The Wrap - Dead Set Winners

1. NRL - World Cup Final. Kangaroos v Samoa - 30-10. A great game to get up to watch in the dead of the night! Cleary was strong, but Latrell was magnificent. So powerful. Junior Paulo was possibly the best on the ground. Luai and Crichton are talented too. To'o was a bit clumsy and disappointing. I think Australia were lucky not to play England it must be said. However, they got it done.

Imagine the NSW backline in Origin: Tedesco-Addo-Carr-Latrell-Wighton-To'o - Cleary. Throw in Turbo and Sualli... unbeatable if the coach picks the right team.

Mal Meninga is such a successful coach. 53% winning rate at the Raiders (125 games); 67% winning rate with QLD Origin (30 games) and 89% as Australian coach (18 games). Pretty impressive numbers. We will ignore the Titans record as coaching coordinator!

Australia incredibly were sitting at No. 4 in the world prior to this game...they are back at No. 1 fittingly.

2. Jillaroos. How powerful and skillful are these women? Awesome win. They are the All Blacks of the women's rugby league game. 54-4.

3. World Cup Cricket Final and ODIs v England. How good is Ben Stokes? He beat Pakistan on his own last Sunday in the T20 World Cup Final. Stokes will continue to win Ashes games for England. He has more and more in the tank. A dead set winner.

Pat Cummins is a good guy, but how many runs does he give up in T20 and ODIs? Incredible. He must be doing well for himself however resting in the ODI games (Hazelwood the skipper? Please...). Cummins has also bailed out of the IPL too. A few lazy million sacrificed there.

Plenty of other Aussies brushed from the IPL this time around. The BBL is not doing the business.

Australian cricket is on the nose in so many ways. A really poor cricket crowd at the SCG on Saturday too. No one wants to know them. Steve Smith looked much tighter with his technique and a happier man too.

4. FIFA World Cup. Starts this week. France, Denmark and Tunisia will make it a three game effort for the Socceroos. If we go further it will be an absolute miracle.

Get ready for fake injuries, stretchers, scandals and no beer. 

5. Wallabies. Another week and another tight loss. The team are almost getting used to it. Not good enough, no matter how many injuries or how many issues arising... no problem drop another 11 players next week and do it all again. Tick tock...tick tock...

At least Georgia didn't beat us...they beat Wales instead 13-12! NZ-England pa 25-25 draw! Cracker of a game.

6. Celtic v Sydney FC/ Everton. The ground looked a picture, but Celtic have come away with two losses... interesting reality check for the team leading the Scottish Premier League.

7. F1 - Red Bull. Daniel Riccardo comes back to F1 as the fiftieth choice driver at Red Bull. A shame his career has stalled. He is too good to keep quiet. 

Most wins and podium finishes ever by Australian F1 drivers? (Brabham - 14 wins/ 31 podium finishes); then Allan Jones (12 wins and 24 podium finishes), Mark Webber (9 wins 42 podiums) and Daniel Ricciardo (8 wins and 32 podiums). Ricciardo also holds the Australian record for most points won in F1.

The Wrap - Underdog Feeding Frenzy

1. World Cup Rugby League - England v Samoa. Samoa were brilliant underdogs - and so talented. That try where Luai passes to Junior Paulo who then gets it across to Stephen Crichton...awesome. Plenty of dry sunshine razzle dazzle rugby league which is a missing feature of the game these days. 

Not sure about the defence at times, but an exciting result for an island nation that beat the biggest of fish on their own turf. There needs to be more definition to heritage when selecting national teams, but players are petrified that they will not play Origin because of it. Our Origin rules have always been a mess. Thankfully quite a few players opted to represent their country...and to good effect.

This Jerome Luai is not liked by all, but he is such a leader and a winner. Hard not to like that.

2. World Cup Rugby League - NZ v Australia. An awesome standard of league with some great collisions and battles. Jack Wighton was tough. How he and the Fox missed Origin selection this year...please. They are big game players.

Perhaps Fittler himself is finished as coach when his judgement is so lacking. Australia lumbered a little in the game. When you shuffle and shift combinations you invite this. We certainly lack punch up the middle. Strong props are gold these days.

A slow tournament overall, but starting to hot up now. Two super high quality games.

3. Signings. Can Parramatta do a classic Parramatta and lose Dylan Brown to another club now? He should have been re-signed last year when he was a bit flat. He is a ten year signing at his age. Not sure clubs actually get it. He was superb for New Zealand. Letting players test their value on the open market tells you that the club is mismanaging it all - again. Reed Mahoney is a classic example. 

Moses is older and a different story. Where are the half backs with quick feet of the future (Jake Arthur is not that type of player to win you a comp and break open defensive lines)? Development of a half back academy might be a strong investment by an NRL Club. Imagine the premierships in time.

3. Wallabies - Dave Rennie. Time is ticking for Dave Rennie. Losing to Italy (first time ever?) is never good. He seems to panic at the selection table. Every one or two point loss (and haven't there been a million in the past two years), he changes eleven players around... then they lose again. I think his tenure is drawing to a close. He clearly has the worst coaching record in living memory and he has coached for a fair stretch now.

This table below doesn't take into account the Italy loss overnight. That included, allowing for the error in the maths below, his win/ loss % lands at: 37.5%

4. EPL. Great to see Man City knocked over at home by none others than the Brentford Bees. Who? A slashing underdog win. Everton are in a world of pain yet again, scoring less than one goal per game on average. They need to sign some strike players or they are gone.

5. Jeff Fenech. Interested to see the WBC retrospectively award him the world boxing title that he was robbed of in the early 1990s v Azumah Nelson. I wonder what else may follow this precedent in world sport. Parramatta getting a premiership when Melbourne cheated? All East Germans eliminated and legitimate Olympic winners awarded gold medals?

6. World Cups. Can we have any more? We have them in everything at the minute... womens, mens... from lacrosse to luge..basketball..the lot.

7. Cricket World Cup - Pakistan v England. The 1992 ODI World Cup Final and the great Wasim Akram is etched in our minds. I wonder who can step up for them this time? Babar Azam is talented. Watch for Shadab... signed by the Hobart Hurricances for the BBL. He is a superstar of T20 with bat and ball. If they can knock over Hales and Butler cheaply they are a huge chance.

Poor old Glenn Maxwell, tripped on a tennis court and broke his leg while running at night? We are told he was not intoxicated. Understandable. Nothing to see here. Cricket Australia can barely get anything right.

8. The FIFA World Cup - Football. Are Australia the Lebanon of the FIFA World Cup? Playing France, Denmark and Tunisia (they beat Mali to make the World Cup), we will struggle. Three games max. unless we get a miracle. Hopefully the air conditioning works at the stadiums. A great world wide - truly 'world' - cup.

The Matildas looked sharp v Sweden on the weekend. memo to self: a friendly is not a World Cup game.

The Wrap - Hunted and Beaten

1. Australian Cricket. Well that was great. A new softer culture and feathering the Finch nest...all for nil. We even dropped Starc in the final game (and nearly lost to Afghanistan) who can win a game on his own in his first two overs. It won't surprise that Andrew McDonald is a lovely bloke, but a cricket coach? He's a pushover for spoiled brats. No steel in that mob and quite frankly, most Australian cricket fans are (a) not surprised and (b) don't really care. They fell out of love with this team many moons ago. I fear that cricket is on the skids in all forms for Australia. We have too many older blokes and the younger guys are not impressing. 

In case you wondered who the Australian cricket coaches were meant to bring us to glory - Andrew McDonald, Clint McKay, Daniel Vettori, Michael Di Venuto, Sri Sriram and Andre Norovec. No wonder we lost. Honestly. A rabble.

Not as bad as South Africa who lost to Netherlands when a semi final spot was theirs to grab!

2. Wallabies. Has there been a team (since the Titans) who lose more close games than this lot? With every one point loss comes fifteen squad changes. I think Dave Rennie's reign needs to come to an abrupt full stop soon if he can't reverse this. It is a pattern now. A 39% win rate does little for your career too.

3. Celtic. Two wins on the bounce in the Scottish Premier League and they have secured their lead. The pressure is on Rangers who cannot afford a draw or loss.

4. World Series Baseball. The cheating Astros win again (v the Phillies). They are a despised franchise - mainly because they got found out when others had been doing it for years. Doing what? They used cameras in 2017 and 2018 to identify signs and signals from rival players...banging on drums to identify which pitch was coming. Amazing how their batting averages were so much better at home!

5. SBW. Knock out. Stunning hit by the Samoan Storm - Mark Hunt Memo: you should have taken up the Paul Gallen cash!

6. Rugby League World Cup. It is a great tour if you are not playing... a week of touring around before one game a week. New Zealand lucky, but England look very good this time around. I wonder how the Lebanon local league looks these days - or is it just a national team?

7. EPL. Leicester have bounced back. How hard is it for the newly promoted teams. They don't hang around long in the top flight. Money wins. Newcastle the early surprise... and Brighton. 35 points gets you out of the drop zone. Everton needs a rocket. A proud old club on the wane.

The Wrap - The Little Show

1. T20 World Cup. The work of the minnows has been impressive this week. Ireland beating England and Zimbabwe nailing Pakistan was impressive. Incredible results really. However Duckworth-Lewis can impact like that. The weather too - despite an indoor stadium at Docklands in Melbourne not being used. How can that happen with Australia v England? Typical poor Cricket Australia organisation. Organisers seem so locked to their schedule that catch up games/ dates are too hard to consider. There should be a reserve day for each game!

Australia will need a miracle. The Big Show has become a 28 inch black and white Rank Arena TV. Calls to sack Cummins are interesting. Finch could be souring the good work he has done over time. No surprise to learn he is extremely close with the coach. hence his elevation and Langer's demise. Langer would not have put up with it. 

2. World Cup Rugby League. Australia look specials, even after all the others disappear (Greece, Scotland and Jamaica all look like they have had enough already). It is incredible league is actually played at all in those countries. Australia has so much depth and smart players. Ben Hunt is such a talent. Then Cleary...Latrell. If anything, our forwards are the weakness. 

3. NRL Coaches. Anthony Griffin seems to have a target on his back as the club leaks and lurches from release requests to dud signings to no one turning up at Hook's end of year presentation. No BBQ was on offer apparently. Adam O’Brien and Justin Holbrook have had it much quieter in the media by comparison. Perhaps their clubs are more united, but the wolves may be howling soon! 

4. NFL. Tom Brady. Sadly divorced from his supermodel wife. There will be much pain… a bit like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who are slipping fast. If anyone can rescue them it will be Brady. Meanwhile the New England Patriots are in huge trouble. Belichick's promises of new quarter back talent are fading yet again. The knives are sharpening. The gun teams are starting to sort themselves out now…. the Ravens getting stronger.

5. Scottish Premier League. Tight between Celtic and Rangers. One point with Celtic having a game in hand tonight. This ding dong battle meets a crescendo when they both play each other on 2 Jan and 9 April 2023! Long season yet.

6. MLB World Series. Astros v Phillies. This is tight already, with the home diamond advantage truly massive. 1-1 after a shock Phillies win away ion Game 1.

7. EPL. Chelsea copped a hiding from Brighton 4-1. Arsenal have started to slow and Man City have started to really ramp it up.

8. Wallabies v Scotland. A cracking win in their European tour. Close, but significant as they try and rebuild and rescue their inconsistency.

9. Melbourne Cup. It is unknown, but Hoo Yah Mal may just about win the thing. Gai Waterhouse trained and an overseas stayer. I also like Arapaho at $81 with Rachel King and down in the weights.

The Wrap - Old McDonald Had a Shocker

1. Cricket. What a thumping. Old Ronald McDonald the coach will be thrown out on his ear soon. Soft and gentle on the players...and no silverware. It was Justin Langer who won the last T20 World Cup last year. All strength to New Zealand. Too good and too courageous. How often do we see Glenn Maxwell produce in Australia? Not picking Cameron Green was gutless and Aaron Finch should hang his head in shame...and what about those who agreed to this? Steve Smith either plays or he is replaced in the squad. Too many bowlers who don't bat as well.

2. Loud media mouthpieces. Once upon a time it was Neil Harvey. Man Mundine was an expert. Ray Price has dabbled and Jana Pittman was pursued and gave us comments on everything from medicine, marriage/ divorce and bobsleds too. Move over the lot of you...Erin Molan has arrived and re-arrived. Bullied, oppressed, downtrodden, married, divorced and comments on everything, from motherhood and politics. There is a reason her radio show rates so poorly... unfortunately it is all a little boring.

3. Netball. Talk about poisoning the whole sport commercially. $15 million for an organisation that is bereft of business acumen was a bonus. Now everyone is claiming it wasn't them that influenced it. Aboriginal programs are broad and flourishing under Gina Rhinehart and the silly old goose of a father is dead a long time ago. - and with it his twisted, sad comments.

Businesses are rightfully wary about going near sport. I am yet to see a wind farm sponsorship or a 'Climate Change/ Greenpeace' sponsorship of mainstream sport. Has anyone seen this?

If it is a betting company, alcohol, even banks and insurance companies... forget it. Qantas bailed. Cigarettes went years ago (Benson and Hedges, Winfield Cup, Craven Mild Cup), but what is left? Milk (OAK), but flavoured milk is unhealthy, car companies like City Ford are dangerous too...every single one has a fault in the eyes of many of our new age viewers. Casinos are in trouble. Even Souths pledged not to have pokies... is that still in place?

So too much squabbling - bad publicity - and now all players from the grassroots upwards suffer. Cricket has done this as well. Soccer/ Football as well. No strength or substance. Players need to be reminded that your never sponsor sport to make money. Pat Cummins is now a world energy expert too I see. If he took more wickets in T20 cricket instead, we would be better off.

4. Celtic. They break free and now are four points ahead of Rangers (who drew with Livingston) beating Hearts 4-3 on the weekend. I am noticing some loose play this year in Celtic however. They need to be on guard. It could come crashing down. 

Liverpool are experiencing this in losing to Notts Forrest 1-0 and their former legend, Steven Gerrard is particularly feeling it having been dumped by Aston Villa. Had to laugh re the home crowd's chant here when the result went to Chelsea 2-0: "you're getting sacked in the morning". And he was.

5. Rugby League World Cup. Love watching tries, but the minnows are a joke really. Addo-Carr is loving it. Jamaica? Italy? Lebanon? Scotland lost 84-0. Bring on the real stuff. 

Surely you fill the competition with those games which are fair dinkum contests only and play more regularly than once a week. The squads have enough players to do this. It stands to be a decent competition, but clean out the minnows. The game will never grow there. 

John Ribot promised China in Super League (1997). How's that one going? Russell Crowe promised the USA? How are they progressing? (Like NFL in Australia I suspect). We played Origin at Veterans Stadium in LA in 1987. Any day now we should see their excellent steps forward. They are not even amongst the minnows!

6. MLB. The Philadelphia Phillies lead the San Diego Padres 3-1 and the Astros lead the New York Yankees 3-0 in their best of seven games series. Both the Phillies and the Astros look like contesting the MLB World Series (limited to the USA - but played by the best players from across the globe).

The Wrap - Roodimentals

1. Rugby League World Cup - Kangaroos. There is always something amazing about watching rugby league in England, but the conditions always seem to be wet and slippery. Games in sunshine are rare in those parts. The small in-goal areas are annoying - and how long before we have  injuries from hitting boarding and camera stands and the like?

Munster excels in those slippery Melbourne-type conditions and Harry Grant is such a talent. So quick on his feet. Yet this is the thing with most under performing NRL sides - no pace around the ruck. Korisau has made a career on it. Cook used to have a bit more toe at his best. The Storm did the right thing in opting for Grant over Brandon Smith who is a different style of player.

No surprise to see Victor Radley do well for Great Britain under coach Shaun Wane (Warnie always haunts us with this fellow's name). Samoa were a major disappointment it must be said. Lazy and ineffective, despite the hype. Where was the great Luai? Paulo? A few of those boys will be regretting their decision to avoid playing for Australia already. All of a sudden to have Nanai and Tino playing for Australia suddenly seems odd.

The strangest thing of all is the ridiculous numbering on the jerseys. I hope Michael Hagan can offer more than this in the dressing rooms. Unfortunately Mal has been weak here. He needed to can this nonsense before it began. The organising mob should have ended it as well. Will this will be the next nonsense in the NRL?

These 'world' tournaments always seem like exhibition games in the early stages, before the real stuff kicks in.

2. T20 Cricket World Cup. Underway soon, but having Aaron Finch there as skipper exposes us a little. If he doesn't fire, we are in strife - especially now that Dave Warner has a neck injury. He has good hands in close however. No Cameron Green is unbelievable too. Dopey selectors. It will be interesting to see if Glenn Maxwell can do anything in Australia in T20. He is often a non-event at home.

On Warner, the governance and nonsense around re-instatement as a captain is unbelievable. Fifteen committees and twenty three panels. Please... No wonder we are in strife and the game is on the nose with the public. I wonder how ticket sales tot the T20 World Cup are going. Dreadfully high prices and no soul. This is no longer the 1980s-1990s white ball cricket. They need a serious marketing campaign with the 'C'Mon Aussie C'mon' tune again...

3. Western Sydney Wanderers. A bright early start to their A League campaign after years of misery. After three losing Grand Finals in 2013-2016, they have finished 8th, 9th, 8th, 10th in recent years. Time for a recovery!

4. EPL - Leicester. Still anchored to the foot of the EPL table and in desperate need of points. A terrible decline. I noticed Harry Kane played his 400th game for Tottenham, He is on 192 goals for Tottenham, the highest number of goals by a player for a single EPL club. 

Meanwhile Celtic knocked over 6-1 in an emphatic display against Hibernian, which certainly helps the for and against (35 goals for and 6 goals against now)!

5. The Everest. Giga Kick was sensational there. It has been running brilliantly in Melbourne and actually entered the race with the fastest time. Nice return at $20. Nature Strip was strong early but faded... too strong, too early. A big day and a thing called the Caulfield Cup also was run and won brilliantly by another outsider in Durston. Cox Plate next weekend.

6. Undisputed Lightweight Boxing Champions. Such a tough gig to earn money, but George Kambosos Jr did well - but not well enough against Devin Haney. There is a lot of hype in this show that is for sure. Thankfully belts are not allocated on the weight of ink on one's body. Kambosos would be up there in that world championship. You wonder about boxer health with concussions, but also in making weight limits as well. Kambosos looked like he was desperate for a feed after the weigh-in. 

7. Netball. How can such a popular women's sport be so incompetent in securing appropriate sponsorship to support their game? Defies belief. Too many white Larco tracksuits filled with self importance running the game and no business nous. It is also still one of the only sports on the planet that does not have a senior level female AND male option to play. Where are the men's action groups?

8. MotoGP at Phillip Island. Once upon a time when it all began back in 1989-1990 it was huge for Australians...Wayne Gardner (2 wins), Mick Doohan (3 wins), Casey Stoner (6 straight wins from 2007-2012).. now Jack Miller is the hope of the side. Remy Gardner (son of the great Wayne) is floating around too. Still picturesque and amazing talent on show - Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin. 

9. Des Hasler. The former Penrith great is out the door for Anthony Seibold (yes, really). He lands four games short of Bob Fulton as the greatest serving coach at Manly for all time. Ironic and significant. The decision is rough and clearly the Fulton faction have won and protected their father's memory. Can't for the life of me reason why anyone would be relying on Scott Fulton's or any of his surnamed relations rugby league knowledge. Bob was a legend...some others wish they were.

Manly are a club in for a tough time, no matter how many Trobjovics you may have in the locker room. They have never been a club to lose and leak players, but perhaps things are about to change. Their 'feeder' connection with Blacktown looks shaky too. You have to love private ownership of clubs...it often brings little stability and rash decisions.

10. AFL. Talking of coaching panic stations...what about St Kilda and Brett Ratten? Sacked with a few years to go on his contract. Please spare us with some of the names of coaches to come in...Ross Lyon? Retreads the lot of them. Some fresh faces might help.

11. Australian Cricket Batting. We have very poor batting stocks across the country. Not enough domestic tons either. When Peter Siddle is still getting four wicket hauls we are in trouble. To dominate, you need multiple tons from individuals. Jake Lehmann having a good start to the season.

12. MLB World Series. Coming soon, but League Championships first. The often failed San Deigo Padres (can you believe?) will play the Phillies (National League) and the once cheating Astros will play the winner of the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians (once the Cleveland Indians) in the American League Championship game, with the Guardians up 2-1. These next League Championship games are the best of seven series. 

The Wrap - Sporting Chance

1. NRL Premiers. Winners have parties and losers have meetings. The Panthers do it in their own way, but two premierships back to back is unheard of really in the modern era. The Storm, for all their brilliance, haven't even done it. The Roosters have in 2018, 2019 (as have the 1990s Canberra, Broncos teams). A three peat would mark them down in history of one of the best ever (Parramatta/ Canterbury 1980s, Manly/ St George in the 1970s, Rabbitohs/ St George 1960s, etc).

Not sure Ryan Matterson should be opening his mouth. Takes a three game suspension rather than surrendering $4K? Please.

2. EPL. Every now and then a sensational talent bursts into the limelight. And so it is with Erling Haaland, the Norwegian who plays for Manchester City. As a result of his 20 goals in 12 matches, Man City will no doubt be crowned winners this year. 33 goals for and 9 against. They are scoring so many goals it is ridiculous and unbeatable.

3. Celtic - Ange Postocoglou. Talk about last gasp. St Johnston's nearly take points from them in a 93 minute equaliser...until a 95 minute winner! Celtic are limping a little at present. 29 goals for and 5 against is pretty imposing, but Rangers are only two points behind them. Tight.

4. T20. Australia have done well against the West Indies. Tim David is killing them and suddenly Steve Smith is on the outer. Smith has been holding in there with T20 for far too long. He does not score briskly and needs to face facts. He is one of the best ever in tests - even ODIs, but T20? Almost defies belief that Cameron Green is not in the team. England will be a sterner test later tonight.

4. Bathurst 1000. The chaotic start reminded me of the excitement in the voice of Steve Raymond commentating on the Hardie Ferodo 1000 (asbestos brakes) and the Tooheys 1000 (1988-1995 great look) and the FAI 1000 (pre Mr Adler's prison term) all those years ago! The big names of Garth Tander and the biggest/ longest name of all in Shane van Gisbergen did it again in a Holden for their sign off from the sport (who can believe that?). 

Tander now has five Bathurst 1000 wins in the 161 laps (and 100 podium finishes now!). That is getting up there with the very best of them ever:

5. Mankad. Great to see its official sanctioned return into cricket. Every backyard cricketer can breathe a sigh of relief when their big brother notches up 200 no.

6. Parramatta. A great season for them in the end, but why would you allow Dylan Brown out of your sights. The guy is a 10 season purchase. Lock him in and set your club up forever. Moses...um, hard to replace (esp. goalkicking) and a a little older, but Brown and Penessini are worth investing in for 10 seasons each. Clubs need to get smart and lock away ten season players around whom they can build a club.

More discord and grief for them looms otherwise. A bit like Manly who want to get rid of Hasler. Honestly.

7. Kangaroos. The traditional Kangaroo tour is missed, but now we are apparently numbering players' jersies from 1-24 based on their Australian debuts and then alphabetically? A brainwave of Michael Hagan. Still trying to work out why Michael did not last as an NRL coach.