Weekend Wrap

With Origin midweek and the continual focus on one incident from a game in which one could find plenty missed by the refs for both sides, it would be easy to think nothing happened on the weekend.

Firebirds in a Thriller

The Firebirds one point win over the Fever was a nail biting thriller to the end. The Firebirds streaked ahead on many occasions that credit must be given to the Fever for stretching them all the way.  Not often does Netball have me cheering and fist pumping in the lounge room, but on Sunday it certainly did that. In the end it was the nerves of steel defence of  Laura Geitz who took a match saving intercept at the end that got the Firebirds across the line.  Although it was a nervous finish as the Fever had one last chance to tie up the game.  In the first half Jacinta Messer was on fire whilst Romelda Aiken was being well held by Fever's Susan Furhmann. It is the tight wins like this that really count at the end of the season. 

Reds Keep Rolling

Wasn't good to see Horwill going off injured

What an interesting finish to the Super Rugby lays ahead.  The Red's who were written off from the start of the season and never given a chance when they hit a run of losses are now a realistic chance to finish top of the Australian conference after a gritty win over the ACT Brumbies. The Brumbies missed a penalty at the death which would have gifted them victory but thankfully the kick was offline. I say thankfully as I always believe a team that cannot score a try never deserves to beat a team that does. Especially when you have a game like this one where the ref feels a need to blow the whistle every time he exhales.  Yet misses blatant penalties when they are on offer.  With 5 rounds to go and only 5 points between the Brumbies and Reds it will be a tight race.

And for those who still don't rate the Australian Conference remember one little fact that shows why the competition is biased.  Australia enforces a salary cap on their teams, New Zealand & South Africa don't. 

Webber wins Monaco

Mark Webber has won for the 2nd time at Monaco making him the first Australian to achieve the feat.   Now Webber only needs to have every race held there and he would win his first Championship. This year has also seen 6 different winners for the first 6 races, meaning the championship race is wide open this year and the first driver to win multiple races will be at a great tactical and mental advantage.

Collingwood and the Rort

How is it that one of the biggest AFL clubs and also one of the biggest financial clubs has been given a $10 million dollar grant by the Federal Government? Why does the government even need to help out a club in a code that that is firmly entrenched in it's own market?  This is the sort of decision that not only adds weight to the growing reasons to turf our government but also adds to why everyone hates Collingwood.  Imagine how all those regional sporting associations around the country are thinking after hearing this. Most regional clubs struggle and get very little help if any at all.  Yet here is a wealthy club, that is financially viable, runs at a profit and is heavily backed by sponsors getting a hand out. Compare that to the under 9 side I coach - I provided the training equipment, the match ball, and the parents of the team are looking at sourcing and providing a new playing strip.  And this is what you will find at most grassroots sporting teams all around the regional part of Australia.

Transfer Window Almost Open

With the Barclay's Premier League summer transfer market about to start it will be interesting to see how many of the rumours that circulate are nothing more than rumours. Personally I am only interested in what moves Liverpool make and I really wish they had appointed a new manager by now to enable them ample chance to consolidate the team and make best use of all opportunities available. It does seem a certainty that Liverpool will offload a few players and make a move in the market, it is just a matter of who they get rid of and who they buy. Because it won;t matter who they hire as manager if they don't get the personnel right.