1. Travis Bazzana. Travis has been named in the American League MLB All Stars game as a second baseman. This is an incredible achievement in his rookie season. He has started his career (50 games) really well, but this was not predicted.
2. NSW Origin. It is staggering to believe how many injuries and troubles NSW have at training in the lead up to Origin games in recent seasons. Whoever is training them (and coaching them) is pushing them far too hard, too early - or something else that is strange. Last year we had Latrell break down in camp. This year Moses, Casey McLean, Crichton, Strange... whose next?
This will be Laurie's farewell from NRL coaching ever, anywhere. His decisions to bring Lachlan Galvin and Hugo Savala into camp...after having Joash Papali'i and Blaize Talagi in camp earlier, defy belief at this stage of their brief and unproven careers. Let them play, prosper and be better club players first. This seems unecessary and adding to the pressure on these emerging players. Sadly it is looking like Queensland 13++.
3. NRL. Interesting to see Bronson Xerri turn his back on Parramatta for Melbourne... Spencer Lenui, Matt Burton, Moses Leota and Herbie Farnworth have all been pictured in mock Parramatta jerseys on social media too (they might all be suing them for defamation too). Sadly, there is every reason to reject the club: Culture. However, their efforts without Moses are often better than when he plays. Interesting.
The Tigers have hit rock bottom. A new CEO and now a huge decision to make re the coach. It is looking a lot like the past few seasons all of a sudden. Well done to Saints! Apparently Clint Gutherson is keen to continue playing at St George for another five seasons too, he runs the BBQs for the U/18s, is training the house down and looks good in the nets too.
The Broncos are a disgrace in 2026 too. So bad. They just seem to have given up. Time for 'Madge' to move on and give the reins to Trent Barrett.
You have to give it to Justin Holbrook. What an effort with Newcastle. They have stood up at key times this year and been so much more consistent. Dylan Brown is playing freely and well.
4. Socceroos. 1-1 v Egypt. A lot of joy has been given to us all over the past month by the Socceroos, but coach Popovic (from Fairvale way) sure can makes things complicated! Replacing the best beach in Australia with the aging Matt Ryan was either going to be master stroke - or a case of heat stroke in the hot Dallas sun. Giving the ball to our youngest player, Herrington, seemed really strange too, while more experienced players hugged their team mates in the huddle.
Egypt were far more composed and Mo Saleh shook hands with every opponent while his team celebrated. Classy. Surely there needs to be more science into spot kicks... run ups, planted foot = direction, keeping the ball on the ground or in the air? We seemed lost while Egypt had their laptops out, analysing the way we play penalty shoot outs.
Losing tight games is not good for you and should be avoided at all costs. Brazil v Norway and England v Mexico tomorrow should be close, cracking games. Mbappe and Messi lead the way on 7 goals. Harry Kane and Erling Haaland sit on 5 goals. Awesome players all.
5. Wallabies - Rugby. Speaking of close losses, this has proven to be a specialty of the Wallabies under Schmidt who passed the coaching mantle over far too early. He should have left then. Against Ireland we had some really bright moments. Still an infuriating game with the TMO interruptions and injury stoppages. Thank goodness the Egypt football team didn't play!. Great when the ball is in play, but rugby now rivals the NFL in terms of stop start and duration. Good for the big men! We re just not good enough.
A tight and entertaining win by Ireland. A penalty after the final whistle is vintage rugby! Joe Schmidt seemed to get beaten a lot by small numbers...great guy, but the second worst Wallabies coaching record ever in our history. (39% win after 29 tests). Dave Rennie has the worst ever (36% from 33 tests).
We lost with a chance to win after the bell. However, it was closer than Harry Souttar's effort. (Noticed the NSW Waratahs coach, Dan McKellar, has left the building too. No surprise).
6. New Sporting Capital of Australia - South Australia.
South Australia have become the best state in all domestic Australian sports:
- Current back to back Sheffield Shield cricket champions (2024-2025 and 2025-2026);
- Current 2025-2026 Australian Baseball champions (Adelaide Giants);
- The 2026 NBL final had Adelaide 36ers lose narrowly in the final series 3-2 to the Sydney Kings;
- In the A-League 2026, Adelaide United came second in the season proper and lost their semi final.
- The Adelaide Crows were the AFL minor premiers in 2025.
- In the 2026 AFL season, the Adelaide Crows (equal fourth) and Port Adelaide Power (fifteenth) are pretty good too!
- Now the Adelaide Thunderbirds win the national Super Netball championships back to back - in 2025 and now 2026.
- But, no rugby league in that state - so there!
7. AFL. The Swans looked fresh and finally have parked their handball speed game. It was very predictable for great tacticians like Chris Fagan and the Brisbane coaching team. Brisbane are surging now and look favourites to win the flag for mine...again for the three-peat. Freo got dusted by the GWS orange (due for a loss) and Carlton continued their 7 game undefeated surge under their new coach, Josh Fraser. They are in the top ten now in a "wildcard" position ... "we are the navy blues...". Hawthorn v Carlton next week may hit 100,000 in the crowd! A tight win by two points 74-72.
8. T20 Cricket. India v Ireland. India have lost their T20 series to the Irish... incredible! A close loss, but a loss all the same. Their first T20 series loss in a long while and with a full strength team! In England, they lost the first T20 as well. However the fifteen year old phenomenon, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi debuted with 14 (and two sixes). He can hit the ball!
9. T20 Womens Cricket Final. There have been ten T20 finals for women starting in 2009 (played every two years). We have played in eight finals now, winning six times, with a possible seventh win in 2026! Elyse Perry has really excelled in this tournament as our highest run scorer, but we have been pretty understated in making our seventh final. Sutherland and Gardiner have not really dominated yet - and can! No more narrow Australian losses!
10. MLB. In the American League, Texas Rangers, the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians lead the way. In the National League, the Dodgers continue to absolutely dominate, but the Atlanta Braves, Phillies, Brewers and Chicago Cubs also figure strongly after playing about 50/ 162 games for the season.
11. FI - Oscar Piastri. The Silverstone GP is one of the best and is on this weekend. Antonelli (179 - Mercedes), Russell (136 - Mercedes) and Lewis Hamilton (132 - Ferrari) lead the way in this year's drivers championship. Oscar is in sixth spot (82 points). Starting from eighth on the grid never ends well.
12. USPGA Golf. Scottie Scheffler lost in a tight, delayed playoff earlier this week in the Travellers v Viktor Hovland at -21 and is starting to do that a bit...but a good problem to have winning $2M still! The John Deere Classic this weekend is sadly like a Reserve Grade fixture with none of the world stars on show (why would you sponsor it?)... Lucas Glover looks strongest.
13. Fenech v Mundine. Some great banter from Jeffrey Fenech about Anthony Mundine's mouth, but Mundine is also correct. Jeff's record as a boxing trainer/ cornerman is not spectacular. He was vastly superior in the ring however!
14. Wimbledon. Alex de Minaur leaps into the round of sixteen and needs to lift when he plays the in form Italian, Flavio Coboli. Coboli made the final of the French Open two weeks ago, losing in five sets to Zverev. Hopefully he can win and get into the final eight! No narrow Australian losses.
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