1. World Cup of Football. FIFA corruption allegations aside (why trade your reputation for temporary placation?). the dominance of Spain and France - and ultimately Argentina was stunning. England are the spare wheel of sorts, but Jude Bellingham is really making a big impact. England could go close v Argentina. They are there and closer than usual.
Every team has their star striker, but the journey of Norway to the final eight was something else. The Viking Row was outstanding (like the Icelandic clap). Super entertaining, even allowing for exaggerated dives and histrionics. They should earn a ten minute stint on the sideline (like the fake HIA claim in NRL). The hydration drinks break has proven to be a master stroke of resetting and preserving players in the heat.
Perhaps FIFA could concentrate on eliminating death threats against players who miss penalty shoot out opportunities, like Columbia is finding once again!
The red card penalties that go across games are ridiculous, but necessary, otherwise they face rampant poor behaviour. Trump could have sorted things out for Switzerland who in the 70th minute lost their striker Embolo. There should be more red cards for the fakers.
2. Wallabies. How we want to love them, but what a repeated tale of disappointment they are. Starting brightly, they simply cannot match others and on form should really be qualifying to get into the Rugby World Cup. Coach Joe Schmidt's winning percentage is now 36.66% (11 wins, 19 losses...including 1 win in the last ten Tests and 6 losses in a row!). Dave Rennie (38.2%) can breathe easy. A few novice rugby tips to save the code:
- Appoint Australian coaches on merit only. Les Kiss is a good start.
- Don't overpay for players. Sua'ali'i is yet to show his wages value.
- Have a similar Wallabies side each game. The high rotation is a joke, especially in the halves. Injuries strike, but massive squad sizes are ridiculous. No one knows the team anymore. Think of the golden ages when people knew the players broadly.
- Get a mainstream TV deal. No one really watches the game (outside of the GPS fraternity).
- Speed the game up and stop the torturous TMO moments.
- Limit the rule breaches to an explainable single set.
- Have referees who are consistent and not self absorbed.
- The game is in massive decline. What is the plan?
The defence of our outside backs was horrific. Too many soft efforts.
3. NRL. Brilliant 300 game celebration for Daniel Tupou. Three tries and a huge win. The Roosters could make a dent but need to beat Melbourne and Penrith. Not sure Walker at $1.5m per year is the best investment long term. Cherry-Evans has been solid.
Jerome Luai. He attracts too many headlines and not enough on field excellence. To think that the worst run club in the NRL, Parramatta, are even considering signing him is beyond belief. What is most disturbing (allowing for the one year Jonah Pezet signing stupidity) is that the supposed excellent young players are clearly not trusted and another year closer to moving on...the Volkman impasse is understandable (19th most missed tackles in 12 games), but we are not hearing of lots of other players moving on, unlike St George.
They are also simply incapable of attracting any good talent (Xerri, Burton, Leniu, Farnworth have all been mentioned), but did pick up the unwanted Su'A. They need a complete reset. A shame they refused to listen to Matt Cameron when he presented the same blueprint that is succeeding at Penrith.
The Sharks were stunning v the Dolphins who join the high number of teams leaking 50+ points in a game in 2026. Parramatta (twice), Wests Tigers (twice), St George, Titans, Melbourne and now the Dolphins. There are extra teams who have conceded 40+ points in games in 2026, like Manly! The Bulldogs...honestly. Too much Gus and not enough Ciraldo. Have we seen this movie before?
How good was coach Daley? A top, rare and very unexpected Origin series win.
4. AFL. Sadly, despite some great moments in 2026, the Swans are gone. Their efforts in the second half v Freo brought back every bad memory of their successive Grand Final massacres in recent years v Western Bulldogs, Geelong and Brisbane. Lack of strength, composure and experience under pressure and a complete capitulation. Very concerning with talk of a new culture and overcoming mental demons sounding very hollow. Every struggle they have had like this is on a bigger field. They were at a complete loss.
Meanwhile, Hawthorn are regathering and the GWS comeback win over Geelong was spectacular. St Kilda look stronger than their table position indicates. Brisbane seem the most likely to win their third comp in a row. Freo will go close. Forget the rest...Melbourne, Geelong, Adelaide, Collingwood, Western Bulldogs... all have talent, but too inconsistent.
What has happened to the Gold Coast? Like the Wests Tigers... promise and now perishing.
5. Scottish Golf Open. Min Woo, MacIntyre, Fitzpatrick, Gotterup and Fitzpatrick (M) are leading the way after Rory's poor third round (by his lofty standards). Scheffler's run of 78 straight tournaments without being cut, ended surprisingly (after winning The Open in 2025). The fog is playing havoc, but a good prep for The Open which kicks off on 16 July later this week.
6. Wimbledon. Yes, sadly Alex de Minaur lost again. He does not seem to be improving and needs a change in his personnel or his methods. Sixth-eighth in the world is awesome, but not Grand Slam winning.
The women's final saw Linda Noskova beat Karolina Muchova. The domination of the game by central Europeans is incredible. The '-ova' surname suffix is a familiar one these days!
Sinner destroyed Novak and will do the same to Zverev too tonight. This will be his fifth Grand Slam victory, one short of Edberg and Becker. He is a machine, especially with Alcaraz (7 Slams) injured at present.
Cruz Hewitt into the Junior Wimbledon final tonight as well. "C'mon...". A great story.
7. Conor McGregor. A bad injury to end his return, but is there not a little bit in every viewer that hopes he gets a tough opponent to close his mouth a little? A showman and a successful one, but humility is not a strength. One you may be seeking a refund for on pay per view!
No comments:
Post a Comment