Wrap - Warnings and Vets

1. Australian Cricket. Nathan Lyon needs to step up. He is never going to get a million wickets every innings he bowls of course, but no wickets in the second innings of the First Test was quietly left alone by the media. He only picked up one on Day Two, but as the GOAT, more is expected. He needs to lift if we are to win. Maharaj has more wickets than him. These South African decks are probably the fairest in the world for bat and ball. Steve Smith is certainly finding it harder to play there too. His technique is being tested and he is no longer having the ridiculous Bradman parallels flowing his way. His LBW dismissal was ugly.

AB De Villiers is a champion. We have really struggled to make an impression on him barring that crazy run out in the second innings of the First Test.

2. Dave Warner. When Dave Warner is roused, he becomes a dangerous power and batted brilliantly at a tough time. Those SBW masks are a pathetic South African ribbing, devoid of what it means. Fancy your cricket officials posing next to them thinking that was a good idea. 

There is an unfortunate "outward looking" surveillance culture in South Africa where they love a scandal (as most countries do...England, Australia), almost delighting in what they can unearth about others - except of course if it affects one of their own players. A little like India, without their respect. They are 'ten mile toughies' in many respects and when cornered, bleat and plead their innocence. Unfortunately the Warner ball tampering accusation is exactly the poorest side of the South African spirit - nitpicking claims against others - coupled with support of players whose faults they are blind to. A shame they did not offer the same scrutiny to Hansie Cronje all those years ago. Maybe they need to sort their crime ridden country out first, deal with the absence of water for their people and eliminate the racism that lingers in the joint first. Check your own backyard as well for weeds.

3. NRL. Fantastic to see the NRL back. Some great games: a golden point thriller with Newcastle v Manly; a sideline conversion to win in Tigers v Roosters... great crowd enthusiasm. Very impressed with the Warriors too on a fast deck. They could be a force on their home decks this year too. They certainly looked fitter. The Tigers will become sharper, but had the right attitude. Eels lazy late, but the heat is an unfamiliar foe in the NRL. Most games are at night. The Panthers hyphenated surnamed players are big in name and big in size. They did better in the heat.

Amazing how the salary cap may just be continuing to even out the player talent more and more.

St. George looked sharp too, but how often have Saints roared ahead in recent years across the early rounds only to fall in a heap? Widdop looks much better outside Hunt. The Broncos look a bit old. Bennett may need to lead the retirements and hand it all over to Kevin Walters sooner than he thinks. Souths were terrible. Roosters disorganised. Storm were superb as usual. Nothing stops them.

4. Matt Lodge. How was it decided that of the $1.6 million he 'owed', that he ever going to pay it back? Or is that the point? Grind him into bankruptcy and cash in? Odd logic. Terror of the example.

5. NRL Press Conference. Is the NRL press conference the ultimate in amateur hour? Cranky coaches, a cosmetic player in shellshock and questions you cannot hear unless you are a Port Elizabeth groundsman. Need to give a microphone to the media. It’s like listening to a dying man.

6. Tiger Woods. Roaring back into some ominous form and hoping to live the dream. Golf diehards love an 'old' name on the leaderboards...and elderly winner. The nostalgia of the game perhaps shines through at these times. Former champions remain champions in their eyes. Maybe Tiger's form at Copperhead may be the sign of imminent major success.

7. Sheffield Shield. What a great time to be a batsman. How much easier can it be to make Australian international teams? Not since Dav Whatmore, Jeff Moss, John Maclean and David Ogilvie played for Australia in the late 1970s has it been better. I note Matt Renshaw has now scored three successive tons, but too late. Cameron Bancroft has shown some steel and determination in South Africa against some of the best bowlers in the world. That NSW top six are some of the greatest under performers in Australian cricket ever. Peter Nevill just quietly has been awful all summer with the bat too. He may never play Test cricket again.

8. Chautauqua. This great grey horse may never run again. It apparently will not jump from the starting gates anymore. It is jacking up something chronic. Like trying to get the dog out of the car at the vet.

9. Super 15 Rugby - The Melbourne Rebels. Three from three. On fire and carving it up really. Cannot fathom the fall in the Brumbies' stocks however. They have rarely if ever looked so bad. The Reds have also won again v the Bulls. Coach Brad Thorn is one of the 'winningest' blokes in all forms of NRL/ Rugby as a player and coach that we have come across in our lives. He has already done more than his predecessor.

10. NFL. What about the Cleveland Browns? Fresh from a 0-16 NFL year, they are securing trades left right and centre. Surely you trade nearly everything for the best quarterback in the business?

11. A-League. This is the comp that never ends. Western Sydney Wanderers have made a strong late charge, but the impressive form of the Jets under the journeyman coach Ernie Merrick is the story of the year. Both Melbourne teams are in the mix, but Sydney FCs disastrous Asian League efforts show they just may be overcooked and ready to be defeated at the business end of the season. The hopes of the other sides is growing by the week.

Wrap - Winx Jinx

1. Australian Test Cricketers in South Africa. A cracking start by our boys, but we do have a track record of struggling to defend big totals in South Africa. Hopefully not in this test.

I must say that the Marsh boys at the crease have become a formidable alliance. Shaun's clever blade work on tricky decks is impressive. He looks to attack and refuses to be bogged down. Mitchell's power has been awesome. However, media calls for Mitchell Marsh as captain one day are way off beam. Ridiculous.

I really liked Warner's first session of the first day's work (albeit a lazy late out brought him undone). These tricky decks unpick techniques. Ask Khawaja who will struggle to retain his spot again abroad. Bancroft's first innings dismissal was terrible...walking across the crease to nick one. His 'bounce back' half century in the second innings was a lot stronger. Smith looks like he is in two minds half the time and has hit reality after a mighty run.

Nathan Lyon's turn/ guile/ deception and the stunning bowling of Starc and Cummins will put plenty of pressure on them. Hazelwood needs to bowl quicker than he did in the first innings. He was an uncharacteristic pop gun pace then.

2. Nathan Lyon. Troubling to see the ex-wife set up a blog to haunt him. Whether he has made a wise decision is for them to work out, but his bowling is certainly getting better. He is on 293 going in to the second innings at Durban and has just passed Craig McDermott (291) and is closing in on 300 test wickets...then Brett Lee (310) and Mitchell Johnson (313). That will only leave DK (355), McGrath (563) and Warne (708) in front. Incredible for an offie really.

3. NRL Kickoff. This Thursday it is all underway. Thankfully no more trials and talk. Matt Lodge will enjoy getting out to play a game without the media. His NRL inclusion - and not Carney's - is perplexing...even Russell packer's is more brutal. That footage of Lodge's  rage is unbelievable. Does anyone know why he was in that house - or was it a case of mistaken identity? Tipping a Storm v Cowboys Grand Final.

4. Commonwealth Swimming Trials. All the usual names and suspects will again compete for us in a swimming meet which is surely one of the weakest worldwide. The incredible thing is how many of the team train and prepare in Queensland. Sure, longer daylight saving time, warmer weather, but their coaching programs must be so superior - or the intensity of their swimmers' preparation. Fast pools, down hill pools might help, but ultimately it is the same water and distance. Nothing else explains the massive gap to the rest of the nation.

5. Winx. Can it get any better? An absolute thumping was handed out to its rivals on the weekend. Not sure it needs to race at Ascot or in Europe. The slower tracks will do it no favours, but money and fame talks. It needs to race in dry fast conditions in the USA perhaps. Most Group 1 wins ever in Australia...closing in on the 25 straight wins of Black Caviar.

6. A League. Newcastle Jets getting the jump on Sydney FC 2-1 was unusual for its precision and power. Maybe the 'stainless steel dunny seat' premiership trophy is not a foregone conclusion yet.

7. Waratahs. Time to applaud a comeback draw in South Africa. Foley is a matchwinner. Looking a more composed and complete team, although Beale's injury may test them next game.

8. Shield Cricket. The run of poor batting - especially in NSW - continues. Sean Abbott is having no luck and hit young Will Pucovski in the head to send him into the turf. A tough memory. Good to see the ICC have raced to implement world wide reform with helmets. There should be a crackdown at every level of cricket with every club/ association required to provide two per kit. No excuses.

9. A League. Sadly it is in free fall at present. Crowds are getting smaller. The WSW 'Bloc' are sooking as well. The organisation is having its usual tantrums and soccer/ football problems. Most Australians are over it. They need to put away the flares, get rid of the politics and stretchers and bring in some big names.

10. Surfing - Nazare, Portugal. The footage of Ross Clarke-Jones riding the huge waves there - and almost dying - are amazing. Not sure why you do that at 52 years of age, but there you go. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od6wTno4tp4 . Alongside me, he could just be one of the ugliest men alive.

Wrap - Plane Crickets

1. Jarryd Hayne. Like him or not, Hayne is getting more press and press-ure in this pre-season than any other player outside of the Broncos' Matt Lodge. For all his faults, the press (in the absence of any other controversies outside of the dynamic dopes - Dugan and Fifita) are hounding him somewhat unfairly at present, but Brad Arthur is a composed man who has it in hand. For Lodge, the extraordinary events in New York are violent, crazy and menacing. How he gets back into the NRL without any payments to his victims and Todd Carney does not, is very interesting. Perhaps both should be banished. Hayne may yet be banished too depending on his charges.

2. An NRL Testimonial Game. Please...isn't that when blokes are retiring? Thurston may be, but Smith? We'll get an outbreak of these before too long. A salary cap dodge? Time to make a big difference with third party agreements...

3. Sonny Bill Williams returning to the Roosters? That might just make them Premiership favourites yet. Injuries like all teams will hurt - but especially at the Roosters. Lots of leavers. Great signings, but if great signings fall...

4. Cricket. In the Shield, Renshaw finally gets a ton. Even Henriques too. Blue Moon watch out! Some continued poor batting seems to plague us in the game v South AfricaA. Handscomb needs a miracle to play Test cricket again any time soon. Those decks will really test us. An enthralling series ahead this week. Cummins is building nicely as a tremendous all rounder. His batting saved us.

5. Rugby. Great win by the Waratahs - and the Brumbies. The Rebels did it easy too. Brad Thorn will come under the blow torch if he doesn't lift the Reds to a better performance. A terrible start.

6. EPL - Huddersfield. Two wins can change your EPL life. This year, 6 points makes a stunning difference - more than most years. Suddenly they are almost safe...for a few weeks yet at least.

7. Winter Olympics. A great effort to win three medals by the Aussies. The summer Olympics are a fabulous event, with the winter Olympics, the poor cousin. Lots of skill, entertainment and injuries... but still in the back seat.

Wrap - Short Shrift

1. Storm. Craig Bellamy did his finest press conference post the World Club Challenge on Friday night. He made the point that between Cameron Smith and Billy Slater, both have (currently) won the NRL minor premiership, the NRL Grand Final, the State of Origin series - and the Rugby League World Cup. Also, the Golden Boot, Dally M, selected in Rugby League World Cup team of the Tournament and Clive Churchill winning medals were held by these two players as well...not to mention most games, points, etc, etc...Two absolute legends....Cronk would make it three.

A current winning record in a year of NRL unlikely to ever be bettered.

When is a ban going to occur for players writing messages on their wrist or arm bandages? How ridiculous. If they need a written reminder mid-game of tactics or of an approach...wow! Send emails or transmit through bionic earpieces.

2. T20 Cricket. The Australian T20 team will become No. 1 in the world if it wins the final in this NZ-England series. A meteoric rise from position number 7...! Add Starc and it could be devastating. Not sure if Smith is required. D'Arcy Short has been powerfully stunning.

3. WSW. The style of the Western Sydney Wanderers has changed for the better under Gombau. They are scoring goals and winning tight contests. Still not a patch on Sydney FC, but they lost heavily mid week in the Asian Champions game, so our A-League still sits some way away from the top world leagues.

W League GF. A clinical effort with Melbourne City beating the Sydney FC team, 2-0. Even though they had also won the previous two, Sydney FC had some hope going in. Now for their men's team to lift and match them!

4. EPL. Huddersfield smashed Bournemouth last weekend to lift, but any of eight teams could perish yet - Swansea, Stoke, Newcastle,  Huddersfield, Crystal Palace, Southhapton and Brighton. West Brom look cooked (20 points), but three points separate the rest (25-28 points).

5. Winter Olympics. Gotta love the Australian winter Olympics team with 'Scotty' and 'Chumpy'...love a good Aussie nickname. Any medal there is a surprise. James Magnassun is a true tool. Fancy bagging out another sport to make himself look better. An Olympic athlete is an Olympic athlete. No one gets there easily.

Everyone loves a snow stack however. A fan favourite...and these athletes go at extreme pace! The presence of coaches on the slopes is a tad strange however.

6. AFLX. Some pleasing rules being added for this pre-season "T20" version of the game. Seven a side (10 mins each way) and played on a soccer or NRL field (for maximum stadium use...and pre-season strugglers with fitness), it has some great features apart from the 10 point super goals (outside the 40 metre arc):

1. Last touch out-of-bounds rule 
2. No marks paid for backwards kicks, except if in attacking 40m
3. Free shot from inside the 40m arc if there is a rushed behind.

It is missing a key one:

• A free kick from the spot where an attacking kick goes out on the full.

The thought of playing on a conventional soccer field is alarming for many avid AFL fans.

7. Roger Federer. Number 1 in the world again...at the age of 36. Stunning!

8. Commonwealth Games Athletics -100 Metre Sprint. How about the mens' 100 metre sprinter - Trae Williams - "Quadzilla" - for Australia? 10.10 is super quick and hopefully all is legitimate. It is a podium finish at that time.

9. Commonwealth Games Swimming Trials - Wednesday 28 Feb. – Saturday 3rd March 2018. Keep an eye out for young Rebecca Sefton. A young star of the future with a great local opportunity to seize!

10. NBA. How good is the standard of that competition? The number of internationals is rising and with it, the aura of those basketball stars surges. A huge stage to be the best on in the USA! How amazing is the form of the Aussie, Ben Simmons?

Wrap - A Badly (AB) Designed Medal

1. NFL New England Patriots. An era like no other, but a bad loss whatever way you look at it in the Super Bowl. Now all together in your best Elton John impersonation: "Phil-a-delphian Eagles...I love-ve-ve, you.....yes I do!".

2. Bulldogs NRL Board. Gotta love an NRL board overthrow...it gets those journalists going. Renee Castle might just be laughing to herself right about now...and Des Hasler. Dib will no doubt hand this one over to his lawyers as well. The game stops for no one's ego.

3. English Super League. Hull v Wigan...? Great to see they think Australia is a good launch place, but is this a good idea? Hard to think there is much interest. Reasonable crowd, but not a great standard. Can't see them coming back in a hurry.

4. Australia v England T20 Cricket. Our bowling and fielding was exemplary. Maxwell was superb...and D'Arcy Short will be there for some time to come. When he unleashes without fear of retaining his spot, he will climb higher.  The top five are a lot more formidable in the shortest form of the game. Warner is in terrible nick, but I really like his captaincy. Communicative, authoritative and purposeful. How well does Chris Lynn hit the ball? He is a million dollar plus player in the IPL and looked worth every cent. He can change a game and should be the highest paid T20 player in the world before long.

How bad was the Shield batting again this weekend? I fear that Duke ball is going to roll us again in England (think Jimmy Anderson, Woakes, Broad), but a good initiative to be exposed to it at least. Worldwide expectations when a team is playing abroad are extremely low. Hopefully the South African series turns the tables our way!

5. Virat Kholi. For those who may not have seen it v South Africa in the ODI format, he has scored two centuries in the last 3 innings he has played (the third was 75 - and four centuries in the last six innings overall). Kohli is 15 tons shy of Tendulkar's ODI centuries record but is no where near the number of innings it took Tendulkar. His average now is the highest ever of anyone playing more than 35 innings - ever. Legend.

6. AB Medal. Farcical structure, making very few players eligible to win it. Only those playing all three formats. It is Smith v Warner...Starc and Cummins a small sniff. Elyse Perry should romp it in.

7. T20 Channel 9. The spidercam fiasco where it held up play for a few minutes in the T20 is typical Channel 9 now. They can’t  take a trick. Won’t be long before TV changes forever.

8. Quayde Cooper. I have to agree with Brad Thorn’s brutality. Cooper is an under performer of late. Bad attitudes are not required in modern sport. Not that Quayde will care as the money still rolls in. The Reds faired well in the Global Rugby 10s. Seems that every derivative in the spectrum is now being delivered by rugby...is their authentic 15's version not a palatable product?

9. Women’s AFL. Great crowd in Freo. 41,000!!! Bigger than all games in the NRL outside the GF. 41,000 used to be the Grand Final crowd at the SFS. Low scoring games, but the AFL should mandate all teams are required to field a women's team to play in the comp. Why they can't precede the main AFL game is anyone's guess.

10. A-League. Sydney FC are just too dominant. They can engrave the dunny seat trophy now. When will soccer ban players quizzing the refs and approaching them. 5 metre radius rule!

11. Winter Olympics drones. Spectacular. Not really a high interest sport in Australia. Rich surfers on holidays mainly.

12. EPL. Once again Arsenal under perform. 5 points adrift of the top 5 of Man City, MaN U, Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea. They spend and spend with no outcome in the EPL. Wenger surely cannot continue to last. He picks up a mid week chalice while the main cups disappear year in year out. West Brom seem destined to drop now and Huddersfield need some magic. They have not scored points since 17 December 2017 when they beat Watford. Some good FA Cup results, but no winning points for a month or two will see you relegated too. Fire up! They are absolutely due v Bournemouth tonight.

Wrap - Biff and Belichick

1. Australian T20 Team. The T20 team looked energetic and enthusiastic - and crisp in the field v New Zealand. Great too see some youth. Yet another terrible SCG pitch with some unlucky weather. It is just about the first T20 game that has been weather affected all season!

Unfortunately, Channel 9's commentary just sounds so flat and stale compared to the Channel Ten Big Bash commentary team. They are lagging behind with an old, tired formula. In fact with the T20 it was an ideal chance to make a difference, but instead we got the same lazy approach...no Twitter comments, little fun...no 'fan involvement'. It is all about themselves. Backyard cricket clips, local cricket heroes, crowd catches...these things are loved by the fans. It is not hard - or expensive.

Instead, on Channel 9 you get the world's most complicated Classic Catches competition and a string of selling items and profiteering. People are over it. KP is also trying too hard to be the new Tony Greig. Tony would caaaarve him up every time. They have massive problems.

The other noticeable thing is that Australian cricket fans love the BBL (for all its flaws - catching poor, umpiring terrible at times) and the crowd was noticeably smaller for the national team's game (weather affected), but I somehow suspect the blazing sun may not have made that much difference.

Stanlake at pace, hitting spots will be an awesome presence in years ahead. Accuracy has always been his nemesis.

Nathan Lyon did himself no favours in Canberra for the PM XI getting smashed for five sixes in an over by David Willey. His T20 cards are now marked again. Unfair and unfortunate perhaps, but the reality.

2. BBL #07 Final. Not sure why they play it at 4.00pm on a Sunday afternoon after playing night games all year? Some of the people who design semi final draws have rocks in their heads. They spend time and money on the whole competition and then end it in a hurry - changing the conditions of the comp. Think Super 15s, A League.

Jake Weatherell's innings (115 off 70 balls) in a final was awesome. Funny how experienced cricketers rise to the top in these sorts of games - Bailey, Siddle, Laughlin...An outbreak of silly failed ramp shots when under pressure, piled more misery on. The Hurricanes decision not to open with Wade was a bad one. He hit unbelievably in the last game and was benched! Paine's batting is a real problem. Test cricket form is sound, but other forms of the game see better options.

It must be said that the BBL umpiring standard has been poor. The decisions around LBW have been horrible at times. The McDermott decision was horrible at a clutch time. The Hurricanes may have set a new benchmark of consistent yorkers in a defensive bowling effort. Siddle was excellent. An awesome crowd too. Love the BBL.

3. ICC U/19 World Cup. How we beat India in any form of cricket - ever - will become a bigger mystery as the years roll by. Their population and love of the game means we are highly unlikely to ever dominate them in the future like we once did. Rightfully, the IPL auction favours Indian cricketers and provides opportunities. They are building a fortress and the dominance of their U/19 team will be a big part of that. I noticed Austin Waugh did not really figure in the team that much. He has ridiculous pressure on him the poor bugger.

4. Penrith Rugby League Salary Cap. Gus Gould looks after players, especially if they are becoming negative, confused or under performing based on off field issues. Look at Tiaire Martin at the NQ Cowboys last year, Moylan to the Sharks, Hiku to the Warriors this year, Leilani Latu and Bryce Cartwright to the Titans. His salary cap is interesting. He is the master at locking players in for many years (Dean Whare is signed till 2022), but most will never get there. He locks them in, gives certainty and then the pressure of their personal demons - or a generous early release to another local or overseas club occurs. Simply, he has so many outstanding up and coming juniors in the farm he has refined, that he can't afford to invest in those not producing.

5. Superbowl. The Tom Brady-Bill Belichick show rolls on tomorrow morning Australian time. Brady's press conferences with one glove on his hand are a bit odd I must confess, but he is the biggest name in US sports and he pretty much can do what he needs to do. Their favouritism is immense, but might be the only thing that can defeat them.

6. Women's AFL. How successful is this competition? Amazing and shows the appetite Victorians hold for the AFL. A shame Sydney have not joined the party with a decent ground and team from the Swans.

7. Darts. Noticed some biff in the darts on the weekend involving the two time world champion, Adrian Lewis. Amazing scenes, but big crowds and big money can have that affect. Women's darts may calm them all down and threaten the empire even more.

8. Davis Cup. Our doubles domination in Davis Cup was the lynchpin when we had the two Woodies - ford and -bridge. The combinations recently are left field and not stable...Guccione, Groth (ret.), Peers, Millman, Ebden, even Hewitt himself...This hurt the tie. Kgyrios has the potential to rocket up the charts worldwide but his showdown with Zverev was hugely disappointing. Kgyrios may have improved a little but he is still a brat. Young Alex de Minaur is an exciting prospect. He is fearless and talented.

9. EPL. Man City are so far ahead that a draw, a few losses and a few more problems could not see them lose this year. The other teams need to stock up to challenge. Arsenal seem to have done that in the January transfer window, but are perennial under achievers.

10. J-Day. An outstanding pressure win at Torrey Pines earlier this week. Shame about the empty crowd situation on the last day...poor really. That was possibly more absurd than the never ending play off.

The world record golf crown in Phoenix, Arizona for the Phoenix Open this week was outrageous! Great PGA support and how hard is it to win a tour event these days? Unbelievable standard.

Wrap - Indian IPL Cash Tap

1. ODI Cricket. We were toweled up, but how infrequent are the games.... this can't help. In the old days they played four a week! We just might become world beaters in T20 now the BBL is set in stone. The scheduling needs some work however. Surely the BBL can have its best players for those finals! Expect us to fade fast in all ODI comps. We play our domestic ODI comp in October and have been outplayed. Stoinis is a great bat, but his bowling is ho hum really, regardless of pace. Maxwell continues to disappoint when the pressure is on.

Aaron Finch too has so much talent, but unless he gets fitter, he will only ever be a T20 player at best. A liability in the field and forever injured.

2. U/19 leg spinner Lloyd Pope - 'Popey' . Talk of the next Warnie...Please, we have been waiting for the next Sterlo... Bradman... they never come. A talented kid who did well in one game and may have a good future ahead. Full stop. Maybe he is just a kid playing a game he loves.

A great U/19 effort by Australia against England. Better than a few of our main Australian players who it must be said have struggled. Smith and Warner in particular. Time for others to step up. Cameron White is surely gone. I don't think we have enough batsmen. We are one short. We also need a more aggressive approach where the skipper supports the spinner more. Smith has been terribly defensive. Zampa is used as a stock bowler, not a wicket taker. That is a huge problem. Tim Paine is also not the ODI answer. He cannot hit the ball off the square under pressure.

3. IPL Auction. A foot in the IPL door and then a decent performance or two in the IPL will make you a multi-millionaire these days. Look at Coulter-Nile and Tye. Billy Stanlake has gotten $200K...he could surprise. While their country is in abject poverty, cricket remains a goldmine. Lynn, Starc, Finch, Stoinis, Maxwell are all continued millionaires...even Shane Watson ($800K if you don't mind). Great to see AJ Tye and D'Arcy Short clean up too. Compare the cash to EPL and Spanish/ Italian league soccer players...ashtray change.

4. ATP Tennis. As mentioned a couple of weeks back, the ATP Tennis money grab worldwide is at the expense of players. The season has one month's off season lay off. Nadal got cut short, but blaming the schedule is silly given he made the final last year. No wonder tanking and match fixing is rife however. So many games and do they all matter with a new tournament to get to tomorrow? The heat is something else on that court (that Korean player's blister was awful!) but Federer gets a lot of night games because he is a TV favourite. This is a massive help to your longevity through the tournament.

5. The Australian Open Tennis Final. Federer was absolutely brilliant in the first and third sets. Awesome big time player. Cilic is tidy as a player and is at the peak of his powers. Sadly he had to play against Federer who is the best ever and more than likely to win. 20 Grand Slams will never be broken in our life times. He was never losing to Cilic.

6. BBL. The spate of poor catching in the Big Bash is a worry. My theory is that these players rarely if ever play under lights. That and they are not geared liked they used to be in this part of the game. Easier to get money from ramp shots and reverse sweeps.  We saw a bit of it in the Australian team as well. Not to worry, Brad Haddin, our fielding coach, will fix it all. Bob Simpson, for all his faults, brought Australian cricket to a new level with his focus on it - and Buchanan through the US fielding coach, Mike Young.

7. Rugby Sevens. Men and Women teams both win! Such a better product. It might take over the main 15 a side game! The crowds were pretty solid too. A strong win by the Australian team. Good to see an ex Oakhill College lad win the Man of the Final - Lachlan Anderson.

8. Darts, F1 and Boxing. A big worldwide push to eliminate 'walk on' girls from these events is gathering power. Maybe they should allow women to participate in these sports to enhance them. Women's darts - why not? The women's Rugby 7s is a fantastic level of sport. More entertaining than the blokes for large chunks of time. The Australian women's team smashed them this weekend.