This was a game that could have been won by either team but Australia was the team that deserved to win. There will be many talking points from this game and most notable will be the issue of the DRS and India's ongoing stance of not allowing it to be used in any games it plays. What I can still not understand is how India can hold their head up high on an issue like this and not bat an eyelid when the technology they refuse to use helps them get a wicket, when an umpire asks for the same technology to help decide if a wicket has fallen. I have previously discussed this issue and I will state again that the ICC needs to be a controlling body as it is designed to be and say that it is to be there for every game or none at all. If it is not to be available for the captains of each team then it is not to be available for the umpires either. Or take the decision out of the hands of the layers and let the umpires review any decision they want. The lack of DRS also highlighted why it is there to use, if the umpires didn't get so many decisions wrong there would not be any debate on the issue. Will the umpires get a hauling over in the press though? Doubt it.
The next issue to raise debate is that of the Australian batsmen. Australia is very close to getting a solid team together but it is also a long way off. But for the second innings, Hussey must have been close to playing his last game and may now last the summer out. But a run of low scores again may well be his last. Ponting has answered his critics to a degree (myself included) and like Hussey may have guaranteed a start in every game for the summer, but Ponting too may not be too far off being tapped on the shoulder. Warner showed what you get with a player of his style. He now must learn to show he can curb his style on pitches where it is in favour of the bowler and put away the loose shots when the time calls. Cowan was very good on debut and can be forgiven for one bad call of judgement. If anything it was nice to see a batsmen who knew what it means to play cricket over 5 days and not one session. Could be some big scores in a batsmen who looks like he could bat for 2 days. Then we come to the so called talented batsmen who must be told, sorry but you are no longer required, Haddin. Yet again this is a batsmen who is not doing anything with the bat and knows how to get himself out more than a good ball gets him out. Add to that his poor glovework (he may have taken a lot of catches but if the one he dropped cost them the game it would be a lot different.).
The final talking point will is the Australian bowling. here is a lineup that is missing some of its best in the likes of Harris and Watson and promising young quick Cummins. And it is the bowlers that won the game for Australia. All the bowlers were amongst the wickets and when you look at the valuable runs they put in for both innings (84 1st innings & 55 2nd innings) it must be embarrassing for the batsmen who only have one role.
It is always great to see Australia win, it is even greater to see them win a game against a team like India. Australia just need to go on and make India return to home soil with it's tail between it's legs. Just because India has some talented players it does not mean we should let them showcase their talent on our turf. When we tour no team is happy to see us win and do well, so it s only fair we return to the days of being a bit aggressive and arrogant on the field. One does not become a feared opponent in top flight sport by being mild and welcoming.
Thursday 29 December 2011
Tuesday 27 December 2011
No DRS or Is There?
Well it appears that the DRS is in play after all and and India have been on the beneficial end again. No matter how you put it India are becoming hypocrites when it comes to the use of technology in cricket.
After what happened yesterday it was always going to happen. Dismissals would be decided by video replay and the decision would benefit the team that did not want this technology used for the DRS system. If India wants the umpire to make the call on the field then that is what should happen. If the umpire thinks it is a noball then he should call it. If a wicket did not fall would the umpire have still called noball? How many more noballs were not called due to a wicket not falling on the delivery.
It was not long into the day when the first wicket fell and the umpire immediately called for a review of the noball and also to see if the ball carried. Once viewed and given out, the Indians were more than happy to accept the use of the review system and celebrate the wicket. In the last session of the day an Indian wicket falls, the valuable wicket of Dravid, and the umpire decides he thinks it might be a noball (if he thought it why not call it straight away), viewing the replay of the noball I can argue the point that it may not have been a noball as the foot might have slid forward but the frames are either side of the foot's initial contact with the ground. Decision reviewed and it is ruled a noball, India benefit again from the use of technology that they have declined to allow the use of throughout the series.
Why do umpires not review every wicket to see if it is a noball? Umpires do make mistakes and human error is part of sport, but when technology is available, why not use it. India have shown their true colours, they are happy to accept decisions without technology and they are happy to accept decisions that use technology, either way India are happy with everything as long as it is good for India.
It is now time that Australian cricket fans said that it is not good enough. If it is good enough for India to say that they are not happy with the DRS system it is good enough for Australians to say that we are not happy with the lack of DRS and India's acceptance of the DRS when umpires use it.
After what happened yesterday it was always going to happen. Dismissals would be decided by video replay and the decision would benefit the team that did not want this technology used for the DRS system. If India wants the umpire to make the call on the field then that is what should happen. If the umpire thinks it is a noball then he should call it. If a wicket did not fall would the umpire have still called noball? How many more noballs were not called due to a wicket not falling on the delivery.
It was not long into the day when the first wicket fell and the umpire immediately called for a review of the noball and also to see if the ball carried. Once viewed and given out, the Indians were more than happy to accept the use of the review system and celebrate the wicket. In the last session of the day an Indian wicket falls, the valuable wicket of Dravid, and the umpire decides he thinks it might be a noball (if he thought it why not call it straight away), viewing the replay of the noball I can argue the point that it may not have been a noball as the foot might have slid forward but the frames are either side of the foot's initial contact with the ground. Decision reviewed and it is ruled a noball, India benefit again from the use of technology that they have declined to allow the use of throughout the series.
Why do umpires not review every wicket to see if it is a noball? Umpires do make mistakes and human error is part of sport, but when technology is available, why not use it. India have shown their true colours, they are happy to accept decisions without technology and they are happy to accept decisions that use technology, either way India are happy with everything as long as it is good for India.
It is now time that Australian cricket fans said that it is not good enough. If it is good enough for India to say that they are not happy with the DRS system it is good enough for Australians to say that we are not happy with the lack of DRS and India's acceptance of the DRS when umpires use it.
Monday 26 December 2011
DRS Farce In Boxing Day Test
The Boxing Day Test kicked off against modern rivals India and what I always thought would be a controversial issue this series raised its head on the first day and will be a talking point all summer.
Under the rules of the ICC if both teams don't agree on the DRS then it is not used. As usual India declined to use the technology and it showed why. The decision to give out Hussey and Cowan were appalling decisions by the umpire as replays clearly showed there was no edge and also clearly showed there was no sound when the ball passed the bat on both occasions. With these facts it makes you wonder why India were appealing so loudly when there is no evidence to give the decision out. Add to that the fact the biggest appeal on both occasions came from the keeper who is also the captain of the team.
The ICC has the power to enforce the DRS for every game. The DRS is used for runout and stumping decisions and if I am correct it will also be used to see if a .ball carried to a fielder. The umpires will also use replays to confirm boundaries. India cannot have it both ways, if they do not want to use the DRS because they do not trust the technology then they cannot also say they trust the technology for other decisions.
India were also unhappy with a declined LBW decision that did not go there way and clearly showed frustration. Someone needs to tap then on the should tonight and remind them of earlier decisions that went there way. For the rest of this series India maintain no right to complain about any umpiring decisions as they have handed themselves the deck they are playing with. What India need to remind themselves of is how would they handle the tow decisions if they happened to their players. Imagine the reaction in India if Tendulkar was given out first ball to a delivery that he clearly missed.
Analysis of the game with my sideline reporter had comments of cheating raised. I am not saying that India have cheated but if they continue to refuse the DRS and then appeal for dismissals that are clearly not out then they have to accept the accusations that will go their way. It will be interesting to see how today's play pans out in media reports and if either side makes any comments. I will be watching closely.
Under the rules of the ICC if both teams don't agree on the DRS then it is not used. As usual India declined to use the technology and it showed why. The decision to give out Hussey and Cowan were appalling decisions by the umpire as replays clearly showed there was no edge and also clearly showed there was no sound when the ball passed the bat on both occasions. With these facts it makes you wonder why India were appealing so loudly when there is no evidence to give the decision out. Add to that the fact the biggest appeal on both occasions came from the keeper who is also the captain of the team.
The ICC has the power to enforce the DRS for every game. The DRS is used for runout and stumping decisions and if I am correct it will also be used to see if a .ball carried to a fielder. The umpires will also use replays to confirm boundaries. India cannot have it both ways, if they do not want to use the DRS because they do not trust the technology then they cannot also say they trust the technology for other decisions.
India were also unhappy with a declined LBW decision that did not go there way and clearly showed frustration. Someone needs to tap then on the should tonight and remind them of earlier decisions that went there way. For the rest of this series India maintain no right to complain about any umpiring decisions as they have handed themselves the deck they are playing with. What India need to remind themselves of is how would they handle the tow decisions if they happened to their players. Imagine the reaction in India if Tendulkar was given out first ball to a delivery that he clearly missed.
Analysis of the game with my sideline reporter had comments of cheating raised. I am not saying that India have cheated but if they continue to refuse the DRS and then appeal for dismissals that are clearly not out then they have to accept the accusations that will go their way. It will be interesting to see how today's play pans out in media reports and if either side makes any comments. I will be watching closely.
Wednesday 21 December 2011
Suarez Banned For Not Being Racist
This is how the headlines should read. What I am trying to figure out is how the FA came up with such a decision. Suarez has been found guilty of saying racist comments yet has also been found not to be racist. The term in question throughout this whole charade is "negrito". If anyone is offended by this term I wonder if they really know what it means.
To start with it is not what you think it is. It is not the racist term that many American Rap artists uses frequently without anyone raising an uproar. Negrito is a term for a class of ethnic groups from South East Asia with possible African heritage. It is also has a literal translation of 'little black guy'. If this term is to be considered racist then the FA have opened up a can of worms that would make the PC world look insensitive. One can not be racist if one uses a term that has been defined by anthropologists. How can the FA find a word that is not offensive in one language to be racist when translated to another?
From here Liverpool FC should take this to a court of law as part of their appeal to show how foolish this decision is. If it is found that this term is no longer allowed, imagine how many other terms would be considered racist. If you cannot refer to an ethnic group, would Australians be unable to say Aboriginal. How do we refer to the Chinese or Indians. The UK government would be found guilty by the FA for terms it uses in its census for how it breaks down its ethnic classes: ie, White, Mixed, Black, Chinese & other, and in those groups it broke it down even further. Would a person be banned if in a game they referred to a redhead as a wranga. Is it no longer acceptable to call someone a white guy?
The sporting field is a place where sledging will always take place and in my time I have heard some things that are not acceptable in most places. It is not always a good thing but it is a part of sport. Yes there are lines that should not be crossed, but from this point on the FA will need to carefully decide what it does and I will be watching to see how John Terry goes with his racist charge.
I have covered this issue before and I will state that I in no way support or condone racism.
To start with it is not what you think it is. It is not the racist term that many American Rap artists uses frequently without anyone raising an uproar. Negrito is a term for a class of ethnic groups from South East Asia with possible African heritage. It is also has a literal translation of 'little black guy'. If this term is to be considered racist then the FA have opened up a can of worms that would make the PC world look insensitive. One can not be racist if one uses a term that has been defined by anthropologists. How can the FA find a word that is not offensive in one language to be racist when translated to another?
From here Liverpool FC should take this to a court of law as part of their appeal to show how foolish this decision is. If it is found that this term is no longer allowed, imagine how many other terms would be considered racist. If you cannot refer to an ethnic group, would Australians be unable to say Aboriginal. How do we refer to the Chinese or Indians. The UK government would be found guilty by the FA for terms it uses in its census for how it breaks down its ethnic classes: ie, White, Mixed, Black, Chinese & other, and in those groups it broke it down even further. Would a person be banned if in a game they referred to a redhead as a wranga. Is it no longer acceptable to call someone a white guy?
The sporting field is a place where sledging will always take place and in my time I have heard some things that are not acceptable in most places. It is not always a good thing but it is a part of sport. Yes there are lines that should not be crossed, but from this point on the FA will need to carefully decide what it does and I will be watching to see how John Terry goes with his racist charge.
I have covered this issue before and I will state that I in no way support or condone racism.
Monday 19 December 2011
Weekend Wrap
The weekend has well and truly past and Christmas is getting closer. The sport though has not stopped or slowed down at a time when everything else seems to. Plenty of talking points and more sport than I could manage to see with Christmas parties and birthday parties to attend to. I will most likely miss plenty of topics but here are what I found to be the points of interest.
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| Frustration Is Setting In |
Roar Lose Four
With the Roar losing again it is now four losses in a row from a team that a month ago had everyone wondering if anyone would beat them again. But four games later and it is amazing how quickly everyone starts talking about what the Roar are doing wrong and what they need to do to fix it. The same thing that people were praising for the last 12 months are now being criticised. All Brisbane seem to be struggling with is injuries to key players which has disrupted their playing style. Suddenly all the things that worked are quite going smoothly, and the doubt is stating to show. They will bounce back to winning and once they do they will be a force again. If anything it is better for them to go through this mid season then towards the finals. Al teams should be worried that they are potentially in top form too early in the season and the Roar will be at peak come finals. With the injury to Broich I can see the Roar playing for a big signing in the next transfer window.
Big Bash Is Under Way
The Big Bash has one round under its belt, so where is it at? The Big Bash will only get bigger and better and that is good for Australian Cricket. With only a couple of international signings per team it will help grow our domestic scene as long as it does not get over populated with retired players deciding that they are no longer retired. At the moment there is a good mix and it is needed to help mentor the up and coming players of the future. Warner's century was a great knock but some of the calls about his greatness could be true, but lets see him perform at the top level on a consistent basis before throwing to many plaudits his way. I will wait until a few more games have passed before passing too many judgements on players. Plenty of games to go and so far my tipping is not too great. Looking to see the Heat bounce back at the Gabba and storm towards a final.
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| Suarez Has the Opposition Chasing Ghosts |
Suarez In Top Form
I sacrificed sleep on a sunday night to stay up and watch Liverpool play Aston Villa and it was worth the tiredness on Monday. Suarez is in great form and even with a quiet first half, once he woke up he was almost unstoppable and on any other day would have scored at least 2 goals. Unfortunately for Suarez though the woodwork was against him, which seems to be a common theme for Liverpool this season. The whole team seems to be working well as a unit and they deserve the record of having the best defensive record this season. With Chelsea drawing Liverpool have made some ground and with games against oppositions that they should account for over the next few games they should be able to move up the ladder and crack into the top four. With the style they are playing I can some plenty more late nights ahead of me.
Barcelona and Daylight
I would not envy the person who keeps the trophy cabinet shiny at Barcelona. Barcelona have added more silverware to their cabinet after winning the FIFA World Club Cup after defeating South American champions Santos, 4-0. This was a game between a team that plays the best style of football in the world and another team that seemed happy to watch them do it. It is not hard to be in awe of Barcelona as they have a system that should be the envy of every coach in the world. And with that system is some of the best players in the world. Many of their players would be happily snapped up by another team, it is just a matter of how to afford them. I am not a supporter of Barcelona but it is always a pleasure to watch how they play.
This might be the last wrap for the year as I am planning on a Wrap of the Year post next. Keep on passing the word and as always let me know if there is an issue or event that you want my thoughts on.
Sunday 18 December 2011
Fairweather Fans
With Brisbane Roar losing it's fourth game in a row and many headlines stating the declining numbers for Roar home games it is highlighting one of sports problems. Everyone loves a winner.
When a team is on top it is amazing how many people support them, when they start losing though you soon find out who the true supporters are. When Brisbane start winning again you will see the crowd numbers rise and when a final comes around you will be lucky if you can get a ticket. It is the same with any sporting event in Australia, or be it the world. Only a few years ago the Reds were the laughing stock of Rugby and struggling to get crowds, now you will be lucky if you can get a ticket for games next season. When state of Origin rolls around tickets are snapped up straight away, well in Queensland anyway, but how many of those ticket buyers ever go to another game of league. For Australians it is all about the spectacle. The majority only want to be associated with a successful team or have it known they were at a major event.
But once the team starts losing or the event loses it's appeal they all drop off the bandwagon and tell everyone what is wrong with the team or the system. A fickle fan will change who they follow to ensure they are following a winner. A true fan will walk down the street in the jersey or shirt of his favourite team any time of the year and turn up to every game they can and watch every game they can on TV.
I will be the first to admit I can be very critical of teams I follow but at the end of the day I still follow them. I have pride in my state and follow every state team, I follow teams from my home town regardless of how well they are going, I will support every team in my state in national competitions. I have followed and are a member of the only foreign football team I have supported. Fairweather fans will always be a part of the sporting world but I will always have respect for someone who is a true supporter of a team regardless of who they support.
Fairweather fans get my poor form nomination.
When a team is on top it is amazing how many people support them, when they start losing though you soon find out who the true supporters are. When Brisbane start winning again you will see the crowd numbers rise and when a final comes around you will be lucky if you can get a ticket. It is the same with any sporting event in Australia, or be it the world. Only a few years ago the Reds were the laughing stock of Rugby and struggling to get crowds, now you will be lucky if you can get a ticket for games next season. When state of Origin rolls around tickets are snapped up straight away, well in Queensland anyway, but how many of those ticket buyers ever go to another game of league. For Australians it is all about the spectacle. The majority only want to be associated with a successful team or have it known they were at a major event.
But once the team starts losing or the event loses it's appeal they all drop off the bandwagon and tell everyone what is wrong with the team or the system. A fickle fan will change who they follow to ensure they are following a winner. A true fan will walk down the street in the jersey or shirt of his favourite team any time of the year and turn up to every game they can and watch every game they can on TV.
I will be the first to admit I can be very critical of teams I follow but at the end of the day I still follow them. I have pride in my state and follow every state team, I follow teams from my home town regardless of how well they are going, I will support every team in my state in national competitions. I have followed and are a member of the only foreign football team I have supported. Fairweather fans will always be a part of the sporting world but I will always have respect for someone who is a true supporter of a team regardless of who they support.
Fairweather fans get my poor form nomination.
Saturday 17 December 2011
Big Bash Is Under Way
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| This for me was the deciding moment of the game. |
Well the Big Bash is under way. Here I was all buzzing and excited especially after Brisbane Heat won the toss and decided to bat. Walking out to the crease were two destructive batsmen including my favourite player, Matthew Hayden. With Brett Lee firing in, the fireworks were set to explode. But with a crack it all fizzled out to be a game that I honestly can say I tuned off to before it was over. Once Lee forced McCullum off the field with a crack to the nose, the game did not live up to the hype it deserved. With a pitch that offered more than it normally would to a bowling attack in twenty20 cricket, the Heat could never get going with the continual fall of wickets.
Once NSW started batting, just by listening to the commentators one could tell it was all over. How quickly they forget the form of past and how quickly they jump back on the bandwagon of a player scoring runs again. Haddin batted well but not too much should be read in to the form of a player in a game where he didn't really face any quality bowling. And this for me is where the Heat lost the game. The inexperience of the young bowlers let them down and there was no real threat from any bowler in the team. For the Heat to have any hope in this competition they have already found out that you cannot rely solely on a batting attack, especially when the batting attack does fire. Twenty20 cricket is just as much about stopping runs and getting wickets as it is hitting big shots.
The Heat do have promise though as Hayden looked good on his return, McCullum may have been a match winner had he not been hit and Christian showed his worth. I can see the Heat bouncing back with a big performance at the Gabba.
Also of note for this game was the very average crowd that turned up, when the SCG management were expecting 20,000, getting a crowd of 12,285 is somewhat worrying. Sydney will keep telling you they are up there as a sporting capital so to only have this many turn out on a Friday night is another example this year that Sydney is by no means a sporting mecca.
Wednesday 14 December 2011
AFL Betting Scandal....Again
Seems the AFL has got a problem with the announcement that Gold Coast Suns Player, Nathan Bock has been found guilty of providing inside information to family members enabling them to win $40,000 collectively on bets. Bock has been banned for 2 games and fined $20,000.
AFL operations manager, Adrian Anderson, has stated "We viewed this case more seriously because it happened after Maxwell and Shaw".
"We think more and more, there is no excuse for payers not to be aware of the gambling rules and not to act in accordance with them. Each time it happens, the sanctions will continue to increase"
What puzzles me is how you give a player higher punishment for an offense because someone else committed the same one. Maxwell did the same thing and was only fined $5000. I do not have a problem with a player being punished harshly but I do have a problem with inconsistency in how the punishment is handed out. And when you add to the fact that Maxwell plays for Collingwood, a team that Eddie McGuire always makes sure gets off as lightly as possible it smacks of incompetency. Bock did the wrong this yes, but surely he should not be punished heavier because of someone else'[s similar mistake or for the fact that he is smart enough to not want to wear black and white.
Anderson has blatantly stated that prior offenses comitted will affect everyone. If this is the case then why not punish the AFL officials who got into bed with betting agencies in the first place and were happy to sign off on deals for sponsorship. If the AFL was serious they would ensure that no part of their game had any association with gambling. When you state odds before and during a game you cannot complain when your game becomes embroiled in illegal acts. If you take money from the devil, then you are sleeping with the devil. Once you have have slept with the devil it is hard to get a clean image. If the AFL wants to be serious on this issue then the simple answer is life time bans, but the AFL can only do this if it cuts itself off completely from anything to do with gambling. But I can't see the AFL doing this anytime soon.
AFL operations manager, Adrian Anderson, has stated "We viewed this case more seriously because it happened after Maxwell and Shaw".
"We think more and more, there is no excuse for payers not to be aware of the gambling rules and not to act in accordance with them. Each time it happens, the sanctions will continue to increase"
What puzzles me is how you give a player higher punishment for an offense because someone else committed the same one. Maxwell did the same thing and was only fined $5000. I do not have a problem with a player being punished harshly but I do have a problem with inconsistency in how the punishment is handed out. And when you add to the fact that Maxwell plays for Collingwood, a team that Eddie McGuire always makes sure gets off as lightly as possible it smacks of incompetency. Bock did the wrong this yes, but surely he should not be punished heavier because of someone else'[s similar mistake or for the fact that he is smart enough to not want to wear black and white.
Anderson has blatantly stated that prior offenses comitted will affect everyone. If this is the case then why not punish the AFL officials who got into bed with betting agencies in the first place and were happy to sign off on deals for sponsorship. If the AFL was serious they would ensure that no part of their game had any association with gambling. When you state odds before and during a game you cannot complain when your game becomes embroiled in illegal acts. If you take money from the devil, then you are sleeping with the devil. Once you have have slept with the devil it is hard to get a clean image. If the AFL wants to be serious on this issue then the simple answer is life time bans, but the AFL can only do this if it cuts itself off completely from anything to do with gambling. But I can't see the AFL doing this anytime soon.
Tuesday 13 December 2011
Deciding Man of the Match.....
Seems the recent test match has raised yet again the issue of who should win a man of the match award. In the recent Australia v New Zealand test match the man of the match was from the losing side and on top of that was decided by the viewers. This itself raises a few questions. The main one to arise is whether or not the man of the match should come from the winning side. Generally in my opinion the answer is yes. How can one justify that a winning team does not contain a match winning performance. And how can a player on a losing team be counted as the best on field if his team has not won. If the award is called best on field then I can justify a player from a losing team winning but for me a man of the match performance is underlined by a game changing performance that sets a team up for victory. Look through the history of all sports and it is very rare for a player on a losing team to win such an award.
Leaving that issue of who should win the award aside, the way it is decided needs more examination in the modern sporting world. Firstly for cricket to now say that the fans decide who wins the award means the award should be called "The Most Popular Award". It is bad enough that TV is becoming obsessed with reality TV that is nothing but a popularity contest but to then take that to the sporting stage is fraught with danger. Once you give the power to the people in such a manner you will not get the results that are deserved. TV viewers have a short memory so when asking them to decide who is the best player over a five day game, most of the time they will vote for someone that did something in the last 2 days. Add to that the situation where the option to vote is put out before a game has finished and the process is flawed. I have seen in other sports especially Rugby League and Union where they announce the man of the match award when there is still ten minutes left in the game and the result could go either way. Television studios are too concerned about announcing the result before the game is over and the viewer changes the channel. All this is doing is saying that the award is nothing too special and only for sponsorship plugs for the company paying the prize money.
Go back to the old way of deciding the award, wait for the game to finish, gather a group of "experts" at the game from various sources, TV, Radio, Newspaper Journos and officials and ask them who was the best player on the field that affected the outcome of the game. See who gets mentioned the most and there is your man of the match. If this takes twenty minutes, so be it, at least you know you have given the process some thought and not relied on the whim of a fan sitting on the couch and potentially drunk to decide something for you. This is how most goverments are formed and look how well that is working at the moment.
Leaving that issue of who should win the award aside, the way it is decided needs more examination in the modern sporting world. Firstly for cricket to now say that the fans decide who wins the award means the award should be called "The Most Popular Award". It is bad enough that TV is becoming obsessed with reality TV that is nothing but a popularity contest but to then take that to the sporting stage is fraught with danger. Once you give the power to the people in such a manner you will not get the results that are deserved. TV viewers have a short memory so when asking them to decide who is the best player over a five day game, most of the time they will vote for someone that did something in the last 2 days. Add to that the situation where the option to vote is put out before a game has finished and the process is flawed. I have seen in other sports especially Rugby League and Union where they announce the man of the match award when there is still ten minutes left in the game and the result could go either way. Television studios are too concerned about announcing the result before the game is over and the viewer changes the channel. All this is doing is saying that the award is nothing too special and only for sponsorship plugs for the company paying the prize money.
Go back to the old way of deciding the award, wait for the game to finish, gather a group of "experts" at the game from various sources, TV, Radio, Newspaper Journos and officials and ask them who was the best player on the field that affected the outcome of the game. See who gets mentioned the most and there is your man of the match. If this takes twenty minutes, so be it, at least you know you have given the process some thought and not relied on the whim of a fan sitting on the couch and potentially drunk to decide something for you. This is how most goverments are formed and look how well that is working at the moment.
Monday 12 December 2011
Clarke Can't Have It Both Ways
It what has become another disgrace in Australia's recent cricket history, Michael Clarke has decided that it is everyone else's fault. Here I was following the cricket on-line and Australia cruising at 2/120 when I had to get my head into work. I was surprised when I was able to later check the score and see that Australia had found a way to lose the game, but I was not shocked. This is something that Michael Clarke and the selectors could have avoided but decided to stick their heads up their ass and continue with faith that all was ok with the Australian batting lineup.
Clarke has now come out after the game and stated that some tough decisions will need to be made before the selection of the Boxing day test and in his words "Since I've taken over the captaincy, I've made it very clear that my one vote on selection will not be personal, it'll be whatever I think is best for the team." Well Clarke has been given the selection he thinks is best for the team and yet again it failed. The only out the selectors and Clarke has is to make wholesale changes to a batting lineup that couldn't make runs after eating a dodgy curry in Mumbai.
Clarke is now saying that the players he has publicly stated he wants in the team and deserved to be in the team may no longer be good enough to be in his team. When Clarke next talks to the media he needs to publicly admit that he got it wrong, make an apology for his teams performance and start realising it is an honour to play for Australia not a right because the captain likes you.
Clarke's favourite opener Hughes must definitely never get another look at a baggy green until he has scored a mountain of runs at state level and even then be told he is not good enough. Will Clarke admit he got this selection wrong is something to be seen though. And then we has Khawaja, a player with talent that is yet to convert but also being put under extra pressure of being made a first drop who may as well pad up before a ball is bowled and wait on the boundary, ready. I have said in the past he has potential yet I will not be surprised if he gets dropped as one of the few changes.
And then we get in the problem no one will admit to and just mentioning that he should be dropped will start debate and that is Ponting. Again Ponting has failed and looked awful in his dismissal, he is out of form and only holding back an opportunity for a talented player in form to play for his country. The only question is whether Clarke has the ability to put the axe to Ponting. Ponting has been a great player in the past but at the moment he is an obstacle in a team trying to rebuild. Sometimes the foundations need to be removed completely before rebuilding.
Another experienced player who is lucky if he can last more than a few overs at the moment is Hussey. Not long ago he was the form player but that now seems a long time ago and looks like it is a long way off. He might have taken a crucial wicket but that is not what he is in the team for. Time to cut this player loose too.
After Hughes my next selection to be dropped is Haddin. His ability to get out to poor shots and to balls that he could leave or hit anywhere but to a fielder is too consistent. Clarke might like this guy too much and for me that is the only reason he must be getting selected. There are plenty of excellent glovemen around the country and all of them can bat, not quite sure why Australia keep sticking with one who is not doing enough with the bat or gloves.
With all the changes I think need to be made one could ask who do you bring in, and that is fair enough. I would keep Warner after his debut century that should have been crowned as a match winning century. With Marsh and Watson returning from injury Australia could have a very solid 1, 2, 3. An opening partnership of a dynamic Warner with the patience of Marsh being backed up at first drop for a technically correct and explosive player like Watson is a combination that can put on consistent good starts for a middle order. Clarke should be coming in at 4 with Christian and Khawaja filling 5 & 6. For all the changes you only have one player on debut and a lot more class and ability.
The wicket-keeper would be Wade who is more than capable of showing Haddin how to play a tough innings when required. As for the bowlers the only change that needs to be made is that of Starc. He still has a lot of work to do on his game and should be doing it at state level. He bowls too many loose balls and even though he can bowl a great ball he does not put any pressure on the batsmen.
The selection of the team for the Boxing day test will cause plenty of debate but the worst thing the selectors can do is think that generally things are ok and only minimal changes need to be done. This is not a batting line up that has only just started to fail, they have been on a downward slide for a long time now. Only question is whether or not the selectors and Clarke are strong enough to admit they got it wrong and are prepared to make the hard decisions.
Clarke has now come out after the game and stated that some tough decisions will need to be made before the selection of the Boxing day test and in his words "Since I've taken over the captaincy, I've made it very clear that my one vote on selection will not be personal, it'll be whatever I think is best for the team." Well Clarke has been given the selection he thinks is best for the team and yet again it failed. The only out the selectors and Clarke has is to make wholesale changes to a batting lineup that couldn't make runs after eating a dodgy curry in Mumbai.
Clarke is now saying that the players he has publicly stated he wants in the team and deserved to be in the team may no longer be good enough to be in his team. When Clarke next talks to the media he needs to publicly admit that he got it wrong, make an apology for his teams performance and start realising it is an honour to play for Australia not a right because the captain likes you.
Clarke's favourite opener Hughes must definitely never get another look at a baggy green until he has scored a mountain of runs at state level and even then be told he is not good enough. Will Clarke admit he got this selection wrong is something to be seen though. And then we has Khawaja, a player with talent that is yet to convert but also being put under extra pressure of being made a first drop who may as well pad up before a ball is bowled and wait on the boundary, ready. I have said in the past he has potential yet I will not be surprised if he gets dropped as one of the few changes.
And then we get in the problem no one will admit to and just mentioning that he should be dropped will start debate and that is Ponting. Again Ponting has failed and looked awful in his dismissal, he is out of form and only holding back an opportunity for a talented player in form to play for his country. The only question is whether Clarke has the ability to put the axe to Ponting. Ponting has been a great player in the past but at the moment he is an obstacle in a team trying to rebuild. Sometimes the foundations need to be removed completely before rebuilding.
Another experienced player who is lucky if he can last more than a few overs at the moment is Hussey. Not long ago he was the form player but that now seems a long time ago and looks like it is a long way off. He might have taken a crucial wicket but that is not what he is in the team for. Time to cut this player loose too.
After Hughes my next selection to be dropped is Haddin. His ability to get out to poor shots and to balls that he could leave or hit anywhere but to a fielder is too consistent. Clarke might like this guy too much and for me that is the only reason he must be getting selected. There are plenty of excellent glovemen around the country and all of them can bat, not quite sure why Australia keep sticking with one who is not doing enough with the bat or gloves.
With all the changes I think need to be made one could ask who do you bring in, and that is fair enough. I would keep Warner after his debut century that should have been crowned as a match winning century. With Marsh and Watson returning from injury Australia could have a very solid 1, 2, 3. An opening partnership of a dynamic Warner with the patience of Marsh being backed up at first drop for a technically correct and explosive player like Watson is a combination that can put on consistent good starts for a middle order. Clarke should be coming in at 4 with Christian and Khawaja filling 5 & 6. For all the changes you only have one player on debut and a lot more class and ability.
The wicket-keeper would be Wade who is more than capable of showing Haddin how to play a tough innings when required. As for the bowlers the only change that needs to be made is that of Starc. He still has a lot of work to do on his game and should be doing it at state level. He bowls too many loose balls and even though he can bowl a great ball he does not put any pressure on the batsmen.
The selection of the team for the Boxing day test will cause plenty of debate but the worst thing the selectors can do is think that generally things are ok and only minimal changes need to be done. This is not a batting line up that has only just started to fail, they have been on a downward slide for a long time now. Only question is whether or not the selectors and Clarke are strong enough to admit they got it wrong and are prepared to make the hard decisions.
Sunday 11 December 2011
Weekend Wrap
For those who like reading the weekend wrap here it is again. There was quite a lot of sport over the weekend and with that there is always talking points, be they positive or not.
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| Great shot of Suarez heading the winner |
Suarez Fires For Liverpool
I was very glad that I stayed up to watch this game. Suarez was a man on a mission and deserved the goal to give Liverpool a 1-0 victory at Anfield. His skills on the field are a treat to watch and was unlucky not to score more. Also of note was an unlucky Maxi Rodriguez who on another day could have easily walked off a hat-trick hero. The game was of frantic pace for much of the game and Liverpool looked much more determined to ensure victory. With Carroll being kept on the bench and not getting on at all, it will be interesting to see if on his return Liverpool don;t go back to form of old. If Liverpool can keep up this standard of performance and Suarez continues on with this form they should start making progress on those above them on the table.
I should also note it is now at least eight weeks since the allegations of racism were made against Saurez by Patrice Evra and yet nothing has been done. Surely if this allegation was serious it would have been at least heard at some level by now. The FA is starting to look very ordinary indeed in this matter. Maybe the season will be over before we hear any more on this issue.
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| Ever seen a more depressed looking batsmen? |
Australian Top Order Not Top Class
Just when you think Australia are starting to find some sort of Test cricket form in come the batsmen to change your thinking. I have written plenty on my thoughts about the batsmen in this team but I will once again state that Phil Hughes must surely be dropped after this test match. Even if he goes on to get a score in the second innings it is too late. Especially when early in the second innings he edges one down the legside only for the umpire to say not out and the foolish Kiwis not referring the decision. Mu money is on Hughes getting around about fifty runs, Clarke saying he still wants him in the team for the Boxing day test, and then the Indians showing why he should have been dropped.
Kookaburras Win Fourth Consecutive Champions Trophy
Hockey does not get enough coverage from my point of view. And when you have a team as good as the kookaburras it is a shame. Although I didn't see the game it is worth reporting that they beat Spain in a close 1-0 victory in a game that had a few moments where Spain were more worried about complaining then playing the game.
How Stupid Are Sportsmen
For my last article I have to make a comment about one of the biggest idiots in sport. Golden State Warriors guard, Charlie Webb, turned up to a hearing for his drink driving case drunk. How clueless was this guy? Looks like making the big money of the NBA does not require an IQ. Either way he will go down as one of the stupidest basketballers for this year.
It is a bit of a short weekend wrap but as always if you want me to cover something I have missed or know there is an event coming up where you want my opinion let me know. I am always happy to receive feedback and suggestions.
Keep reading and pass the word.
Saturday 10 December 2011
Batting Disgrace - What's to Blame?
Yet again Australia has hit a new low in Test cricket and our batsmen are to blame. After dismissing New Zealand for a lowly 150 in the first innings, Australia were in a good position. The bowlers had done the job and now it was time for the batsmen to do theirs. And this is where the problem was. Put our batsmen on a good deck and generally they can put on a good score. Put them on a pitch and in conditions where it is favourable to the bowlers and it all falls apart. Watching the way wickets fell was embarrassing and all too familiar. All out for 136. Look at the batsmen one by one and it is easy to start seeing where the problems are.
Hughes - Surely now the selectors (Captain included) must be ready to admit that this guy is not of standard and way out of form. He is the most depressed looking cricketer I have seen and looks about as solid in batting as Chris Martin does at number 11. Regardless of the second innings he must be sent back to Shield cricket.
Warner - Yes this guy can hit a ball and score runs quick and has had some brilliant innings in the short formats of the game. This is the problem, here is a batsmen who has been picked on his ability to play on lifeless pitches, opening in Test cricket is very rarely ever going to be on a dead pitch. He has talent but why have selectors gone away from picking batsmen who have scored a bag of runs in Shield cricket.
Khawaja - Definitely has talent and ever since I saw his first test innings I liked what I saw. Only problem is I think they are playing him in the wrong spot. Patience needs to be held with him in the same way patience was held with Steve Waugh. Put him down at 5 or 6 and take a bit of pressure off him. Putting him at 1st drop at the moment with Hughes and Warner and he may as well open the batting.
Ponting - His time has come, tap him on the shoulder and tell him this is his last test match. He may have scored some runs at the Gabba but his continual ability to be dismissed LBW the same way almost every innings shows he is not able to change his game. His footwork is slow and he is on the back foot too much. And to start walking before the umpire puts his finger up for an LBW decision is a sign he knows how bad it is.
Clarke - Actually in some form with the bat but still getting out to poor shots or in the last case a poor leave. I never like seeing a batsmen bowled shouldering arms, especially when the ball is moving about. Looked poor and was poor.
Hussey - He might be Mr Cricket but of late he is not reliable. Only a few tests ago he was our form batsmen but can't seem to take a trick of late. On his day he can be great but I have a feeling this will be his last summer of cricket if he does not get a big score soon.
Haddin - Yet again gets caught out at mid off playing a foolish shot when quick runs were not needed. Time to find a keeper who can bat a bit but has excellent glovework, as yet again Haddin is not taking balls cleanly. Glovework aside though, Haddin rarely puts in an innings when his team really needs it.
Tail End - At the start of the Gabba test many comments were made about the length of the tail, yet it is the tail putting the top order to shame.
Why is it that Australia cannot bat on a bowler friendly pitch? Once selected for Australia you will very rarely see a player play 4 day cricket for his state. When not playing tests they are playing one-dayers & twenty20 games which are in general on pitches where the batsmen know that they can play their shots and throw there wicket away chasing runs. When they do have a chance to play shield games a rest is usually taken due to the hectic schedule they claim to have. Our test cricketers do not get back to play enough games on a variety of pitches around the country and against a variety of bowlers. All the net sessions in the world will never replicate a green top wicket.
They say Twenty20 will ruin test cricket and it may well do but it is the selection process and Australia's cricketing setup that will enhance the prospect. Australian batsmen have lost focus on what test cricket is about. A test is won over 5 days, it is a battle of attrition. It is not a game reliant on big scores scored at 4-5 runs per over. Bowlers do not need to take a wicket every ball. Test cricket is about building and maintaining pressure over a long period of time. Test cricket is about having our best team, not picking players the captain likes or maintaining a player because of past records. It is not a right to wear the baggy green, it is an honour and privilege, just because a player is contracted does not mean he should be selected.
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| Dead Man Walking |
Hughes - Surely now the selectors (Captain included) must be ready to admit that this guy is not of standard and way out of form. He is the most depressed looking cricketer I have seen and looks about as solid in batting as Chris Martin does at number 11. Regardless of the second innings he must be sent back to Shield cricket.
Warner - Yes this guy can hit a ball and score runs quick and has had some brilliant innings in the short formats of the game. This is the problem, here is a batsmen who has been picked on his ability to play on lifeless pitches, opening in Test cricket is very rarely ever going to be on a dead pitch. He has talent but why have selectors gone away from picking batsmen who have scored a bag of runs in Shield cricket.
Khawaja - Definitely has talent and ever since I saw his first test innings I liked what I saw. Only problem is I think they are playing him in the wrong spot. Patience needs to be held with him in the same way patience was held with Steve Waugh. Put him down at 5 or 6 and take a bit of pressure off him. Putting him at 1st drop at the moment with Hughes and Warner and he may as well open the batting.
Ponting - His time has come, tap him on the shoulder and tell him this is his last test match. He may have scored some runs at the Gabba but his continual ability to be dismissed LBW the same way almost every innings shows he is not able to change his game. His footwork is slow and he is on the back foot too much. And to start walking before the umpire puts his finger up for an LBW decision is a sign he knows how bad it is.
Clarke - Actually in some form with the bat but still getting out to poor shots or in the last case a poor leave. I never like seeing a batsmen bowled shouldering arms, especially when the ball is moving about. Looked poor and was poor.
Hussey - He might be Mr Cricket but of late he is not reliable. Only a few tests ago he was our form batsmen but can't seem to take a trick of late. On his day he can be great but I have a feeling this will be his last summer of cricket if he does not get a big score soon.
Haddin - Yet again gets caught out at mid off playing a foolish shot when quick runs were not needed. Time to find a keeper who can bat a bit but has excellent glovework, as yet again Haddin is not taking balls cleanly. Glovework aside though, Haddin rarely puts in an innings when his team really needs it.
Tail End - At the start of the Gabba test many comments were made about the length of the tail, yet it is the tail putting the top order to shame.
Why is it that Australia cannot bat on a bowler friendly pitch? Once selected for Australia you will very rarely see a player play 4 day cricket for his state. When not playing tests they are playing one-dayers & twenty20 games which are in general on pitches where the batsmen know that they can play their shots and throw there wicket away chasing runs. When they do have a chance to play shield games a rest is usually taken due to the hectic schedule they claim to have. Our test cricketers do not get back to play enough games on a variety of pitches around the country and against a variety of bowlers. All the net sessions in the world will never replicate a green top wicket.
They say Twenty20 will ruin test cricket and it may well do but it is the selection process and Australia's cricketing setup that will enhance the prospect. Australian batsmen have lost focus on what test cricket is about. A test is won over 5 days, it is a battle of attrition. It is not a game reliant on big scores scored at 4-5 runs per over. Bowlers do not need to take a wicket every ball. Test cricket is about building and maintaining pressure over a long period of time. Test cricket is about having our best team, not picking players the captain likes or maintaining a player because of past records. It is not a right to wear the baggy green, it is an honour and privilege, just because a player is contracted does not mean he should be selected.
Thursday 8 December 2011
Poor Form Nomination
It has been awhile since I felt a poor form nomination was warranted but today I have felt that the Football Association is deserving of this nomination. Only a few days ago I was none too pleased with the performance of Kevin Friend in Liverpool's loss to Fulham in a game where many questionable decisions affected the outcome of the game. Out of this game two charges have been laid by the FA. The first is to Luis Suarez for his alleged gesture to Fulham fans at the end of the game and the other is to Liverpool for the reaction of the players after the red card was shown to Jay Spearing for an incident that still has me scratching my head.
Out of this game it is fair enough that the FA wants to look into those incidents but surely the FA should be more concerned with the performance of Kevin Friend in what could be described as a biased performance or if not biased a very poor standard that would not be accepted in at any level. Sportsman are told to play to the whistle and respect the refs decision, but when the ref is making decisions that have even the commentators questioning the reason then who in their right mind would expect a player on the field charged with emotion and adrenaline to stay calm and say, "fair enough, we will cop that on the chin". As a coach I would not want to ever see my players be emotionless lambs on the field.
And then you have the home crowd constantly chanting cheat to a player from the opposition and yet the only thing they see wrong is the reaction from the player receiving the taunts. Should not Fulham be reprimanded for the fans performance. Respect works both ways. If a crowd shows no respect to a player then they should not expect any respect either. Fans will say they pay their good money to go and yell abuse at players and that is fair enough, but if you cannot handle the fall out then keep quiet.
So the Football Association gets my poor form nomination for their inability to control all things in their game.
Out of this game it is fair enough that the FA wants to look into those incidents but surely the FA should be more concerned with the performance of Kevin Friend in what could be described as a biased performance or if not biased a very poor standard that would not be accepted in at any level. Sportsman are told to play to the whistle and respect the refs decision, but when the ref is making decisions that have even the commentators questioning the reason then who in their right mind would expect a player on the field charged with emotion and adrenaline to stay calm and say, "fair enough, we will cop that on the chin". As a coach I would not want to ever see my players be emotionless lambs on the field.
And then you have the home crowd constantly chanting cheat to a player from the opposition and yet the only thing they see wrong is the reaction from the player receiving the taunts. Should not Fulham be reprimanded for the fans performance. Respect works both ways. If a crowd shows no respect to a player then they should not expect any respect either. Fans will say they pay their good money to go and yell abuse at players and that is fair enough, but if you cannot handle the fall out then keep quiet.
So the Football Association gets my poor form nomination for their inability to control all things in their game.
Tuesday 6 December 2011
Ref Affects Outcome
Why is it that a ref affects the outcome of a game directly through poor decisions yet little is written about it in the media. Rising early to watch Liverpool away to Fulham I was looking forward to Liverpool closing the gap on the top 4 in the EPL. At half time with a nil all scoreline, the game was in the balance although Liverpool had dominated the game in possession but unable to convert that into goals.
With the start of the second half in stepped the ref, Kevin Friend, to put his stamp on the game and show to all that his ability at this level is not good for the game. The first instance of his questionable thinking was when Fulham's Dempsey reacted to a tackle by Bellamy. Dempsey all but head butted Bellamy whilst showing his angst. In what was an unacceptable reaction that should have seen red from the Friend, instead saw both players being shown a yellow card. A yellow for Dempsey was the least he deserved but for Bellamy to receive the same for doing nothing but stand there whilst an opponent tries to do all but head butt or kiss him is remarkable.
Then in the 59th minute Liverpools Adam is taken down in the box by Senderos, in a tackle designed to stop a goal scoring opportunity. Friend blows the whistle but says the tackled occurred a grass width ouside the box, awards the free kick and a yellow card. Interesting call to say the least and for what I saw he was easily infleunced by the player pointing to the mark where his slide tackle started. Add to that if the tackle was in the box, a red card would have been a deserved colour.
It was in the 72 minute that it all became obvious that Liverpool were never meant to win this game when Spearing was shown a straight red for what Friend deemed to be a serious foul. Spearing was first to the ball and after kicking the ball clipped a Fulham player who was coming in late. Tags up or not, it was not a deliberate hit or a tackle attempt. Yellow at best and for me one of the worst red card decisions I have seen for awhile. Now the ref has changed the game and the eventual result of the game. If Friend cannot give a red for a foul that only had a purpose to stop a goal scoring opportunity then a red for an incident where a player kicks a ball and then in the follow through collects a player late on the scene makes you wonder what this ref had as a motive.
Liverpool may not have taken their chances and deserved a win but they did not deserve to lose in this manner. All that will happen out of this is that the players and coaching staff will say little to avoid fines, the media will do their normal job of finding more negative things to write about Liverpool and it is only through us amateurs that the real thoughts get written about the game. Yes I am biased towards Liverpool but that does not mean that the ref does not deserve the criticism. If a player has a game as bad he would be sitting on the bench in most cases, so surely this ref deserves the same.
With the start of the second half in stepped the ref, Kevin Friend, to put his stamp on the game and show to all that his ability at this level is not good for the game. The first instance of his questionable thinking was when Fulham's Dempsey reacted to a tackle by Bellamy. Dempsey all but head butted Bellamy whilst showing his angst. In what was an unacceptable reaction that should have seen red from the Friend, instead saw both players being shown a yellow card. A yellow for Dempsey was the least he deserved but for Bellamy to receive the same for doing nothing but stand there whilst an opponent tries to do all but head butt or kiss him is remarkable.
Then in the 59th minute Liverpools Adam is taken down in the box by Senderos, in a tackle designed to stop a goal scoring opportunity. Friend blows the whistle but says the tackled occurred a grass width ouside the box, awards the free kick and a yellow card. Interesting call to say the least and for what I saw he was easily infleunced by the player pointing to the mark where his slide tackle started. Add to that if the tackle was in the box, a red card would have been a deserved colour.
It was in the 72 minute that it all became obvious that Liverpool were never meant to win this game when Spearing was shown a straight red for what Friend deemed to be a serious foul. Spearing was first to the ball and after kicking the ball clipped a Fulham player who was coming in late. Tags up or not, it was not a deliberate hit or a tackle attempt. Yellow at best and for me one of the worst red card decisions I have seen for awhile. Now the ref has changed the game and the eventual result of the game. If Friend cannot give a red for a foul that only had a purpose to stop a goal scoring opportunity then a red for an incident where a player kicks a ball and then in the follow through collects a player late on the scene makes you wonder what this ref had as a motive.
Liverpool may not have taken their chances and deserved a win but they did not deserve to lose in this manner. All that will happen out of this is that the players and coaching staff will say little to avoid fines, the media will do their normal job of finding more negative things to write about Liverpool and it is only through us amateurs that the real thoughts get written about the game. Yes I am biased towards Liverpool but that does not mean that the ref does not deserve the criticism. If a player has a game as bad he would be sitting on the bench in most cases, so surely this ref deserves the same.
Sunday 4 December 2011
Aussies Still Have Worries
Australia has had a comfortable victory over New Zealand in the first Test of the cricket season at home this summer. Although many questions are still hanging over the Aussies, the Kiwis must be wondering how bad they really are. For the first two days they looked competitive against an Australian team that only a few weeks ago had many daggers pointed at their back and were a disgrace to the baggy cap.
Even though Australia won easily there should still be changes made before the next test. With Watson and Marsh due back in the next couple of tests and Bailey being picked in the squad for Hobart it must be time for Hughes to be sent back to NSW to find out how to play a short ball or a ball outside off stump. His ability to pick out the slip cordon and gully on a regular basis before getting his eye in shows great talent. If only he was able to put that talent to letting those balls go and he might be classed as a decent cricketer. If Hughes is picked in the next test then it will show that the selectors still have not improved. It might be looking like Mr Cricket, Mike Hussey, could be facing an axious few weeks if he fails again in Hobart. With Australia looking to rebuild, surely he is the next to be scrutinized with Ponting,
Then we get to the bowlers. Pattinson was better than I ever expected and deserves a run for the rest of the summer. Australia was still lacking one other good strike bowler though and for me Starc is not quite there yet and will most likely make way for a returning fit Harris or Cummings. As a bonus though after all the chopping and changing of spin bowlers it looks like Lyons has stepped up and taken his chance. As long as the selectors stick with him and don't react on one bad game he is sure to stay a regular. He as the good ability to not only get wickets but to also keep an end tidy whilst being a threat.
At the end it was still only a win over New Zealand, so good performances should be considered but a poor performance deserves more criticism. Australia have a short time to prepare for India, and India will not be an easy target.
Even though Australia won easily there should still be changes made before the next test. With Watson and Marsh due back in the next couple of tests and Bailey being picked in the squad for Hobart it must be time for Hughes to be sent back to NSW to find out how to play a short ball or a ball outside off stump. His ability to pick out the slip cordon and gully on a regular basis before getting his eye in shows great talent. If only he was able to put that talent to letting those balls go and he might be classed as a decent cricketer. If Hughes is picked in the next test then it will show that the selectors still have not improved. It might be looking like Mr Cricket, Mike Hussey, could be facing an axious few weeks if he fails again in Hobart. With Australia looking to rebuild, surely he is the next to be scrutinized with Ponting,
Then we get to the bowlers. Pattinson was better than I ever expected and deserves a run for the rest of the summer. Australia was still lacking one other good strike bowler though and for me Starc is not quite there yet and will most likely make way for a returning fit Harris or Cummings. As a bonus though after all the chopping and changing of spin bowlers it looks like Lyons has stepped up and taken his chance. As long as the selectors stick with him and don't react on one bad game he is sure to stay a regular. He as the good ability to not only get wickets but to also keep an end tidy whilst being a threat.
At the end it was still only a win over New Zealand, so good performances should be considered but a poor performance deserves more criticism. Australia have a short time to prepare for India, and India will not be an easy target.
Thursday 1 December 2011
Arthur Beetson The Legend
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| Athrur Beetson: 1945 - 2011 |
In hearing about the passing of Artie Beetson was a shock and is something that still seems surreal. Since hearing of the passing of Beetson it has made me think about my memories of this legend of sport. Although I am too young to remember his career, I still have some memories of what I heard my father say and combined with footage I have watched, Beetson is a player that is at the top of the pedestal when it comes to legends/immortals of Rugby League.
The thing that sticks out most for me is the affect Beetson had on representative football and the creation of State of Origin. I still have memories of hearing my father say how great it was to see Beetson finally playing for his state and proudly walking out onto Lang Park to send a message to the southerners that without the greats from Queensland they were not the team they thought they were. It always hurt Queensland to see NSW teams come up with players like Beetson in their side. With Beetson able to play for Queensland it was always going to go down in folklore how this great man came home to play for his state.
Beetson started his career with Redlciffe in 1964 before being lured south to play for the Balmain Tigers in 1966-1970 and later going on to play for Eastern Suburbs, 1971-1978, for most of his career before finishing with Parramatta Eels, 1979-1980. Whilst playing in Sydeny Beetson represented NSW from 1966-1977 (18 matches) During this time Beetson went on to play for Australia from 1966-1977 (28 matches) and was to become the first indigenous captain of an Australian national team. It was not until 1980 when his career was amost over that Beetson was able to play for his home state in the first Origin match.
After his playing career Beetson went on to become a successful coach at club and representative level but for me it is his playing career that will always be remembered. I have never heard anyone speak negatively about Beetson and probably never will. Named as an Immortal, Beetson will be forever remembered and it will be a memory of thoughts that put a tingle at the back of your neck everytime you see footage of his career or hear stories in the pub. There are not enough words to describe the effect he has had on the game of Rugby League but there will be plenty of stories doing the rounds from many greats of the game whose lives have been influenced.
Wednesday 30 November 2011
NRL Review Judiciary But Wrong Part
The NRL has decided to review parts of the judiciary but it seems the only thing they are concerned about is the loading on minor infringements. This means that they are going to review the case of Grade 1 charges loading period being reduced from 2 years to 12 months. As well as this they are going to review player safety from growing tactics such as the cannonball tactics in the kind that Issac Luke seems to be able to get away with consistently.
Why is it though that the NRL is not looking at the main problem which is the judiciary itself. This year the judiciary was constantly on a differing opinion to that of the majority. As per usual there was no standards held it it appeared that a spear tackled was viewed upon which colour jersey you wore. Or as most Queenslanders will tell you it doesn't matter what the offense is, if Origin is happening then as long as your state is NSW then you will get off, but if you play with Maroon in your blood then it is a hit and miss affair. State bias aside as I am sure that south of the border the thinking is the other way around as there were plenty of decisions all year around that puzzled many. The handling of the brawl in the Manly Melbourne game was one of the worst cases handled all year. Yes the two players suspended should have been, but how three players can come running from so far away with one leaping in the air to throw a punch like the coward he is and get away with it makes you wonder what is going on in Sydney. Imagine the outcry from Sydney if their favourite Queenslander (I mock) Sam Thaiday did the same thing and got away with it. We would still be hearing the cries from Sydney.
The judiciary may be made of ex players but that does not mean that they are the right people to make the decision. In the past some of the players to sit on the panel have been some of the worst offenders on the field, this is akin to the thinking that a courthouse judge should be a convicted criminal. It is time that the muppet in control of the NRL, Gallop, acted on an issue that needs addressing.
Why is it though that the NRL is not looking at the main problem which is the judiciary itself. This year the judiciary was constantly on a differing opinion to that of the majority. As per usual there was no standards held it it appeared that a spear tackled was viewed upon which colour jersey you wore. Or as most Queenslanders will tell you it doesn't matter what the offense is, if Origin is happening then as long as your state is NSW then you will get off, but if you play with Maroon in your blood then it is a hit and miss affair. State bias aside as I am sure that south of the border the thinking is the other way around as there were plenty of decisions all year around that puzzled many. The handling of the brawl in the Manly Melbourne game was one of the worst cases handled all year. Yes the two players suspended should have been, but how three players can come running from so far away with one leaping in the air to throw a punch like the coward he is and get away with it makes you wonder what is going on in Sydney. Imagine the outcry from Sydney if their favourite Queenslander (I mock) Sam Thaiday did the same thing and got away with it. We would still be hearing the cries from Sydney.
The judiciary may be made of ex players but that does not mean that they are the right people to make the decision. In the past some of the players to sit on the panel have been some of the worst offenders on the field, this is akin to the thinking that a courthouse judge should be a convicted criminal. It is time that the muppet in control of the NRL, Gallop, acted on an issue that needs addressing.
Liverpool Dispose of Chelsea
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| Seeing Bellamy emotional at the start was a sign of things to come |
It was well and truly worth getting up early to watch Liverpool play Chelsea in the Carling Cup quarter-final. Chelsea must be seriously considering whether or not they need to offload their coach and a under performing Torres. On the other hand though Liverpool must be on a high with the form of Bellamy, who though was obviously distressed before the game started, performed superbly in what I considered a man of the match performance. Add to that the fact Suarez was not needed and got a well earned rest, Liverpool are getting closer to earning a piece of silverware this season.
Liverpool are looking much more stable all over the field and their calmness under pressure in defense reminded me of how Brisbane Roar are playing. The only thing not working quite right at the moment is the man who seems to be so popular and that is Andy Carroll. I have seen the potential and we all now he has ability but at times he seems petulant, rash and then suddenly has a burst of skill. Without Suarez in attack he seems to be inefficient in attack and easily held at bay. For Liverpool to really start climbing back up the order they need Carroll to start repaying the faith and find some consistent form.
A 2-0 defeat of Chelsea on their home soil is always great to watch but for me the best thing was when the home ground fell silent after the first goal and from that moment on were drowned out by the Liverpool faithfull and with ten minutes remaining seeing the Chelsea fans start streaming out.
Monday 28 November 2011
Something in the Water
It might be the weather or maybe it is in the water but Queensland is producing something special in the sporting world.
After Queensland made it 5 outright wins from five games to be leading the Sheffield Shield it makes you wonder what it is about Queensland. Our cricket team is sitting on top in both the 4 day and one day competition and are clear favourites this summer. Then there is our mighty Brisbane Roar who are on a record beating undefeated streak in football and playing a style of football that is the envy of all other teams in the A-league, not to mention that they are also the defending Champions from last season.
Then there is the Queensland State of Origin team that is on a record run as well, 6 series in a row and don't look like they want to give up that mantle anytime soon. Even with the great Darren Lockyer retiring the maroons won't be worried with ample talent to fill his void and more passion than all of NSW put together will ever understand. Queensland might not have the NRL premiers at the moment but a winning state of origin team always makes up for that. Especially when you look at how many Queenslanders are in the National team.
Then there are the Queensland Reds who were doubted by everyone outside of the state to go on and win the Super Rugby competition. Although Australia were disappiointing at the World Cup, it would have been a different story with the right squad selected and the Queensland Coach McKenzie taking the reins.
Queensland also boast the Netball champions in the Firebirds who won last season and never looked like being bettered by an opponent and going undefeated for the season.
There are also plenty of individuals to add to this mix but it is the sporting teams that really make you wonder if it is the state. Besides the Origin team, all the other teams have players from other states or countries who have found a new lease of life and excelled in the sunshine. For me though all it comes down to is the lifestyle in Queensland.
After Queensland made it 5 outright wins from five games to be leading the Sheffield Shield it makes you wonder what it is about Queensland. Our cricket team is sitting on top in both the 4 day and one day competition and are clear favourites this summer. Then there is our mighty Brisbane Roar who are on a record beating undefeated streak in football and playing a style of football that is the envy of all other teams in the A-league, not to mention that they are also the defending Champions from last season.
Then there is the Queensland State of Origin team that is on a record run as well, 6 series in a row and don't look like they want to give up that mantle anytime soon. Even with the great Darren Lockyer retiring the maroons won't be worried with ample talent to fill his void and more passion than all of NSW put together will ever understand. Queensland might not have the NRL premiers at the moment but a winning state of origin team always makes up for that. Especially when you look at how many Queenslanders are in the National team.
Then there are the Queensland Reds who were doubted by everyone outside of the state to go on and win the Super Rugby competition. Although Australia were disappiointing at the World Cup, it would have been a different story with the right squad selected and the Queensland Coach McKenzie taking the reins.
Queensland also boast the Netball champions in the Firebirds who won last season and never looked like being bettered by an opponent and going undefeated for the season.
There are also plenty of individuals to add to this mix but it is the sporting teams that really make you wonder if it is the state. Besides the Origin team, all the other teams have players from other states or countries who have found a new lease of life and excelled in the sunshine. For me though all it comes down to is the lifestyle in Queensland.
Sunday 27 November 2011
Weekend Wrap
A big weekend in sport and lots of talking points, some of which I have already covered but either way here is how I have seen the weekend.
Atomic Force Back In Action
I have mentioned it before and I will say it again. This is a champion horse and one that should be backed everytime it races. Race 3 at Canterbury saw Atomic Force racing at good odds and not considered favourite. Which was good for me and anyone else that put a wager on this horse. As per usual it hit the straight and brought it home like all followers of this horse know. If you managed to get a wager on after reading my past posts, well done. And to those few that get a text from me to advise it is running, my pleasure.
Cutting In The Test Squad
Ben Cutting has been rewarded with selection in the Test Squad so let's hope he is given the opportunity to shine at the Gabba. Still amazes me that for Australia A he was not given an opportunity to open the bowling in either innings or even considered as first change bowler. Definitely some favouritism given to others from the Australian A captain. Either way another Queensland quick in the mix to reaplace a wayward one that is out for the season by the looks of things. Since heading west things have not gone well for Johnson. Lets just hope the selectors do the right thing and make him play a good season of first class cricket before ever seleceting him again.
Roar 36 and Still Marching
Already mention the Roars great record breaking effort but it is worth another mention. And to all the doubters, it is 36 games without defeat, like it or not the Roar have the record and the team that they beat, Eastern Suburbs also had draws in their run. As you can tell I am sick of the AFL and NRL fans trying to finds reasons to belittle this achievement. With the Roar going so well it will be interesting to see what happens from here. I always enjoy talking sport with my father and he is more knowledgeable than most I know and he has raised an interesting issue. How long will it be before an European, or other foreign club for that, makes an offer for the Coach Ange Postecoglou? Besides Nichols how many more Roar players will be targeted. It is no wonder Ange wants a marquee player for his roster, he is making sue of the future as well as the present.
Lots of other sport has occurred but not much that makes for interesting debate or rated on my radar. For me it is a matter of seeing if Liverpool can take advantage of results going their way and defeating Man City tonight to get closer to a top 4 spot.
Atomic Force Back In Action
I have mentioned it before and I will say it again. This is a champion horse and one that should be backed everytime it races. Race 3 at Canterbury saw Atomic Force racing at good odds and not considered favourite. Which was good for me and anyone else that put a wager on this horse. As per usual it hit the straight and brought it home like all followers of this horse know. If you managed to get a wager on after reading my past posts, well done. And to those few that get a text from me to advise it is running, my pleasure.
Cutting In The Test Squad
Ben Cutting has been rewarded with selection in the Test Squad so let's hope he is given the opportunity to shine at the Gabba. Still amazes me that for Australia A he was not given an opportunity to open the bowling in either innings or even considered as first change bowler. Definitely some favouritism given to others from the Australian A captain. Either way another Queensland quick in the mix to reaplace a wayward one that is out for the season by the looks of things. Since heading west things have not gone well for Johnson. Lets just hope the selectors do the right thing and make him play a good season of first class cricket before ever seleceting him again.
Roar 36 and Still Marching
Already mention the Roars great record breaking effort but it is worth another mention. And to all the doubters, it is 36 games without defeat, like it or not the Roar have the record and the team that they beat, Eastern Suburbs also had draws in their run. As you can tell I am sick of the AFL and NRL fans trying to finds reasons to belittle this achievement. With the Roar going so well it will be interesting to see what happens from here. I always enjoy talking sport with my father and he is more knowledgeable than most I know and he has raised an interesting issue. How long will it be before an European, or other foreign club for that, makes an offer for the Coach Ange Postecoglou? Besides Nichols how many more Roar players will be targeted. It is no wonder Ange wants a marquee player for his roster, he is making sue of the future as well as the present.
Lots of other sport has occurred but not much that makes for interesting debate or rated on my radar. For me it is a matter of seeing if Liverpool can take advantage of results going their way and defeating Man City tonight to get closer to a top 4 spot.
Roar Break the Record
All congratulations must go to the Brisbane Roar for breaking the 74 year old record and now going 36 games undefeated. This is an amazing achievement and is a deserved record for a team that plays the best club football ever seen in this country. And to do it in the style they did against Perth Glory was a credit to the team and coaching staff.
It is unfortunate though that there are a lot of negative comments going around on twitter, news sites and other social media forums. It seems that many people cannot understand the term "undefeated". The Roar have not broken a winning streak, they have broken a streak of going the longest without being defeated. Many wish to suggest that the record should not count as the Roar have drawn games along the way. How hard is it to understand that a draw is not a loss. Maybe it is from the same people that cannot understand that a game can finish in a draw after ninety minutes. The great thing about football is that is about who is the best team of a season, not just the weekend.
Enough of the negatives though and time to look at some of the statistics that have occurred in the streak.
Started: 18 September 2010
Match Record: 23 Wins 13 Draws
Scoring Record: 84 For - 32 Against.
Scored in every game and held opposition scoreless 11 times
27 Players used and three have played every game: Michael Theoklitos, Erik Paartalu and Matt Smith
There are more and more statistics to get but the one I am concentrating on how many more games can the Roar add to this tally.
Thursday 24 November 2011
Suspicious or Stupid?
This is the only way to describe the captaincy of George Baily for Australia A against New Zealand. In typical gloomy humid conditions in Brisbane Bailey sent the Kiwis in after winning the toss. With four bowlers to choose from it was always going to be interesting to see how he used his bowlers but unfortunately he might have show more about his inept captaincy than anything else.
With Cutting being the form bowler and bowling in home conditions one would have thought he would open the bowling or at least be first change bowler, especially when the opening bowlers (Hilfenaus and Pattinson) do nothing to impress and first change bowler, Starc, is nothing but expensive. Interestingly though bailey waited until New Zealand were 0-100 and with two overs left till lunch that he would throw the ball to Cutting. To add to the confusion of it all the off-spinner Beer got a bowl before Cutting. A lot will say that Cutting got hit around the park by McCullum and went for a few but once McCullum is in he will carve up any team. Let a fired up Cutting at McCullum early and it might have been a different day altogether.
With Australia needing to see if these bowlers can step up and be a candidate for the first test the onus was on the captain to ensure that all the bowlers have a fair chance of proving their ability. But with New Zealand wanting to prepare for the Test Match they will take every chance to use time in the middle and potentially may not have to bat again in this game. With Bailey from the same state as Hilfenhaus it is no surprise he made sure he had the best chance to impress, didn't quite go to plan though. If anything Bailey may have only ensured that Hilfenhaus, Pattinson and Starc are not ensured a call up with their inability to do anything with the new ball. There is still plenty of time to go in the match and tomorrow might see Cutting given a chance with the ball first up. Either way I think Bailey might have done damage to his chances of leading an Australian A team again.
With Cutting being the form bowler and bowling in home conditions one would have thought he would open the bowling or at least be first change bowler, especially when the opening bowlers (Hilfenaus and Pattinson) do nothing to impress and first change bowler, Starc, is nothing but expensive. Interestingly though bailey waited until New Zealand were 0-100 and with two overs left till lunch that he would throw the ball to Cutting. To add to the confusion of it all the off-spinner Beer got a bowl before Cutting. A lot will say that Cutting got hit around the park by McCullum and went for a few but once McCullum is in he will carve up any team. Let a fired up Cutting at McCullum early and it might have been a different day altogether.
With Australia needing to see if these bowlers can step up and be a candidate for the first test the onus was on the captain to ensure that all the bowlers have a fair chance of proving their ability. But with New Zealand wanting to prepare for the Test Match they will take every chance to use time in the middle and potentially may not have to bat again in this game. With Bailey from the same state as Hilfenhaus it is no surprise he made sure he had the best chance to impress, didn't quite go to plan though. If anything Bailey may have only ensured that Hilfenhaus, Pattinson and Starc are not ensured a call up with their inability to do anything with the new ball. There is still plenty of time to go in the match and tomorrow might see Cutting given a chance with the ball first up. Either way I think Bailey might have done damage to his chances of leading an Australian A team again.
Tuesday 22 November 2011
Who Is Liked In The Big Bash
Today I found out that Big Bash League is now following me on twitter and as a return in favour I have to make mention of their website and an amazing statistic being published there.
The BBL has posted a table of the teams and allowed fans to "like" their favourite team. Now Sydeny and Melbourne are always going on about how sport evolves around their cities but it seems that the Australian landscape says otherwise. Take a look at the table it is looks like it will be hard to get tickets at the Gabba.
1. Brisbane Heat 23,997
2. Melbourne Stars 8,464
3. Melbourne Renegades 6,280
4. Sydney Sixers 4,413
5. Sydney Thunder 3,893
6. Perth Scorchers 3,158
7. Hobart Hurricanes 2,555
8. Adelaide Strikers 2,227
Now this is what the table looked like at the time of writing this article. Even if you combine the two Sydney or Melbourne teams Brisbane would still be on top. In fact Brisbane is higher than all four combined, Queensland for me are the true sporting state.
There i plenty of other good information to be found at this site and it is worth checking out. The BBL starts December 16 and will be bigger than any Twenty/20 season so far.
The BBL has posted a table of the teams and allowed fans to "like" their favourite team. Now Sydeny and Melbourne are always going on about how sport evolves around their cities but it seems that the Australian landscape says otherwise. Take a look at the table it is looks like it will be hard to get tickets at the Gabba.
1. Brisbane Heat 23,997
2. Melbourne Stars 8,464
3. Melbourne Renegades 6,280
4. Sydney Sixers 4,413
5. Sydney Thunder 3,893
6. Perth Scorchers 3,158
7. Hobart Hurricanes 2,555
8. Adelaide Strikers 2,227
Now this is what the table looked like at the time of writing this article. Even if you combine the two Sydney or Melbourne teams Brisbane would still be on top. In fact Brisbane is higher than all four combined, Queensland for me are the true sporting state.
There i plenty of other good information to be found at this site and it is worth checking out. The BBL starts December 16 and will be bigger than any Twenty/20 season so far.
Humble Pie
I am prepared to admit that after my criticism of the Australian team and in particular Ponting, Haddin and Johnson that they have come out and played a large part in Australia's win over South Africa to square the series.
I admit that I thought all three would struggle in this game and potentially be playing their last test match and was very glad to wake up to the news that Australia had won a close game. I won't go as far as saying my calling for changes in the team was unwarranted though. One innings does not always deserve another chance, the time has come for Australia to move forward and stop hoping that players will return to past glories and the old "his next good game is just around the corner."
Although Australia won it was still a lot closer than should have been. Ponting got his long awaited fifty but didn't hang around to ensure the victory, Haddin did the same and whilst Johnson had a good game with the bat he is in the team for his bowling. Johnson has had a woeful tour yet again and should be preparing himself for a long shield season before he gets national selection again. Haddin's time is surely up and Victoria's Matthew Wade might get the tap on the shoulder for the Gabba. In sacking Haddin Australia will lose nothing as his glove work is easily replaceable and his batting is sub-standard on most occasions. Then all it comes down to whether Ricky Ponting is allowed to continue on and retire when he is ready or is given the tap on the shoulder to allow an up and coming form batsmen in the team.
Looking forward to the Test match Johnson will be missing and you will see either Harris if he is fit or ben Cutting who form deserves a run at his home ground. Also missing should be Haddin but for some reason the selectors have always liked this guy so it is hard to know who will be behind the stumps. With two changes the selectors will be cautious about replacing Ponting too but maybe that is what the Australian team needs. When players think that they will always be picked, complacency always occurs.
I admit that I thought all three would struggle in this game and potentially be playing their last test match and was very glad to wake up to the news that Australia had won a close game. I won't go as far as saying my calling for changes in the team was unwarranted though. One innings does not always deserve another chance, the time has come for Australia to move forward and stop hoping that players will return to past glories and the old "his next good game is just around the corner."
Although Australia won it was still a lot closer than should have been. Ponting got his long awaited fifty but didn't hang around to ensure the victory, Haddin did the same and whilst Johnson had a good game with the bat he is in the team for his bowling. Johnson has had a woeful tour yet again and should be preparing himself for a long shield season before he gets national selection again. Haddin's time is surely up and Victoria's Matthew Wade might get the tap on the shoulder for the Gabba. In sacking Haddin Australia will lose nothing as his glove work is easily replaceable and his batting is sub-standard on most occasions. Then all it comes down to whether Ricky Ponting is allowed to continue on and retire when he is ready or is given the tap on the shoulder to allow an up and coming form batsmen in the team.
Looking forward to the Test match Johnson will be missing and you will see either Harris if he is fit or ben Cutting who form deserves a run at his home ground. Also missing should be Haddin but for some reason the selectors have always liked this guy so it is hard to know who will be behind the stumps. With two changes the selectors will be cautious about replacing Ponting too but maybe that is what the Australian team needs. When players think that they will always be picked, complacency always occurs.
Monday 21 November 2011
Johnson's Brilliance For Liverpool
Traveling away to Chelsea is never an easy feat yet Liverpool walked away triumphant and looking more like the championship team they can be. Only relying on highlights and match notes it seems Liverpool deserved the victory and left plenty of headaches for Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas. If any readers saw the game I would appreciate their comments on the match in whole.
A win over Chelsea might be the tonic Liverpool need to really get their momentum rolling and press further up the ladder. The next match is against Manchester City and will be a real test of where the club is positioned. A win against Man City will have quite a few re-evaluating Liverpool's chances this year. The team have the belief, the fans have the belief and a win next will start having everyone else believing.
I would like to mention the presence of black arm bands worn by the entire Liverpool team in memory of Brad Jones' five year old son, Luca Jones, who lost his battle with leukaemia on Friday. It is always sad to write about such events and even harder to know what to write, it this case all I can write is that Brad Jones will be well supported by Liverpool FC who are a club that value their core beliefs that echo their motto. "You'll Never Walk Alone".
Should Issac Luke Be Charged?
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| Chase must not have been a good close Cuz |
Now that Issac Luke has admitted that he tried to break Rangi Chase's leg in the 4 Nations game vs England, should he be held accountable? Although Luke has been suspended for two games it is now a case as to whether or not he should be facing criminal charges.
To do such a low dog like act is one thing but to come out and admit that he went into the game with hatred towards Chase over his decision to turn his back on New Zealand and play for England indicates that the action could be seem as premeditated. Regardless of whether it is a game or not, assault is assault. Why should an action done in a high level professional game be seen any different to anywhere else. Laying charges on sportsman will always provide heavy debate but if he had successfully managed to break Chase's leg would the discussion be different.
Even with consideration of assault put aside is Luke not also guilty of bring the game into disrepute which is a charge the officials like to throw around now to make sure sponsors don't walk away from the game. To come out after the fact and make light of the details is appalling and thinking that saying the following is going to make things all ok is where things are wrong.:
"I just saw red, a lot of the legends that played in the black and white jersey, they wanted blood. I know Rubes (Assistant Coach) wanted blood.
"I guess that's the mentality us young ones have taken on board. We had a talk the night before about what the jersey meant and that must have come out.
"When you come up against your family you want to outplay them. I didn't outplay him. I tried to break his leg. It was the wrong thing to do. Now I see that – at the time I didn't. After the game I said sorry. He said it stays on the field."
is going to make things all ok is where things are wrong. Surely I cannot walk down the street, see someone who used to work for the same company as me only to go to a rival and decide that a stray elbow to the face is deserved, apologise and then expect things to be alright. Action needs to be taken on this and the media needs to be a lot more critical in their coverage of this player.
I do not condone violence on the rugby league field but I will not be upset if karma decided to weigh in on Issac Lukes career at some stage in the near future. Issac should be wary about a big target on his back for quite sometime.
Sunday 20 November 2011
Weekend Wrap
Another weekend over and I feel like I haven't had a chance to rest and get ready for another week of work. Lot's happened and the weekend isn't over yet. Liverpool play later tonight so they will get a special report as the game has missed the deadline for this post. Hopefully their performance will warrant a lengthy analysis.
4 Nations Final
Although I have already posted about this game, my previous post was more about the farcical performance of the video ref Ian Smith. Now I will highlight how well the Aussies accounted for an English team that still hasn't learnt that a game goes for 80 minutes and two halves. Yet again England were blown away in the last twenty minutes and were shown to be well and truly short of being able to really test Australia. And is was very fitting that Darren Lockyer scored a try in the final play of the game to cap off his extraordinary career. His conversion attempt was for the career highlight reel but how good was it to see him cap off a swansong year in style. What England need to take from this game is that relying on favourable decisions is not enough at the top level. They need to get stronger, fitter and faster before they can seriously think beating Australia is more than a pipe dream.
Roar Equal Record
The Brisbane Roar came from a goal down to equal the all time record (35 games undefeated) and don't look like stopping there. At no stage do Brisbane ever give up or look defeated and yet again they showed they play to the last minute rather than just being happy with a draw. The scoreline makes it look like it was close but if Brisbane were able to convert their chances it would have been a lot bigger margin. Also of note in this record run of the Roar is the fact that they have scored in every one of those games. Positive attitude is a big thing in sport and this team is oozing of that at the moment.
Presidents Cup
I Always enjoy watching matchplay but unfortunately missed most of this tournament. Unfortunately the International team fell too far behind in the foursomes and having to rely on winning most of the singles matches was always going to be difficult. They did not give up though and made the US fight to the end and can hold their heads high. It would be great to see more of this type of golf in the future, possibly on a yearly cycle would be good.
Bulls Still Undefeated
After earlier in the week defeating NSW outright to make it 4 out of 4 outright wins in the Sheffield Shield, Queensland have gone on to make it 4 out of 4 for the Ryobi one-day competition. Queensland struggled early and according to commentators and experts on the game were at least 40 runs short of the total needed after being dismissed for 221. No-one obviously told the Queenslanders though as they routed NSW for 171 and showed why they are the form frontrunners. NSW were never in the hunt after losing early wickets and faltering to be 4/32 early. It seems the Bulls are drinking the same water the Brisbane Roar are and don't like the taste of defeat.
Australia Cricket
With the current test match in a position where either team can win it I will wait until it is over to see how I analyse the game. One thing for sure though is it is possibly the last time Ponting will be seen in a test side and it could be the last game Johnson bowls for his country for write. Add to that a potential change behind the wickets and it will be an entirely different looking team in Brisbane. What I do hope for though is if they make a few changes that they go with form players and players on the right side of thirty.
That is it for this wrap although there was plenty more sport going on. If I have missed an event on importance or one is coming up that you want my opinion on let me know. Otherwise keep reading and let others know what your reading.
4 Nations Final
Although I have already posted about this game, my previous post was more about the farcical performance of the video ref Ian Smith. Now I will highlight how well the Aussies accounted for an English team that still hasn't learnt that a game goes for 80 minutes and two halves. Yet again England were blown away in the last twenty minutes and were shown to be well and truly short of being able to really test Australia. And is was very fitting that Darren Lockyer scored a try in the final play of the game to cap off his extraordinary career. His conversion attempt was for the career highlight reel but how good was it to see him cap off a swansong year in style. What England need to take from this game is that relying on favourable decisions is not enough at the top level. They need to get stronger, fitter and faster before they can seriously think beating Australia is more than a pipe dream.
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| The Roar can thank Theoklitos for keeping the run going. |
Roar Equal Record
The Brisbane Roar came from a goal down to equal the all time record (35 games undefeated) and don't look like stopping there. At no stage do Brisbane ever give up or look defeated and yet again they showed they play to the last minute rather than just being happy with a draw. The scoreline makes it look like it was close but if Brisbane were able to convert their chances it would have been a lot bigger margin. Also of note in this record run of the Roar is the fact that they have scored in every one of those games. Positive attitude is a big thing in sport and this team is oozing of that at the moment.
Presidents Cup
I Always enjoy watching matchplay but unfortunately missed most of this tournament. Unfortunately the International team fell too far behind in the foursomes and having to rely on winning most of the singles matches was always going to be difficult. They did not give up though and made the US fight to the end and can hold their heads high. It would be great to see more of this type of golf in the future, possibly on a yearly cycle would be good.
Bulls Still Undefeated
After earlier in the week defeating NSW outright to make it 4 out of 4 outright wins in the Sheffield Shield, Queensland have gone on to make it 4 out of 4 for the Ryobi one-day competition. Queensland struggled early and according to commentators and experts on the game were at least 40 runs short of the total needed after being dismissed for 221. No-one obviously told the Queenslanders though as they routed NSW for 171 and showed why they are the form frontrunners. NSW were never in the hunt after losing early wickets and faltering to be 4/32 early. It seems the Bulls are drinking the same water the Brisbane Roar are and don't like the taste of defeat.
Australia Cricket
With the current test match in a position where either team can win it I will wait until it is over to see how I analyse the game. One thing for sure though is it is possibly the last time Ponting will be seen in a test side and it could be the last game Johnson bowls for his country for write. Add to that a potential change behind the wickets and it will be an entirely different looking team in Brisbane. What I do hope for though is if they make a few changes that they go with form players and players on the right side of thirty.
That is it for this wrap although there was plenty more sport going on. If I have missed an event on importance or one is coming up that you want my opinion on let me know. Otherwise keep reading and let others know what your reading.
Video Ref Almost Ruins Final
In the end Australia won the 4 Nations with a scoreline that was true to their dominance. After only being in front 8-6 at half-time it was looking nervous for Australia and England were not the reason many Australian would have been nervous.
It seemed that England had picked the perfect player for their team and he wasn't even on the field. Video referee Ian Smith gave a performance that will be talked about for a long time and should warrant investigation by Rugby League officials. Smith did all he could to keep England in the game to such an extent that one can only say that he favoured England to such a point that he should never be allowed to officiate at this level again.
When the try to Australia was denied I was left scratching my head whilst trying not to yell abuse at the TV in fear of waking up the family in the early hours. How he managed to pick out an offside player within ten metres is beyond belief. Then to back that up with a penalty try to England for an incident that clearly under the rules should have been ruled as a penalty was confirmation that England were getting all the help he could give them. At this point I was yelling but thankfully the sound proofing in the room muffled the noise.
Imagine how bad the game would have been if he was on the field with the whistle in his mouth. It is bad enough we have to listen to the English commentators who would be the most one-sided commentators going, but to have to have a game affected to such an extent is not good for the game.
I have never been a fan of Ian Smith and he has had a history of making poor decisions but his decision making in a game as large as the Tri-Nations Final makes you wonder how bad all the other officials are if he is the best they have. All the talk will end up being about Lockyer's farewell and how he has gone out the champion he deserves. Yes Lockyer deserves all the media hype and I for one will add to that hype but it should not be forgotten when an official is blatantly biased and action needs to be taken to ensure that Ian Smith is held accountable.
It seemed that England had picked the perfect player for their team and he wasn't even on the field. Video referee Ian Smith gave a performance that will be talked about for a long time and should warrant investigation by Rugby League officials. Smith did all he could to keep England in the game to such an extent that one can only say that he favoured England to such a point that he should never be allowed to officiate at this level again.
When the try to Australia was denied I was left scratching my head whilst trying not to yell abuse at the TV in fear of waking up the family in the early hours. How he managed to pick out an offside player within ten metres is beyond belief. Then to back that up with a penalty try to England for an incident that clearly under the rules should have been ruled as a penalty was confirmation that England were getting all the help he could give them. At this point I was yelling but thankfully the sound proofing in the room muffled the noise.
Imagine how bad the game would have been if he was on the field with the whistle in his mouth. It is bad enough we have to listen to the English commentators who would be the most one-sided commentators going, but to have to have a game affected to such an extent is not good for the game.
I have never been a fan of Ian Smith and he has had a history of making poor decisions but his decision making in a game as large as the Tri-Nations Final makes you wonder how bad all the other officials are if he is the best they have. All the talk will end up being about Lockyer's farewell and how he has gone out the champion he deserves. Yes Lockyer deserves all the media hype and I for one will add to that hype but it should not be forgotten when an official is blatantly biased and action needs to be taken to ensure that Ian Smith is held accountable.
Friday 18 November 2011
Have The QLD Bulls Booked A Home Final?
The Queensland Bulls are now four games into the Sheffield Shield competition and looking good to have booked a place in the final. There is still a long way to go with six more games to be played but looking at past seasons it is hard to see how they won't make it.
Currently the table has Queensland on a maximum 24 points from 4 games with Western Australia 10 points adrift in second place and Victoria a further 4 points back. In most cases any season total above 26-30 points is good enough to make it into a final and anything above that a good chance to be hosting the final.
The most recent game was a trilling 14 run victory over NSW and is being done with players that rarely get a mention for National colours, although this afternoon it was announced that Ben Cutting was named in the Australian A team to play New Zealand next week. For a undefeated team dominating domestic cricket this season it is the snubbing of the players this side of the border that is the reason Queensland will go on to be very successful this year. North of the border it is this sort of thing that drives our passion in sport and feeds our hatred of any team wearing blue.
On one hand I hope none of the Queenslanders get picked for Australia this season to enable them to win the 4 and 1 day competitions this year, but Australia will be worse off for it. Australia needs players in it's team that are on top of their game, in form and know they can win, something that has been lacking of late. Maybe if Lehmann eventually becomes coach of the national team we will start seeing players picked on form rather than promise and performances too far back to consider. Otherwise I am happy to sit back and see Queensland dominate in yet another sporting competition.
Currently the table has Queensland on a maximum 24 points from 4 games with Western Australia 10 points adrift in second place and Victoria a further 4 points back. In most cases any season total above 26-30 points is good enough to make it into a final and anything above that a good chance to be hosting the final.
The most recent game was a trilling 14 run victory over NSW and is being done with players that rarely get a mention for National colours, although this afternoon it was announced that Ben Cutting was named in the Australian A team to play New Zealand next week. For a undefeated team dominating domestic cricket this season it is the snubbing of the players this side of the border that is the reason Queensland will go on to be very successful this year. North of the border it is this sort of thing that drives our passion in sport and feeds our hatred of any team wearing blue.
On one hand I hope none of the Queenslanders get picked for Australia this season to enable them to win the 4 and 1 day competitions this year, but Australia will be worse off for it. Australia needs players in it's team that are on top of their game, in form and know they can win, something that has been lacking of late. Maybe if Lehmann eventually becomes coach of the national team we will start seeing players picked on form rather than promise and performances too far back to consider. Otherwise I am happy to sit back and see Queensland dominate in yet another sporting competition.
Thursday 17 November 2011
Taking a Dive
For me taking a dive in sport to gain a penalty or simply just to stop play is a blight in sport. Recent games by the Socceroos against Oman and Thailand have raised this issue again and it won't be the last time.
It is amazing how many times a player goes down like he has been chopped down with an axe, writhing in pain, only for a trainer to come onto the field, apply a magic sponge or spray and suddenly the player can bounce back up and continue to play the rest of the game. This has been going on for years and as long as the refs and officials allow it to happen it won't stop anytime soon.
Of late it has come to a point that teams are not playing by the unwritten code of kicking the ball out if a player is injured or not returning the ball to the opposition that kicked it out. The media and team officials are always very loud and vocal in pointing out this sort of action but very quiet about the diving. Yes you will read articles here and there but it is not much more than a murmur.
What needs to happen is serious changes to rules to get positive change to the situation. Yellow cards should be wielded more often or on a more contentious note a player who requires treatment must be taken off the field for 5 minutes to be treated. This would be a unwelcome course of action and would cause lots of debate but it is at a point where something drastic needs to happen.
On top of this there should be more scrutiny and highlighting of players that are serial offenders of diving and impositions of 1 match bans imposed. If a team has 3 or more players dive in one game then the coach should be banned for a period as this many players indicates a directive from coaching staff.
There are always ways to remove negative tactics from a sport it is just whether or not the authorities who can make the change have the bravado to do so.
It is amazing how many times a player goes down like he has been chopped down with an axe, writhing in pain, only for a trainer to come onto the field, apply a magic sponge or spray and suddenly the player can bounce back up and continue to play the rest of the game. This has been going on for years and as long as the refs and officials allow it to happen it won't stop anytime soon.
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| Just ask Lucas Neill about diving and the serial offenders Italy |
Of late it has come to a point that teams are not playing by the unwritten code of kicking the ball out if a player is injured or not returning the ball to the opposition that kicked it out. The media and team officials are always very loud and vocal in pointing out this sort of action but very quiet about the diving. Yes you will read articles here and there but it is not much more than a murmur.
What needs to happen is serious changes to rules to get positive change to the situation. Yellow cards should be wielded more often or on a more contentious note a player who requires treatment must be taken off the field for 5 minutes to be treated. This would be a unwelcome course of action and would cause lots of debate but it is at a point where something drastic needs to happen.
On top of this there should be more scrutiny and highlighting of players that are serial offenders of diving and impositions of 1 match bans imposed. If a team has 3 or more players dive in one game then the coach should be banned for a period as this many players indicates a directive from coaching staff.
There are always ways to remove negative tactics from a sport it is just whether or not the authorities who can make the change have the bravado to do so.
Wednesday 16 November 2011
Eddie Mcguire is a Hypocrite
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| Eddie can never handle what he dishes out |
Eddie McGuire is at it again. It is now wonder McGuire is the president of one of the most hated clubs (Collingwood) in Australia after yet another outburst equal to that of a spoilt child who has had his lollipop taken off him.
So now McGuire is not happy that Greater Western Sydney is looking to sign on of Collingwood's star players. Quoted:
"If they go after Scott Pendlebury, I will declare war on Greater Western Sydney and I will set up a tent embassy outside their tumbleweed-blown ground up there in Greater Western Sydney, I will steal every one of their good players for the rest of my life. I will go feral. I will make it my life's ambition to destroy them and run them into the ground. As long as they know ... this is not Melbourne where you can just walk in and steal the players. If you do this at Collingwood, good luck."
It seems that everytime something does not suit Collingwood McGuire is out their screaming for change. This is from a team that rarely ventures out of Melbourne during the year and gets more games at the MCG than any other team. If they don't have a player they simply put a big offer out there to buy them and see nothing wrong with what they do. If another club does something wrong or a player at another club is on the wrong side of the law you will hear McGuire asking for action to be taken and the club to be held to account. Yet when a player at his club was caught up in gambling on games McGuire was not very audible.
Getting back to the Pendlebury issue though if he is so important to the club why is he only on a 12 month extension. Surely such an important player to a club would be signed up for longer, that is if the player wants to stay. It is time that McGuire was held accountable for his rants by the AFL, after all he is only one person at one club. But due to McGuire's standing in the media he seems to be able to do what he wants and say what he wants and never be held to account by the AFL or media. You will very rarely see a critical article on McGuire and probably never will. McGuire might be like in parts of Melbourne but he is definitely despised in most parts of Australia.
Adding to that it is the way the AFL has allowed the game to be solely Melbourne orientated for a national competition that is killing it. They are expanding but realistically never want the trophy outside of their state. Last year I almost turned completely off AFL with the way the game is going and McGuire is only enhancing the reason as to why this has become a game I am really turning off too.
Tuesday 15 November 2011
Is Pontings Career Over?
It happens to all great sportsman and now it is time for Ponting. The retirement of a cricketer these days is not what it used to be. With the big money around most stay on for as long as they can and will never step aside knowing their time has come. Very few are given the opportunity to go out on their own note instead usually given the tap on the shoulder or completely blindsided.
Their has been strong talk of late that this will be Pontings last summer and after the dismal effort in the first test in South Africa Ponting is now facing even more scrutiny. Is it warranted? Yes Ponting has been a great player and his record speaks for itself but when you look at the last two years should he still be there.
Only last year it was deemed that he should no longer be the captain after losing yet another series to the English and in poor form with the bat he was no longer the right person to lead the team. So while he is not the captain only his batting should be viewed when deciding if his form warrants his selection. And this is where the selectors are seen to be absolute idiots when it comes to the selection table.
Looking at his recent form indicates a poor showing. In his last 14 Test matches Ponting has not scored a century and only five half centuries. Five notable scores out of 28 Innings is not a notable achievement and his last 50+ score was 14 innings ago. In fact he has only scored 1 century in the last 28 Test Matches. He is getting dismissed LBW on too many occasions and is scoring a low strike rate which is signs of a batsmen struggling for form. One only has too watch him at the crease to know he is struggling.
I have never liked how Australian selectors have handled the ending of any careers over the past and I feel this is another they will mess up. For all the talk, and enquiries Cricket Australia seem to be a rudderless ship at the moment. No coach leading into a home series is not acceptable and when you have a captain running the team overseas is from a bygone era. With all the ongoings in Australian Cricket I find it hard to believe that CEO James Sutherland is still running the show.
At the end of the day it looks like Michael Clarke will have a big say on whether Ponting gets to carry on in test cricket. Clarke has ruined the career of two cricketers at least so it will be interesting to see what pans out and if he continues to make sure Ponting is in his team.
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