Wrap - Finals Fever Pitch

1. NRL. A wide open comp with pretty poor defence from all sides at different times on the weekend. Entertaining nonetheless. 57 points (Roosters v Panthers), 52 Points (Raiders v Sharks), 60 Points (Storm v Eels) and 66 points (Souths v Knights). Panthers looked great, then ordinary...Storm looked weak wide, then strong... Roosters terrible in patches, great at other times...Eels inconsistent...Raiders up and down too. Souths will beat Eels and Roosters will defeat Raiders. Roosters-Storm and Panthers - Bunnies....for the GF.

Standout players: Cook, Wighton, Papenhuyzen, Cleary... State of Origin beckons for them all.

2. Parramatta. The poor defence of Waqa Blake out wide for Parramatta is staggering. He had 8 runs for 8 post contact metres, dropped balls, went into touch and generally struggled. The worst since Steve Mavin had that forgettable day at the SCG years ago. (Newcastle's centre was awful too - Tuala - 8 tackles, 7 runs, 4 post contact metres). Talent, but pressure hurts. 

It has been a problem all season and yet Brad Arthur keeps him there. They signed a bloke called Rankin who could hardly be any worse. The long passing game of the Storm absolutely dazzled them. The quick play the balls by the Storm kill other teams. The Storm are expert at then delaying the opponent's play the balls. The poor game awareness of Ferguson and Blake has really hurt Parramatta. Mistakes, errors and poor decisions. They will go out in straight sets.

The Reed Mahoney pass to both sides is incredible...so accurate. The Junior Paulo work is amazing - and tough too. Shaun Lane does well too. They need more pace out wide and tougher backline defence. Jennings has done his dash for mine. Too small and not quick enough these days. They need some dynamic outside backs of strength... Folau?

So next week is: Roosters v Raiders and Eels v Rabbits. Great games ahead.

2. Storm. It is extraordinary how few Melbourne players get injured in so many games of high intensity. Munster is unlucky but he also lacks composure. There will be a few first graders looking to get hold of him once Smith disappears into retirement. He has a poor attitude and perhaps it is the finals intensity, but we all recall how he made a goose of himself in a Grand Final v the Roosters from memory.

3. Referee Ashley Clown. How we all love a surprise or unexpected Ashley Clown decision. Really want him in the NRL Grand Final. What about his miraculous recovery from last week when he looked like he was bound for the morge He is courageous and ridiculous all at once. Stopping the game for cramps...please. Only Ashley...

4. New Rule. Not surrendering the ball back to an opponent at a break down or penalty should be an automatic twenty metre penalty and a quick tap option (sin bin if inside your own 20 metres). There is too much of this. The AFL '50 metre penalty' is a ripper in this regard. It returns sportsmanship to the game (even if grudgingly) and the players are entirely cooperative.

5. Canberra. Jack Wighton killed the Sharks, but that decision by the ref on the quick tap was the first quick tap we have seen in months of footy. Poor. The refereeing inconsistencies need to be ironed out. Now if the Sharks can offload Moylan, Woods, Dugan and Townsend, they could be awesome. It is amazing how premiership windows for any teams are really narrow. The Roosters may be discovering this after a massive few years.

6. Panthers. Nathan Cleary was awesome in their narrow win v Roosters. A hat trick before half time was pretty special. The Roosters looked like they wanted to win this week, but had some uncharacteristic lapses. They are really missing their quality hookers (Verrills and Friend) and the toughness of Victor Radley. They are also suffering with their halfback Flanagan. He reminds me of Jason Taylor - great goalkicker, good passing game and clever...but not fast enough and sharp enough in defence...yet.

7. French Open Tennis. Nadal and Svitolina will go close. Halep a shock loser tonight. There is lots distracting the players who seem easily distracted at present... except Djokovic and Nadal. Hopefully the whinging about schedules and game times vanishes soon. Australian tennis is a schemozzle. No one left after the first week. I can't believe Barty did not defend her crown COVID or no COVID!

8. AFL. Port on fire v Geelong. They will be hard to toss. Brisbane Lions (aka 'The Bears') did well to win v Richmond. Having a permanent home ground advantage makes a difference too. The work of Collingwood v West Coast was sensational. Loved the light show at the start of the final quarter...setting a new standard of anticipation! The small forward is dominating now in the shorter format of the game. Agility and great hands and a vertical leap that is amazing. West Coast absolutely dominated possession and field position, but Collingwood would not be shaken! One point winners! Suddenly West Coast, who were earlier specials for the comp, are gone.

Richmond v St Kilda and Geelong v Collingwood. Tipping Richmond and Geelong to triumph here. Geelong need to be up for the arm wrestle!

9. IPL Championships. Really like the spirit of the IPL. A shame Cricket Australia doesn't insist on a premier competition with Indian players out here. They have such depth and the integration of nationalities (with the exception of Pakistan) represents all that is great about sport. The amazing thing about the competition is that all teams win games, so no game is easy. That is the perfect competition. Jofra Archer is still the worst fieldsman in the game. The Dehli Capitals are the best team for me (but Stoinis better start hitting a few or he will be banished! Pat Cummins too for the Kolkota Knightriders...KKR). Shreyas Iyer is a complete gun... and yet largely unknown. A superb T20 bat. Surely he and a few mates can come and play in the BBL!

10. Sam Burgess. There are some extraordinary claims in all this. I suspect the Police might need to act, rather than journalists to ascertain any truth or case to answer. There is always something not so right when the Police hear about it after it is in the newspaper. Shouldn't the Police have heard about it all first? Something is not so right here. The timing is always curious too.

11. NBA. Incredible that the LA Lakers are already 2-0 up. Le Bron is surging to greatness. Three championships already... another nearly in the bank. Game Three tomorrow and another likely victory!

12. Horses. What took the eye this weekend?  Persan at Flemington in the Bart Cummings was a super run... Melbourne Cup hope. Two regular place getters also got up at good odds...Toffee Tongue ($16) and She Shao Fly ($8). Khoekhoe did well too. In Sydney, Libertini blitzed them as did Montefilia. Kolding won again too - a top reinvigorated horse in the Waller stable. Starting to hot up for the spring championships and the Everest!

Wrap - Mad Malarkey, Buffoonery, Tomfoolery, High Jinks, Codswallop and Skylarking

1. Roosters. Roosters suddenly getting beaten by 60 by Souths a week out from the finals? Please, this is most unusual. Most. Despite all the injuries, they had been winning every week until this one. That needs investigation. Suddenly they locked in fourth position and avoided the Storm in a final who have an awesome record. Staggering good fortune in the Chinese Year of the Rat.

1a. Parramatta. They are bound to go out in straight sets. Beating the Storm is near impossible for them. They have no strength and composure in the tough moments. They lack speed out wide and the defence of Sivo, Blake and Ferguson is poor....the hands are not much better. Getting the five eight back may change it up a little, but speed is lacking.

Look at Gutherson. Kick happy all night v Wigers (ridiculous in many instances) and then with twenty seconds on the clock, he goes to dummy half. He is the skipper. He has just made a superb try saving/ season saving tackle at the other end. He could have kicked the ball out and wasted time...instead he tries to score a heroic try and gives the Wigers two extra tackles... no smarts at the key moments. No premiership. The great first half offloads evaporate when the team is on the chase too. No composure. The elephant ears go off and the hippopotamus ears go on and their play loses structure.

1b. The resting of players en masse could not be seen favourably by the broadcasters. An unusual year in some respects with so many teams not pressing for a semi position in the last moments of the regular season.

When was the last time we had a midweek playoff? Those were the days! A promotion/ relegation fight would be interesting too. Broncos and Bulldogs relegated in 2020. Newtown and North Sydney Bears in!

2. Wigers. Farewell Wests. Goodbye Tigers...it is official... Vossy has announced that Benji Marshall is the best ever Wests Tigers player. Forget about Keith Barnes, Tommy Raudonikis, Keith Holman, Vic Hey, Noel Kelly, Sironen, Elias, Roach, Jack, Les Boyd, Dallas Donnelly..and Mick Neil or the Viking Hardwick. 

In the hype of Saturday night, Benji is now officially better than Robbie Farah (great to see him down safely off the Leichhardt scoreboard), Brett Hodgson, Anthony Laffranchi, Todd Paynten, Liam Fulton, Keith Galloway, Dene Halatau, Chris Heighington, Ben Galea and John Skandalis. Auckland Blues via St George and Broncos. Well done Benji.

Michael Maguire seems to be reinventing himself and clearing the decks. More composure too. He has worked out that he simply has the wrong players. Nothing wrong with his coaching of course. Get rid of the useless Assistant Coaches instead!

 3. AFL. A week off for the AFL before the semis? Is it 2020? Are we still using a VCR? Fax machine? They are taking a silly COVID-19 risk. Keep the show rolling on! Do the players get better or worse with the week off?

4. Mad Monday. No doubt we will see the usual clown costumes, drunkeness, abuse of police and know that the game is back to normal. Why is it restricted to Monday? A Mad Week? Saturday night is always another option. The Super League clubs in England benefit a lot from a terrible mad Monday, so they will be hoping for the usual tomfoolery, malarkey, shennanighans, hanky panky, buffoonery, ratbaggery, highjinks, skylarking, scuttlebutt, claptrap, bunkum, codswallop, hooey and horseplay.

They just send out their eye gougers to play in the NRL. 

Park that sort of behaviour in the 1970s and throw away the keys.

5. Racism in sport. Please, surely we need to crack down on this trash talking too. It is 2020 and we need to accept that if someone calls you out by the colour of your skin, it is the worst of the worst ignorance and stupidity. Tyrone Peachey has every right to get upset. How judgement against another based on skin colour is ever rational thinking is staggering. It is old time elitist prejudice which can do serious damage to another. Low grade. We see it too much. Ban them all.

6. Dean Jones. The legend of Madras needs no repetition. However only 52 tests, but a million ODIs...he really did re-invent the one day game in terms of running between the wickets, wearing sunnies and charging fast bowlers. Insisting bowlers took white wrist bands off was another favourite. He never really warmed to the public, but gone too early in life (reminded me of David Hookes who died 16 years ago now!). I think we all will really miss his recent cricket newspaper articles too which were spot on, honest and insightful.

7. Ashley Clown. The ref gets injured and may miss the semis? There may be a few without much sympathy. Although Ashley is always good for a grandstand finish and a binning at the wrong time. The 2020 season needs him back.

8. NBA. LA Lakers win v Denver Nuggets and Le Bron goes to his tenth finals series. Staggering impact as a player. Miami Heat and Boston Celtics (Heat up 3-2) are both going deep into the best of seven conference finals series. Great use of 'electronic crowd' there.

 9. Olympics cut backs? The IOC have finally woken up that if they don’t change...the concept and gravy train dies! They seem suddenly cooperative. Is there a country that still wants to host the Olympics?

10. Tour de France. Richie Porte. Superb work in the Tour de France. Third overall is an amazing result, especially now that most drug cheats have been sifted out. 

11. French Open Tennis. The French do controversy better than most countries. How? They usually don't really care and cannot stand someone who complains. The rest of the world genuflect to the person offended on behalf of someone else...not the French. They keep rolling on.

12. IPL. Ricky Ponting’s Delhi Capitals are carving it up. Ricky clearly should be appointed as our National T20 coach. He has built an imposing record and gets the game more clearly and easily than others. He is a winner. His regrown hair also looks entirely natural. He doesn't get much wrong!

13. Mitch Marsh. Injures his ankle in the IPL. Honestly, he is up there with Brett Papworth for injuries.

14. Worst NRL Buy of The Year? Esan Masters, Adam Doueihi, Brodie Croft... Curtis Scott?

15. Best NRL buy of the year? Junior Paulo. A remarkable footballer. Silky hands, a step and offloads the ball like a top shelf basketballer. State of Origin bound.

16. EPL. ManU somehow win late v Brighton. Three losses this side of Christmas and you are gone! Chelsea in grief. It is that close the competition. Really liking Leeds early. Flamboyant, but it could become too loose in time!

The Wrap - Attitude Without Gratitude

1. Brumbies 'Super Rugby AU' Winners. Still a powerhouse in Australia after so many years (last won a title in 2004? Maybe that is a sign that our best provincial team still can't win overall!) in winning the Australian Championships. Do we actually need the NZ teams? I don't think so.

Some great attacking rugby at times and top intensity, but if only the players were allowed to play the game. The TMO seemingly needs to get out the Encyclopedia Brittanica to look up the rules. So slow. The errors from the Reds in the last ten minutes just cruelled them. Their attack was a shambles really. The ref was OK, but the tempo of the game was frightfully slow. It is a comedy show when the ref tries to get the scrum technique right in the 79th minute of a final! Fair dinkum they have problems in that game. It is ruined too regularly. I feel sorry for the players and fans, but those officials are pleased!

2. Australian ODI Series Win. Great innings by Carey and Maxwell to secure a series win v England in the ODIs. Pressure cricket. They still need another bat who can bowl. Stoinis could be it, but his bowling is not strong. No Ben Stokes helped Australia. All without Steve Smith was a pretty impressive effort. Carey has ability.

3. Wests Tigers. Michael Maguire has got some issues on his hands. That team cannot score points and has an attitude problem when they are required to really dig in. They should not be leaking 50 points so regularly.  That speaks to character and teamwork surely. Very disappointing. They need a complete clean out - Packer, Joey Leilua, Josh Reynolds, Lawrence, Marshall... all need to go. A clean out of large proportions is required to clean the team up. Not sure if Maguire models the right composure at times, but when Harry Grant goes... Doueihi is on the skids when the Fox arrives.

4. Manly. What a disaster they have been all year too. It has been a long time since we have seen so many poor defensive efforts in a Manly team. Contrast it to the Roosters who with SBW, look invincible for a three peat of premierships. Mitch Aubusson has done well to get to 303 First Grade games.  Nice to see his understated leadership so instrumental at the club. Rare gold these days.

5. NRL Injuries. There are so many serious injuries in the game these days. Too many. Are we getting to a point where, like the NFL, we simply have one game against each team  home and away from one year to the next? Clean, simple, rep season at the end of the year. Transfer window and loan deals of players. Relegation?

6. Touch Football. I am really worried by two plays I saw on the weekend. The Sharks and the Knights both did it. The wall of defence was so impenetrable, the players concerned (Rudolf and Saifiti) just stopped and stood still and looked for a quick play the ball. No structure, no rhythm and an old touch footy tactic. Never thought I would see the day.

7. The Knock Back. Nice to see the knock back make a comeback now we get near the finals. Not everything that hits the ground is a knock on. 

8. GWS. Leon Cameron is surely gone. This club is imploding. Incredibly poor performances in recent weeks. To miss the semis is bad with the quality of their roster. They need a new broom.

9. AFL. The might of Port, Richmond, West Coast and Brisbane has impressed all season. Richmond look like favourites. The Crows (like the Broncos) are new spoon winners. It will be good to see some serious finals footy. It may be more open this year than it looks. Geelong are so inconsistent, yet potentially awesome. Just hung on v Swans and in fact if that last second smother didn't occur, they could have been in fifth place, not fourth.

9. EPL. A quick new season, but the new signings are just catching up! Gareth Bale will be a good pick up at Spurs. Corona virus has sent a few well paid sports stars back to reality. Liking the attitude of Leeds early on, but ManU losing to Crystal Palace..please. A loss like that early on and you are almost dead in the water for the title these days.

10. US Open Golf. Patrick Reed and de Chambeau...two blokes who have hurt the game a fair bit. Both were at the top of the tree, but Reed has fallen with a 77. Good to see the 2010 British Open champion, Louis Oosthuizen in contention. 

It will be interesting to see if they stay composed under pressure or chase photographers and use the leather wedge... Liking the display of the Woolf at a young age. Not since the great Penrith and Parramatta centre Ken, has there been a Woolf like him. Apparently, he used to be a werewolf, but he is not anymooooorrrrreee!

11. Classique Legend. Blinding pace at Randwick on Saturday. One to watch in the Everest. Chautauqua-like!

The Wrap - You Have To Be Djoking

1. NRL. The Panthers are carving it up and will take the JJ Giltinan as minor premiers (often forgotten on Grand Final day). As Brad Arthurs says, by losing the spine, especially Cleary, they will be in bother....but what team wouldn't be? That doesn't excuse the way Moses runs across field and the lack of punch up the centre that the team has inherited. The offloads are not landing. It was a little disconcerting to see Gutherson so charged up in the panthers game. A distraction from playing better! 

The Storm keep rolling on and so do the Raiders. The Storm finish top two again - incredible! Parramatta are in a bad way. No pace and so slow - especially without the bullet passes of the young hooker, Reed Mahoney.

2. Roosters. The Roosters with injuries and issues are still a powerhouse. SBW gives them an absolute edge. Trent Robinson is an absolute gun. Always stays single minded and never distracted by nonsense. Too busy winning comps!

3. Commentator Curse. Is it just me or is Blocker getting more generalised and off the pace as an NRL commentator? His defence of Townsend last week was a worry. Maybe it is me.

4. Adam O'Brien. Starting to worry about the composure of the Newcastle NRL coach. The team are playing with the same erratic style.

5. US Open Tennis. Novak Djokovic made a goose of himself. Disqualified in the tournament for hitting a ball at a line umpire that was his on a platter. Anyhow, with next to no one there, Serena also stumbled and Naomi Osaka triumphs for her third Grand Slam. In the men's either Zverev or Thiem is set to win their first title. Zerev may care to send Kgyrios a text!

6. EPL. They have hardly had time to get to the travel agent and banana lounge and they are back! Never ending play and still the sensational quality continues. Leeds who were recently promoted have risen to the challenge, going down to Liverpool, but only just. We will know the EPL winner by November. It wouldn't be the EPL without West Ham getting poleaxed in the first round. A long season ahead.

7. GWS Giants. The coach, Leon Cameron, is under the pump. That team should be top four every year. It is time for a change there. Crows launching back, but Carlton are floundering. Nearly fell over that the AFL are thinking of having their week off before the semis again in a season where they have played every night! Old habits...

8. Wallabies. 16 uncapped players selected...maybe this is the time to rebuild, with so much dead wood over recent years, this may keep a few from signing with rugby league.

9. Daniel Riccardo. Is this guy out of excuses yet? A few W's would help him. It seems to be everyone else's fault. No 'shoeys' this season.

10. Tour de France. No coronavirus problems there...pile in together and the crowd three deep. Maybe time for a few from Victoria to get to the travel agent. 

11. Curtis Scott. The Police are kidding there, but what is wrong with a grown man on a big salary on the drink and having a sleep in the park? He was a long way from the Ivy.

12. Australian Cricket. Thumped in T20...still no secrets uncovered yet. We simply have the wrong balance in the team. The ODI team has fared better. Mitchell Marsh might just be hitting his straps. Bowling at night in England - does it get any better for a medium pacer?

Wrap - Better Crowds in COVID Than Before It

 1. NRL Fools #1. Josh Reynolds and Russell Packer. Too cold to stay at the game and you leave at half time? Both need releases from their contracts. They would not get a start at the Swans as their recruitment policy would disqualify them both (although they would be scratching their heads re Elijah Taylor). The Russell Packer effort against  Ryan Matterson earlier in the year summed him up. How do they look their team mates in the eye? They are salary cap sponges and show the divide in the camp. They need a clean out in Tiger town...both of these blokes, Macqueen, Marshall, Lawrence, etc... Ivan Cleary did the club no favours (but is going alright now at the Penny Panthers).

2. Canberra are fraying. Absolutely smashed by injuries and have done well to recruit all sorts of other players, but now Josh Papaali wants to go home. Ricky has an expiry date with some players (Bateman is another). They did well to hang in there, but Rapana and Simonsen/ his replacement are not giving much value to them out wide this year.

3. Manly. It has been a long time since Manly have been this bad. Des Hasler is not getting them on song. Their depth is getting there with lots of . The St George misery in 2020 continues. Zac Lomax is having a brilliant year. Awesome.

4. Humidor. That horse still has it after a blinding win at 20-1 on Saturday at Moonee Valley. Superb training effort from Chris Waller.

5. Australian T20 in England. Not that any one gives a tinker's cuss about it, but is there any logic that we send cricketers abroad to play in front of no one? Staggering. Interested to hear how Cricket Australia have now given up everything and traded off the farm and are one of the international paupers of the game. Incredible how useless the administration has been of late. The way they started looks like a clean series whitewash is on the cards.

Can we have day cricket at some stage? Night cricket is wearing thin too.

5. Waratahs. Another year of misery is undone in the usual way. Under performance, no stickability and lack of desperation. Awful to say, but a terrible year really. They are a franchise on the nose and would be one of the few franchises with the same crowds before, during and dare I say after COVID-19.

6. AFL. A sorry state of affairs with the Richmond Footy club just tripping over itself endlessly. They need to toughen up. The COVID-19 bubble certainly tests player sensibilities and stickability... and coaches and clubs. The ability to last and endure seems to be the same off the field as on the field for some.

7. SBW. For all the criticism, he is always the statesman and so talented. He takes a hit and always looks to progress the footy. What a superstar to get on the way to the GF. Awesome. Not sure how the salary cap allows it, but no one understands that bloody thing. If it was a public document, everyone would understand.

8. US Open Tennis. Djokovic is warming into the easiest Grand Slam win of his life. He has the rat cunning and skill to land this one again. Serena looks sharp but the US Open has been home to some of her worst losses in finals, including against Sam Stosur. Top effort from Hills kid, Jordan Thompson...into the forth round and possibly quarter finals of the show against a tired Coric!

 

Wrap - The Bling Thing

1. Cricket. Jimmy Anderson picks up Test wicket number 600. An awesome achievement as the first fast bowler to hit that mark. Unbelievable talent and longevity. Broad has just brought up his 500th wicket too. Two legends and two of the best ever in the same team. Like Warne and McGrath. England will stammer when they are both gone, but not yet. Two series wins back to back for them and they are rocketing up the world ranking charts! They are stirring for one more crack at us on their seaming decks. We are in for some trouble unless we can unearth some decent batting prospects.

2. NRL. St George were woeful, but the Titans and Warriors are fighting back. Nice to see their changes and the demise of the Broncos. Too many whingers and complainers and they need a shake up.

3. Panthers. They were amazing for their eleventh win in a row. Liam Martin is a future Origin player.  Tough. They were so aggressive in defence attacking the Wigers’ runners. They look like they are GF bound. They have pace and passion. Ready to pounce. Joey Leilua once again makes a dunce of himself. Unlike Parramatta who were exposed expertly by Bennett's masterplan. A comprehensive thumping that underlines their greatest flaw...lack of pace and size in their five eight/ centre position. Compare that to Penrith. No contest.

4. Loss of Seibold. Not a pleasant club with stupid ‘cancer’ comments by an owner. Anthony seems to be chasing social media like his next win and spending a lot of his money in so doing. He needs to move on. Bennett will be back there soon, but surely they also need to uncover fresh territory in the coaching ranks.

5. Lionel Messi. What a great signing he would be for the EPL. 2 million a week is great COVID-19 coin! Manchester City will be winning the EPL if that happens.

6. Arsenal. They keep winning all silverware except the one that matters. The Community Shield is theirs again. An amazing club, but under performance personified.

7. A League. Sydney FC surely win the silver dunny seat. Dominant all year but a bad run in to the finals. An incredibly successful club. The end of the world’s longest competition!

8. AFL. Port, Geelong and Brisbane are all in the frame for the flag. GWS also showed flair at long last. Richmond are never far away either. Toby Greene has talent, but needs more smarts. Forever caught up in dramas. I suspect he needs to be told to grow up and pull his head in. Not sure if the current coach, Leon Cameron, strikes me as the man to do that.

9. Melbourne Cup. Former Melbourne Cup winning horse, Subzero, goooone! A great horse. Not many grey horses win the thing.

10. Baseball. Sydney Bluesox baseball sign the great Manny Ramirez (ex- Red Sox in his mid 40s!). Hard to know what role he’ll play, but I know my son will be trying to learn everything from him! There may be a dispute for work at first base, but that will last all of about one second. He is a baseball legend! An amazing signing for little old Australia. We'll wait to see what entourage and bling arrives. It could be a publicity myth yet.

11. Tim Tszyu. Too quick and powerful. Horn was caught counting cash too early. Under done. He is finished, but has been a great statesman for the sport. When Bob Arum calls you great, he too is counting wads of it. An interesting game the fight game. Where is Don King these days? 89 years young they tell me.

Wrap - Losers Have Meetings

1. NRL. Five more rounds to go and some teams are dusted already. The Tigers and Manly have almost given it all away now. Crushing losses both and really bad defence. The Panthers (almost perfectly injury free) are striding ahead but are 15 points ahead of the Tigers, Manly and St George! The Tigers need a complete clean out - Mbye, Marshall, Lawrence, Packer... get rid of the whinging goose element too. 

Warriors are doing well in tough circumstances. Coach Todd Payten ticking boxes everywhere.

2. English Test Cricket. Great batting from Jos Buttler and 22 year old (!) Zak Crawley (267) for England v Pakistan. Pakistan can fall in a heap like very few other teams...such talent unrealised. The wretched English weather has played havoc. Growing up, the first time I can remember seeing sunlight over there in England was on the Mark Taylor Ashes massacre all those years ago. If you bat in the overcast conditions, you pay a heavy price.

Look for a Stuart Broad-James Anderson special end to the series in the Third Test. Jimmy Anderson was in unplayable fine form. Could be over very soon.

3. Australian Cricket. There is something remarkably boring about an Australian ODI Team going in a chartered jet to England to play. Please. Who cares? The only reason they are playing is that the Cricket Australia people have ruined the game and its resource base. Not sure that cricketers are the top of any one's care list. Meaningless tournaments overseas by overpaid whingers appeals to very few. Amazing how sportstars get the green light to travel overseas when Joe Average needs to stay at home.

4. Cameron Smith. Plenty want to tell him what to do. I think Cameron can decide that... even if he needs to do it soon. Fair enough that those other players want to move on too, if he stays. Both Brandon Smith and Harry Grant are exemplary players. The Brandon Smith jaw break is bad.

5. Losing Coaches. Interesting how losing coaches whinge and whine about dives/ mock crusher tackles, etc. Winning coaches never seem to see this stuff. 'Losers have meetings and winners have parties!'.

6. NRL - Manly. Talk about imbalance in their salary cap. DCE, 2 x Trobejvics, Dylan Walker, Tapou...cap gone. A few injuries and so is their season. Their defence has rarely been so bad. Souths were slick.

7. Swans. Their current style of footy is so bad (lucky crowds are not required at present or they would truly have COVID crowds!). I am sure Buddy Franklin (remember him?) will never want to come back. They are appalling. As soon as the weather arrives, it goes down three levels again. Rebuilding phases of club need to be pretty quick these days, otherwise the end of player and coach contracts are quicker.

8. Tim Tszyu v Jeff Horn bout. A cracking one ahead. Tszyu talks a big game. Noticed the big Russian boxer has a nice uppercut. Jeff Horn can do damage if you are slow.

9. Seibold Forensics. Not sure who goes to jail first? It seems like it might be busy at the courts around this one. He is under a lot of pressure and this is cruel. Society has had enough of this nonsense (a bit like the road rage phase).

10. Bronson Xerri. That B sample should be arriving any day now...