittman, Suzie O'Neill, Lisa Curry-Kenny and Leisel Jones before her. The public admire these swimmers, but the sad impact of mental health struggles and relationship break downs continues to intrigue a public who don't need to know this.

3. ODI Cricket. No one can work out why and for what purpose the Indian team is in Australia to play yet another series of meaningless ODI games, Presumably just a money making exercise and a 'you scratch our back, we'll scratch yours' arrangement. 

4. NRL - Pacific Championships. The growth of the Pacific Islander player numbers in the game is incredible. Rarely a knee injury from any of them too. Resilient and passionate. New Zealand remain the big brother, but it is not what it once was. They are not feared or that dominant. Concerns continue with Dylan Brown. He is so talented, but fades away during games and can become a little invisible. The Knights will be nervous, but he scored the match winner. He can be mercurial.

New Zealand v Samoa was entertaining, but the lack of attacking shape is the difference. It seems like breaking the NRL structure is the attraction of the competition. Flair and difference. The drops by To'o and Mariner with tries on offer sadly killed their hopes. One pass too high and one pass too hard!

5. MLB. The Seattle Mariners have never won the MLB World Series and get a chance in the remaining two games v the Toronto Blue Jays. They lead 3-2 in the best of seven series. The LA Dodgers are immense and are already in the World Series waiting for their opponents. They disposed of the Brewers 4-0. Ohtani is incredible. Three home runs and six innings while pitching in the same game! He could just be the greatest player ever.

6. Everest - Ka Ying Rising. What a performance. So easy and no whip required to win easing down. The horse remains undefeated and one of the best ever sprinters world wide. A rare day when JMac won nothing. The Everest prizemoney split? 

Conversely, the Caulfield Cup has a total of $5 million with the winner taking $3 million. Half Yours was too good with Jamie Melham becoming the first winning woman in the event. Michelle Payne won a Melbourne Cup on a 101-1 pop, Prince of Penzance back in 2015.

7. F1 - Oscar Piastri. It is sadly going really bad at present. Starting sixth on the grid in Austin Texas at the American GP ran at the Circuit of the Americas. Verstappen is composed and looks too strong when it matters. He is on pole position. It is Verstappen's 48th pole position. He is fifth ever - behind: Lewis Hamilton (104); Schumacher (68); Senna (65) and Vettel (57).

McLaren seem to be intent on infighting instead, even discussing sacking Oscar...honestly.

8. EPL. Haaland scores another two goals v Everton overnight. He now has 11 goals...5 ahead of the nearest rival. An incredible talent and a 6 foot 5" frame makes him imposing and very hard to contain. Hopefully he can stay injury free.

9. AFL Trade Window. It is a long way back for a player looking for a move and not getting a deal (eg. Zac Merrett). Hard to play alongside that person. Charlie Curnow is due to produce for the Swans with half the club traded to get him there. Not in the Lockett-Buddy class. It could end in tears.

10. Umpire Joel Wilson. This is an extraordinary observation by Rod Tucker on the sacked West Indian umpire, Joel Wilson. On the basis of this, it seems a fair sacking!

“Joel Wilson was a very good umpire, just his decision making was below par. He paid the price for that. In the end, he’s a great human being. Everything else on the umpiring side of things, he’s fantastic. Just his decision making wasn’t up to standard. He lost his job because of that.”

The Wrap - Roos and Boos

1. Australian Kangaroos - Reece Walsh. What a brilliant display in the grand Final. Hopefully no off field shenanigans this post season... post GF behaviours can sometimes define the person. Time to move on and start getting his head right for the Kangaroos. 

Did I read correctly that Kevin Walters said he would've won a comp anyhow? What a goose if that is true. Show some humility. How he ever got the Kangaroos job is a joke too. A few league podcasts really seem to get some loose lips. 

Thank goodness we could beat the Kumul CHIEFS (new NRL name) with the PMXIII. That team is almost like the last men standing. There were quite a few unknowns there.

2. Bathurst. Garth Tander joins the legends now with six wins on the mountain. He joins Mark Skaife, Larry Perkins (6), with Jim Richards and Craig Lowndes (7) and the greatest Peter Brock (9 wins). 

How about the efforts of a three time winner, Shane van Gisbergen...

2. NASCAR Success. Shane van Gisbergen from NZ is carving out a sensational career and success in the US. He has five wins now this season (remarkable for any international driver) - Mexico City (VIVA Mexico 250); Chicago (Grant Park 165); Sonoma (Toyota/ Save Mart 350); Watkins Glen (Go Bowling at The Glen) and Concord (Bank of America ROVAL 400).

3. Cricket. Marnus - and No Cummins (?). Marnus scored a ripping century under massive pressure in the Shield and backed it up in the FAI-Ford Ranger-McDonalds-Marsh Cup with another 105. He is one of our best techniques and must play. Like the look of young Hadley for NSW. Ripped through WA who really need a new leaf now. The old names keep failing (Bancroft, Whiteman, Cartwright...). 

4. AFL Trade Window. Clayton Oliver would be a huge bonus for the Giants who will keep surging on. St Kilda are the smokey, still piling up the big signings. Their treatment of young Leek is abominable. Fancy courting, promising and then dumping him leaving him stranded.

The Swans seem so keen on retaining mids and trying to secure Curnow on a shoestring. Why would Carlton do business with that? Trade off a few of the useless blokes in the middle. protected species. Amarty, Papley, Logan McDonald...these blokes are on notice.

Curnow, Petracca and Merrett...is the trade window a tribute to whingers and malcontents? 

5. EPL. Notts Forest continue to slide. They need salvation and soon! Ange is on death row. Relegation costs a club its fanbase, merch and significant dollars. The next two weeks are tough for Ange, but he needs a miracle. Great win 1-0 v Canada by Tony Popovic's Socceroo team.

6. MLB Results. The Mariners and Blue Jays play for one spot in the World Series and the Dodgers and Brewers in the fight for the other World Series spot. Blue Jays v Dodgers for mine. The Mariners is a great story!

The Dodgers have been World Series champions eight times (six losses for 14 appearances). The Blue Jays have won it twice. The Brewers have won it three times, but the Seattle Mariners have never won it!

7. NFL Upsets. The New England Patriots are storming back with three wins (while Bill Belichick struggles with his college team in Carolina)...hard to believe as they have been woeful for a long time.

8. Willie Peters. Completed the rare three crown wins as coach for Hull Kingston Rovers, who had not won the Challege Cup since 1985! He is in the prime position for an NRL coaching gig now.

9. Shubman Gill. He is putting together quite a string of tons as the Indian skipper v some Test cricket minnows at present. The West Indies continue to be abysmal. His skill as a bat under pressure is starting to build, but his temperament at times falters.

The Wrap - Bucking Broncos Kicking Up a Storm

1. NRL. The media finally exhausted all the stories, family tales of rags to riches, parent interviews and injury hoopla...game on! No Ashley Klein on the field - and just Grant Atkins, a famous Parramatta premiership name. What a relief because Atkins did it in fine style. Klein was trying his best to influence the result from the bunker, but thankfully not close enough. Not sure how you qualify for the bunker after your efforts in the preliminary final.

Mariner scored early, but Meaney and Katoa hit back fast! Nice open play and maybe a product of nerves - or the heat! A very unusual weather pattern, but hot day time Grand Finals could be almost unbearable. The Queensland teams hold a big advantage there.

Walsh's try before half time was just outstanding, but Hughes is so tough. A costly drop over the line by the big Melbourne forward saw the game turn on its head in the second half. They were fitter than the rest and proved it against Canberra, Penrith and Melbourne back to back.

Nick Meaney's defence was a concern, as was Wishart and then Hughes in the second half... and the Broncos found it. Reece Walsh's speed was the difference. His bullet passes and his speed to the line late, killed them. His defence was outstanding too. He took a punt on the late break and pass to Papenhuyzen and barrelled him. They could have won it right there. Turning up for each other.

Congratulations to the Broncos Assistant Coach, Trent Barrett, who has won nothing - ever. Coach Maguire has done it again too! A superb effort. He has won for the Kiwis, for NSW Blues, for Souths and for the Broncos...and in the UK with Wigan. A long way from Tiger Town!

Two Brisbane Grand Final wins - NRLW and The NRL - and AFL. Thankfully the Warriors won something over the Burleigh Bears!

For Coach Bellamy, he has coached in 11 Grand Finals now... 5 wins (2007*, 2009*, 2012, 2017, 2020) and 6 losses (2006, 2008, 2016, 2018, 2024, 2025). In essence only three wins with the two cheating years. Munster did not sound like he was coming back post game!

2. AFL. The Trade season is underway. Very exciting in a weird sort of way. If only rugby league could be as enterprising and as organised. It brings TV coverage, analysis and allows the sport to stay in the spotlight. It also enthuses the fans of the dud teams! Living in hope.

3. Wallabies. Joe Schmidt continues with a 45% coaching win record. Too many big squads, too many changes, no consistency. Eddie Jones made an art form out of it with misery. We seem to have started to accept respectable losses. Next...! 

4. EPL. Ange has a fortnight or he bites the dust. Tonight v Newcastle is one for his career and future. He seems a lot darker this time in but will remain very wealthy if he goes. The severance pay at Tottenham was about $12.5 million. Nice if you can get it!

5. Singapore GP.  George Russell on pole and he or Max Verstappen will win. Can't see how you pass anyone on that track. Max is third on the grid and needs a miracle. McLaren are struggling since the long break.

6. Sam Konstas.  His form is so bad and his technique so wobbly, he will be minced by the Poms. He needs to get back to basics. There are better options. A sad demise for a young man.

Matt Renshaw hit a timely ton (surely they don't go there again...) and Khawaja and Marnus are hitting back. There is a massive batting gulf, but Victoria and South Australia hold most of the young guns... (Henry Hunt, Lehmann, Scott, Sangha, Kellaway, Peake,...). Jack Edwards is of interest too.

7. Mitchell Marsh. Absolutely dominated in NZ in yet another nothing series. It will be a long time before the fans head out to watch white ball cricket in droves again. No one really cares. There are so many ICC and World Cups nobody can quite keep up!