The Wrap - A Messi Time

1.The Ashes. England seem to be full of words and theories. It would be a sensation for a 3-0 start and end to the series by Australia. We have led 2-0 before and stumbled however. Many doubted Australia in the lead in, citing the English batting strength, but Starc and Head - and Smith - have been the difference. English arrogance has helped too. 

Their batsmen have faltered. They seem to have a pretty odd view of how to play on Australian pitches and have run into some moisture in two areas of the country who have had a fair bit of unseasonal rain (Perth and Brisbane) over the past three months. That changes the conditions of play quickly. The mental side of the game is where the biggest difference is evident.

A bit sad when the biggest story of the week is either a holiday snap of an English player at the beach or a security guard getting feisty. Bring on the games and compress the tour. 

The Big Bash is underway again with the Hobart Hurricanes winning the womens' competition - and the carry over champs in the mens' competition. A very successful state!

2, NRL - Wests Tigers. What was the Pratten Park protest about? It looked like 500-1,000 people worried about the fate of a club which is a complete mess. How pathetic is the in-fighting and backflipping? They can't win a comp - and they extend Benji Marshall until 2030? The thought of Brad Arthur taking the reins was a hopeful note for the fans. If you are a player interested in building a career and winning, you are out of there.

Harry Grant. Golden Boot winner is well deserved. He is a sensational competitor and player. No real kicking game but an attacking and defensive game like few others can match. Tough. 

Liam Henry. Talented but hardly going to put the Perth Bears in the top eight. They are in trouble. The toughest job for Mal Meninga since his political career sunk after 30 seconds.

3. Oscar Piastri. A respectable third place in the end to Lando Norris, but it is a missed opportunity after having a sizeable lead mid season. The politics and nonsense from McLaren and others needs to end. Verstappen was superb and almost won the thing from nowhere.

We can forget that while Piastri finished third, Mark Webber finished third too - three times! 

4. EPL. Arsenal got lucky with some own goals and skipped away again for a five point lead. Man City and Chelsea are snapping at their heels. Liverpool are regathering a bit of fight. Mo Saleh should never be dropped. He has the most goals and goal assists for a single EPL club on record. Hard to beat!

Sydney FC are on top of the comp, but the Western Sydney Wanderers are struggling still mid table. Still working on the pronunciation of the Sydney FC coach's name: Ufuk Talay.

5. IOC. Remember when the rorts and the corruption ruled the processes and decisions made there by Samaranch and his cronies. FIFA has always been concerning, but the big sports seem to attract the greed and 'favour seeking' folk. 

6. India - Messi. Very messy after Kolkota fans go beserk after spending a lot and getting nothing for it! Apparently all the police and security got the photos and the fan's paid a month's salary to see him, getting no photos or a chance to see him kick a ball. Not sure why you would pay so much for a glimpse from the stands. A great corrupt promotion by the sounds.

7. NFL - New England Patriots. On a 10 game winning streak and up against the feisty Bills from Buffalo. A big statement game. The play off crunch is also fast approaching. A big weekend for the Ravens, Rams, Eagles and 49ers who need critical season turning wins. The Kansas City Chiefs are teetering and inexplicably stand to miss the play offs after so much recent success.

8. Winter Olympics. It is nearly that time again when we claim US residents with a distant Australian relative for our own. They are busy down at the archives in the passport office.

 

The Wrap - A Starc Reminder

1. The Ashes. Mitchell Starc looks like he will be winning the Benson and Hedges Audi for the Best Player of the summer, two tests in! He has really dominated with the ball taking 18 wickets already after two tests - and hits 75 with the bat. Handy.

Starc is now up to 420 Test wickets (the most prolific left armer ever!), passing the 'Turbinator' Harbajan Singh (417), nearing Shaun Pollock (421) with Sir Richard Hadlee (431) and Herath (433) that little further along in the most ever Test wickets lists. (Curiously, Lyon sits one behind McGrath (563) on 562 Test wickets.

It is Starc's strike rate that is exceptional. For those who have played 50+ tests:  Rabada (39.51), Steyn (42.38), Bumrah (42.96), Waqar Younis (43.49) and Cummins (45.91) and Starc (46.40). Boland is also remarkable in only 16 tests (36.85).

Joe Root was outstanding in the first innings, hitting his 40th Test century. An awesome performance. He is one behind Ponting (41), then Kallis (45) and Tendulkar (51). He is in the elite to ever play the game. Incredible surge in the latter part of his career. How great was Kallis? Cameron Green should be arranging a visit to meet him pronto! His composure sometimes is woeful and his efforts in the gully were so so.

2. Umpire Decisions. The decision to drop Nathan Lyon was silly in some ways. The Gabba takes spin. Doggett and Neser are steady bowlers at best, but under lights the job was done with Boland, Neser and Starc. Neser's 5/not many in the second innings tells us it was a good decision. Lyon needs to be a little more humble in accepting selection calls. He has had a charmed run and no one likes a brat. 

The Duckett dismissal in the second innings with the ball keeping a little low would normally have worried the Australian team, but for the Poms and their terrible collapse. The fourth innings at the Gabba is not one of our best...think of the Test loss to India and West Indies in recent years. Chasing 50 was not a threat of course. 150 may have been different! Why we don't start the series there like we did for a million years is beyond belief.

Weatherald was the most impressive bat for us and Carey continues to go from strength to strength. Steve Smith is something else. He is fast developing the best captaincy record!

3. Advertising Your Soul. Would it be good advice to get Pat Cummins to stop being an advertisement slave (Liqorland, Westpac, Gillette) and apparent big head, and just focus on getting healthy and being the Australian skipper? The adverts do nothing for our view of him. Steer clear of the nonsense and funny guy lines. 

Hard to remember Steve Waugh, Ponting or Clarke doing this... although Tubby and his Fujitsu air conditioning did happen! I think Richie Benaud promoted bryll cream, but not three brands in half an hour.

4. Australian Open Golf. Amazing crowds for the Stonehaven Cup. Great to see Cam Smith bounce back, but Kim and Scott were impressive too. Melbourne really love their sport. They are exceptional. Thankfully Rory got through the cut. Refreshing to see his air swing as well. It provides hope to all. Tough lie it must be said!

Smith let it slip late and it probably summed up his year, but the Dane was too good. A great putt from him on the 18th. Rasmus Neergaard-Peterson has a name better than the golf game. Never short of a attractive partner either on the golf tour.

5. FIFA World Cup Draw. We could not have gotten a better run in Group D, but will still struggle. To play the USA, Paraguay and a lower ranked rival as a European qualifier, we could not ask for better. Tony Popovic will have his work cut out and needs to correct the recent national slide. He did well to get us there this time around really.

6. F1 - Season Decider. Oscar Piastri is unfortunately on the brink of extinction. Being on the second row of the Abu Dhabi GP is not good enough to win it. The front row has always won there. Max Vertappen is on pole and well positioned. Piastri's post long break form has not been up to scratch and Lando Norris will need a complete blow out not to win. No one will be surprised if the great Max Verstappen wins the lot too. A sensational comeback. One of the closest seasons on recent record.

7. Wests Tigers. No wonder no one can play for that mob. They don't know what is going on. They fight, scramble and back bite, yet look to blame everyone else. They don't know if they are the Magpies or the Tigers. The Jack Gibson quote - 'winning starts in the front office' has never been truer. What hope do you have as a player? Luai needs to get out of there. Galvin could see it. Benji is not the answer long term and Shane Richardson is about to exit, so it seems.

They have recruited no one in the off season and are light on for forwards. They will be mid table again in 2026, if not lower.

8. Sam Konstas. A first innings ton is a thing of beauty in any long form cricket game. It has been a long time, but we still need to see him hitting fours down the ground to be a Test cricket batsman. The work in the 'V' is not strong enough. He loves it square of the wicket or behind the stumps. Great bowlers find such players out.

9. EPL. The great run of Arsenal ends at the hands of Aston Villa. Man City are back in it with that stumble. Everton are again showing a tenacity to hold their own at the highest level. Since 1992 when the EPL started there are only a small band of clubs never to have been relegated...ManU, Spurs, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea - and Everton. 

Surprisingly, Man City were relegated in 2000/2001. They have been relegated four times from the top flight!

Notts Forest are also back where they deserve, losing games too. The behaviour of their players and club under Postocoglou is not forgotten. Relegation could not happen to a nicer bunch of turn coats who refuse to take personal responsibility for their performance. Relegation beckons. 

10. NFL. The Patriots crushed the hapless NY Giants to go to 11-2 and are absolutely dominating... even if some think they have had it easy in the draw. The Broncos, Eagles, Rams and the mighty Bears (think William Perry, 'the Refrigerator' ) are all in line for playoffs. Perry was also apparently called "biscuit" by his team mates - one biscuit short of 350 pounds!