Peter Roebuck
I was in shock when first read about this in the early hours of Sunday morning and with more facts on the story slowly coming out I am really at loss as to how I go about writing this article. Roebuck is widely considered a great commentator and will be missed on the ABC's Grandstand this summer. He called as he saw it and often polarised when he criticised popular players, but he spoke his thoughts and felt no reason to gloss over facts that he considered needing talking about. Unfortunately the image of Roebuck will be forever tarnished and his private life may leave a bitter after taste on his image. To take ones own life is a drastic step and is never an easy subject to handle. It either means one cannot face up to what life is about to serve, they think that there is no other option or simply put a cowards way out of handling the reality of life. With the allegations of sexual assault now surfacing Roebucks personal life will take centre stage. If it turns out to be true then take from it your own way to see how you remember him but if the claims stay unresolved then why would he take his own life. It would seem a strange reaction for an innocent man. I will be following this story closely to see how it folds out.
Do not think that I am not sympathetic to those who take or attempt to take their own life. This is an issue I am close too and now how easily one can get into such situations. If you are ever feeling like you are in dangerous territory or think someone you know is, you need to talk about it. Trust me when I say that people will listen and take you seriously, you will be surprised how much your family and friends really care.
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It will be Australia vs England in the final after England easily accounted for a lacklustre, grub of a team from New Zealand and Australia put on a score bigger than their cricket counterparts after an early scare.
I have only seen highlights of the Australian game and don't think much can be taken from this game. Once the big guns Scott, Thaiday and Gallen came on the game changed and with Lockyer back in the team Australia will turn it on against an improving England.
What I think needs to be addressed though is the continual tactics of New Zealand and in particular Issac Luke. Every game they play they have players on report for acts that are designed to specifically injure players. Issac Luke for instance has been reported in both games against Australia and now the game against England, surely he does not have a clean record to allow him to keep getting off. Then you take the actions of Packer and Jeremy Smith with deliberate elbows and you wonder what sort of message this team is sending the next generation. And after his performances against Australia and England it is time everyone stopped saying how good Benji Marshall is. Here is a game that New Zealand needed to win and he was missing, which is pretty much the same in most tests he plays. A few minutes of brilliance does not make a great player. A game is eighty minutes and how you play even when your team is behind is what makes you.
Roar on 34
The Roar were held by bottom of the table Wellington but should have really won this game. Issey Nakajima-Farran had plenty of opportunities and missed one easy chance to put this game away. Watching Issey play in amongst a well drilled clynical team is frustrating and seems out of place. He definitely has talent but is very erratic. It could have been the nerves of a starting game and having to step up for the missing Nichols but he needs to improve to get another starting spot.
Nice Guy Greg Chalmers
It is always nice to see the nice guys win and to see an emotional Chalmers win the Australian Open was great for the game. All the talk has been about Tiger Woods and to his credit he came third but it is time everyone got over this bloke and gave credit to other golfers. He is not bigger than the game and now that he is not winning al the time maybe his angry outbursts should be held in the same light as John Daly's. Albeit though Woods wouldn't walk off on the first round. Chalmers is now a two time winner of the Open and currently ranked 215 in the world beat a very highly regarded field. He should be given every due that goes his way. He has shown that nice guys don't always finish last.
It is looking like an interesting week unfolding reading todays headlines and with the 2nd test coming up their could be some heads on the chopping block.
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