The Wrap - Back in Your Boks

1. Wallabies. A rare headline in The Wrap, but what a brilliant win. Joe Schmidt has had a top month in the latter phases of his tenure it must be said after much disappointment. Unlucky not to beat the Lions in the series and then to win at Ellis Park in the dungeon of South Africa is exceptional. The first win since before we were all born! Pretty significant.

Joseph Sua'ali'i has added a lot, but so has the recent announcement that the Giteau rule is no longer. (Ron will be pleased). Skelton is immense and the skipper Wilson scoring two runaway tries was incredible. He almost ran over the deadball line and did a hammy to boot. Gold. The pace and toughness of Jorgensen will keep NRL recruiters interested.

2. Glenn Maxwell. He's bounced back since some of the worst idiocy in recent years in world cricket...the mysterious tennis court rumble injury and the falling off the golf cart. He is a supreme talent. Often wasted and frustrating, but still could be one of the best fieldsmen we have ever seen (with Viv, Jonty Rhodes, Mark Waugh, Ponting, Symonds, Smith...). His last gasp effort to get Australia over the line in the Darwin T20 series was incredible. Great to see him stand up and get the adulation that he deserves.

3. NRL. The NRL seems to be able to find an on field controversy these days. It used to be a lot of off field ones, now if it is not a trainer, a sin binning, a bunker rule interpretation or an Ashley Klein special call, the game is constantly in the spotlight.

The Broncos, for all their class, have struggled at key times, but Maguire is making a big difference. They are semi final bound. Reece Walsh is an incredible talent.

The spoon contest is down to the Eels, the Knights and the Titans. The Rabbits and Cowboys have a bye each and are winners this weekend. The Eels are warming up for a world record.

• Scott Drinkwater is a super talented player. From the Central Coast and killing them. A broken play master who would be dangerous in Origin. Nil mistake player.
• Kodi Nikorima is one of the best number sixes in the comp. He has speed, takes on the line and a strong running game which keeps the defence guessing.
• The small double pump feigned pass running fast to the line by Isaiya Katoa or Nathan Cleary is now creating massive issues for opposing defences. A small, but newer offensive tactic.
• Hearing Nathan Cleary talk about rugby league is a whole new language. No wonder the Panthers are a premiership threat every year...even when they were in last place!
• Michael Ennis. Is he the best non-coach in the game? So insightful. He could coach Origin on his ear.
• The Roosters were really dominant and the Bulldogs are crumbling fast. Attitude.
• Trai Fuller would be a handy dummy half off the bench at another club. Great pace!
• Jye Gray. Two try scoring tackles and wins the game for the Bunnies. Then the greatest hog in the NRL, Tallis Duncan, wins the Eric Simms Medal for MOTM. Get on Tallis for an any time try scorer because he never disappoints. Alex Johnston could not touch it! The 212 record is safe with Tallis in the centres. 
• Daniel Topou is fast approaching too. He now has 182 tries in fourth place ever. (Slater has 190 in third place). We could well have two players beat the Ken Irvine record!
• Haas now playing for Samoa ... how can these flexi rules apply to Origin for some and not others. 

4. AFL 2025. The massive divide in the 2025 competition has taken a lot of energy out of the game this season. The top eight or nine are so far ahead, the bottom half of the comp has become very boring. It is costing the game revenue...TV ratings are sliding too. Most unfortunate. Having Brisbane, Adelaide, Fremantle and in the top eight must be troubling Melburnians too.

• The Connor Rozee rumours at Port Adelaide are a great example of the absolute sewer of social media. Having to publicly appear to dispel them calls for stronger police action against the perpetrators. What have we unleashed as a society?
• GWS beating Gold Coast at home is a horrific result for the Gold Coast. They are so inconsistent and need to address this to make an impression in the semi finals. 
• The Collingwood-Adelaide game in front of the biggest ever crowd was awesome! Tight and tough with high pressure. 56=53. They may both be in the GF.
• The Swans... plucked and roasted by a superior Geelong team. Their defensive line is elite. Tall, strong and plentiful.

5. EPL Underway. The shortest off season in world sport. Liverpool continue to do the business despite the tragic loss of a key player in the off season, Diogo Jota. Tottenham will be an interesting study to see if they fall in a heap or build on the successes of last season. A bright start against promoted Burnley. Sunderland ('Till I Die...) are back too, but where is Netflix? They had a tremendous opening win 3-0 v West Ham. Haaland is back scoring two goals already for Man City!

6. Austrian GP. Piastri and Norris look to have the measure of all others, but Verstappen always surprises. The summer break in the season is ridiculous. All momentum around the sport is lost. 

7. USPGA. Fresh from Justin Rose's win ($3.6M) v Scheffler and Fleetwood last week in the St Jude, Scottie Scheffler ($1.6M) is running second in the BMW Championship. MacIntyre is going to be hard to run down in Maryland. 

Scheffler's consistency is amazing. He didn't quite do the job last week. This week may well be different. He could be the most liked world number one golfer since the great Jack!

8. Bob Simpson. RIP. A legend of Australian cricket who transformed of all things, fielding. A terrific slip fielder himself. A brutal task master. In Test cricket, 62 tests (110 catches!) and 4869 runs at 46.81 with ten tons. He famously came back in WSC to lead the inexperienced (and very poor) Australian team at the time... Hibbert, Weiner, Whatmore, Moss, Toohey, Laughlin, Maclean, Gannon, Sleep, Clark, Dymock... et al.

9. US Open Tennis. The Cincinatti Open lead up event in Tennessee sees Alcarez v Sinner in the final tomorrow. Alcarez will be tough to toss at Flushing Meadows starting on 24 August. He and Sinner are a cut above. A toss of the coin.

The Wrap - On Your Marky Marks

1. The Panthers. As predicted many weeks back, into the top four after beating back a string of minnows and now a big test v Melbourne this Thursday night. They are getting back a bit of style. So patient. The new Stephen Crichton - young Maclean - is starting to shine.

The mathematical chance teams stack up and are all cooked really... Manly, St George, Wigers and the rest, including the Dolphins. Their defence was appalling v the Roosters. Hitting 50+ points conceded is a sure sign you cannot do much long term in the competition. Conversely, the Roosters are on the cusp of the eight now. The discipline of Leniu continues to be a problem. Such a talent but needs to mature and become a leader.

2. Ethan Strange. What a talent he is for the Raiders. Ricky calls him the next NSW five eight and he is correct. (He also said "you may think I am putting pressure on him and I am, so bad luck, get over it!").  He and Marky Mark from the Roosters are two sensational talents. Both could be in the Kangaroos at year's end. Superb talent. Strange has pace, an excellent step and strength. He is humble and hungry.

• Parramatta's Bailey Simonssen is sulking and it is this type of culture killing, self centred player who Ryles has had a gutful of...Matherson, Cartwright, Simonssen and Ofahenguae. All gone. Bailey seems to think there are a heap of clubs wanting to sign him. Not quite. It is a large never ending factory the NRL and blokes who leave are easily replaced. 
• The race for the spoon remains open still...Titans (games to come in 2025: Cronulla, Warriors, Dolphins, Tigers), Knights (Cowboys, Broncos, Cronulla, Parramatta), Souths (Parramatta, Dragons, Bye, Roosters) or the world record holders, Parramatta (Souths, Roosters, Warriors, Knights).
• Daniel Tupou now gets to 179 NRL tries, one behind fourth placed Steve Menzies (180). Slater sits on 190, Johnston 209 and Ken Irvine 212! Fifth most tries ever in the game. Incredible. Two more seasons and he will also beat Irvine's record too. Johnston just picks up another two tries for fun too (lethal when Latrell plays). He could equal it next week v Parramatta!
• St George upset the Sharks, but will DCE go there instead of the Roosters?
• Surely trainers need to be restricted. We never had that problem years ago. A significant meterage penalty against the trainer's team - or game time limited trainers - 5 mins max. That was a schemozzle in Parramatta v Cowboys as it was for the Panthers v Gold Coast last week.

3. AFL. Swans got a little nervous late with a string of late Brisbane goals before a narrow win over a well beaten Brisbane - 92-90 away in Brisbane. Some small revenge for the GF smashing last year. The Swans are a crumbling outfit at tough times. They really need a clean out of some personnel. It's a rare upset in the AFL this year.

• Meanwhile, Collingwood crumble v Hawthorn and the Gold Coast surge forward. 
• Simon Goodwin pulls the pin from coaching Melbourne, despite winning a flag a few years back too. he'd had a gutful.
• Four teams leading the comp, but the Crows and Cats are the two with the commanding points differentials.

4. Oscar Piastri. A narrow nine point lead over Lando Norris in the Drivers' Championship and it is almost a two horse McLaren race now. The next GP is the Dutch on 31 August 2025...a long break. 

5. Test Cricket - India v England. A cracking series, reminding us all that Test cricket is the best form. A six run win by India to level the series 2-2. So few Tests are draws these days. The top tier team Test match concept has more merit than we all believe. Australia-India-England and Pakistan playing each other would be much more exciting than Test series v the Windies, Zimbabwe and the perennial under performers, Bangladesh and those countries that rarely go the extra mile for Test cricket...Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

6. St Jude Championship - PGA Golf. Tommy Fleetwood ahead after three rounds in Tennessee (-14), but he is a perpetual runner up or top 10/ 25 finisher. Not that there is anything wrong with that! He has never won on the USPGA tour. Maybe this weekend. Lerking close is the outstanding Scottie Scheffler who is two shots behind. Now if I was a betting man...

7. Nikita Tsyzu. Hopefully he can do better than Tim Tsyzu. Must have been some interesting sibling biff in the backyard back in the day. "Oh Nikita you will never know... anythin' about my home".

8. Giants Netball. The nicest media release in the world..the new coach, Nerida Stewart has "replaced" the former long standing coach, Julie Fitzgerald (since 2017). They have not hit the heights they should in recent years (but have been in two GFs), so change may be a good thing here.

9. T20 Cricket. Ho hum! Australia v South Africa with many stars in the UK at their rich "Hundred". Dave Warner was the MOTM for the London Spirit across the weekend (70 no).

The Wrap - Dry Weather Champions

1. Rugby Union - Lions v Australia. Going in, a clash in the wet suited the Lions. However, it was a remarkable win by the Wallabies 22-14. It must be said, their efforts last week in Melbourne and in Sydney rank up there as some of the finest Australian rugby in recent memory... and it may just have swayed a few doubters (and there were - and are - many) that the game was near dead and simply unwatchable. Tough, uncompromising and unexpected wins in line outs, a tough scrum, counter aggression and no backward steps (even a touch of biff!) and under the pressure of the best in Europe...triumph.

A swansong for Joe Schmidt, but where has this resolve been hiding? They had every right to be disillusioned after last week, but rose to a higher plane. This would not be lost across the world. Sua'ali'i would have no regrets as the Roosters slugged it out at Brookvale Oval, but the Jorgensen speed has been decisive at key moments. Nic White can put away the angry pills now as he retires.

Memo to new coach, Les Kiss... stop picking so many players and keep key combinations consistent. Back in the players and axe your 40 man squads. Pick and stick. (His first step will no doubt be to pick a 60 man squad for a training camp in Borneo).

Still the refereeing is far too dominant and influential. At one point the ref changed the rules on the Wallabies after his own error. Denial... cover up of course. Setting and re-setting scrums as some forlorn religious tribute to 'Buddah' Handy, bores viewers to death. Time outs for players to fix their shoes bores people to death. This is the problem. The best officials in any sport are never seen or heard!

2. The Panthers. They are an incredible team. While a 26 point surrender to the Titans after leading 24-0 would have been unimaginable, they claw back a 26-26 golden point on the back of the great Ivan Cleary. The Cleary field goal was simply outstanding. Had he doubled this up soon after for the win he could have been made an immortal this afternoon. That will come some other time. On the cusp of the top four now with the Warriors falling in a heap!

• Parramatta are stringing together "respectable losses", but they are still within spoon striking distance even though their for and against has improved. A little more promise for the future but another year ticks by with no finals or premiership... 39 years now, into 40 years next year.
• The Dolphins. Highly entertaining and really good to watch - despite their multiple injuries! A team of the future and any suggestion of Wayne Bennett leaving a club in a worse place when he leaves it, is completely wrong here. Coach Woolfe has done a top job. 
• As has Michael Maguire (and Trent Barrett!) for the Broncos. This is the time of the season when the Broncos usually crumble, but they are getting better too. Dry weather champions.
• The Bulldogs were woeful in the wet - and the Sharks (unsurprisingly) always do amazingly well in the wet weather. There could be some big upsets in the semi finals if the rain arrives!
• The Raiders are beatable! They leak too many points. The Dragons have lost a lot of close ones this year but this was a famous victory! Interesting that when the rain comes Melbourne also become extremely beatable.
• The Roosters have seemed to lose it a bit in 2025. It was always going to be tough, but there have been too many frayed edges off field too. A strong win. Sandon Smith had them going places.
• Vale Johnny Mayes. Scored the first try in the 1975 Grand Final to make it 5-0 at half time (and 38-0 at full time!). Sadly, no longer with us.
• The NRL player with the outstretched hands, pleading for a penalty. Too much of this in the game. Referees should give a twenty metre penalty for dissent and arguing incessantly.  Cured!
• Goal kicking distractions (players or trainers). Waving arms, jumping or running across the field in front...A shot from the set spot and another spot from in front. Cured!

3. England v India Test Cricket. No Stokes, no Bumrah. Injuries after five tests, but tight, testy play with lots of classic Indian cricket arguments and hard nose play. There was a hint it was a second rate/ reserve grade clash. No Pant, no Archer. However, the game goes on. Tremendous play by Jadeja and Sundar in the last test continued this test. England's bowlers really know how to do well in their conditions too (Atkinson, Woakes...). The leadership of new skipper Shubman Gill has been strong. England are dashing and chirpy too. That has never been a strong suit for English teams and it puts them off. A 2-2 final series result looms. Let's see how Bazball goes now. The record has been good since Brendan McCullum commenced in 2022 (but no Test Championship):

4. Hungarian F1 GP. Oscar Piastri is looking for another win to extend his drivers championship lead after winning China, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Miami, Spain and Belgium. The Hungarian GP this week and McLaren is looking sharp. Le Clerc was quickest and starts on pole, but what a spectacle and contest. 

5. James Hooper - Driving Drunk (Allegedly). Always presented as an interesting fellow on Fox NRL360. Five times over the limit? Humility is a harsh lesson served in big doses sometimes.

We will hear mental demons are at play, but how does that convert to driving your car after a skin full? No regard for the safety of others, yet was it him giving it to Ezra Man for his drunk driving incident? What is going on at Fox? Are there others who are doing worse than eating a Big Mac on an advertisement? Reality needs to descend on a few egos perhaps.

Reach out to others if you are struggling. Don't run the risk of killing others.

6. AFL. The Giants were pumped by the Western Bulldogs and the top eight really hots up now. The Swans limped past Essendon. These non-event games are hard to get excited about. A highly unusual competition this year with so many dead rubbers and few upsets. 

• Brisbane are still alive and kicking and Collingwood do have a surprising wobbly side at times.
• Tom Papley. Is there too much rubbish in his game for a Swans player? Has their recruitment policy changed at all from their famous stated line under Roos and Longmire?
• The Bulldogs are four points outside the eight behind the Giants, Hawthorn and Fremantle and have too much talent to miss out on finals.
• The Gold Coast continue to shine...they are reaching new levels and really stamping their class to go deep into the finals. 

7. Netball Final - Melbourne Vixens v West Coast Fever. Having it in Melbourne was a massive advantage, but the pre GF favourites, the Fever were held in an arm wrestle throughout. The Vixens winning was a massive upset, but that game should be dominating the Australian sports market and profiting.

The Vixens made it by one point v Swifts and won the lot by one point. Small margins...the 1%ers truly matter!

One too many white tracksuited types perhaps and an absence of really promoting its stars. The game should be immensely wealthy for players and emerging players - and juniors at netball courts each Saturday morning. Why is it not?

8. Ange Postocoglou. No new coaching gig announced as yet? Time is tight. It appears they have killed the main actor for Series 2 and 3.

The Wrap - Hellish Mathematical Chance

1. British Lions v Wallabies. A tremendous game. Not often you say that about rugby. For all its ridiculous over-officiating, the final decision was made very quickly. Usually there is a committee meeting, the ground microphone man and four Royal Commissions with ICAC involved too. Typical northern hemisphere influence and domination of the game. The ref seemed OK, but was he too pliable when it mattered? 

Michael Hooper's comment that 'this would have been different if it occurred at any other minute in the game!' is hard to ignore.

Nonetheless, to see a 20+ half of rugby from an Australian team is incredible. Rare gold. Strong close losses are hard to accept - and tolerate. Yet another Wallabies loss in the end. Gallant, but a loss. Really like Jorgensen, McDermott, Gleeson...lots of promise... and NRL clubs will be swarming. Wilson as skipper?...ummm not so sure.

That advantage rule is the greatest blight on the game. Box kicks (?) and the TMO who could have explained the final rule which mattered. We should have put the game to bed, but couldn't!

2. Joe Root. What an incredible year and career. Better now than when he was younger. Like Jacques Kallis and Kumar Sangakarra. The second most Test runs ever, 38 Test tons and the king of England. Prolific run scorer in England and against India. Awesome record. 

England are shaping into a formidable team, but Crawley (31), Duckett (42), Pope (35) and Stokes (35) all average in the high thirties/ early forties still. Not dominant, despite the hype. However, they will be extremely hard to beat in the Ashes in Australia because they string scores together. Their efforts against India have been uncompromising...sending the opposition in and then beating them. They have dominated them with the bat making Bumrah look second rate - on featherbed decks it must be said. Jofra Archer back and fit will be a tough assignment, especially if Mark Wood aims up too. Stokes is immense. Bothamesque with 16 wickets so far and the leading wicket taker in the series.

A fascination in this India-England series is the leading run scorers (all on seven innings each, with Gill and Rahul now into their eighth innings) are mainly Indians. Gill (697), Rahul (508), Pant (479), Jadeja (347). Then comes Jamie Smith, the new England wicketkeeper (424), Root (403), Duckett (365), Brook (317) and Stokes 304) are not far away. Yashasvi Jaiswal needs to check his temperament. He is getting found out too many times too early.

3. T20 Cricket - Tim David. 102no off 37 balls with 11 sixes. Incredible hitting. As Bill Lawry would say..."a crisp hitter of the ball". Our Australian international T20 record is getting stronger. Our bowling is weak, but is that the way of the future...any old hack bowls and you hunt it down with great hitting?

A series win already... 4-0 out of five games. The fielding of the West Indians is SO bad. Watched the fourth T20 for half an hour and saw four dropped catches including a sharp caught and bowled where the bowler moved the mits away because it may have hurt!

4. Belgium F1 Grand Prix. A fantastic looking track at the legendary 'Spa' course and Oscar Piastri was running hot in the early phases of the weekend. Lando Norris (with Belgian heritage) forms a formidable 1-2 on poll for McLaren. Piastri is clinging to the drivers championship lead, but there are a lot of races remaining. Should be excellent as always. Such exciting and fast action. Love the way Piastri dissects and owns his mistakes. An elite high performer!

5. NRL. Some upsets this weekend with the Eels beating the Broncos. Possibly a casualty as top teams rest and reset for the semi final load ahead. However the speed of the Parramatta team is much improved. So much better. Even Sean Russell is chipping and chasing for tries. The axe must have swung close there. Pace wins. Moses adds massively to that and is one of the absolute elite NRL players now.

The Dragons lose another tight one and some teams are now completely out of action for the semi-finals. The Roosters have also lost too many close ones this season. Losses by 8, 6, 4, 2, 2, 4 points this year so far. They can kill your season. 

Interesting to see if the Broncos players remain loyal to Australia with news that Kevin Walters will be the new coach. Seems an unlikely appointment. Surely we have others too but the candidates seemed to be limited to Kevin. The good news? He will be out of the commentary box!

The Panthers are steaming ahead... six rounds left: Titans, Knights, Storm, Raiders, Bulldogs and Dragons to come and they are on the cusp of the top four! Incredible. The Titans helped them a lot by beating the fading Warriors in their own paddock.

Canberra keep winning. Second half demolitions are their specialty. Will be interesting to see how they go against more top teams. They have not really been tested too often. Their defence still needs to smarten up. They leak too many points.

Bulldogs v Sea Eagles. Tough defence and patience. A la Penrith. The Bulldogs are the only club who can fill the Allianz Stadium. A professional, really well supported club. Xerri superb.

6. AFL. The efforts of the Swans was so predictable. Big game? Big fold... they have done it yet again after having a 40 point lead. It was very predictable and has been seen before with the same roster. They have a massive problem. Missing the finals is a crime with the Swans. Coach Dean Cox is under pressure. Not a mathematical chance in hell!

Contrastingly, the Adelaide Crows look sharp. Gold Coast crushed the Brisbane Lions/ Bears which was a firm statement. Damien Hardwick can really coach a team. Alistair Clarkson may need a new gig soon because North Melbourne are getting worse! John Longmire surely needs to coach somewhere soon.

7. Golf. Scottie Scheffler seems to be the absolute top bloke who is also supremely talented. Humble, hungry and smart. Perfect golf to win The Open. He is in a rich vein of form. Long may it last. Getting to seven or eight majors puts him in golf royalty. He now only needs the US Open for the Majors Slam too. (Only!).

Conversely, Cameron Smith was the only golfer to miss the cut at all four Majors this year. Ouch.

8. Vale the great Hulk Hogan. Having caught up with 'Jake the Snake' and Jimmy 'Hacksaw' Duggan overseas in Charlotte, North Carolina recently, they were supreme entertainers for many, but at great expense to their own health and wellbeing. Slow drawl and struggling. Jimmy much better than the snake. He was chirpy and upbeat and recalled Australia well and 'misbehaving'!

9. Netball - Sydney Swifts. Sydney Swifts were up by 10 goals and got run down - and out of the comp - by the Melbourne Vixens. The Vixens go on to play the West Coast Fever who will be paying $1.01 as red hot favourites! Funny things can really happen in Grand Finals however.

The Wrap - Cut Above

1. Rugby Union. Lions v Wallabies. Talk about ridiculous domination in the crowd by the Lions fans. We had this in 2001 as well! Our 'half price' tickets when exchange rates are considered for them makes it so.

Some better refereeing to allow the game to flow, but bring back the half time breaks on the field. Much more authentic. The advantage rule is a joke...too long! The Lions would want to win having the best of Europe's players in the team. An arrogance envelopes them it must be said, but they are too good! We have only ever won series in 1930 and 2001, so the odds are stacked against us! Young Jorgensen, Lynagh and even the magic of Harry Potter with his wings was not enough!

The TMO is a curse...too much chat and too many interruptions. Ridiculous. Out of control. They need to look at the NFL and see how it is done properly.

A good end, but at critical moments, not strong enough. 27-19 is a solid loss. We have too many of these. The best part of rugby is playing beyond the final siren till the ball is dead! Lots of excitement.

The coach Joe Schmidt has been a massive disappointment it must be said. Great guy by all reports, but not enough wins. Better than the latest version of Eddie 'Come Here and Say It', of course, but not much! 15 games with 7 wins. Less than 50% with a few more tests to come in 2025, before the rhyming slang takes over the national coaching role. 

Of his seven wins, three were against a questionable Wales team, one was recently against Fiji (just), one was against the resurgent Argentina and one against the powerhouse rugby nation of Georgia! It has been a disaster really. One really solid win v England at Twickenham only and even they were probably not the strongest England team at the time.

2. NRL. St George lost at the death once again due to the skill of Lachlan Galvin. He will need to get a little more size and speed, but he can play. The media campaigns against him are not good. Let him be. The Tigers are better off - as are Parramatta. St George have lost EIGHT narrow games this season by 8, 1, 1, 6, 1, 4, 7, 2 points. Three games lost by 1 point hurts.

The Warriors won a beauty v Newcastle. Halasima is some sort of talent. Their narrow wins in 2025 have been huge for them. Unlike the Dragons, they have won games this season by 8, 2, 2, 4, 1, 4, 6, 5. This can make a massive difference to your season!

3. NRL Points. Fifth best defence this season? Newcastle! Fourth best defence? Manly. Hard to believe. Manly had a handy win v Melbourne on the weekend in Melbourne. Unheard of really. The Raiders are on top, but their defence is a massive problem which they need to fix to win the competition.

Asofa Solomona is a massive liability for the Melbourne Storm. His foul play and ill discipline costs Melbourne all the time... including being ruled out of last year's Grand Final. He looks like being banned for a long time after yet another errant elbow.

The spoon bowl looks alive and well.. Titans, Tigers, Eels, Knights, Rabbits! Wayne Bennett has never had a worse finish to an NRL season as coach. The Wests Tigers are barely better than in 2024, despite their win v Titans. The Eels are still favourites for the spoon.

4. AFL. The Swans beat North Melbourne, but are still a mile away on 36 points. Barring a few upsets by the bottom half of the table, there will be no semi final football for them. The Giants next week will sort them out. The Giants could win the thing if they can concentrate long enough. However, their record is abysmal v Sydney... even in trial games!

The bottom half of the table this season are abysmal. They find it hard to beat each other.

5. The Open Championships. Scottie Scheffler is a cut above (2 x Masters, 1 x USPGA Major wins). His second round efforts (64) then a 67 in the third round were incredible. Marc Leishman was the only Aussie to beat the Club President's razor blade! The conditions at the Open are never easy.

What about Scheffler's golf major record and number of top ten finishes?

Rory is hovering, but Scheffler is not giving up this lead. Four Golf Major wins looms...

Ray Floyd and Ernie Els won four majors, Brooks Koepka and Rory sit on five wins. Mickelson and Faldo have won six. Seven majors plus is the elite of the elite.

6. EPL. Now able to be viewed on Stan. Suspect this will bring more viewers than Optus. It may also see people use Stan for more than just Kevin Costner's Yellowstone.

7. Tim Tszyu. He was hammered last time he fought Sebastian 'The Towering Inferno' Fundora. Going to Vegas was brave (and necessary), but Tszyu's career was on the line and lost! Fundora attends Harvard and is a very polite fellow. He's breaking all the boxing cliches and has a 23-1-1 record. Imposing! 

A tough way to make money, but rewarding if you can do it. A better standard than the Gallen v SBW fight. Surely there will be a rematch there too!

8. NRLW. Enjoy the fresh approach and lack of egos. Top of the table clash between Broncos v Roosters today. Tamika Upton (ex Knights, currently Broncos) continues to carve up the opposition, scoring tries. Olivia Kernick is a gun for the Roosters. Inexplicably omitted from the Australian team (until they gave the coach the bullet) last year after winning the 2024 Dally M! She should be first picked. Tough, skilful, humble and polite. 

The Wrap - Parallel Lyons

1. Test Cricket. Lyon dropped and England would have been salivating at possibly getting a nemesis out of the way...only to realise that Scott Boland is in and offers an impressive Test cricket record: 14 tests/ 56 wickets (average 17.66). Most of his wickets have been against England, including the famous 6/7 at the MCG! However, the deck is also turning which means that Lyon could have played after all.

An awesome amphitheatre at Kingston, Jamaica. A little worried about the cost and reliability of electricity to this tiny community (popn. 580,000). It is quite extraordinary that they produced the number of cricketers and the highest of standards that they did. Very sad that Michael Holding wants nothing to do with cricket anymore too. He and Courtney Walsh were two of the Jamaican greats.

The swagger and exceptional fielding of the West Indian cricketers was the key memory. Raucous crowds and unbelievable atmospheres there have faded.

Our Test batting averages now are reminiscent of the days of Craig Sergeant (23.72), Rick Darling (25.81), Paul Hibbert (7.5), Julian Weiner (25.54), Dav Whatmore (22.54), Trevor Laughlin (17.4) and Peter Toohey (31.89) - not forgetting the greatest 'duck or a hundred' man, Graeme Wood (31.83), where the very best hit 30! 

Thankfully we have Steve Smith playing shots early. Khawaja, Konstas and Green almost put the 1,500 strong crowd to sleep. Green (average 34) can play, but gee he gets bowled and LBW a lot. Of his 50 Test innings he has been LBW 8 times and Bowled 14 times. Technique issues.

2. State of Origin - NRL. The NSW Origin effort in Game 3 (and Game 2) was absolutely sub par. Laurie Daley needs to recognise this and go. Sad he cannot yet. His coaching loss record - despite his friendship with Dave Trodden (NSWRL) - is poor in Origin. Ricky Stuart or Joey Johns is our man.

The Queenslanders were immense. Their culture and winning style is phenomenal. It sadly doesn't get better than this for NSW. Munster and others delivered. DCE? Not missed and the perfect response. 

3. NRL. The competition these days is really now unable to cope with the massive disruption of Origin. The games are so competitive, but now we get players rested after missing out on the very best of contests over recent weeks. This includes Nathan Cleary. The game is now too professional for this. It is a 1980s hangover model.

Rather, where is our NRL Combine? Our NRL Draft? Our NRL All Stars game after the Grand Final? NRL could be much greater.

4. AFL. The split from the top nine teams to the rest is quite pronounced and really the question is, based on current form, can the Western Bulldogs make it? The rest looked locked in. The Swans are trying hard (now), but are teetering with themselves to blame. They are 12 points behind eighth position (Freo). That is three wins. They need a few losses higher up the table. The competition is still up for grabs. No absolutely dominant force at all. Nice to see the Gold Coast starting to deliver more. Des Hasler will be watching closely!

5. Wimbledon. Iva Swaitek crushed her US opponent, Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in the most devastating win (and loss) since Steffi Graf did it to Zvereva at the French Open in 1988. The last Wimbledon final "bagel" was in 1911! She wins the Venus Rosewater dish. She has an imposing recent record and is the best Polish tennis player since Henner Henkel!

Swaitek now has four French Open titles, one US Open and one Wimbledon championship. Her six Grand Slam titles takes her past Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova (5 titles). She is now one behind Venus Williams and Justine Henin (7 titles each). 

The inevitable is also upon us in the men's final: Sinner v Alcaraz once again. Sinner looking for his first Wimbledon crown and Alcaraz undefeated in Grand Slam finals! They have won seven of the last eight Grand Slams between them. 

• Alcaraz (5 titles) has two French Open wins, two Wimbledon wins and one US Open win.
• Sinner (3 titles) has two Australian Open wins and one US Open win.

With a win, Alcaraz joins Becker and Edberg on six Grand Slam titles. Did you know Stefan Edberg is the only tennis player ever to hold a world junior tennis Grand Slam (1983)?

Our doubles hope - Rinky Hijikata - lost in two sets. Rinky is no phantom. He was a crack world junior player and is rated in the top echelons of doubles players world wide. 

6. British and Irish Lions. Thumped the B-Team NZ and Australia 48-0... oh no! The Wallabies could be beaten by 50. James Slipper and James O'Connor (?) cannot be our key hopes surely? Joe Schmidt looks out of ideas...like Laurie Daley's half time Origin #3 speech.

7. Ange Postocoglou. A great example of how fame can be very temporary. He has become quieter than Bruce Hornsby and the Range's new album in recent weeks. No sign of his next step, but it is not looking great for a European gig at present. Perhaps the player transfers are most important now. No coach wants to go to a club that is as tight fisted as Tottenham. They then never win titles and blame the coach, who gets sacked!

8. US PGA. Aaron Baddeley misses the cut at the ISCO Open and Rory gets his act together at the Scottish Open to share the lead after three rounds (-11). Elvis Smylie (-1) and Adam Scott (-3) behind, but on those courses you get a good look at the grass and local landscape when playing on Sunday.

The Wrap - Derek Bombs

1. NRL. The Raiders have been extraordinary this year. On top of the comp and two byes ahead yet - an extra four points! They could be minor premiers when some were tipping them for the spoon. They have a fabulous future ahead too with lots of young players signed longer term. The number of close games they have won is outstanding. This is the difference between great years and ordinary years.

The standard of the NRL falls in a heap by the third Origin and six week disruption. It is a bit of a circus really. The dropped balls and mistakes are exponential, underlining the elite nature of some players. State of Origin is great, but is the weekly competition greater?

Latu Finau is a top operator for the Wests Tigers who could be awesome with Luai (should he stay with his get our clause!).

Two new trends in the game: not catching bombs and use of the word 'Derek' for a hopeless joke (eg. the old Nigel... Karen). A bit unfair on the many good Dereks who have excelled in international sport including Derek Moritz (Bears, NRL), Derek Randall (English cricket), Derek Pringle (English cricket), Derek Jeter (MLB), Derrick Rose (NBA), Derrick Murray (WI cricket) and of course Bo Derek.

2. AFL. The Swans get a breath of life to move to tenth on the table. A massive 12 points adrift from eighth! Really, when maths is your best chance of making finals, the hall of mirrors is needed to have a good look at yourself. A big crowd nonetheless.

3. Test Cricket. Two enthralling Tests on at present. The Windies have been better than many would have thought on dodgy home decks, but have it all ahead of them tonight. Our batting is still dodgy - especially first innings runs. Green hit a half century in the second innings, but we are loose. Alex Carey and Beau Webster have been our best. 

Khawaja is getting LBW and caught behind the wicket more now than at any other time in his career. He is slowing right down. Konstas...back to Grade cricket please.

Our bowling is brighter:

• Nathan Lyon (562) - one wicket short of Glen McGrath (563). Warnie's 708 Test wickets is safe, but Broad (604) and Kumble (619) are not far away.
• Pat Cummins (307) - just shy of Brett Lee (310) and Mitchell Johnson (313)
• Starc (395) - fourth highest Australian in front of DK Lillee (355) now.
• Lyon, Starc, Cummins and Hazelwood (292) are in the top ten best ever Australian test wicket takers. Incredible really that they are all from the same era and same team.

In England, Shubman Gill has set a first ever in Test cricket. He hit 269 and 161 to be the first male player to hit a 200 and a 150 in the same test. 430 runs in the same Test is nearing the record. He beat the great Tubby Taylor who got 426 runs in the second test v Pakistan in 1998 at Peshawar. He hit his famous 334 not out, but not many know he also scored 92 in the second innings. 

England have a lot of runs to get (536!) with seven wickets in hand, but Harry Book is at the crease (15no) and got another ton after last week's wrap. He is a super talent. 27 tests (45 inns) ...9 tons, including one double and one triple century. Averaging 60+!

4. Oscar Piastri - British F1 GP. The only world sport where the key combatants are known by their first names and called as such by the commentators, fans and drivers... a limited pool of elite drivers. Verstappen is a legend. Still collecting pole positions when his car is clearly not as great as the orange McLarens. Such an arduous tour with Piastri clinging to a sub 20 lead. He has five wins and needs six+! Nine wins beats Ricciardo and Webber's records (in almost a quarter of the race starts).

5. International Rugby. 21-18 win over Fiji by the Wallabies playing in Newcastle. Such a shame the Wallabies are playing at suburban grounds. The quality of the game is not improving. It is a punish to watch. A solid loss by the Waratahs v Lions 21-10. The Lions will absolutely massacre Australia. We are so loose.

6. Tour de France. Not as popular as it once was, but still a spectacular event with mad locals and beautiful views. Harrison Sweeny is our main hope. Looking forward to the mankini wearers, the offers of pizza and cigarettes to the riders, the nude supporters, the mad dogs and animal life - and the cycling....

7. Wimbledon. Hopefully Alex De Minaur (v Djokovic) and Jordan Thompson (v Fritz) can progress beyond the round of 16 into the quarter finals. It is interesting that at age 38, we still expect Novak to triumph! Sinner looks a special now that Alcaraz is carrying an injury or two.

8. Liverpool FC have had their share of disaster. Diogo Jota tragically killed in a car crash. Thinking of the Hillsborough disaster, the car into the crowd this year at their victory ceremony... they can't seem to escape it. The beauty and expression of youth... and the waste and loss.