Weekend Wrap

Roarsome

That is the only way to describe the Brisbane Roar at the moment.  With an unbeaten run of 32 matches and a 7-1 victory last start how much better can this team get.  The are leading the way not only on the table in in their playing style as well.  This is a team that performs at a level that is above anything I have seen before in Australia bar International games.  Ange Postecoglou must be given full credit for how he has this well oiled machine working.  (Late mail today has reports of the Urawa Red Diamonds rumoured to be looking at Ange or Graham Arnold as their next coach).

4 Nations



There were no surprises in the opening games of the tournament.  Australia easily defeated New Zealand, the ref was a far cry short of what is required at this level, the English defeated Wales comfortably and yet New Zealand still think they have a chance.  There has been a very vocal outcry over the Issac Luke cannonball tackle and the Kiwi camp have been very quiet as they think there is nothing wrong with it.  Watch for Luke to have a mark on his head next game he plays against Australia.

Next games see Australia take on England and I think England will be brought back to earth as Australia start to step up their campaign.  New Zealand will be easy winners over Wales but look for Wales to give the Kiwis a scare.

Indias Formula One Debut

It was a new venue for Formula One but the same old story.  Vettel won and no-one seemed to be able to get close to him.  Vettel is a good driver no doubt but I wonder how he would go in Webber's car.  There is definitely a difference in the performance of the two cars but that is the benefit of being a teams number one driver.  What annoyed me for this race though was the amount of dust.  It clearly affected the track and watching a Formula One race in a haze of dust doesn't look that flash no matter how good your HDTV is.

Liverpool Win Away

Liverpool had a good dominant win (2-0_ over West Bromwich Albion and should hace scored more.  Firstly the clean sheet for Reina was great but what is starting to be worrying is Carroll's read of play.  He gets plenty of ball in the box but tries to score everytime.  Regardless of whether he can score or not he blasts away in attempt.  He needs to develop his combination with Suarez better, rather than always feeding off Suarez he needs to set Suarez up as well, if he can start doing this more often then in attack they will be more dangerous as a combination.


And all the focus in Australia will turn to the Melbourne Cup tomorrow.  Good luck in the tipping and if you have a drink don't drive home.

Can Moltzen Be Trusted?

So the latest saga in the Tim Moltzen case is he has said he will sit out the 2012 season if he is forced to play with the St George Dragons.

Moltzen might have to get used to being lonely

There are that many holes in Tim Moltzen's case it is hard to believe anything that comes out of his mouth now.  He says he does not want to play with St George yet they have a contract with his name signed at the bottom.   Hardly something you would do if you did not want to play the Dragons.  Moltzen knowingly signed this contract whilst being still under contract worth the Tigers and obviously thought the Tigers would release him once he signed with another club.  Looks like he got that one wrong. I also find it hard that his agent is standing up for Moltzen and saying he should be able to honour his current contract with the Tigers, but isn't it the agent that would have organised his contract with the Dragons?  Surely something in this whole saga is not quite right.  Maybe the agent should be looked into in regards to what payments he has received from either party in relation to the two contracts.

This issue is something that is not new to league and will happen again but everytime it happens a firm stance needs to be taken.  In this case maybe a fair outcome is that Moltzen is punished for his actions and made to sit out a suspension.  I am not talking a whole season but maybe a few weeks on the sideline will make him ensure his next deal is more above board.

In the past we have seen Gordon Tallis sit out a whole year when St George would not release him so he could  sign with the Brisbane Broncos.  That was during the Super League era and is a whole other talking point but Tallis had offered to buy out the final year of the contract, when the court ruled he had to stay with St George he did what he felt he had to do.  Recently we have seen Steve Turner sign a contract with Gold Coast only to decide later that he didn't really want to leave Melbourne and refused to go.  In the end this cost Melbourne two players in order to keep him.  Wonder how those two players feel about that now? 

Why do players think that they can just do what they want and later think they can change their mind?  It is time players and managers/agents alike were held accountable.  Can the Tigers really think they are going to get loyal service from Moltzen over the last twelve months of his career.  There is no giarantee he will stay with them.  If he signs a contract will he ever be believed that he will go through an honour it.  Tim Moltzen has made a fool of himself and now the NRL should make an example of him.

On This Day....

Instead of a daily history post I have decided to go with a week in history.  Monday's are always had to get through especially knowing that the next weekend of sport is so far away, so have a nostalgic look back in time and have a wander back in time. I will post this every Sunday reading for your Monday blues.

October 30

1974 - Mumhammed Ali wins the "Rumble in the Jungle" - Do yourself a favour and watch "When We Were Kings" it is a great documentary on this great bout.

October 31

1888 - John Boyd Dunlop patents the first pnuematic bicycle tyre.  (Not a sportsman but without Dunlop racing would be so different)

November 1

1950 - First Negro player in the NBA - Charles Cooper (Celtics)
1959 - First NHL goalie to wear a hockey mask - Jacques Plante (without hockey masks Friday the 13th would not have been the same)

November 6

1956 - Holland & Spain withdraw from Olympics - protesting the presence of the Soviets in Hungary

It is hard trying to find good information outside of the US so if anyone knows anywhere for good reference material on history let me know.  

Four Nations Game 1

Australia in the end won with a comfortable lead and were well deserved winners.  Overall the highlight of the game or should I say blight was the referee Phil Bentham.  This guy obviously does not know what the rules are as the amount of knock-ons missed, continual holding down in the ruck and offside play was something that should not be allowed at this level.  New Zealand in most cases were on the beneficial side of this ref and but showed that they are still not quite up to standard to beat Australia.

And that is where I will leave the overall game analysis to talk about one single incident that should have repercussions but will most likely be swept under the carpet.  That incident is the action of Issac Luke and his tactic of targeting players to cause injury.

In the previous test match played Luke was reported for a cannonball tackle.  For those who don't know this style of tackle is when a player dives at the legs/knees of a player being held up by tacklers in an attempt to bring them down, this is an outlawed tackle and one that is becoming more frequent.  Luke was exonerated of that charge so was able to play this game. In the second half Luke has dived in the same manner at Shillington's knees whilst he was being held still by two tacklers.  Shillington was in obvious pain and looks to have received a serious knee injury.  The officials reviewed the tackle and decided it was a fair hit.  How I do not know, it was no different to the one last week and under the rules was an illegal tackle.  Issac Luke is becoming a serial offender in this style of tackle and it is starting to become a joke that he is able to get away with it.  People always say that it usually takes a serious injury for something to be done to change things but why does someone have to be injured before something is done when everyone already knows it is dangerous.  If Shillington has a serious knee injury he could be out for not only the rest of the 4 nations but for at least 6 months.  Yet Luke will be able to line up next week, play the series out and then get ready for preseason.

It is time that the Rugby League community starting getting more proactive in stamping out tactics that are aimed to deliberately injure players.  Regardless of talent if you are a grub that has to stoop to such levels then your talent should not be wanted in the game.

UPDATE:

Well the little grub got off again.  The judiciary has decided it was enough to officially issue a caution to Luke as the action was "conduct contrary to the true spirit of the game".  If he does it again he will automatically be charged with an offense.  This is not good enough.  He has been referred to the judiciary twice now and even then they are only going to charge him if he does it again.  Most likely they will just let him off again if he is charged.  They needed to have more gaul and suspend him for one week, get the message out there, a slap on the wrist will not stop anything.

Roar & Daylight

Roar and daylight is how the A-league competition is starting to look.  Tonight the Brisbane Roar were at there best and totally blew Adelaide out of Lang park in the first half.  Even when the Roar where down one goal they never looked like they were heading for defeat.  After a penalty goal in the 21'st minute it was all over 8 minutes later when the score line was ballooned out to 4-1.

Thanks to a five minute hat-trick to Bersart Berisha in the 24, 27 & 29 minute marks Brisbane were awe inspiring in the play on the field.  With the way he can find the ball inside the box and convert it to a goal Berisha is well on his way to be leading goal scorer for the season.  And he didn't stop there with a fourth goal in the 69th minute.  Enrique was also on target for a hat-trick until he was substituted during the game and I am sure if Berisha played the whole game he would have smashed the record for the most goals in an A-League game.

This game was absolutely thrilling to watch, unless of course you are unlucky enough to be an Adelaide supporter.  Brisbane were always in total control and Adelaide never seemed to be able to get hold of the ball. Also the patience of Brisbane when on the attack is excellent.  They wait until the opening presents before going for the kill, never relying on a constant long ball or hopefull cross or even worse the wasteful shot from too far out with plenty of defenders in the road.

In all a 7-1 result is what Brisbane have been threatening for so long it was only a matter of time before it happened.

I can't wait for next week when the Roar take on the Victory in Melbourne and have Harry Kewell wondering why he didn't sign with Brisbane.  On that I would have Broich in my team over Kewell any day.

SBS and the World Game

SBS must be congratulated on gaining the Australian Broadcasting rights to the FIFA World Cup for 2018 & 2022.

With SBS also having the rights to 2014 fans of Football will be happy to know that they will get to see quality coverage on free to air TV.  SBS have been excellent in providing football coverage for about 30 years now and it is good to see that they will be the ongoing broadcaster.  SBS do what no other commercial station seems to be able to do when they host big sporting events and that is to show the whole game and at a later time repeat the game.  They do not feel the need to go to an ad break everytime their is a break in play or ten minutes has passed.  They do not feel the need to prattle on about sponsors products during a match or tell all the viewers their thoughts on upcoming TV shows.  They do what is needed.  I still find it amazing that the likes of Channel 9 are not able to show 40 minutes of live Rugby League or Union and not go to an ad break.  On top of that SBS will also show every game of a World Cup.  Not just from the Quarter-finals on and any game involving Australia.  They show every game, and if two games are on at the same time, not a problem they will replay the other game.

All SBS need to do now is somehow get rights to show A-league games live, even it is only one game a week.  Not everyone has Pay TV and not everyone lives in a town that has a team, Football Australia needs to realise that the best way to open their market up is to get their product to more people.  The NRL have worked out how to do this with Pay TV and Free to Air, so why not the A-League.

Bulls on Parade

 
How good are the Queensland Bulls going?  It seems that the injection needed for this team was good leadership at the top and that has come in the form of Darren Lehmann.  Queensland are undefeated so far this year and it looks like Lehmann has this team firing on all fronts and the self belief is high.  All the players have been talking highly of him and it is no wonder that the likes of Shane Warne are calling for Lehmann to be the National coach.  Before I get into that issue though lets just look at what Queensland have done so far.

First up in the Sheffield Shield Queensland took on Victoria and came away with a  great outright result.  It was also good to see new player Forrest from NSW score a hundred in the second innings but overall it was a team effort.  Any win over Victoria is good but even better when you are missing the likes of Hopes, Lynn, Swann and Harris and your younger brigade all come out and stand up.

Then in the last Shield game Queensland absolutely humiliated defending Champions Tasmania by an innings.  This was a match where Cutting and Harris absolutely tore through the Tasmanian batting and in the second innings Harris showed why he should be regarded as the best bowler in Australia at the moment.  In conditions favourable to bowling you still have to put the ball in the right spot and looking at his dismissals you can see why he is so good. Of his 7 second Innings wickets three were caught by the keeper and three were bowled.  This is a perfect example of why you bowl on and about off stump.  This is something a lot of the Australian Bowlers need to learn.

Two shield games and two outright victories has Queensland well placed at the start of the season, nicely on top.

Also in the Ryobi One Day Cup Queensland is on top of the table.

First of all saw Victory against Victoria who are usually the dominant team every year and in the second game a close win was achieved over Tasmania, although Tasmania should never have gotten that close.

Queensland currently have a team with a good mixture of experience, youth and talent.  Add to that a couple of interstate players with talent who are finding a new lease of life up in the sunshine state and it is a winning combination. This is a team that is playing with a lot of self belief and with the belief of the coach.  And this leads me back to the point about Lehmann being pushed for the National job.  Yes I agree Lehmann could go one to become a great coach for Australia but firstly let him accomplish an achievement at state level and prove he can do it over a period of time.

4 Nations Preview

With the Rugby World Cup out of the way, focus this weekend will be switching to the 4 Nations Tournament.

This year the Four Nations is made up of:

Australia - Undoubtedly the best Rugby League Team in the World.  If Australia play to their potential and keep the foot on the pedal no team should get close.  The Australia team is full of big game players who have proven to be match winners on the big stage.  From prop through to fullback there is not a player who is out of his depth. Australia will benefit from playing New Zealand and England straight up and being able to rest players against Wales before the final.

New Zealand - This is a team that one the World Cup but cannot win on a consistant basis. Maybe if New Zealand started playing football and stopped worrying about the niggling cheap shots and dirty tactics they would do better.  I can see them beating England but with that their last game before the final it might take a bit too much out of them.

England - On home soil again for the tournament and will still come up short.  I don't know too much about the English players but with their need to rely on players not playing in England or ones in England who make it on questionable grounds, their depth must be a bit waning. England usually turn up for the first 20-30 minutes of each half and fade away very quickly after that. 

Wales - Don't know much about Wales so a distant fourth is the likely-hood.  Let's just hope they put in good performances and don't let scores blow up.  You never know this time might spring and upset as well.




Pretty much going by past form it always end up being Australia vs the team that loses the fewest games.  Yes Australia has been beaten in past finals but with Lockyer on his farewell I can see him going out the champion that he deserves. Australia has never lost 2 big tournaments in a row and all the New South Welshman must be looking for a victory on the large scale with such a drought in Origin.  But look for the class of the Queenslanders' Thurston, Slater & Smith to work with Lockyer in setting up almost every try. 

First up will see Australia vs New Zealand and after the last outing  Australia won't even be worth backing.  I will go for another flogging in this game, a flogging on two counts. 1st count will be on the scoreboard, I predict about 34-8, the other flogging will be the treatment of the Australia kickers from the kiwis.  Last game showed that New Zealand know they can get away with any cheap and late hits they want on the playmakers.  But I call for Australia do the same if it starts happening.  Next time Benji Marshall starts running sideways, even if he passes it, hit hard and drive him into the ground.  Start hitting their playmaker and see if he cops it on the chin like Lockyer does.  The Kiwis might be on a high after the Rugby World Cup but they will come crashing back to reality in this game.

Suarez Shines

Liverpool took on Stoke City in the Quarter-finals of the Carling Cup and came away victorious.  Although going beind 0-1 in the first half through a defensive lapse, the second half was to be Suarez's time to shine.

Love him or hate him you cannot deny this guy has immense talent.  It only took nine minutes into the second half for that talent to come through and shine in what may be one of the best goals of the season.  When Suarez is on the field something always looks like it is going to happen.  In the last few games opportunities have not been converted and it was only a matter of time for the luck to start turning.  All Liverpool needed to do was to keep faith in their playing structure and style and persist.  It will only take a game or two in a row and things will start consistantly falling their way.  Luck is always a factor in sport but any sportsman at any level will tell you that you make your own luck.

Watch the Scorcher of a Goal by Suarez here.


I have had a hard time convincing my son to follow Liverpool FC, mainly for the fact he is only 8 and loves watching Messi play.  I am thinking if he starts seeing more and more highlights like this one he will start following the right team

If Liverpool can keep up this sort of play it might not be long before we LFC supporters start seeing some Silverware being won.  The climb back to the top looks like it is gaining momentum.

Rugby Disgrace

So France did want fans of sport have been asking for since the haka has been allowed before any sporting game featuring New Zealand.

A right of reply.

And what was the response from the IRB. To fine France 2,500 Pounds.  It was rumoured the fine would be as much as 10,000.  All this for simply for holding hands and walking to the half way line towards the kiwis.  Admittedly they went over the half way line but at no stage did they approach close enough for there to be a possible confrontation. Opposition teams are always to stand on the 10 metre mark and stand still showing respect.  The haka is also to be done behind the 10 metre line and not to encroach over that mark 

This is where the IRB is farcical in it's handling of the haka.  Everytime New Zealand perform the haka you can guarantee that at least one player crosses the 10 metre line.  If it is good enough to fine France then why is New Zealand never fined for breaking the guidelines doing the haka. Is New Zealand untouchable in rugby? Is everyone scared of upsetting this island nation?  Not me.  For too long have we listened to the whinging everytime something does not go there way.  Just mention cricket and the under arm incident still gets an ear battering for hours on end. 

Now that the IRB has fined France it is in their best interest to fine New Zealand everytime they encroach over the ten metre line.
 
As I have said before and I will say again, the haka is a ceremonial warcry, therefor opponents have the right to respond.  If they are not allowed to respond then New Zealand should be given a choice, perform the haka or play the national anthem not both.  Why should one team get twice as much time on the field before the game to lift their spirits and get the adrenalin pumping. 

Maybe the FUNZ response as mentioned in an earlier post could become the response performed by all opponents of New Zealand.  We have had a World Cup where everything was done to keep the New Zealanders happy and we will have to listen to their gloating for 4 years but that doesn't mean we should take it sitting down.  If they are as good as they say then they are big enough to handle it.

On This Day....

Today will be the first of what I can hopefully do every day.  A brief history of sporting facts that occurred on this day in history. Mainly it will be of what I consider to be important or interesting in the history of sport.  Feel free to let me know if anything occurred that I missed.

1857:  World's First Football (Soccer) club formed - Sheffield FC in England.
1972:  Jackie Robinson (First black baseball player - Brooklyn Dodgers) dies at 53
1984:  Steffi Graf plays her first professional Tennis Match
1996: Hasan Razza makes Test debut for pakistan aged 14 Years 238 days (although i always question the age of players from the sub continent)

Also on this day the Toronto Blue Jays are noted as being the first non-American team to win the World Series.  Worthy of a mention but more worthy of a criticism.  Don't get me wrong I like watching baseball and the World Series but really it is an American Baseball Competition.  How one can truly call it a world series I don't know.

Weekend Wrap

Rugby World Cup

The World Cup has come to a close and it all went according to a well written script.  New Zealand can now say the are the World Champions.  I would say rightful, but when certain points that were pointed out by my sideline reporter in a previous post, it is hard to do so. Here all I can simply do is quote my well versed reporter:  "This whole tournament was designed to give the ABs the victory. Home soil, easiest pool, compliant local media, sympathetic referees - you name it; they got it - so its no wonder they actually won the thing."

I will even go as far to say that their home crowd are the most unsporting of all crowds.  It is not gallant sportsmanship to boo a player every time he touches the ball yet applaud when he comes off injured with a serious injury.  Yes it is tradition to applaude when an injury player leaves the field, but when you have booed him the whole tournament it does not come across as a respectful sentiment.  The kiwis approach to Cooper even had his own mother ashamed to be a Kiwi.  Says something.


Man United Get Thumped

It is not every day you see Manchester get their pants pulled down and cop a good rogering and Manchester City are now able to say they have given Sir Alex Ferguson the biggest defeat in his 54 year career. To lose 6-1 when you consider yourself to be one of the top two teams is very embarrassing indeed.

Unfortunately I cannot say Liverpool had a win but a draw will do.  This team is making all the chances but cannot convert  It seems the killer instinct is not there at the moment.  With Chelsea also losing Liverpool are missing great chances to make good ground on the front runners.



Australia Crash

Australia could not carry on from the last game and were very disappointing.  I watched the first 20odd overs and the bowling was very ordinary.  Not sure if it was the pitch or not but they cannot blame the pitch for bowling on the legs too often.  The batsmen failed and the bowlers let the South Africans score over 300 not a good overall performance.  With Watson going down injured whilst bowling may have had a large impact on the result but this is what happens when Australia keeps rushing players back from injury.  Surely Watson is more important to the Test match series then to risk on a one dayer. 

Not A Good Week For Motor Racing

Motor sport has unfortunately been in the news for reasons one never wants to read.  Firstly a serious crash in Indycar Series saw the death of  two time Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon.  Wheldon had 16 wins, was the 2005 Indycar Series Champion and 2003 Rookie of the year.

Yesterday saw horrific crash in the MotoGp which saw the untimely death of the talented Italian Marco Simoncelli. The officials called off the race after the crash which is one the smartest moves in racing for a long time.

Both of these crashes were horrific to watch unfold and left that uneasy feeling in you stomach.  What has to be remembered  though is the nature of Motor Sport Racing.  It is a high speed, dangerous sport.  Their are safety precautions and lots of safety gear but things can still go wrong.  There are always close calls in almost every race, unfortunately for these two racers their time came.  Remember their good racing not their final race.



Keep reading, keep commenting and pass the word.

Oh well

Here I was just a few hours ago hoping that I would be able to write about a great French victory over the Kiwis.  But as everyone who knows a kiwi will probably know by now, that is not what panned out.

Overall I think the French were unlucky not to win.  They played the better rugby and were the better team to watch with the ball in hand.  Maybe if a few calls went there way it might have been a different story. 

Unfortunately though, all we will hear for the next four years from across the Tasman and every city in Australia that is home to the kiwis who love their country so much they live here in Australia, is how the All Blacks are the World Champions.

They have finally broken the hoodoo, or have they.  Since the First World Cup held in New Zealand they have been favourites to win so many but always came up short.  Now they have won it again with it being back on their own soil.  Maybe this will only confirm that they can win a World Cup at home but not on foreign soil. The true test of a champion team is winning everywhere, not just at home.  Let's see how they go in four years.

On a side note from the game it was nice to finally see a team stand up to the haka and respond.  Running forward holding hands though was not quite what I expected  but I impressed nonetheless.

In the end congratulations must be given to New Zealand but greater plaudits must be given to France who were written off by everyone before the game.  Vive Le Francais.

Poor Form Award Nomination

The Asian Champions League semi-final has seen what must go down as Sporting Sport Opinions first nomination for Bad Sportsmanship or what will otherwise be known as The Poor Form Award.

Before I go into my thoughts of the situation I will explain a long standing unwritten rule in Football.  If a player is injured the team in possession will kick the ball out of play to allow the player to get treatment.  When the time comes for the ball to come back into play the opposing team returns the ball back to the team that kicked it out.  A nice sporting tradition.

So we have a team from South Korea 'Suwon Bluewings' and Qatar's 'Al Sadd'.  Will these two teams ever deserve respect from oppositions again?


In the semi final in question though it did not pan out like this.  Watch the highlights here and you will not believe how it panned out.

Now Suwon were all expecting the tradition of the game to be played out when one of their players was injured but Al Sadd decided to take advantage and throw tradition out the window.  What Al Sadd did is definitely a perfect way to start off the Poor Form nominations.  As bad as this was though the scenes that followed were unbelievable.  Football of this level is not accustomed to such brawls and in this game we see one to rival the Manly vs Melbourne Rugby League brawl. Having seen the highlights before knowing the punishments I was expecting to see some very hefty suspensions handed out. But reports indicate only one match suspensions to four players and a coach and possible further investigations.  When players on and off the field get involved as well as coaches and staff the punishment needs to be harsher. It looks like the NRL judiciary sat in on this one.  When are sporting officials going to get it right?  But with Asian Football having its own member banned for offering bribes and the AFC also facing problems of match fixing and betting scandals maybe the judiciary are on the take as well.

Roar: 31 and counting...

How good are the Brisbane Roar? It is now 31 games in a row without defeat and by the looks of things there are more to come. 

Tonight's game showed why the Roar are so dominant.  Football is about possession and wearing the opposition out.  Brisbane were under plenty of pressure and the Gold Coast were unlucky not to score in the first half.  By controlling the ball and making the Coast chase all night took all the energy out of the Coast at the end of the game.  3-0 was a deserved result.  Brisbane had worn them out nullifying there ability to come back. 

The style that Brisbane play should be the envy of every other team in the A-League. Having entities like Kewell or Emerton is one thing but having a whole team that play in a single entity is another.

Do yourself a favour and start watching the Roar.  There is nothing but entertainment from this team.

Australia win 3rd Place

Australia are to be congratulated for winning a third place playoff at the Rugby World Cup.  After such a disappointing performance during the World Cup it was good to see them turn up and play hard.

From the start they looked sharp but with early injuries to Beale and Cooper it was not looking good.  Sad to see Cooper out of the Cup in such a way as for the short time on the field he was looking the best he had all tournament.  Let's hope his knee injury is not too serious.

Berrick Barnes played well and was a well deserved man of the match.  Although I do not like it when they keep announcing the man of the match before the game is over.  When it was announced Wales were still in a position to win.  I also thought that Slipper had a great game.

Overall watching the game it seemed like more of the same, the ref cannot see what one team does and Australia were on the wrong end of many decisions.  A blatant forward pass that leads to a try and it also looked like an offside in the same passage.  Many a knock-on was missed among many indiscretions in the ruck.  On that though Wales were pathetic in attack and never looked like being able to score through general play. 

Maybe if Australia played with this much mongrel in defence last week it might have been a different story.

Australia beat South Africa

A pretty happy debutant

Australia have kicked off their one day competition against South Africa with a crushing victory in a rain affected match. 

I was not able to watch the game and had to watch highlights but from what I have seen South Africa were totally outplayed and might be looking for serious answers if they back up again in the same way.  Could be a long summer for the Boks.  Fingers cross they fail again.

It was good to see Cummins do well on debut and if he backs up again in game two he looks like a good chance to get a baggy green.  But with Mitchell Johnson getting in the wickets as well, it will be interesting to see which way the selectors go.  A couple of Johnson's wickets were tail enders, but recently it is the tail Australia has been having trouble cleaning up, which could be in his favour.

What was unfortunate about this game was the weather.  One day cricket games that are dictated by a mathematical equation that most don't truly understand are never quite an indication of the two teams.  Australia were well poised before the rain and probably would have posted a decent score. South Africa from ball one were playing 20/20 cricket and did not have enough time to lay a platform.  Australia though took advantage of the situation and rammed home the authority to take the mental edge into the next game.

Hopefully game two will see good weather and how these two teams go over the full 50 overs.

Only one week!!!

Packer has pleaded guilty and accepted the one match ban for the hit on Lockyer.  Is this an acceptable level of punishment?  Just on examination of the photo one can tell it is a high elbow to the face, have a look at it on video and you will will clearly see Packer come in late and high.  Not only that but he is also off his feet in the air.  How would this have been handled if it was a hit on a ball runner and not a kicker?  Would it have been handled the same?  Did the judiciary take into account the extent of injury from the hit.  I hope not.  Already this year there has been too many instances of the judiciary getting it completely wrong and opening itself to attacks of bias and cries of frustration from fans.

Would the penalty have been the same if it was Thaiday hitting Marshall?  Ask anyone north of the border if a Queenslander would have gotten off lightly around origin time.  The resounding answer is no.

The NRL and its broadcasters keep saying that they have an image to uphold and are quite ready to make examples of players who damage the game when it comes to off-field behaviour, yet cannot do the same with instances on the field. 

Is He ready?

Once again it looks like the selectors of the Australian Cricket team will be the topics at BBQ's all summer.

Now that they have named Patrick Cummins in the Test squad to tour South Africa it hasn't taken long for cricket to be in the news.  This 18yo may be a  tear-away success but is the risk worth it.  Australia is in a rebuilding stage, which means they have to carefully regain their status without making backward progress.

This young kid has plenty of potential and has showed it in the 20/20 matches.  At this stage he has only played 3 first class matches but everyone knows that 3 matches for NSW means 3 seasons for a player from any other state.  It may be that he makes it and it turns out to be a masterstroke or it will backfire and he will be like so many other players that the selectors have thrown in the heap.

If he is such a talent then after the 20/20 matches send him home to get some 4 day cricket under his belt before the home series.  Then let him rip on the safety of home soil with a big crowd behind him.  Don't throw him in the deep end on foreign soil where if it goes wrong there is nowhere to hide.  Some may say that keeping him with the squad he will learn a lot just by being around the experienced players, but there are plenty of experienced players in Shield cricket.  If he does not get a game though all the net sessions in the world will not help.  Hopefully he as not been sent over to be the next Andy Bichel - the perennial twelfth man.

Looking at the squad what is the chance of him playing:

• Michael Clarke (capt) - 1st picked and finally starting to play well again
• Shane Watson (vice-capt)- Always consistant but should be down the order
• Michael Beer - still not convinced
• Trent Copeland - Has the talent and deserves a run after Sri lanka
• Patrick Cummins - Behind a queue of bowlers
• Brad Haddin - Still dumbfounded as to why is is picked, needs to learn what 5 day cricket is about.
• Ryan Harris - Form bowler and hits the pitch hard.
• Phil Hughes - Needs to start scoring or this may be his last chance
• Mike Hussey - Back in form Mr Cricket is a Certainty
• Mitchell Johnson- Form is hard to gauge, media love to hate him but he is a match winner
• Usman Khawaja - Give this guy a good chance, the talent is there
• Nathan Lyon - Seems to be the spinner of choice at the moment
• Shaun Marsh - Has showed the temperament to play long innings.
• Ricky Ponting - Playing well again
• Peter Siddle - Not sure if he is the best option at the moment

There is no automatic eleven picked out of this squad and all options will be debated but here is my effort:

Marsh, Hughes, Watson, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey, Haddin, Johnson, Harris, Lyon, Copeland

I give it one game into the summer and the selectors will be hotly discussed.  Going on form though if the selectors get it right it is only by fluke.

Racism in Sport

This issue seems to be one that will never go away.  It has always happened and it always will.

The latest installment involves Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra.  Evra has made the allegation that Suarez has vilified him on the field throughout the Liverpool vs Manchester United match.  Evra is claiming that at least ten times throughout the match Suarez was taunting him with the term "nigger".  If true then then there is no excuse for this on any sporting field and Suarez will need to accept his punishment.  If it is baseless then Evra, as LFC have stated, should be banned for this charade.  If it affected him so much why did he not bring it to the attention of the officials during the game.  The referee has already stated in his match report that the first he knew of it was after the match.  This is not the first time that Evra has been part of such allegations and on the last occasion he was suspended and fined as the allegations were not proved.  He could be looking at another stint on the sidelines.

I have no time for racism but I also have no time for players who throw baseless allegations around.  If it was so bad why wait until after a game where it supposedly happened at least ten times.  Did it take the tenth time for him to understand the word?  Did he mishear the word, perhaps Suarez was saying niggler ie:  Stop niggling me, you are a niggler.  This could be a stretch but it will come down to word against word.  I will also take it a step further, this may offend some out there but it is how I feel.  If the word in question is so offensive why does it get used so often in film and music without any objection.  If it is not good for one colour to say it then it is not good for the other colour either.  The only way to stamp out racism is to have a united front, not one rule for one and another rule for the other.

UPDATE:

Kenny Dalglish has today announced Luis Suarez has the full support of the club.  See the details here.

For me it is taking too long for the EPL to sort out this issue.  A professional sport of this magnitude should have sorted this out by now. 

Weekend Wrap

What a weekend of sport.  Lots of action around the world and plenty of talking points.

Didn't miss him.

Australia vs New Zealand (League)
This was another dominating display by Australia and Man of the Match Lockyer.  If anything Australia should have put more on the board. New Zealand just never looked like being competitive enough and where found wanting in too many areas,  maybe the need to be told that cheap shots don't win a game.  If New Zealand focused on playing as much as rattling the opposition they might win more often.  The main issue out of this game occurred in the opening minutes and that was the deliberate elbow by Packer on Lockyer.  Surely he has to get a few weeks rest for this one.

Not to be

Australia vs New Zealand (RWC2011)
Realistically Australia never had a chance to beat the All Blacks at Eden park.  Australia lacked the mongrel and hunger to overcome a New Zealand team that knew the South African ref was always going to turn a blind eye to all of there indiscretions.  Australia though made too many crucial errors. Surely next World Cup we will not leave game winners like Beau Robinson at home. What I cannot stand though is how quickly the sharpened knives have been put into Quade Cooper by the media.  In a team game I find it amazing how they always blame one bloke.  Our scrum fails, not Coopers fault, our rucking fails, not Coopers fault.  Yes he made errors but so did every other player in the team.  Australia need to start playing harder.  Now the world cup is almost over it is time to get an Australian coach and the best coach in the country is Ewen McKenzie.  Look at what he has achieved with the Reds and it is not hard to imagine he as the ability to make our Wallabies a much stronger team.

The Roar Keep Roaring
I was unable to watch this game but have caught higlights.  ( Actually missed most sport this weekend but the wedding of my Sister was always going to come first).  How good are the Roar and how much better can they get. It is now 30 games in a row undefeated in the A-League and they are not playing at there best yet.  It is only early in the season but the Roar are looking the goods for back to back titles. And if they can keep this style of play going a dynasty is in the making.

Next clash will be interesting

Liverpool vs Manchester United
A draw is better than a loss and from what I am hearing and reading Liverpool should have put this game away.  Manchester United are considered to be a superior team to Liverpool yet were not the better team on the day.  If Liverpool can match it with Man U then they should be winning more games on a consistant basis.  The big talking point from this game which has overshadowed the the dominance of Liverpool is the Racial Abuse claim by Evra.  Without knowing all the details it is hard to comment but if you are going to make a claim and vilify a player publicly then come out and say what was said.  Don't leave it to guessing.  Guilty or not if you throw mud some of it sticks.  If the claims are correct then the EFA will handle it accordingly. 

But I cannot abide by what Evra has stated: 

"I won't repeat what he said, but it was a racist word, and he said it more than ten times.
"He tried to wind me up. I won't make a huge deal out of it, but it's very upsetting and disappointing."


Too late, you have made a big deal of it. If you won't repeat it how can anyone make judgement on it.

I have also read Suarez's comments on twitter:

"I'm upset by the acusations of racism. I can only say that I have always respected and respect everybody. We are all the same. I go to the field with the maximum illusion of a little child who enjoys what he does, not to create conflicts."

Well said and let's hope he has not said anything of the racial nature.  Definitely more to come on this issue.





Plenty of other sporting news to catch up on but I will keep you updated on any issues that are raised during the week.  Big news on Atomic Force could be coming soon.  Will keep you posted.

Australia vs New Zealand

This weekend sees Australia play New Zealand in Rugby League and Rugby Union.  My heart will always say Australia is going to win both games but my head is not so sure.

Why? Well lets start with the game of League.
This will be Lockyers last game on Australian soil.  Australia have a very imposing record over New Zealand and only for the odd game have New Zealand beaten Australia.  I am not totally convinced Australia have picked their best team with what is available but it should still be able to close this game out easily.  Let's break it down firstly with the key positions. 

Five-eighth:  Lockyer vs Marshall. For me Marshall is never going to be a the level of Lockyer, he hides in defence and goes missing too many times in a game and has a high error rate.  The kicking game is an important factor and it is not just about the short kicking game, Lockyer has Marshall covered here.

Halfback: Thurston vs Foran.  Foran has the Premiership ring but Thurston has the big game experience.  Nothing is bigger than Origin and Thurston has shown his credentials at state and national level many a time.  Thurston has the ability to keep the ball on a string and should dominate this battle.

Hooker:  Smith vs Fien  The worlds best hooker against an Aussie that turned his back on his country just to make a rep team, Smith dominates all over here.  Too much experience at the top level here and Smith very rarely has a bad game.

Fullback:  Slater vs Locke.  There is daylight and second here.  Slater is the fullback any team would gladly have.  Locke may be quick and has had a good year but Slater is no slouch either and just seems to be getting better and better.  Look for nerves to hurt Locke, even if Slater makes a couple of mistakes which he is capable of he will still have a big game.

The fowards:  Too many class forwards for Australia.  Big games are won up front and I can't see how New Zealand will put this Australian team on the back foot.  Most of Australia's starting pack are capable of eighty minute games and all of them hit hard. 

I won't put it past the kiwis to try a few cheap shots in early in this game. Australia should win easily here.


Rugby Union Semi-final

I think if Australia can get a ref that actually understands the rules of the game and is consistent then they are capable of beating the All Blacks.  So far in this competition Australia have not hit their straps but are still there.  The kiwis won't have to look back too far to see that they are not as good as they think.  They can make up all the excuses they want but they lost the Tri-Nations and the Crusaders are not the Super Rugby Champions.  And when it comes to World Cups there is one thing New Zealand are good at, failure.  New Zealand are rated every year as being the best team in the world but have not been World Champions since 1987.  Since then they have only made the final once.  This is a very poor record for a team that is so cocky about their ability in Union. 

All the pressure is on New Zealand in this game.  Most have written off Australia and Aussies love being an underdog and don't expect Cooper to have another poor game.  New Zealand on the other hand are playing at home so the support will be all for them.  The media have had New Zealand winning the Cup since day one and most are too scared to say anything negative about the New Zealand team. Hopefully this is a team that just thinks they need to turn up.

They are missing one of there best players in Carter though and McCaw is under an injury cloud.  They have plenty of good players but the pressure of a big game and it could all unravel. If Australia can defend like the did against South Africa but get 50% of the possession they will press New Zealand and should came away victorious.

Where to for the NRL?

The NRL is currently facing an interesting dilemma and how it handles it will have a very significant impact of the future of Rugby League in Australia.

For too long now the implementation of an independent commission has been prolonged.  And now it looks like it will be delayed again.  And for what reason?  As usual it is over money, potential money.  The clubs all want a larger slice of the pie when the new TV rights are negotiated.  Fair enough.  But there is more to it than that. 

The clubs want what they think is a fair slice of the TV rights.  What is fair?  Should all teams get an equal share?  And what share should they get?  Well you can not ask for a set amount if the new deal is not done.  No point locking in too early.  The clubs have asked for an increase in the annual grant from $3.65 to 6 Million from next year.  Now that expected TV deal is said to be in the region of $1.4 billion.  Now if this potential figure is reached for a 4 year deal then the NRL would still have a billion dollars in its coffers.  Not a bad sum when they state they currently only have $18 million in reserves.  The NRL has stated that 14 of the 16 clubs are making losses in the region of $30 odd million.  Maybe the clubs should be forced to be viable before money is thrown at them.  There are many arguments that can be brought to the table but maybe the clubs should be asking for a percentage of the new deal not a set amount.  Could work out better, especially if a larger TV deal is made.
If the clubs want an independent commission maybe they should let that happen first and then work on deal for the share of the next TV deal.  What is the point of setting up an independent commission if all the negotiations and deals are done before it starts.

Do you throw bad money after bad?  What is the point of continuing to prop up teams that are making large losses?  Relocation has been hotly discussed but always rejected by clubs and fans.  We have a National competition with teams in Queensland (3), New South Wales (10), Victoria (1),  the ACT (1) and New Zealand (1).  This is where I will start my rant about too many Sydney teams and if you want a national competition then try and have a team in every state and if you have more than one team in a state , spread them out.  This is how you attract new fans and new sponsors to the game.  The Sharks could easily be relocated and set up as the Perth Sharks, there are suggestions they should move to the central coast which is viable as well.  Perth already has a good Rugby support so League would not find it hard to get going.  This rant though is destined for another day as it deserves a debate on its own,

This is an issue that pretty much everyone just wants sorted out otherwise the potential for a situation similar to the Super League is bound to happen.  Only this time I believe all the teams will jump ship and the Muppetman Gallop will be on his own.  Everyone involved needs to realise that the game is bigger then them.  The clubs need the competition and the competition needs the clubs.  But both need the fans.  Players come and go, coaches come and go and administration think they are the almighty but the fans are there every year.  Put a fan offside and they may never come back.  AFL has almost lost me as a fan through the way they run their game, change their rules and let certain influences have too much control.  Rugby League put many offside and arguments still rage over the Super League days, I do not want to see this debate start to destroy the game like it did back then.

The New Chant

It is time that Australia starts all games they play vs New Zealand with a chant of their own.  For too long we have had to put up with the haka and not be able to respond in kind.  If Australia does not stand still and watch without making any gestures they are ridiculed and reprimanded.  The haka is a traditional war cry/challenge.  And there is the key word, challenge.  If you challenge someone they have the right of reply. As Australians, and especially after putting up with the disgraceful cheating Bryce Lawrence who has tried as much as possible for Australia to be knocked out of the world cup, the time for an Australian Repsonse to the challenge is needed.

F.U.N.Z..  Simple as that.  This great chant was given to me by my Sideline Reporter  after watching the quarter-final.  This response does not require tongues wagging like a thirsty dog or thigh slapping spirit fingers.  It is a short sweet extension of the right arm as you stop its progress upwards with a grab of the elbow with your left hand whilst shouting F.U.N.Z.  Quick and simple.

I think Australians should rally together and get momentum on this project. 

An airing before the semi-final on New Zealand soil would be perfect.

Contracts in Sport

With Manly's Coach Des Hasler signing with the Bulldog's for 2013 it raises an interesting debate.

Should he be sacked immediately by Manly? 

Let's look at the situation.  Firstly if you are contracted by one company and then sign with a competitor, is your current employer going to be happy and retain your services?  In most situations they will release you straight away and frog march you out the door.  No company in their right mind would keep an employee who is going to rival at the end of the current term.  There is too high a risk of that employee taking with them valuable information as well as current and potential assets.  For the last year of his term with the Eagles who will he be recruiting for.  Take Wayne Bennett as an example.  He made sure he looked after St George in their recruitment and ravaged Brisbane.  Brisbane lost many key players and Bennett had a hand in all of their signings.  He has then done the same thing to St George once he signed with Newcastle.  As much as I dislike Manly I think they need to be smart and sack Hasler straight away. 

I never have sympathy for someone who benefits from such a deal and then is hurt in the same fashion.  St George cannot complain about Bennett as they did the same thing to get him.  Canterbury cannot complain if they lose a coach under contract as they have done the same thing.  In the modern professional era sport is now a business.  The mighty dollar is greater than loyalty. Players change clubs at the drop of a hat just to get a greater deal.  Fair enough, if the money is there then I would take it too, but when a player or coach is sacked for signing another contract then they need to cop it on the chin.

And the Roar are away!!

The Brisbane Roar have started off where they left off last year.  In the Grand Final rematch they have made the Central Coast Mariners look like they have a lot of work to do this season.  Purely entertaining game to watch and the skill level of the team was fantastic.  If anything the Roar should have scored more goals, credit must go to the young keeper for the Mariners here.  But a win is a win and looking at this team and considering they are still gelling with the new players it is going to be a good year. 

Also with the news of a new owner of the Roar who is reportable worth millions the future looks good.  Reports are also flowing that the new owner is going to produce a marquee player in the next transfer window.  I don't think it will be long before the A-League starts being noticed on the world stage.  And it will be on the back of the Roar in the Asia Champions League.

Rugby Quarter-Finals

The quarter final stage of the Rugby World Cup is under way and the results were no surprise to me.

Ireland found out what it was like to play a game o rugby without a an extra player on the field (The ref).  By the end of the game the Irish look clueless in attack and the Welsh deserved their victory.  It will be interesting to see how wales go against a more potent attack though.  Didn't get to watch the whole game but what I did see was entertaining.

In the second game the French totally out played England in the First half and the end result seemed a formality from there.  England are no longer the power they think they are and it is about time that Wilko retired.  He is definitely not up to standard at this level.  Would have preferred it if France played like this against the Kiwis though.

Looking forward to my Sideline Commentators  report on these games.

Tomorrow I will hopefully be enjoying a Bok bashing by the Wallabies and then I want to enjoy seeing the Pumas eat some Kiwis.

 UPDATE:  

 Games three and four have been played and there were no surprises.

Australia overcame a Springbok team and  Bryce Lawrence to progress to the Semi.  Look at the game in detail and one knows that the South Africans have a lot of work to do.  With 70+% of the ball and no ability to score a try is why this team is packing their bags.  Not to mention every assistance from a ref that is way to blatant in his disregard for the Australian team is why Australia should hold their head high.  I cannot understand how the IRB can sit back and let this tool of a ref ever get close to a game of such importance.  The only thing as bad as the ref is the pathetic commentary by the Fox team.  You are not commentating if you can not see and say what is really happening on the field.  And writing an article about it three days later will not make up for the fact.  All said and done a good win by Australia and hopefully Bryce Lawrences last ever game as a ref.

In the other game every one knew that the Pumas never had a chance to beat a team that can do no wrong this world cup.  Although the Kiwis really weren't that convincing and hopefully a repeat of Lang Park and the Tri-nations final happens in the semi.Face the fact if the Kiwis were given the same treatment as the Australian team we would here the winging this side of the Tasman.  All I ask for is that a game if officiated in a consistent manner.  One can only dream.

Whoops.

Sorry folks but someone (Head bowed in shame) in my household overdid our download limit which kept me out of business for a week. 

Not that the NRL grand final was all that great to report about.  Well done to Manly though.  With whinging Des jumping ship to the doggies after next year, they might be on their way down the ladder with St George.  And with Hopoate signing with the Eels after his return from missionary work in Brisbane, (Watch out Brisbane more door knockers are coming you way.  Start baking the cookies),  I think the Eels need their Salary cap investigated.

This weekend sees the start of the serious part of the Rugby World Cup and lets hope that the ref gets it right for Australia,  For more details on his record check out this Great Site.

Also Football Australia get their comeptition under way and all being well the Brisbane Roar will continue on from last season and show that they are bigger and better.  Who needs marquee signings when you can play at Lang park every second week.

Lastly I will be starting a list soon of name in sport that get a good laugh when you are watching with your mates.  Send in your suggestions and why.  Maybe they will make the list.  For example Albert Johncock for the Adelaide Crows gets someone I know to crack up.

Stay tuned and pass the word.