The NRL has decided to review parts of the judiciary but it seems the only thing they are concerned about is the loading on minor infringements. This means that they are going to review the case of Grade 1 charges loading period being reduced from 2 years to 12 months. As well as this they are going to review player safety from growing tactics such as the cannonball tactics in the kind that Issac Luke seems to be able to get away with consistently.
Why is it though that the NRL is not looking at the main problem which is the judiciary itself. This year the judiciary was constantly on a differing opinion to that of the majority. As per usual there was no standards held it it appeared that a spear tackled was viewed upon which colour jersey you wore. Or as most Queenslanders will tell you it doesn't matter what the offense is, if Origin is happening then as long as your state is NSW then you will get off, but if you play with Maroon in your blood then it is a hit and miss affair. State bias aside as I am sure that south of the border the thinking is the other way around as there were plenty of decisions all year around that puzzled many. The handling of the brawl in the Manly Melbourne game was one of the worst cases handled all year. Yes the two players suspended should have been, but how three players can come running from so far away with one leaping in the air to throw a punch like the coward he is and get away with it makes you wonder what is going on in Sydney. Imagine the outcry from Sydney if their favourite Queenslander (I mock) Sam Thaiday did the same thing and got away with it. We would still be hearing the cries from Sydney.
The judiciary may be made of ex players but that does not mean that they are the right people to make the decision. In the past some of the players to sit on the panel have been some of the worst offenders on the field, this is akin to the thinking that a courthouse judge should be a convicted criminal. It is time that the muppet in control of the NRL, Gallop, acted on an issue that needs addressing.
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Liverpool Dispose of Chelsea
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| Seeing Bellamy emotional at the start was a sign of things to come |
It was well and truly worth getting up early to watch Liverpool play Chelsea in the Carling Cup quarter-final. Chelsea must be seriously considering whether or not they need to offload their coach and a under performing Torres. On the other hand though Liverpool must be on a high with the form of Bellamy, who though was obviously distressed before the game started, performed superbly in what I considered a man of the match performance. Add to that the fact Suarez was not needed and got a well earned rest, Liverpool are getting closer to earning a piece of silverware this season.
Liverpool are looking much more stable all over the field and their calmness under pressure in defense reminded me of how Brisbane Roar are playing. The only thing not working quite right at the moment is the man who seems to be so popular and that is Andy Carroll. I have seen the potential and we all now he has ability but at times he seems petulant, rash and then suddenly has a burst of skill. Without Suarez in attack he seems to be inefficient in attack and easily held at bay. For Liverpool to really start climbing back up the order they need Carroll to start repaying the faith and find some consistent form.
A 2-0 defeat of Chelsea on their home soil is always great to watch but for me the best thing was when the home ground fell silent after the first goal and from that moment on were drowned out by the Liverpool faithfull and with ten minutes remaining seeing the Chelsea fans start streaming out.
Monday, 28 November 2011
Something in the Water
It might be the weather or maybe it is in the water but Queensland is producing something special in the sporting world.
After Queensland made it 5 outright wins from five games to be leading the Sheffield Shield it makes you wonder what it is about Queensland. Our cricket team is sitting on top in both the 4 day and one day competition and are clear favourites this summer. Then there is our mighty Brisbane Roar who are on a record beating undefeated streak in football and playing a style of football that is the envy of all other teams in the A-league, not to mention that they are also the defending Champions from last season.
Then there is the Queensland State of Origin team that is on a record run as well, 6 series in a row and don't look like they want to give up that mantle anytime soon. Even with the great Darren Lockyer retiring the maroons won't be worried with ample talent to fill his void and more passion than all of NSW put together will ever understand. Queensland might not have the NRL premiers at the moment but a winning state of origin team always makes up for that. Especially when you look at how many Queenslanders are in the National team.
Then there are the Queensland Reds who were doubted by everyone outside of the state to go on and win the Super Rugby competition. Although Australia were disappiointing at the World Cup, it would have been a different story with the right squad selected and the Queensland Coach McKenzie taking the reins.
Queensland also boast the Netball champions in the Firebirds who won last season and never looked like being bettered by an opponent and going undefeated for the season.
There are also plenty of individuals to add to this mix but it is the sporting teams that really make you wonder if it is the state. Besides the Origin team, all the other teams have players from other states or countries who have found a new lease of life and excelled in the sunshine. For me though all it comes down to is the lifestyle in Queensland.
After Queensland made it 5 outright wins from five games to be leading the Sheffield Shield it makes you wonder what it is about Queensland. Our cricket team is sitting on top in both the 4 day and one day competition and are clear favourites this summer. Then there is our mighty Brisbane Roar who are on a record beating undefeated streak in football and playing a style of football that is the envy of all other teams in the A-league, not to mention that they are also the defending Champions from last season.
Then there is the Queensland State of Origin team that is on a record run as well, 6 series in a row and don't look like they want to give up that mantle anytime soon. Even with the great Darren Lockyer retiring the maroons won't be worried with ample talent to fill his void and more passion than all of NSW put together will ever understand. Queensland might not have the NRL premiers at the moment but a winning state of origin team always makes up for that. Especially when you look at how many Queenslanders are in the National team.
Then there are the Queensland Reds who were doubted by everyone outside of the state to go on and win the Super Rugby competition. Although Australia were disappiointing at the World Cup, it would have been a different story with the right squad selected and the Queensland Coach McKenzie taking the reins.
Queensland also boast the Netball champions in the Firebirds who won last season and never looked like being bettered by an opponent and going undefeated for the season.
There are also plenty of individuals to add to this mix but it is the sporting teams that really make you wonder if it is the state. Besides the Origin team, all the other teams have players from other states or countries who have found a new lease of life and excelled in the sunshine. For me though all it comes down to is the lifestyle in Queensland.
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Weekend Wrap
A big weekend in sport and lots of talking points, some of which I have already covered but either way here is how I have seen the weekend.
Atomic Force Back In Action
I have mentioned it before and I will say it again. This is a champion horse and one that should be backed everytime it races. Race 3 at Canterbury saw Atomic Force racing at good odds and not considered favourite. Which was good for me and anyone else that put a wager on this horse. As per usual it hit the straight and brought it home like all followers of this horse know. If you managed to get a wager on after reading my past posts, well done. And to those few that get a text from me to advise it is running, my pleasure.
Cutting In The Test Squad
Ben Cutting has been rewarded with selection in the Test Squad so let's hope he is given the opportunity to shine at the Gabba. Still amazes me that for Australia A he was not given an opportunity to open the bowling in either innings or even considered as first change bowler. Definitely some favouritism given to others from the Australian A captain. Either way another Queensland quick in the mix to reaplace a wayward one that is out for the season by the looks of things. Since heading west things have not gone well for Johnson. Lets just hope the selectors do the right thing and make him play a good season of first class cricket before ever seleceting him again.
Roar 36 and Still Marching
Already mention the Roars great record breaking effort but it is worth another mention. And to all the doubters, it is 36 games without defeat, like it or not the Roar have the record and the team that they beat, Eastern Suburbs also had draws in their run. As you can tell I am sick of the AFL and NRL fans trying to finds reasons to belittle this achievement. With the Roar going so well it will be interesting to see what happens from here. I always enjoy talking sport with my father and he is more knowledgeable than most I know and he has raised an interesting issue. How long will it be before an European, or other foreign club for that, makes an offer for the Coach Ange Postecoglou? Besides Nichols how many more Roar players will be targeted. It is no wonder Ange wants a marquee player for his roster, he is making sue of the future as well as the present.
Lots of other sport has occurred but not much that makes for interesting debate or rated on my radar. For me it is a matter of seeing if Liverpool can take advantage of results going their way and defeating Man City tonight to get closer to a top 4 spot.
Atomic Force Back In Action
I have mentioned it before and I will say it again. This is a champion horse and one that should be backed everytime it races. Race 3 at Canterbury saw Atomic Force racing at good odds and not considered favourite. Which was good for me and anyone else that put a wager on this horse. As per usual it hit the straight and brought it home like all followers of this horse know. If you managed to get a wager on after reading my past posts, well done. And to those few that get a text from me to advise it is running, my pleasure.
Cutting In The Test Squad
Ben Cutting has been rewarded with selection in the Test Squad so let's hope he is given the opportunity to shine at the Gabba. Still amazes me that for Australia A he was not given an opportunity to open the bowling in either innings or even considered as first change bowler. Definitely some favouritism given to others from the Australian A captain. Either way another Queensland quick in the mix to reaplace a wayward one that is out for the season by the looks of things. Since heading west things have not gone well for Johnson. Lets just hope the selectors do the right thing and make him play a good season of first class cricket before ever seleceting him again.
Roar 36 and Still Marching
Already mention the Roars great record breaking effort but it is worth another mention. And to all the doubters, it is 36 games without defeat, like it or not the Roar have the record and the team that they beat, Eastern Suburbs also had draws in their run. As you can tell I am sick of the AFL and NRL fans trying to finds reasons to belittle this achievement. With the Roar going so well it will be interesting to see what happens from here. I always enjoy talking sport with my father and he is more knowledgeable than most I know and he has raised an interesting issue. How long will it be before an European, or other foreign club for that, makes an offer for the Coach Ange Postecoglou? Besides Nichols how many more Roar players will be targeted. It is no wonder Ange wants a marquee player for his roster, he is making sue of the future as well as the present.
Lots of other sport has occurred but not much that makes for interesting debate or rated on my radar. For me it is a matter of seeing if Liverpool can take advantage of results going their way and defeating Man City tonight to get closer to a top 4 spot.
Roar Break the Record
All congratulations must go to the Brisbane Roar for breaking the 74 year old record and now going 36 games undefeated. This is an amazing achievement and is a deserved record for a team that plays the best club football ever seen in this country. And to do it in the style they did against Perth Glory was a credit to the team and coaching staff.
It is unfortunate though that there are a lot of negative comments going around on twitter, news sites and other social media forums. It seems that many people cannot understand the term "undefeated". The Roar have not broken a winning streak, they have broken a streak of going the longest without being defeated. Many wish to suggest that the record should not count as the Roar have drawn games along the way. How hard is it to understand that a draw is not a loss. Maybe it is from the same people that cannot understand that a game can finish in a draw after ninety minutes. The great thing about football is that is about who is the best team of a season, not just the weekend.
Enough of the negatives though and time to look at some of the statistics that have occurred in the streak.
Started: 18 September 2010
Match Record: 23 Wins 13 Draws
Scoring Record: 84 For - 32 Against.
Scored in every game and held opposition scoreless 11 times
27 Players used and three have played every game: Michael Theoklitos, Erik Paartalu and Matt Smith
There are more and more statistics to get but the one I am concentrating on how many more games can the Roar add to this tally.
Thursday, 24 November 2011
Suspicious or Stupid?
This is the only way to describe the captaincy of George Baily for Australia A against New Zealand. In typical gloomy humid conditions in Brisbane Bailey sent the Kiwis in after winning the toss. With four bowlers to choose from it was always going to be interesting to see how he used his bowlers but unfortunately he might have show more about his inept captaincy than anything else.
With Cutting being the form bowler and bowling in home conditions one would have thought he would open the bowling or at least be first change bowler, especially when the opening bowlers (Hilfenaus and Pattinson) do nothing to impress and first change bowler, Starc, is nothing but expensive. Interestingly though bailey waited until New Zealand were 0-100 and with two overs left till lunch that he would throw the ball to Cutting. To add to the confusion of it all the off-spinner Beer got a bowl before Cutting. A lot will say that Cutting got hit around the park by McCullum and went for a few but once McCullum is in he will carve up any team. Let a fired up Cutting at McCullum early and it might have been a different day altogether.
With Australia needing to see if these bowlers can step up and be a candidate for the first test the onus was on the captain to ensure that all the bowlers have a fair chance of proving their ability. But with New Zealand wanting to prepare for the Test Match they will take every chance to use time in the middle and potentially may not have to bat again in this game. With Bailey from the same state as Hilfenhaus it is no surprise he made sure he had the best chance to impress, didn't quite go to plan though. If anything Bailey may have only ensured that Hilfenhaus, Pattinson and Starc are not ensured a call up with their inability to do anything with the new ball. There is still plenty of time to go in the match and tomorrow might see Cutting given a chance with the ball first up. Either way I think Bailey might have done damage to his chances of leading an Australian A team again.
With Cutting being the form bowler and bowling in home conditions one would have thought he would open the bowling or at least be first change bowler, especially when the opening bowlers (Hilfenaus and Pattinson) do nothing to impress and first change bowler, Starc, is nothing but expensive. Interestingly though bailey waited until New Zealand were 0-100 and with two overs left till lunch that he would throw the ball to Cutting. To add to the confusion of it all the off-spinner Beer got a bowl before Cutting. A lot will say that Cutting got hit around the park by McCullum and went for a few but once McCullum is in he will carve up any team. Let a fired up Cutting at McCullum early and it might have been a different day altogether.
With Australia needing to see if these bowlers can step up and be a candidate for the first test the onus was on the captain to ensure that all the bowlers have a fair chance of proving their ability. But with New Zealand wanting to prepare for the Test Match they will take every chance to use time in the middle and potentially may not have to bat again in this game. With Bailey from the same state as Hilfenhaus it is no surprise he made sure he had the best chance to impress, didn't quite go to plan though. If anything Bailey may have only ensured that Hilfenhaus, Pattinson and Starc are not ensured a call up with their inability to do anything with the new ball. There is still plenty of time to go in the match and tomorrow might see Cutting given a chance with the ball first up. Either way I think Bailey might have done damage to his chances of leading an Australian A team again.
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Who Is Liked In The Big Bash
Today I found out that Big Bash League is now following me on twitter and as a return in favour I have to make mention of their website and an amazing statistic being published there.
The BBL has posted a table of the teams and allowed fans to "like" their favourite team. Now Sydeny and Melbourne are always going on about how sport evolves around their cities but it seems that the Australian landscape says otherwise. Take a look at the table it is looks like it will be hard to get tickets at the Gabba.
1. Brisbane Heat 23,997
2. Melbourne Stars 8,464
3. Melbourne Renegades 6,280
4. Sydney Sixers 4,413
5. Sydney Thunder 3,893
6. Perth Scorchers 3,158
7. Hobart Hurricanes 2,555
8. Adelaide Strikers 2,227
Now this is what the table looked like at the time of writing this article. Even if you combine the two Sydney or Melbourne teams Brisbane would still be on top. In fact Brisbane is higher than all four combined, Queensland for me are the true sporting state.
There i plenty of other good information to be found at this site and it is worth checking out. The BBL starts December 16 and will be bigger than any Twenty/20 season so far.
The BBL has posted a table of the teams and allowed fans to "like" their favourite team. Now Sydeny and Melbourne are always going on about how sport evolves around their cities but it seems that the Australian landscape says otherwise. Take a look at the table it is looks like it will be hard to get tickets at the Gabba.
1. Brisbane Heat 23,997
2. Melbourne Stars 8,464
3. Melbourne Renegades 6,280
4. Sydney Sixers 4,413
5. Sydney Thunder 3,893
6. Perth Scorchers 3,158
7. Hobart Hurricanes 2,555
8. Adelaide Strikers 2,227
Now this is what the table looked like at the time of writing this article. Even if you combine the two Sydney or Melbourne teams Brisbane would still be on top. In fact Brisbane is higher than all four combined, Queensland for me are the true sporting state.
There i plenty of other good information to be found at this site and it is worth checking out. The BBL starts December 16 and will be bigger than any Twenty/20 season so far.
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