The Wrap - Dolphin Plod

1. NRL Trade Deadline. Well finally 1 November is here and Parramatta are about to be exposed. $700,000 a year for Reed Mahoney...please. $750,000 a year for Gutho...please. These blokes are in dream land. They are also dreaming if the Dolphins look like doing anything stupid too soon. They will be shrewd. The greedy player managers/ players better move fast however or they will be closed down. Parramatta should secure Papali'i and big Junior Paulo instantly. Nuikore is a penalty risk and sin bin risk every game. These blokes have a limited shelf life in the modern game. 

Meanwhile the Roosters look like getting the great Kevin Naiqama this week on a one year deal apparently. Never shy of being different. Connor Watson is a great pick up. They need some speed in their centres now though...as does every club.

2. Dolphin Torch. Blokes signing one year contracts at the moment are going to the Dolphins are they not? Cody Walker is off soon!

3. Wigers. Has Tim Sheens arrived yet? The row boat should be sighted soon. There is no quarantine from tomorrow, so he should be right...shouldn't he? Michael Maguire's bank manager must be getting a nervous feeling.

4. Australian cricket. We really struggle. Fancy a Marsh being dropped under Langer's watch. Clearly that was a point of his feedback...stop picking WA players who struggle. But he put Agar into the side, so maybe not! Warner has developed a terrible dab shot which gets him out every time. Steve Smith seems to struggle more and more in this format of the game. A decent quick pitch might help of course. England look sharp...Pakistan the surprise packet so far. We face the Windies soon. They have not fired yet and could do a number against us.

5. Melbourne Cup. Surely Incentivise goes close this year. However, what won last year? Twilight Payment #1. I suspect it could be close again. Surprised to see Damian Lane on 'The Chosen One' at $51. Something is up there that is for sure. Delphio and Persan go close. JMac on Verry Ellegant is in sparkling form!

6. Jarvo The Goose. Great effort by Jarvo #69. he gets into the All Blacks team photo now. The ground security in England must be non existent. Incredible. He represented at every Test match and now the rugby. He must have some gear at home near all his fines!

7. EPL. ManU bounce back. Tottenham and Leicester are dropping off the pace now mid season. Chelsea on fire! The likes of Burnley, Leeds, Newcastle and the canaries, Norwich are doomed for the drop! (already).

The Wrap - T20 Auckland Nines

1. NRL. Mitchell Pearce has suddenly become a desired commodity on the market. A sensible halfback who knows how to play. France is a great option for the ailing body. 15 seasons of NRL is a long career on anyone's books.

2. Wigers - Has Tim Sheens arrived yet? He would have to be coming by row boat for all the time it has taken him. The 'godfather' figure arriving soon (a bit like Bronson's Xerri's B-Sample) and talk of Luke Brooks leaving... The club has a lot of issues. It seems to have lost its soul, but getting Joey Leilua on a 'earn and learn' contract was not such a bad idea. Joey will keep shuffling on. He looks to have burned a few bridges in his time.

I noticed the new Premier is a Tigers fan. I hope his career goes better than a few at that club at present.

3. T20 World Cup. Is winning the T20 World Cup like winning the Auckland Nines? Australia absolutely limped home. 18 needed off the last two overs. The decks look very slow and low. Ashton (#98 Ashes innings) Agar might play a big role yet. Maxi's hair looked like the council cut it. 

Between Finch and Warner, we will be looking for new openers soon. Carey from SA? Justin Langer may need to put the pads on himself!

4. Windies. A stacked T20 side obliterated by England. They continue to disappoint - Hetmeyer, Gayle, Bravo, Pooran, Russell, Pollard... zip. No Narine? He is an EPL star.

5. Joe Mennie. Retired this week as a member of the famous 'One Test' brigade!

6. MLB World Series. Boston Red Sox. In the hunt this time last week up 2-1 v the Astros and then promptly lose 4-2. Gave up 23 runs in the last three games, scoring only 3. Thumped really. The under performing bridesmaids, the LA Dodgers, lost again to the Atlanta Braves. So Astros v Braves? The Astros for mine...despite uncovering their horrific cheating scandal not so long ago.

7. Matildas. Crushing defeat of Brazil! Lots of controversy needs to be ironed out too.

8. International Football. Celtic - Ange Postecoglou continues to scale the dizzy heights there, despite the huge pressure. What about Norwich? 7-0 down to Chelsea and Brighton also smacked. A long way to the top of that show! Everton copped a hammering themselves too.

9. Wallabies. Unconvincing, but got there. Great Britain will be a different story I suspect.

10. Cox Plate. State of Rest gave some protest excitement with Anamoe bumped 80 metres out. Incredible finish, but Verry Ellegant was a disappointment. No Zaaki was bad too. Winning on a Melbourne track is very different to the hard Brisbane or Randwick/ Rosehill surfaces.

The Wrap - World Cup of Coaches

1. Great news re the Redcliffe (shhh) Dolphins joining the NRL. Is there any difference to the Manly Sea Eagles, Parramatta Eels, Canberra Raiders, etc. Huge to get Wayne Bennett whose mission will be to beat the Broncos into submission. Suddenly there is a lot more spice in the games they play up there. Four QLD teams - North QLD Cowboys, Broncos, Titans and now the Dolphins - to rival the NSW teams.

It will really shake up the player market and signings.

Regan Campbell-Gillard. Not taking up his option with Parramatta? This could be a worrying sign to come as the Eels try and pin down their off contract players. They seem keen to allow them to hit the open market on 1 November. Could be time to do a bit of signing or pay a heavy price. Will Smith is handy, but he has gone too.

2. Josh Hannay. This guy is the Mr Fix It Coach of the NRL. He was a strong first grader and went from the Cowboys top the Sharks and now to an Assistant job with the new Billy Slater led QLD Origin team. He gets plenty of opportunities, but not a lot of success. Hopefully he can do better here in this role.

3. EPL. Speaking of which, it may be time for ManU to get a new coach. 4-2 loss to Leicester. Unheard of in the past.

4. Cricket. Hard to believe Cameron Bancroft is still in the top WA team. Struggling for runs since the sandpaper incident and should not have really been there either, but for a coach who knew of his potential. Still waiting to see it realised. Khawaja a big Shield ton... always scored before the start of the season and not another one until next year.

5. World T20. Off to a flyer with Oman (host nation) v Papua New Guinea. A 'Group A' contest. Thankfully these are short games. India and England will shine here when we finally get to the main draw next week. Australia were very lucky not to be in this 'secondary' draw themselves. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are there and need to go through that avenue to progress. We could join them soon if we can't lift.

6. IPL. Big win by the Chennai Super Kings. Hazelwood did alright. Have to laugh when "wickets" are taken by bowlers when the ball is rescued from a six over the boundary. Hardly awe inspiring bowling. Probably like a top edged six, but bowlers who are the best in the T20 format are mastering yorkers. I would be looking to sign Moeen Ali in my BBL team. Dominant and humble. BBL needs a player makeover and more cash injected into it.

7. Nature Strip. What a cracking win in The Everest! Get on Masked Crusader for next year! The work of Incentivise in the Caulfield Cup was something else too. Surely the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup double lie ahead. Get on it now!

8. Boston Red Sox. Can they do the near impossible? A wild card entry to the post season and now sitting at 1-1 with the Houston Astros with two home games ahead. The best of seven will be hard fought, but they could be 2-0 up but for a Game 1 meltdown. A super unexpected end to the season.

9. Koroibete. Not going abroad... they will need some strength and speed to replace him and Vunivalu surely has to be the man to step up.

The Wrap - Sporting Bankruptcy

1. The Sport Cycle in Australia. We really hit rock bottom after our football code seasons pass. The women's cricket is alright (what about that off cutter that cleaned up Alyssa Healey? Amazing), but we turn internationally for some enjoyment! Even the EPL is on holidays with the international round... not even motor racing this weekend!

2. New NRL Expansion Team(s). Great news for the game and a chance to break the Broncos monopoly as well. Hopefully up and running very soon. They will weigh into the player transfer/ contract market real fast. I note Brad Arthur has a new deal and the Parramatta draft horses are moving to finalise the players. They are working off a sun dial so it seems. There are  some ordinary administrators in the game sadly.

3. Brandon Smith and Cameron Munster and the other bloke...cocaine sniffing fools. And getting filmed! Deservedly hit with fines, but fines put on delay are a bit soft. Fancy being those who filmed it and releasing it to the public (for cash presumably). What sort of world have we gotten ourselves? In the end, people will just keep to themselves and not even talk to others lest they get to visit the Integrity Commission. Getting rid of drugs from your game might be a start.

4. Ashes. What a pack of whingers are the England team. Nothing ever changes. Brearleyesque. All sorts of petulant demands and quarantine demands from England. Typical England. However, we cancelled tours ourselves...so have New Zealand, so it's the new power play.  No Ben Stokes or Joffra Archer coming. Joe Root will be under fire, but is in career best form. It looms as an excellent opportunity for the post COVID rebuild of Australian cricket if it ever starts.

The BBL looks to be getting more boring every year. Same faces and skill level.

5. Socceroos. Graham Arnold has done a top job there. The 3-1 win over Oman puts them within striking distance of Qatar World Cup qualification. Big game this week v Japan that could just seal the deal with a win.

6. Tyson Fury v Deontay Wilder. Fury is a huge man with a special reach. Big personality (mouth) too. A knock out eventually, but the heavyweight game still attracts the big dollars and the big attention.

7. Zaaki. Shock loss in the Might and Power Stakes at Caufield on Saturday. Cox Plate favouritism has wavered - even if was at Winx odds. How good are the Melbourne Damia/ens as jockeys? Damian Lane and Damien Oliver. Dominant. 

8. IPL. Glenn Maxwell is smoking them everywhere. He is a rare talent and to think he was abandoned by the IPL franchises (a fickle lot) and has now gotten into the semis with King Kohli. Catches and wickets to boot. Nathan Coulter-Nile has been good too, but not in the Australian squad.

If Australia get pumped in T20 cricket, does it matter? maybe only to Justin Langer.

9. The AFL Draft. Limited talent there, but clubs are right to demand compensation. Jordan 'Doorknobs' Dawson was a no name for the Swans and now Adelaide want him for nothing... Cerra to Carlton is a good pick up. Lots wanting in to the new world at Carlton which is interesting.

10. NFL. Brady sneaks a narrow NFL win v New England Patriots last week, but what price a return there to new England for a final season post his contract with Tampa Bay?

The Wrap - Panther Premiership

1. NRL Grand Final. Souths v Penrith. The ability to stay calm and composed and absorb the ups and downs that inevitably await is the true Grand Final test. Cleary does this brilliantly and did it when the Johnston try was scored. Walker showed genius in the first half then panicked a little when a simple pass to Gagai could have paid dividends and an intercept resulted. Alex Johnston is a freak. Latrell Mitchell was missed, make no mistake. Reynolds missed the conversion and a 40 metre drop kick which is a freak result. Jerome Luai is also a positive influence in a game. He sparks better in his teammates - a rare quality.

Amazing to see so many 1%ers go against Souths, but none were incorrect. It was just uncanny how many there were!

The premiership window is a brutal one. It is a guillotine and lasts a short amount of time. Look at Jack Wighton. He was the Churchill Medallist this time only two years ago and he barely made State of Origin and then was dreadful later in the season by his standards. Canberra miss the eight and suddenly seem an age away from a premiership.

Love the cliches..."dream come true", "fairytale", "a win for the ages" and "a bit surreal" are up there with 'forwards pave the way' and 'take it one game at a time'. Referee Gerard Sutton had a good game too. He has now done 7 Grand Finals only behind the great Darcy Lawler (8) and Bill Harrigan (10).

Surely there is something in building a team with local players who are mates and together locally. Think of some of the great teams... Manly, St George and Parramatta...locals who have come together and share a strong sense of purpose - and most importantly, they succeed. 

2. NRL Administration. The NRL Grand Final presentation ceremony is rough. It looks unrehearsed. Two female reps were present who did nothing... silly. The player speeches need to be sharper and the microphone/ audio needs to be good. Why is the ARL always audible? The NRL one is always so rushed and while COVID makes this one different, but surely we hear from Ivan Cleary. The AFL controversy they could have capitalised on was no one heard from the winning coach... slow learners. Could a junior rep from each of the player clubs be there to present the ring to the players?

Brian To'o showed great resourcefulness using the NRL ring as his proposal ring. Great saving! Sounds like an incredible young bloke. Conversely, Cameron Munster looks like his reputation has brought his demise at the Storm.

2. NRL Drug Scourge. There is a problem with NRL and drugs - Naden, Jennings, Munster, Brandon Smith...probably a million more including the Bulldogs, Ofahiki Ogden. This sort of nonsense is everything bad about the game - overpaid, self indulged, bored blokes who think they are above the rest of society and above the law. 

3. Wallabies. A top effort to string four wins together in a row. Japan next, but can they stand up overseas. Not sure we are crisp enough. Big enough, but slick enough? We seem to lack the electrifying winger and speesters. Where is Vunivalu? He could change things even further. We almost have a Pacific Islander backline. They are so talented with ball in hand.

It is amazing how in rugby they own the best rule - play on after the final siren until the ball is done. Amazing how referees love to let the play flow when the game is over as well! It is hard to cop as a viewer.

Dave Rennie is a hard taskmaster which is a good thing!

The Springboks v All Blacks Test was special stuff. Appalling refereeing dominance of course, but the around the back pass was a special highlight! Second on the Rugby Championship table is a bit hollow, but a good effort. The All Blacks seem to struggle on the dead rubber...like Australian cricket once upon a time.

4. NFL. Tom Brady returns to new England for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...without Gronkowski. Lots of stories to try and stir up media reaction with former coach Bill Belichick. Brady will not be losing this one either. 

5. Women's Day-Night Test Cricket. Such a dreadful spectacle at night in any form. Slow outfields, slippery conditions, seaming balls and no atmosphere. Get rid of it. It changes the whole game from daylight games. Not sure if it attracts bigger crowds or TV audiences. Ellyse Perry is much maligned at present, but has been superb under the pressure of night cricket. Her test record is exemplary. Another high pressure 68 not out. 30 overs to boot in the match! A brilliant cricketer who they need to back in. A sporting declaration by India and they could well win it. Get runs in the daylight or perish!

6. IPL. Nathan Coulter-Nile a duck on Saturday night for the Mumbai Indians and Smith 9, bowled by Coulter-Nile at first drop, a for the Delhi Capitals. A terrible shot. Maxwell is back however! Stringing the fifties together now. We absolutely struggle on the sub continent wickets with the bat generally. 

Hazelwood looking pretty strong however the other night, but he and Nathan Ellis went for 50 off their four overs yesterday... dreadful too. The great Moises picked up three wickets tonight! Stunning. 

India has so much depth they could field two International teams. Surely Australian cricket should be asking for one Indian star for each BBL franchise!

7. EPL. ManU seem to be getting the unbelievable stutters when it should not be the case. Resting Ronaldo is not smart either. Chelsea on top and the winner of Liverpool v Man City will be a favourite for the crown. Liverpool undefeated, but a few draws are holding them back.

The Wrap - "If You Can't Win It Now, You Never Will"

1. NRL. Souths v Manly. Souths really whacked them. Too slick and a different style to the Melbourne game, but Tom T was silenced! Dylan Walker (and Cody for that matter) was strong, but not on everyone's Christmas card list. If Latrell was there, they would have completely hosed them! Maybe Latrell needs to head overseas to do his ban (a la Steve Roach) or head to the International Court of Sport Arbitration.

Player on-field reaction upon getting into a Grand Final is huge measure of how they are mentally. Souths were very calm - as was Penrith, it must be said. This may reveal an interesting battle looms where composure will count most. It is amazing how in Grand Finals, adversity will appear in one shape or another. Accepting that there will be adversity and evening out the highs and lows within the game is how you win these things.

Jack Gibson's approach? Just before the 1981-1982-1983 Grand Finals with Parramatta when the teams were about to run out, he said the same thing every year: "if you can't win it now, you never will!".

2. NRL. Penrith v Storm. The defence of the Penrith team is immense. This really makes a huge difference. Melbourne were unlucky with Christian Welsh and Brandon Smith knocked out of action. Cameron Munster looked tired and slow. He may need to head to that new Brisbane franchise. Nicho Hynes may have just received his best ever Christmas gift from the Storm. I worry about his impact elsewhere. Dale Finucane is raved about as a professional and has played in two Grand Finals for the Bulldogs in 2021, 2014 which many forget too. He needs to iron out Toby Rudolf's behaviour off the field (he was with Reece Walsh on the Gold Coast and it is "all on" Walsh, including the pocket item?) when he arrives at the Sharks.

Souths' intensity and attack will hit the brick wall of Penrith. Whether Penrith can score enough points is the key one. They have two semi wins/ three games, scoring 28 points and giving up 28 points. Whether Souths can protect their goal line is the other one. Souths have played two semi final games in 2021 and scored 52 points, giving up 26 points.  

Ivan Cleary continues to improve his career win percentage... getting up there with some of the best NRL coaches ever. Bellamy has been bounced out in straight sets in a semi final series which is staggering given how dominant the Storm were all year. It would be interesting to hear his reflections in time. Their banana lounges may have become too comfortable.

3. A Penrith v Souths Grand Final is very unique. A Sydney based Grand Final will only be the sixth in 20 years, ironically played in QLD! (2003 - Roosters v Penrith; 2004 - Bulldogs v Roosters; 2010 - Saints v Roosters; 2013 - Roosters v Manly; 2014 - Souths v Bulldogs). 

Some of the players you might remember who have played for both clubs - Neil Baker, Paul Akkary, Mark Carroll, Peter Tunks, Ben Ross, Darren Brown, Graham Lyons, Rhys Wesser, Michael Oldfield, Garret Crossman, James Roberts, Joe Galuvao, Josh Mansour and the great Gus Gould too.

4. Parramatta Signings. Almost fell over seeing Parramatta enquiring about Nic Cotric. Unlikely to win you a comp. Zero pace and struggled this year. Next they may want Kyle Flanagan or Corey Allan. Sign who is good in the current group. Thank goodness Gus wants to keep Cotric.

5. The Broncos. Player biff, police, courts... the place has fallen apart. Despite his talent, perhaps Reece Walsh was moved on based on attitude. We know Milford needs to improve at Souths.

6. AFL Grand Final. Here's the thing about Grand Finals... do you need a team meeting an hour before the biggest game of your life? The Western Bulldogs were in the lecture theatre... the Melbourne team were laughing and passing the footy in the sheds. The management of emotion is critical pre-Grand Finals. Rest, relax, stay cool.

A crushing win by Melbourne 140-66 after a tight first half and being 19 points down early inthe third quarter was something else! A sensational first quarter by Melbourne was countered by a sensational second quarter by the Western Bulldogs. Treloar and Bontempelli stood up strongly. Amazing. 

Blown apart after half time. Christian Petracca's 40 disposals in a Grand Final (supposedly reduced to 39 post game) was the best ever, deservedly getting the Norm Smith medal and Bailey Fritsch hit 6 goals/ 2 behinds in a dominant display - the best since 1997. Ben Brown should be thrilled...axed by North Melbourne and back to win a premiership. Paul Roos did a lot of heavy lifting way back too. Melbourne seem to have recruited character as much as skill.

For Western Bulldogs, I saw some worrying signs under pressure. Perhaps fatigue, but the inability to rally under siege was interesting for a proud club. English needs to lift and become more consistent and their forwards need stickier hands and less flamboyance... Weightman and Naughton are similar types of players - a strength or a weakness?

7. Ryder Cup. USA v Europe. Rowdy crowds, but the same distraction for both teams when at home. The head to head record of USA 26 v Europe's 14 is pronounced The Whistling Straits course would make a mess of most of us, but to claw back from here would be a best ever finish by the Europeans! 

The USA have blown the European team away, but with nearly every single one of them in the top 10 of world golf, did we expect much different? (Cameron Smith is our best at #23). Bryson continues to hit big! Rory has collapsed. Beer skoals on the green by players? Niggle, no gimees and chirping on the course...sounds like a boys weekend away.

A few too many loud voices for mine. Most of them are the players on the tees and greens - the post match interviews too. Great theatre however. If only the President's Cup had the same spirit and tempo... 

8. IPL. There is a distinct lack of Aussies in this show now. It reflects two things: our poor international form in T20 games and the absence of our batting capability or versatility on decks in the sub continent. There are some dreadful team performances this week. Warner a duck and two (gone?), Smith off the bench to fill in and players like Richardson and Meredith not even brought back... We are T20 minnows these days.

At least in the Shield (early start in season 2021-2022), Cameron Green hit a ton and Travis Head. Shaun Marsh did too, so he should be back in the Australian team very soon with Langer under the pump.

9. Women's Cricket. Lucky Australian win in Game 2 and a loss after 26 straight in Game 3. There is definitely a place in world women's cricket for better fielding coaches. Clearly only the very elite practise this. In the last twenty overs of the Indian innings today, we had four missed run outs, bowlers not behind the stumps and a multitude of dropped catches...one wore a ball in the face too. Comedy capers.

10. Rugby Championships. Only rugby could schedule their big games against the most popular viewing sport in the nation - the AFL Grand Final. They win again which is pleasing, but would someone have thought a Sunday afternoon may have worked well to fill the place and maximise TV audience? Odd and typically out of touch. The Pumas are physical but not clever in their play.

11. EPL. How can ManU lose...ever? 1-0 to Aston Villa is a dreadful outcome. A big prediction...Leeds, Burnley and Norwich will all be relegated. Brentford sit on 9 points with 3 draws, but are mixing it with the best.

12. Nick Kygrios. Intimating retirement. He is the new Mark Phillipousis. A reality show contestant of the future.

The Wrap - Quaking In Their Banana Lounges

 1. NRL - Finals #1. Manly decimated the Roosters. Diced them really. The value of speed has never been articulated more clearly than the Sea Eagles in 2021. Saab, Trbojevic, Garrick, even Foran...all look sharp. Their speed will win them plenty of key moments, but finally they beat a top eight team. Manly have unearthed some great forwards and adding the likes of Luke Garner and Ethan Bullemor in season 2022 will make them near to premiership favourites. They will wrestle it out with Souths. This could be one of the better games in recent years. 

The Roosters are slowing down and need to inject speed...just like Parramatta. How Sam Walker is kept on the bench until 20-0 down is staggering. Injury perhaps - or just defensive concerns. Trent Robinson is following a few (Coach Cleary - Kikau; Coach Holbrook - Fifita; Coach Arthur - Nathan Brown) in keeping strong players on the bench too long... end of year or no end of year.

2. NRL - Finals #2. Parramatta v Penrith. Parramatta need wingers with size and steel for the future. They also need speed... especially in the centres. Penisini defends really well and has been immense with so few NRL games behind him. He may have played more final games than NRL competition games! He keeps Waqar Blake in check.

Blake and Ferguson need to move on. Gutherson has become really slow, but is always a great competitor. In order to beat Penrith, you need to offload the ball and need possession to flow - and Moses needed to run the ball more. They allowed too many Penrith players to land on their stomachs and play the ball quickly. They had too many 'dead marines' caught up in the ruck when play had moved on. Great defence by both teams. No expert dummy half was always a risk for Parramatta. Stone's knock on and muffed pass (knock back?) was pivotal at the 65th and 75th minute mark. Ashley Klein had a reasonable game, but he loves a tight finish and an even up.

Penrith's defence was excellent, but their attack is suddenly quite ordinary. They lack speed and Crichton is not making much of a difference, despite the pay check. Both teams have great defence and forwards... but they both lack speed. The Panthers whinging about referees and the stoppages (the trainer calling an injury?) all seemed to be at pivotal moments.

Parramatta now have not won a GF since 1986 - 35 year drought! Longer than it took them to win their first one from inception into the comp.

Melbourne will not be concerned. They will be quaking in their banana lounges. A Saturday afternoon game at 3.00pm is unusual for a final, but may offer Penrith some hope in the sunlight and dry conditions. Penrith will need everything they can get (as Parramatta would have too!)!

3. AFL. Talk about a break. They have a two week entry into the Grand Final. Great that the NRL has moved its game time, so we can watch both live. Brownlow favourite...Ollie Wines or Clayton Oliver. Bontempelli is there too, but like always it is harder to win when there are other stars around you. Easier if you are the only decent player raking in the weekly points yourself.

4. Wallabies. A top win by the Wallabies v South Africa. Great pass by Tupou for the matchwinner. Lots of good signs, but we are still miles behind the All Blacks unfortunately. Hopefully we can capitalise on a few wins and beat the Argentinian team... and keep improving. The injection of greater pace could help, but the dominance of the TMO is a complete blight on the game. It is out of concern. It is a total stop-start game now. Players are celebrating penalties these days because they know how often they are awarded and how much a referee dominates a game. The advantage rule is a complete joke. Too many whistles and penalties... interruptions and no momentum. Let the game flow!

5. Djokovic-Federer-Nadal - all locked on 20 Grand Slams after the shock loss by Djokovic to Medvedev in the US Open Final. Maybe none of them will never win another one. This could be a fitting end. However, I suspect Djokovic will be back. A rare loss, but so costly. A possible Grand Slam and the 'best ever' title slips by...

6. Shayna Jack. Back in the pool after the drug fiasco. Don't take tablets Shayna... even if you never thought you did! Be alert. Elite athletes get many ASADA information sessions, warnings and drug tests. Hopefully she can recover, but once again, Australia don't look like the clean skins we announce ourselves as being. She'll be back around the same time as the Chinese swim sprinter, Sun, who our media have given a hard time to as well around the Mack Horton saga.

7. Jamie Kah. Party girl jockey and rubbed out for five months. Talk about over the top - despite not telling the whole truth, this seems excessive for a COVID breach. Racfing stewards are a lot harsher at times than the laws of the country. Go figure. She had a season with over 100 winners and it looks like they are keen to shuffle her back a peg or two. 

8. Tom Brady. Still the best. Tampa are on track. His mate Gronkowski ('Gronk') is also a complete gun. Both lost from the New England Patriots and both still carving it up.

9. Daniel Riccardo - GP Win. A first win in three years in the Italian GP last week. Such a huge sport through Europe and a 'shoey' to boot. Eight career wins now, but his true talents have not yet been fully seen.

10. Jordan Mailata - NFL. This guy is a supreme talent in that offensive tackle position with the Philadeliphia Eagles. Potentially a $100 million guy. A huge man and tough, who can sing like a bird. He would have scored some NRL tries as a junior! Have a look at the bloke in action as a junior in the NRL lower grades: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH233ZDm-BA  (you can see young Harry Grant drop him a couple of times!).