Henrique Carded, Burns Dived

The FFA has a large scale issue to deal with and it is not Clive Palmer and Gold Coast United.  It is the continued diving/simulation and acting in the game.  The incident in the Perth Glory v Brisbane Roar game has yet again brought this issue into the spotlight and even the media does not seem to be able to report the incident.

Watch the footage and make up your own mind, I have my opinions and I will stand by them.  Burns clearly collects Henrique on the jaw with an elbow (possibly accidental) and Henrique immediate reaction is to grab for his jaw.  Burns then inflames the situation by going to him and grabbing at him obvisously in an attempt to rile him up.  I only say this as Henrique's reaction is to push Burns away.  Burns then grabs at his face and writhes on the ground as if Mike Tyson has just felled him with a vicious right hook.  Although watch most highlights of the incident and they won't show Burns' reaction.  The referee had no hesitation in showing Henrique a straight red card.  The media is reporting this as a slap and some have even labelled it a "revenge" attack.  Imagine the outcry in the media if Harry Kewell was carded after a similar incident?

If the FFA is serious about their game they should be coming out and vocally condemning the act of Burns, who as captain, and should be setting a better example on the field.  Why is it that is a striker takes a dive in the penalty box to get a free kick he is shown a yellow for simulation, but when a player takes a dive in general play and acts as though he has received a career ending injury in an attempt to get the opposition player penalised and hopefully carded that the penalty is not the same.

Regardless of where on the field an incident happens, if you want to stamp it out of the game there is only one path to choose.  Penalise it harshly.  If not on the field during the game, do it after the game and start imposing suspensions or fines.  I coach Small Sided Football which is non-competitive and I have been witness to appalling behaviour from children who can only be learning what they are doing from what they are seeing.

Greg Martin Should Stay South

Watching the Queensland Reds defeat the NSW Waratahs on Fox Sport highlights yet again how Rugby in Australia is Sydney centric.  At no point leading up to the game or during the game were the Reds ever seen as a chance to win the game.  NSW were always seen in favourable light by the commentators and no credit was given to the Reds for their domination of the first half and eventual victory.  With commentators in the box from NSW it is understandable that they will support their home state, and this is where the problem lies with Greg Martin.  He is a Queenslander and will always tell you he is from this state but it seems he only wants to show his loyalty and passion once the result is known.  The easy option in commentary is always the path he chooses.  I don't mind if a commentator is unbiased or biased towards the team they support as long as they are consistent.  But for a Queenslander to be openly against their home state and then change allegiance once the result is known is not professional in the least.  All Queensland fans ask for from Greg martin is that he stays consistent and open on his support and sticks to the same standards of bias that the NSW and New Zealand commentators approach the game.  If not then return all Queensland jerseys and stay south of the border.

I doubt though that the style of Marto will change much, until of course the Red's look like they are going to be champions again.  Then the bandwagon will have him back on board.

The Mankad Debate

It seems that India just can't stay out of the headlines this summer and last night's game against Sri Lanka has started a new debate with India at the centre.  And it is all over the controversial dismissal - The Mankad.

Let's look at what happened on the night. 

Firstly view the footage of the incident and then the Foxsports debate.

Secondly the rule needs to be reviewed:  Law 42.15 Bowler attempting to run out non-striker before delivery - The bowler is permitted, before entering his delivery stride, to attempt to run out the non-striker.

Now lets put this rule to the evidence at hand.  All the debate has been over whether or not the bowler needs to give a warning before doing a Mankad, how a warning should be given and if in the end it is dirty cricket.  To start with I will state that it was not out purely under the laws of cricket.  Look at the footage carefully and the bowler, Ravi Ashwin, has clearly entered his delivery stride as his front leg is in the air in his final delivery stride.  I have have heard arms mentioned in the debate but a stride is pertained to the legs and nothing else. So in this instance no matter what argument you have for or against the Mankad, it was not out and should never be ruled out. 

As for a warning before doing a Mankad.  This is purely under the ethics or morals of cricket.  It is not stated anywhere in the laws and is akin to the unwritten rule that batsmen will not run if a throw deflects off a bastman.    If a warning is to be given though, how should it be done?  Most cricketers and watchers of cricket will tell you that the bowler will attempt the Mankad only to pull up short to put a scare into the non-striker.  Simply saying something to the batsmen between overs is not what I would consider a warning.

If a Mankad is considered to be dirty cricket then I would also say that a batsmen running well before the ball is bowled to also be dirty cricket.  If it is fair game for the batsmen to run early then it is fair game for the bowler to run him out.

Where do sit with the idea of Mankads in cricket.  Not a problem.  It is in the rules and the way that non-strikers steal metres in One Day cricket and Twenty20's it is something that should be happening more.  Most rules in cricket are designed to favour the batsmen, so to have a law that favours the bowlers is good for the game.  If a batsmen is stupid enough to get himself run-out in a game before the ball is bowled is only an embarrassment for himself and his team. 

What I do have a problem with is when players, officials, commentators and couch experts do not understand the rule.  If the rule was understood correctly then the debate happening would be focused more on Ashwin not being in a position to do a Mankad as he was already in his delivery stride.  

Weekend Wrap

Another weekend gone, the cricket is still going, the AFL has started their pre-season, the last of the NRL trials have been played and the Rugby is about to kick off.  Instead of wrapping up results, this article will be talking about the controversial issues over the weekend.

Clive Palmer Doesn't Like His Own Asset

It has been another bad week for Gold Coast United and as I have previously discussed, there is a need for the FFA to step in and sort out this club.  In the last 24-48 hours the developments at the club after the suspension of Miron Bleiberg over his decision to hand a 17yo on debut the captaincy has shown why there is really no other option for the FFA but to take the licence off Clive Palmer and sort out this club.

So far the FFA has condemned Palmer's comments :

"I Don't even like the game, I think it's a hopeless game.  Rugby league's a much better game." stated Palmer.

But the FFA has done little elseand swift action needs to be taken.

If Palmer doesn't like football then why did he buy the team?  Was it just a tax write-off or did he think that by running a club in such a pathetic way would make him money?  Or did Palmer only buy the club so he could destroy it and ensure that Football was not a success on the Gold Coast.   At no stage has Palmer done anything to help promote this team or the game of football on the Gold Coast, how must anyone who has been employed by this person think that he really wants them in the job.  Palmer might be rich but when it comes to winning friends he falls well short.

Surely his comments have given the FFA the right to immediately step in and take the licence from him.


India Disrespectful

Watching India get a hiding at the Gabba was even better when you look at how the Indian players behaved on the field.  This is a team that thinks they are always being hard done by and at no time think they are in the wrong.

First person from this Indian team that should be facing a suspension and at least a fine is the captain Dhoni.  The way he reacted when the 3rd umpire had technical problems and the "out" decision was incorrect was not how any player, let alone a captain, should talk to an umpire.  Just for the fact that he was complaining was one thing but to touch an umpire in an aggressive manner when questioning a decision is something that should see him sitting on the sidelines for quite some time.  Add to that the slow over rate, being half an hour over the allotted time, surely must have the match referee needing to sit down with Dhoni, as he is a serial offender when it comes to running over.  I also find it strange that Dhoni, who was obviously struggling with a thigh injury was allowed to leave the field whilst batting and then return, and on his return, didn't seem to struggle at all to run quick 1's and 2's.  Should Dhoni have been required to retire hurt if he needed attention off the field and what sort of attention did he get that freed his leg up so well

Then we have the serial complainer in Kholi.  Firstly he takes a catch and decided to taunt the crowd with gestures indicating the crowd to be silent.  Then when he is caught out he challenges the decision as he felt it didn't carry.  Even after the umpires refer it and it is decided it carried he stands around dumbfounded and can't understand why he is out.  The amount of time he took to leave the field was a complete disrespect for the umpires decision and should be dealt with accordingly.

The match referee needs to handle the incidents from this game with the full knowledge that if it was Australian players the Indians would be baying for blood.  And the same needs to be done by the media.  For too long have the media not approached the coverage of India in the same harshness that they handle Australian players.  Imagine what the headlines would be if it was Australia on the receiving end tonight and their players carried on in this manner.  Unfortunately I think India will get off lightly and the media will not say much at all.  And if India are dealt harsh penalties watch for their complaints to start flowing.

Petero Suspended?

After the trial match Brisbane Bronco's played against the Melbourne Storm, all the talk is about Petero Civoniceva and whether or not he will suspended for a high shot on Ryan Hinchcliffe.  I have no problem with a suspension if he is guilty, what I am interested in is the evidence that might find him guilty.  The Storm are fuming over the tackle and say they have footage of the tackle that will condemn Petero.  This footage will be vital as most trial games have only one camera and it is usually not of standard for most incidents.

My question is this?  If it was a Storm player on a charge would the Storm make the video footage available to the judiciary?  My thought's are they would be very silent on the issue.  This is one of those little issues that arises every know and then and can really start a point for discussion.


It will be an interesting few days off the sporting field as the officials handle things.  It is these sorts of issues that really show how serious sporting organisation are in being seen as professional and serious about it's game.

Gold Coast United - What is Happening?

It appears that Gold Coast United love making the sport headlines. Unfortunately it is always for the wrong reasons and it makes you wonder what is going on at the club. When you look at how Gold Coast United are run and how they are performing, you ask yourself, "How did Clive Palmer become Queensland's wealthiest man". After doing well competitively in their first two seasons in the A-League, Gold Coast Utd have struggled ever since.

And now Gold Coast are in the headlines again for what I cannot even grasp to understand the motive of.  I am only a coach of a Small Sided Football side and I cannot see any wisdom at all in Miron Bleiberg's decision to hand 17yo Mitch Cooper the captaincy on his debut. Bleiberg might be trying to make a statement about the clubs youth policy but has he really thought about the consequences of his decision.  A 17yo on debut has enough pressure on him and even more expectation without the media hype of such announcement on top of it. Regardless of the potential of the player, with senior players in the side, it seems ludicrous to hand the captaincy to a player on debut.

Then the situation is made laughable when the club then suspends the coach for his actions but doesn't overturn his decision.  And this is where the problem for Gold Coast United lays, in its administration.  As I mentioned earlier, how did Clive Palmer become rich, because in football he has showed no brains at all.  To start with here is a team that turns away its own fans and plenty of other potential spectators by reducing it's crowd capacity.  Averaging a paltry 3000 odd per game is a sign that Gold Coast United have a limited future if things don't change.  Add to that a membership number of approx 400 and you can start to see where things are going wrong.

If people are not buying your product then your product is either out-dated or not required.  If your club is struggling both on and off the field it will not attract new fans easily and sponsors will be even harder to attract. Without these two it also becomes harder to attract quality players, regardless of money, players still want trophies and they want to play in front of large crowds.

So what is the A-League to do?  Clive Palmer seems to be a force unto himself, but the A-League needs to do something about how this team is being handled.  United are already well behind the Titans (NRL) and the Suns (AFL) and I am sure that if the big bash expanded and placed a team on the Gold Coast then they too would sit well above United.  And recently it has been stated that United will be renamed Queensland United and play its games throughout regional Queensland. The A-League has some serious thinking to do before deciding what to do.  If they allow United to carrying on the way they are it is not good for the game.  If they let them go ahead with their change and travel it also creates a dangerous situation.  This is a team that struggles to get fans in it's current location and doesn't cater for a crowd to turn up, what makes them think regional Queensland will want to get on board.

Rested or Dropped

It seems that even when he is not in the team Haddin is the talking point when it comes to selections in the Australian team.  The selectors stated that Haddin was being rested when they named the Initial One-Day squad for the Tri-Series and everyone within the fraternity is sticking to this claim.  All the innuendo since has been on whether or not Haddin was actually dropped and sent back to first class cricket to find some form in time to be able to be selected again during the tournament without any one thinking it was nothing more than a rest.

But with Clarke being injured and the selectors needing a replacement skipper it seems that the selectors gamble has been caught out.  If Haddin was being rested, wouldn't the sensible option be for him to return and captain the side considering he was the vice-captain. Even with Wade's form, either one could have been selected as just a batsmen.  Although realistically you would only pick Wade as a batsmen only as Haddin is still out of form in this department.  Has Wade's performance been that good, the selectors were forced into a position where Haddin needed to be dropped and may not get back into the team.  One would hope this is the case, as dropping Wade now to let Haddin back in the team would be seen as a backward step from the future of the team.

The question then is, if Haddin is not going to be recalled, who is the best option to captain the side.  Warner is the current vice-captain so surely he should have been the obvious choice.  Instead they have gone back to Ponting.  There is no doubting Ponting's ability to lead the team, but wasn't he replaced by Clarke due to poor performance and leadership of late?  If Warner is not considered to be up to leading the team then why is he the vice-captain?  The injury to Clarke might have shown a problem the Australian team didn't realise they had.  With Watson injured and speculation over the furure of the older players, who is the next obvious choice?

Weekend Wrap

Been awhile since my last wrap and with all that has happened over the last few days I felt I had to cover at least some of it.  One of the annoying things that has surfaced over the last day or so is the media's complete inability to report on sport in a correct factual way showing the full story and not just what make headlines that sell.  Also it seems that yet again the sports sections of Australian papers have little regard of what happens north of the border with no or little coverage on the NRL trial matches and the Ryobi Cup Domestic One Dayer.  But when it comes to media coverage I have to start with the big one....

Manchester United vs Liverpool

Or as the media are writing, "Suarez didn't shake Evra's hand".   With all that happened between these two players it is easy to forget there was a game.  Liverpool just weren't up to it and deserved to lose.  If Liverpool want to be a serious contender for the top four, they need to start playing a lot better then they are of late.

But let's go back to the non-handshake and events that follow. Suarez is in the headlines for not shaking the hand of Evra, yet if you look at the evidence at hand he did go to shake Evra's hand but Evra pulled back.  What is Suarez to do, wait or move on? Obviously he still has no time for a man who to this day Suarez claims has made up the whole racism issue for which he was banned, so he chose to move on.  Why is it then that Ferdinand is not in the same headlines for refusing to shake Suarez's hand?

Then at half time Evra chases Suarez in the tunnel (according to a Skye reporter) and has to be held back from entering the rooms of Liverpool by Skrtel.  Then at fulltime, Evra carries on like a chump cheering and gesturing to the crowd in front of Suarez in an obvious attempt to get a reaction.  All through this Suarez has held his nerve and made no reaction.  

Yet it will be Suarez who is hauled through the coals by the media and with ludicrous comments like Manchester United's manager, Ferguson, it is already showing how this will play out.  What I want to know is how Ferguson would react if it was one of his players in this situation and another manager criticizing his team.  The situation between these two players has gone well past reconciliation and I doubt that it will ever be rectified after the way the initial allegations were handled.  And the call for Suarez to be kicked out of the Premiership is a large over reaction for someone simply not wanting to shake the hand of another.

Roar Into Second

The Roar have had a commanding win in New Zealand and are back into second spot.  Brisbane completely dominated this game and Wellington never looked like they were really going be a serious threat.  The first goal was a sublime finish by Berisha and Nichols cracker for the second has you wishing he did it more.  When the Roar came off their losing streak and starting losing a few it was amazing how many people wrote them off and said their style was now there downfall.  But now they are winning again it will be interesting to see how many get back on the band wagon. In consecutive weeks Brisbane have now knocked off the top two teams, Brisbane might not finish on top of the table but they are looking dangerous for the finals.  

Forrest stars in Debut

Peter Forrest had a great debut for Australia against India, it is just a pity that he didn't choose a higher number for his shirt.  With 66 on his back it seemed that fate decided his score would be the same.  His innings showed that he has a long future in the Australia setup and if he continues to perform there could be pressure for him to be selected in the Test arena as well.  Unfortunately though his debut was not a win as Australia showed yet again they are struggling to finish off games at the moment and the bowling attack doesn't look as formidable as the Test line-up.  Only the first loss, but with the close win over Sri Lanka, Australia needs to make sure they do not experiment too much as winning is more important than experimenting.

NRL Trial Games

Without being able to watch any of the games it is hard to comment.  Generally it is hard to read too much into these games as the coaches are just getting mileage into the legs of the players and trying to finalise a few last places in the team,  What I find interesting is how the media start writing off teams on the outcomes of these games or say they are contenders.  How many times do you see a team win a pre-season competition only to end up finishing at the bottom?  What is nice to see though, is the scores are full of blow-outs or massive scorelines for both sides. Never worry too much about how your team is going before round one.  Just hope that no key players are seriously injured..

I think I may have missed a few talking points and if so let me know.  If in any way you think what I have written is incorrect, remember it is my opinion and I am writing it how I see it.  

Scheduling of Representative Games

After the 3rd installment of the NRL All Stars game, the debate of scheduling of such games has raised it's head  after injuries received during the game.  Now the talk is about whether such a game should beheld before the season starts.

This is a serious issue that the NRL needs to handle carefully and clubs also need to be careful about how they approach the debate.  I can understand that Souths and their fans will not be happy that Greg Inlgis has injured his ankle and will be out of action until at least the first round but this is the same club and group of fans that would have been happy that Inglis was selected for the game.  All clubs and fans want their players to be selected for representative games and such events can happen.  The only problem is a representative game is usually played midway or after the season is over when all players are in peak condition and match fit.

Instead we have a game being played with intensity when players are only just starting pre-season games and are still working towards being ready for round one.  The concept of the game is good but the timing of the game is not.  For this concept to keep going the NRL need to find a better time in the season to hold the game.

Also I find it weird to watch a player come out for a representative game with his clubs emblem on his sleeve when he has not even played a game for his current club (Chris Sandow for example), as will be a regular situation with the crazy club switching that happens currently.

But then the question is when to play the game.  Comments today have suggestions of playing it in Grand Final week will mean that you will also be missing players from the teams competing the Final.  It certainly cannot be played during the season as the Origin takes enough toll on players at the moment.  The only other time would be to hold it after season end when all club commitments are over.  Then the only problem would be whether or not players selected for National squads would be available for selection.  Why scrap the ANZAC Test match and have it then?

The NRL is going to have a serious headache on this one and there is no easy answer.  Which ever way they go there will be disgruntled fans, clubs and players.  If only players didn't get injured and the debate wouldn't even need arguing.

All Star Game - Who to Follow?

The 3rd instalment of the NRL All Stars game is on tonight and it has made me wonder how to decide who to follow if you are not sure which side is the one for you.  Obviously for many it will not be a hard decision and I am sure that the Indigenous population are quite proud to put their hand up and state that they are 100% behind the Indigenous All-Stars.  But unlike Origin or International matches where either team is from a state or country that you are passionate about the All-star game makes it a little bit different.

For me it would not seem right going for the NRL All-Stars if there are more Queenslanders in the Indeigenous team.  But maybe the NRL All Stars team has more Broncos, Cowboys and Titans in their sqaud.  Also if the NRL All star team has a large New Zealand influence surely I would want to support the team that is 100% Australian.  So for this analysis I will simply try and break down the teams and see if I can help you make up your mind on what you decide.

Firstly the NRL Indigenous All Stars, their club and their state.

Ben Barba:                Bulldogs         QLD

Jharal Yow Yeh:         Broncos         QLD

Greg Inglis:                 Rabbitohs      QLD

Justin Hodges            Broncos         QLD

Nathan merrit             Rabbitohs      NSW

Jonathon Thurston    Cowboys      QLD

Chris Sandow          Eels                  QLD

Greg Bird                  Titans              NSW

Jamal Idris                Titans              NSW

Sam Thaiday            Broncos           QLD

George Rose           Sea-Eagles     NSW

Travis Waddell         Canberra         QLD

Tom Learoyd-Lahs   Canberra         NSW

Andrew Fifita             Sharks             NSW

Cory Paterson           Cowboys         NSW

Matt Bowen               Cowboys         QLD

Scott Prince               Titans              QLD

Anthony Mitchell        Eels                 QLD

Joel Thompson         Raiders           NSW

Nathan Peats            Rabbitohs       NSW

In total the IND All Stars have 11 Queenslanders and only 9 from NSW

And is made up of 9 from QLD based teams and 11 from NSW based teams

Then there is the NRL All Stars

Josh Dugan                Canberra             NSW             

Jason Nightingale       Dragons              NZ

Jack Reed                    Broncos               ENG

Michael Jennings       Panthers               NSW

Manu Vatuvei           Warriors               NZ

Benji Marshall           Tigers                   NZ

Cooper Cronk          Storm                   QLD

Paul Gallen               Sharks                  NSW

David Taylor            Rabbitohs             QLD

Nathan Hindmarsh    Eels                      NSW

Luke Bailey              Titans                    NSW

Aaron Payne             Cowboys             QLD

Kade Snowden        Knights                 NSW

Adam Blair              Tigers                   NZ

Frank Pritchard        Bulldogs               NZ

Jared Waarea-Hegreaves    Roosters    NZ

Brent Tate                Cowboys             QLD

Luke Lewis              Panthers               NSW

Nathan Fien             Dragons               NZ

Anthony Watmough  Sea-Eagles          NSW

In total there are 8 from NSW, 7 from NZ, 4 from QLD and 1 from the UK.

And this is made up of 14 from NSW based clubs, 4 from QLD based clubs and one each from Victoria and NZ.

So for a passionate Queenslander like myself it seems to make more sense to go for the Indigenous team purely on weight of numbers.  The NRL All Stars had my support in the past but this year I find myself wanting to support the Indegenous team as I cannot bring myself to barrack for a team made up mainly of players from NSW and New Zealand if they are playing against so many Queensland players.

I am not sure if this will make it any easier for those who are unsure which team to follow but even if you cannot decide still make sure you tune in to watch what should be an entertaining game.

Switch Hitting - Is it in the Spirit of the Game?

Photo Courtesy of the Daily Telegraph

The first Twenty20 International has been played for the summer and India continued their consistent form with another defeat.  Instead of talking about the overall game though, the talking point will be what happened when David Warner decided to hit a ball for six right handed.  The only problem with this is that Warner is a left handed batsmen.  

So the question is, is this in the spirit of the game and should it be allowed?  It was an amazing show of talent and an innovative approach to batting and it is also going to change the game of cricket.  Twenty20 cricket has already started an increasing amount of unusual shots but now it has started to push the boundary.  I for one think the shot was definitely a great shot but I also think that it should not be allowed.

Why am I against it?  A bowler must state what side of the wicket he is bowling on and he must also state which arm he is bowling with.  At no stage can the bowler change his mind whilst running in and suddenly switch sides or arms when he bowls.  The same should go for a batsmen.  If a batsmen wants to go from left to right he must take that stance before the bowler starts his run-up.  

Also once a batsmen decides to switch his stance, which is the leg side?  Does a wide ruling change to the new stance?  If the bowling team has stacked the offside, once the stance changes this changes the offside to the legside and brings a few rules in to play.  No more than two players are allowed in the quadrant from the wicket keeper to square leg and a maximum of five in total on the leg-side.  So in theory a batsmen could create no-ball situations, although I doubt any umpire would ever rule this way.

When a situation occurs in sport like this that challenges the laws and spirit of a sport the administrators need to act quickly.  There will be a large debate on this issue in the cricketing world which should indicate that this needs a swift ruling to ensure that there is clarity for all players at all levels.