Wrap - The Rant

1. Serena Williams. An awesome, awesome athlete...whatever anyone thinks of the rest of her. Her levelling of Grand Slam wins with Steffi Graf is something else, especially given she has lost the part two Grand Slam finals. She will go down as the greatest ever...and is also in the doubles final. Incredible.

2. Parramatta. The joke is never ending. Semi...Foran...Corey Norman in the clink? Stay tuned...Brad Arthur will leave next. Total disgrace. And making matters worse is the Bulldogs rise up the table in their place. They will do well to avoid yet another wooden spoon now. I did hear that John Boulous struggled to arrange coaching clinics for ten year old cricketers in a previous role. No wonder they signed him up at Parramatta.

A midweek rant in case you missed it:

Third Party Guilt. A Parramatta Special Extra

Not since the announcement of Gary Freeman, Stu Galbraith, Chris Thorman or indeed Lee Mossop has an international player taken the headlines at Parramatta and across the NRL like Semi Radrangirangoo.

Like most players under legal threat, the NRL has their share of Parramatta crims - Danny Wicks, Jacob Loko and Manu Mahu - and crimes: Junior Paulo, Chris Sandow, Michael Jennings and now Corey Norman. Just to name a few. I recall a signing attached to match fixing too. 

It's a busy life at Parramatta as a player manager...one minute writing press releases of innocence and the next writing letters of demand to a number of white collar blokes very familiar with courts and legalese for fatter contracts. No problems. No limits.

The signing of Ryan Morgan at Melbourne has seen him go from defensive nuffie to one of the form centres in the comp. Parramatta can do that to you. They inspire hope and then cut a hole in your throat with their mismanagement and incompetence. They actually appear to actively attract and retain, dare I say even recruit morons. They are the manufacturing plant of such types.

Even their captain Foran treats the club like a circus. Are there any normal blokes out there? Please, calling all non d&$@heads....maybe those the Swans reject?

Yet there they are with the boredom of the board room elections once again...no leaders, except the incompetence of who? Now Ian Schubert. The one who perpetually stuffed up the salary cap.

Indeed, Semi offered hope and is of course innocent until proven guilty...of course...and NRL blokes are dumb enough to get into these situations repeatedly and are sometimes innocent. Then who do you look to? A coach....the great Brad Arthur.

What does he do? Goes weak on serious stuff and lets Semi play (his call of course...of course). He too, by being so weak becomes yet another d$&@head.

And then I see Eric Groth Snr saying how immoral and bankrupt the club has become. He once tried to destroy his blue falcon with a Molotov cocktail!

Anyhow, buy more idiots and fill the joint with crims and see the place go to zip. There is something quite telling about the symbolism of knocking down Pirtek (didn't that company sell them out too?) Stadium.

If it was never re-built, would anyone care?

3. Waratahs. Fell over at a critical hurdle this week. Can they get back? A tough hill.

4. Nearly fell over to learn that Brad Hogg is not playing for the Scorchers next year. Money talks and I guess at his age (our age) it is the only option. The Renegades are overdue! Gotta love Justin Langer trying the guilt trip on him. Justin was always good at accumulating coin and is doing a good job now with diverse coaching gigs here, at national level and internationally.

5. Garry Jack. Is it just me or has he always had a strong streak of the goose in him? Think Ian Roberts, the failed "Gary Jack Score" derivative sports store...now this outrageous behaviour around his son Keiran. Wake up to yourself Gary and wife. Your son is more important than your egos.

6. The Clevland Cavaliers NBA Championship team. Not since the World Series Cricket days have we seen a better bunch of cavaliers. Richie Robinson and Robbie Langer would be proud.

7. Chase Stanley from the Bulldogs is now rivalling the grea tbrett papworth as the most injured footballer ever.

8. The State of Origin Game 3 may just be one of the biggest whackings in recent times....or since last year's Game 3 in fact! QLD to win in a canter.

Wrap - Ruexit

1. Rugby. It is surely like the bad relative, who we want to love, but simply cannot because it's too ugly. I think I have the problem: arrogant referees who blow penalties because they can - and more significantly, the 'advantage rule' that rolls on for ten minutes and then comes back. The art of kicking penalty goals is simply marvellous and the resetting of scrums is a delight to behold. Greg Martin surely needs a brain x-ray.

Fancy scheduling a game like this at Allan Jones Oval. It still had vacant seats! Homebush would have gotten at least another 20,000. England too good. We have gone backwards. Maybe they need to invest in more players from the Penrith area? Did you see Manly in First, Second, Third and Fourth grades beat Penrith 288-0 on the weekend! You could start there.

But that would require a few tweed jackets being taken off and a few less martinis. Buckleys. By my estimation, the English team won about $2.50 each for their 3-0 series win at current rates.

2. St Kilda had a tremendous win v Geelong, who are both in the mix for the finals. A big turn around by St Kilda. GWS power on and are by far the quickest team in the show. A close game of AFL is something else really. Hawthorn back on top of the comp. What a team of champions they are. They will be waiting to ambush GWS next time they meet!

3. The NRL Penalty Goal. It has become trendy to kick a penalty goal early...God knows why. It has also become trendy to award penalties early on. (I must say that the ex footballer Henry Perenara - who is looking bigger and stronger than many of the players - is one of our best. How does he miss an Origin gig? He was superb in the Sharks v Warriors and has the most respect of the players). A penalty is rarely the difference in the end. Is this a sign that NRL coaches are becoming like Laurie Daley? Captain conservative. Those who attack are rarely denied.

4. An Origin team of the future (next week). We can't do much better than this:

1. James Tedesco
2. Blake Ferguson
3. Josh Dugan
4. Jack Bird
5. Josh Mansour/ Tom Trobejovic.
6. Matt Moylan
7. James Maloney/ Nathan Cleary (Reynolds is done)
8. Aaron Woods
9. Michael Ennis (if we had the Cowboys hooker Josh Granville, we would win!)
10. Paul Gallen (c)
11. Josh Jackson
12. Tyson Frizzell
13. Andrew Fifita
14. David Klemmer
15. James Tamou
16. Bryce Cartwright
17. Wade Graham

 5. Sam Kassiano. He is awesome when fit. How many tries must he have scored as a junior player? Fair dinkum, he must have been huge and intimidating since the age of 10 (or earlier)! 

 

Sharks 11 wins in a row is super impressive. Great forwards and no silly penalties. The penalty is the thing these days. If you give them away, you lose. Memo Dylan Walker (joke selection - still). 

6. Devastated to hear that the great Nick (Off) Kgyrios has a bad draw for Wimbledon. Does anyone care? Low markers get bad draws - not new. When will he have a fight over white clothes at Wimbledon? This will be his next stunt. Anthony Mundine is officially more popular than this bloke.

7. Euro 2016. When Hungary, Poland, (Croatia), (Switzerland), Iceland, Wales, (Northern Ireland) and Ireland (half of the remaining teams with last night's losers bracketed) start winning soccer games, the world is truly in disarray. England's team are the perennial underachievers. No surprise if they exit v Iceland ICEXIT!. They need to attack too. Spain v Italy in the Round of 16  will clean out one big wig.

8. Copa America. Argentina v Chile. Surely the Argies are unbeatable here with Messi. Won't be long before we are in that with the 'Footballroos' in the southern hemisphere. Or is this as ridiculous as the Super 15 (remember that competition?) inclusion of Argentina in our rugby comp?

Wrap - International Picks

1. Sadly, Jarryd Hayne has become the new 'Man' Mundine. He is the new Matt Rogers or Sonny Bill...or lest I say it, Jana Pittman (Boob job tick, doctor degree tick, knee injury tick, winter Olympics bobsled tick, marriabe - divorce-marriage tick...and on it goes). Hayne has become a media circus. His Sevens Rugby venture with F1J1 fills out the picture. A young man who does not know where he is at...talented...but all over the shop basically.

2. Roosters. They have been terrible this season. Injuries, suspensions, lost players...yeah yeah, everyone goes through that...but they have lacked commitment and heart. The Warriors always pick up in the ridiculous Origin period (as they should), but will be pegged back once Origin passes.

3. On Origin, thank goodness they picked Jack Bird. We might score some tries. Look for Jennings to be next sacked and Maloney. Put Moylan to five eight and Tedesco at fullback. Dugan and Bird in the centres then we are talking. Forwards will be solid - so are the Queenslanders.

Must start with Greg Bird and Fifita to get us on a roll. Aaron Woods needs to lift. So does Klemmer.

I still believe that each side should have TWO optional picks of international players who once picked can only be used by that state. eg Burgess and Radradara...that would bring in the crowds! Time to evolve. Otherwise Semi may have a tantrum and go home.

4. Wallabies. It has been a while since we have had such a vanilla team. No superstars and no results. They lack a real hard nosed approach and look to have slipped badly since the World Cup. We never get used to England beating us at anything.

5. ODI Series in South Africa. it is dragging on like the M2 widening works. Boring and uneventful. Does anyone really or genuinely care? No.

6. Enjoying the tough Euro conditions and tussles with rival countries - and the soccer. Seems like you don't mess with the Russian fans. They don't like to be aggravated. Love that word HOOLIGAN. A cracker. Ronaldo's penalty miss was something else. Human after all.

7. Jason Day. A brilliant third round at the US Open. Firming as a possible winner after looking lost and done for all money.

8. Riccardo. has anyone told his pit crew he is racing this weekend? What a pack of absolute duds.

9. Hoping the Cleveland Cavaliers can knock over the win. The Golden State only lost a handful and have lost more in the last month than all season!

Wrap - Talent Scout

1. Club Rugby. The great rugby visionaries through their beer goggles and cash at Rugby headquarters (on the north side of course) have again betrayed the game. Look at Sydney University v Penrith on the weekend from first grade to fourth grade: 88-5, 111-12, 123-0, 82-0. Grand totals: 404 to 17. A really great weekend out at the game for all and sundry. Top shelf. They are clearly looking to get Penrith to fold.

Any wonder why no one watches Super Rugby anymore and why the Wallabies are getting lapped? England are far too dominant. In fact the Welsh and All Blacks would have knocked the Wallabies over too. Can't see England losing. Not sure if you caught Eddie Jones in the post match, but he said that Australia have "the best coach in the world". Very gracious from a bloke not used to that.

2. Dave Warner. He is in sparkling form. In fact, he is just behind Kohli and de Villiers as the best in the world. And he has been doing it for some time. Never made a rep team until he was older. Never got the featherbed decks of GPS or grade. Just raw talent and guts. Smashes the ball. See it and hit it.

What is doing with de Villiers? He speaks as Test captain and played in the ODI games. I thought he retired? Short retirement.

3. NSW Origin. Surely Bryce Cartwright comes into the team. We have too many forwards who are all the same. The great warhorse Corey Parker leads the way...offload and you win. NSW never do this. Cartwright has the goods. Add in James Tedesco if you want points and Tom Trobejovic (tall and good under the high ball) and we are starting to look decent. I can't see Mansour lasting. I like Moylan at five eight. Maloney is a short term fix. Cartwright also kicks goals (in a past life). Talk of Joey Luilieauauoeo from Canberra playing Origin...please! Add Semi Rarangirangoo first.

 

4. Manly. They have become terrible. Trent Barrett was the hope of the side and he has delivered FIVE losses in a row. Jamie Lyon is set to retire too. They are in a hole. They need to get rid of Brett Stewart too. A clean out. How can you be 24-4 up and the other mob win 31-24? Young Cleary looks like Ivan. Moylan composed under the pump as ever. If you work at Erskine Park High School you get that. 

5. When will we see a 30 metre penalty for the throwing of the ball away after a penalty by NRL players? This will quicken up the game and add discipline! I am a big fan of the super quick tap. No whining about decisions...keep playing.

6. GWS speed and skill on the ball is awesome. The Swans looked right off and lacked speed. They are certainly rotating some good new blokes however the bloke with the caterpillar mo needs kicking lessons, missing three straight in front! GWS could be on the cusp of great things sooner than would have been predicted - despite what Melbourne think. Gold Coast show you how it could have ended!

 

 

Wrap - The Greatest

1. Mohammed Ali. The greatest. (Forget Ali, Ryan Morgan scored a try for Melbourne on Saturday night!). Sadly for us, we did not catch the early days of Ali, not the prime of his powers. He was awesome, skilful and funny. I like the following: "I make medicine sick"; "I've seen George Foreman shadow boxing - and the shadow won"...plenty of quotes bouncing around, but he was the master.

2. State of Origin. Origin needs to be reinvented. The brand is fading (despite all the TV ratings, crowd, etc). Fundamentally, a dour 6-4 scoreline again in favour of QLD. A fan pick or two of international players would be an awesome non-mandatory option.

Did you know that since 2010, there have been 9 Origin games decided by five or less points and despite how it might sound, Queensland have won 5 of them and NSW 4. The last 6-4 result was the late Hodkinson try night in 2014.

3. Ange Postocoglou. Is he one of the most sour, poker faced coaches we have ever had? He is successful so no one cares...yet. It could end very quickly for him if we start losing. The linesman's decision to deny Cahill a goal on the line is still confusing. It crossed the line and curved back? Surely with a defender on the goal line he is onside.

4. Leicester. It didn't take long...Jamie Vardy on the cusp of a big paycheck at Arsenal or another huge club and Leicester are about to lose their No. 1 strike weapon. A cruel and disloyal game the soccer one.

5. ALLEGED NRL Match Fixing. The game needs a real clean out. There will need to be a tightening up in years ahead of whether a man in serious trouble with the law has the right to ever play the game. Sounds far fetched, but who ever thought we would have a biffless Origin and no shoulder charges with no punching in the game? This is the only way to weed out the idiots and cleanse the game. Brutal, but a common and recurring theme.

I noticed that young Pritchard has added to the Parramatta list from last week...interfering with ambulance staff at a drug overdose. What sort of life do these blokes lead? Young Foran is really getting the media blowtorch now. He may never be back.

6. Jarryd Hayne. The Fiji Sevens coach, Ben Ryan, has produced one of the best quotes of all time: "we don’t pick by face, we pick by form". Gotta love it! A shame some other teams in different codes don't adhere to this ethic!

7. D-DAY - 6 June. Novak Djokovic has the chance tonight to make history tonight at the French Open. He has never won it. He will become one of the very few (like Agassi) to have won all majors. He has a dominant hold over Andy Murray. It will be a terrible upset if Murray wins. However the effort of Serena was something else. She has stumbled twice now in succession as she tracks down Steffi Graf's record of 22 titles. Serena has won 21 titles - and lost 6 finals now (2 Wim, 1 Aus, 1 French, 2 US). This new name - Muguruza - is a star of the future.

8. The Riccardo pit stop was something else last week. Incompetence. Where the hell were they? Ridiculous.

9. Did anyone hear Wayne Bennet's response to Thaiday's silly virgin comments after State of Origin..."I told him people will be coming all over him if he said that". Back Page material.

Wrap - Worst Ever Origin Selection

1. English National Team Soccer. A trifle worrying that they struggle against Australia and win 2-1. That ridiculous own goal may go down as one of the worst for a long time. Call the Integrity Team please. They seem to get in a lethargic tangle as a national team all the time. Perhaps they just need to attack. It's the only large national team they have without an Australian coach in charge. How long might that take?

2. Cooper Cronk. EVERY year we get the Queensland injury story pre Origin. This year it is Cronk, we've had Thurston, Inglis...on it goes. YAAAWWWWNNNNNN. EVERY year we also get the NSW fight with QLD in the paper with silly comments from stupid ex-players. All the while QLD are planning a massacre.

3. Dylan Walker. Is he the worst selection for NSW since Phil Dukes or Phil Sigsworth? How does he make it? Jamie Buhrer? David Williams? Rex Wright? Steve Turner? Who has been NSW's worst selection ever?

4. NRL. The origin series truly buggers up the season and detracts for the club games. Surely you play the rounds as required and clubs decide to rest Origin players if they see fit. Origin is not what it once was...sad to say it. This never ending list of byes is outrageous and boring. Tigers beat Broncos and Saints beat the Cowboys...Bulldogs lose. I rest my case. Will Parramatta roll over and lose to the Henny Penny Knights?

Re Parramatta. Gutherson might go to fullback now...spare me please....!!!!! Get rid of someone with brains (Gordon) who can tackle (Gutherson?) and keep a brainless fool in Norman at $800K? Are they kidding? He is not that good.

PARRA CRAP Sheet:

• Semi - driving while unlicensed
• Jennings - biffing police at Parramatta
• Norman - drugs charges; consorting
• Wicks - clink
• Mahu - clink
• Watmough - drink driving...others...urinating in public, biffing sponsors...
• Paulo - road rage on the M4; consorting
• Kenny Edwards - thrown out of three clubs...

Who is next? have I missed anyone else?

4. IPL Final. Virat Kohli is easily the best batsman in the world. I dare say in all forms of the game. Anyone else is second best. He regularly - no, always - gets the job done. He fights under pressure and rarely fails. He is a fierce and talented opponent. The intensity of Warner is something else too. His semi final innings was worth an extra million or two on his next contract. He is a phenomenon who should inspire every kid who has not been selected on a clipboard held by a fat bloke with no talent. You can make it on sheer talent!

5. French Open. Sad that Nadal has withdrawn with a wrist injury. His fierce style is taking its toll on his body. He almost needs a year off. Compare him to the Australian clowns - Kyrgios and Tomic. They should be embarrassed to share the same locker room. Murray looks to be coasting. Djokovic must lift here to remove the monkey off his back - he misses Nadal and Tsonga...no excuses.

6. Waratahs. Still hanging in there and a great win v Chiefs. Hooper looks like he is running in to some form. Speaking of which, the great Kar - Mike Hunt has been selected for Australia and stands to play his third code at the top level. Pretty impressive.

7. Thrilled to see Tommy Raudonikis doing the pre-game chat to the Wigers v Broncos. Tommy won two wooden spoons in his time as coach...hopefully he does not curse this year's team. Best speech since the team bonding yacht trip with Tice.

8. Michael Clarke is surely kidding. He intends to trial for NSW next year and play domestic cricket. Could someone tap him on the back and remind him he is spent?

9. Moeen Ali has added a strength to the English cricket team since being selected not that long ago. He is tenacious and really digs in to rescue a situation. A valuable cricketer. Top scored in England's first innings (155no) of the second test v Sri Lanka.

Wrap - Pizza Shop Dogs

1. Every now and then we get treated to supreme athletes (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Woods, Warne, McGrath, The King Wally, Thurston, Ablett, Ronaldo, Dalton et al). Buddy Franklin is one of them. His kick is phenomenal. Not huge pins, but huge desire and athleticism. He electrifies and excites crowds....a rare quality only reserved for the very best.

2. Speaking of which....Thurston. A super player and better man these days. Little nonsense....only occasionally in the odd State of Origin. A champion who dominates week in and week out. Never injured (touch wood). rarely ever loses twice. Cowboys v Broncos seems the only option for the Grand Final. Maybe Sharks on a good day...

3. I noticed Dojkovic got rolled in the final on clay in Rome last weekend. He has never won the French Open. A final frontier for him after winning all else. He needs to lift at the pointy end which he will inevitably be part of come finals day.

4. Cricket. England at home are awesome in cricket. No one swings and seams the ball as well as Anderson and Broad. They are unplayable for those from the subcontinent on an overcast day - especially with Trevor Bayliss holding the reins. Smashed the Lankans.

5. How fat has John Coates gotten since joining the IOC gravy train?....plenty of gravy there!! Fat as a pizza shop dog. It seems he likes to throw his considerable weight around...Volkers, Diamons, Kgyrios...

6. NSW Origin selectors are at it again....flagging odd selections through ex players. Flying a million names up the pole. Had a chuckle when Andrew Johns picked the Canberra Colonel Sanders, Blake Austin. Was in absolute hysterics when I saw Sterlo want to drop Gallen. Ludicrous. Not sure of why everyone wants Mansour on the wing. Terrible under the high ball. Moylan needs to be there and running - not as a playmaker, but Greg Bird at five eight? Give us a break. Some good forwards stock (Klemmer, Jackson, Woods, Tamou, Scott, Gallen, Ennis), but Maloney at five eight will not work. Not sold on James Roberts either. Quick, but not smart. How many blokes are "a chance"? Half the comp.

 

7. GWS were slick against a more than handy Western Bulldogs team. They are fast, skilful and have targets all across the field. They will dominate soon enough.,

 

8. Kgyrios is absolutely correct. The umpire in the first round of the French Open was biased. He is sick of his shenanigans and tomfoolery tooltime.

 

9. Jarryd Hayne. Please convince me that he left the NFL to try and make the Fijian Rugby Sevens team with no surety of a place at Rio? You are kidding. He is there. The selection headache is who do you leave out for him. He is a definite - otherwise he is back in the NRL. He needs to gain credibility, but write him off at your own peril.