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4 round report - NRL

4 rounds in the NRL has been more then entertaining all that's gone on. The ladder after 4 rounds in is: Melbourne 8 Souths 8 Manly 6 Gold Coast 6 Newcastle 6 Sydney 6 Cronulla 4 Wests 4 ---- Brisbane 2 Canterbury 2 Penrith 2 St. George 2 Parramatta 2 North Queensland 2 New Zealand 2 Canberra 2 We've seen some big crowds and bigger storylines. 8 games have been decided by 5 or less, whilst 11 by 20 or more. The top 10 points scorers average 6.5 per game or more. Best team: Melbourne/South Sydney You can't go past these two teams and the start they've had. Both have a combined win margin of 22 points and are easily dominating most games they play. Both showed signs of some weaknesses on Friday but have plenty of strengths to easily nullify them. While souths have had a harder opening (Syd, Cro, Pen, Cby) Melbourne have been far more dominant Worst Team: New Zealand/St. George This award is shared again, only because its difficult to separate these teams and their horrible play. The Warriors didn't score a first half point until last night, whilst the dragons summed up their problems in a 22-6 loss to brisbane in rd 2 where they had all the ball and relied on Michael Weyman crashing over to get their only try. Both teams showed signs of improvement on the weekend. But it's a long way to go. Biggest surprise: Gold Coast An inexperienced halves pairing mixed with a unheralded back line saw many not figure the Titans to do much this year. How wrong they were. Albert Kelly and Aidan Sezer have orchestrated some beautiful games and have run defences ragged whilst the back line has performed admirably Biggest disappointment: North Queensland Nobody knows why the cowboys are as bad as they are at the moment, they just are. Losing games to New Zealand and Newcastle like they did is kind of unfathomable compared the hype that surrounded them.

#nrl

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India, and why the cricketing world should refuse to go there

As I write this, Australia has once again fallen to the "might" of the Indians, this time in Mohali by 6 wickets after a much more gallant effort. However this test could have, nay, should have, ended in a different way. Never mind with India needing 17 from 24 that they achieved it with 15 remaining. Never mind the Australian middle order crumbled again, epitomised by our captain making 18 with a broken back. Someone needs to launch a serious inquiry into the ethics, morals and behaviours of the Indian cricket team when they play in India. I can already see the flurry of mail saying that I'm just full of sour grapes and that India are the better team, and don't worry, as a long time fan of the Australian cricket team and world cricket, I can easily see the best team is not on the park. However, nobody can ever disagree that when the Indians play at home, they have a completely different mindset to when they play away. The tactics I talk about are over-appealing and umpire intimidation. It's not talked about enough, and whilst it does seem to be a tactic that can be employed by any team, it's particularly rife with the Indians. Simply put, the Indians appeal EVERYTHING, and it gets quite annoying to watch after the initial humour of them appealing a clearly inside-edged ball onto the pads. After a few of these, it can strike doubt into the umpires minds that maybe they're making the wrong decision, and added with what can be simply described as one of the most frenzied and crazy crowds in world sport, the umpire will give a wrong decision. Examples? We just have to look at day 5 of the Mohali test. Phil Hughes was struck outside leg stump, blind Freddie even saw that, it was going to miss leg stump, however umpire Dar saw fit to raise the finger. Next, Doherty bowls a rare decent delivery in his test career, finds Pujara hitting across him, plays it into his pads, it flies up, caught, and he's out right? Nope, umpire says not out play on. Now if you were to replace India in this situation with any other team, both of these would have been overturned via the DRS system (assuming Australia still had challenges remaining) and would have been easily overturned. However, the Indians staunch refusal to adopt the new technology is a clear attempt to be able to use their unethical and unsportsmanlike tactics at home. India have been against the DRS ever since in 2008 they had a string of "contentious" decisions go against them against Sri Lanka. There's another way to put that. India weren't able to successfully use it, and it thwarted their tactics, so they didn't want it. Just last year, after a highly controversial series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, both nations got together afterwards, and both admitted that DRS needed to be a compulsory part of international cricket because whilst the umpires are good, they are fallible, and sometimes they need help. The Indians heard about this push, and with help from the ICC(who conveniently have an Indian as president) quashed the proposal, despite the accuracy and need for it being proven. The answer is simple cricket world. Until the Indians move into the 21st century, and put the spirit of cricket first, boycott, don't go, stay at home, play some Xbox, ride a bike, play series between yourselves, but do not go to India. Only when the other test nations stand up to them will the BCCI, and conveniently the ICC, relent and get on board

#cricket #India #Australia #ICC #BCCI #Indian Cricket Team #DRS

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Punter's exit paves way for common sense to finally make an appearance in the Baggy Green

Not many people wish to remember Usman Khawaja's first test match. It was the 5th Ashes test against England at the SCG, he made 37(93) and 21(73) and England won by an innings and 83 runs. They were two calculated innings where both times he was just getting his eye in, but then lost his wicket to bowling that was near perfection. Not many wish to remember his last test, a 7 run loss to New Zealand. He made 7(51) and 23(48). Usman's first innings was filled with a lack of confidence in his stroke-making and he never looked comfortable, also, 7 from 51 balls is deplorable. His second innings he looked more comfortable, played better strokes, but again was undone in a fashion that also spelled the end of Phil Hughes' baggy green career.

Since that test, Usman made the decision to move from NSW to Queensland, and it was the decision that sparked a revival. He looks a completely different man since. I had the pleasure of watching Usman this Sunday gone play a One Day game at Manuka Oval against NSW. His stroke making was majestic, he controlled the crease, and were it not for a poor show of sportsmanship from NSW, his 85 would have definitely turned into a century. 

What impressed me most was his ability to play NSW spinner Adam Zampa, who was your conventional wrist spinner. Khawaja, as a left-hander, should have some difficulty playing against the spin of Zampa. Instead, Khawaja put on a show of cover drive mastery, one shot being hit so hard he broke his bat as he clubbed Zampa to the cover boundary. Khawaja has never had issue with fast bowling, he's always been able to weather a fast-bowling barrage for 2-3 overs before unleashing on said fast-bowlers, but Khawaja never looked comfortable playing spin. On Sunday, Khawaja played spin perfectly, both Zampa and O'Keefe (left arm orthodox) were taken to by Khawaja.

To close, I plead with the Australian selectors to ignore the talk about Hughes, Doolan, Quiney and whatever other player is suggested, because the future of the Australian middle order comes from Pakistan, is named Usman, and will be the perfect fit for the Baggy Green in the post-Ponting era

#National Article #Australian Cricket Team #Usman Khawaja #Queensland Bulls

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How to lose friends and alienate people - ARL Independent Commission style

Hope sprung eternal when the ARL Independent Commission was finally created, but what exactly have they done? How have they gone about achieving their eight primary objects which are:

be the single controlling body and administrator of the Game

 foster, develop, extend and provide adequate funding for the Game from the junior to elite levels and generally to act in the best interests of the Game

 liaise with and delegate appropriate functions to governing bodies of the Game in the States and Territories of Australia, including the NSWRL and QRL

 organise and conduct all State of Origin and Australian Representative Games

 organise, conduct and foster the NRL Competition

 liaise with the Rugby League International Federation Limited and organisations controlling the game in other countries in the fostering and control of the game of Rugby League throughout the world

promote and encourage either directly or indirectly the physical, cultural and intellectual welfare of young people in the community and, in particular, the Rugby League community

promote and encourage either directly or indirectly sport and recreation, particularly Rugby League football, in the interests of the social welfare of young persons

Now I don't expect you to read those, but basically, those are what the ARLC use to govern themselves to govern the game.

1. Be the single controlling body and administrator of the game

They've achieved this. They are the sole governing body of the NRL, State of Origin and Australian Test Matches

2. Foster, develop, extend and provide adequate funding for the game from the junior to elite levels and generally to act in the best interests of the game

Well, I must say, from what I've heard, in some parts junior RL, funding increased this year, and other junior clubs will receive extra funding next year which is great to hear. At elite level, well the new TV deal should see money go into things like the Salary Cap, Leagues Clubs, and helping clubs create better youth development systems. As for generally acting in the best interests of the game......well they went and hypocritically denied Danny Burderus the chance to prepare himself for life after footy, they still haven't announced a 2013 draw, even though the Engligh Super League which finished AFTER the NRL has, and they also just banned one of the most exciting aspects of the game which happens so rarely, the shoulder charge. I'll leave it up to you to decide if they've acted in the best interests of the game.

3. Liaise with and delegate appropriate functions to governing bodies of the Game in the States and Territories of Australia, including the NSWRL and QRL

Again from what I've heard, liaison with state governing bodies is improving. As for delegation, well not much has changed there, because the states basically ran their own states already

4. Organise and conduct all State of Origin and Australian Representative Games

Well, they went and did that. Yesterday it was announced that the State of Origin draw for 2013-2017 was announced. NSW will host two games in 2013 and 2016, QLD will host two games in 2014 and 2017, and both NSW and QLD will host one game in 2015 with a game to go to VIC. Some don't agree with this, some do, and some just don't give two hoots and want the season back. The ARLC also made a decision on next years ANZAC Test, and wisely decided to announce that Australia's Capital, Canberra, would host it to coincide with the city's 100 year birthday celebrations (now if only they had a fit stadium to host the game in). 

5. Organise, conduct and foster the NRL Competition

To date, the 2013 NRL Season is a *. This is because as we sit at the end of November, there is no 2013 Draw. We were promised a draw by the end of last week, but instead Channel 9 chucked a tanty at the 11th hour and were not happy with their Sunday allocations, so instead we continue to wait. This makes it difficult for fans and clubs to make plans for 2013. How is a club like Brisbane meant to offer a NSW membership package with tickets to 3 NSW games, when they don't even know when they will play in NSW? How does NZ plan for having to go overseas? The ARLC has really dropped the ball here. And as for the banning of the shoulder charge, well last night I saw a stat which said of all the hundreds of thousands of tackles, 71 were deemed to be shoulder charges, yeah, real big issue in the game.

I'll stop here because the other three are quite technical, but the point here is. The ARLC, which everyone was so badly wanting to succeed, is succeeding, in doing the wrong things.

#National Article #NRL #ARLC

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Sorry for the lack of posts

It’s a matter of finding the time, doing the research and typing them up that I haven’t quite got yet

Working on a couple of articles right now and will have those up tomorrow night

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City and Ajax, two teams heading in two very different directions

A competition which was meant to show how Manchester City were making the transition to one of the best teams in Europe, has merely shown that there is still a long way for the Citizens when it comes to dominating Europe. Claims are often made that the continental teams will always laud it over the British teams in European competitions because the continent focuses on technical brilliance whereas Britain is more physical, but tell that to Chelsea last year. 

Now this is not an argument over Technical vs Physical football, merely just pointing out that Roberto Mancini has entered the UCL this year with the best of intentions, and it has blown up in his face. He has a team that is, at the moment, looking a little despondent on the field, and as was proven against Ajax again tonight, that when challenged City may not quite have the mettle to get through it. Don't get me wrong, Mancini has compiled a 5 star team which is capable of great things, thing is, they're not living up to expectations of City fans and general pundits.

Nobody gave Ajax a chance when they first played at the Amstedam ArenA, but de Godenzonen proceeded to take it to City, and what proceeded was what may have been a turning point in City's season. Goals from Siem de Jong, Niklas Moisander and Christian Eriksen cancelled out Samir Nasri's opener and a famous victory was had by Ajax. For City however, this game came of the back of a huge scare at The Hawthorns, where if not for Eden Dzeko and his brace off the bench, West Brom would have been party central. When the returned from Amsterdam, they turned out an uninspired 1-0 win over Swansea at home, and the trend continued with a worrying 0-0 stalemate with West Ham that should have been 1-0 had the assistant noticed that Eden Dzeko was keeping everyone offside (strikers, they shouldn't play defence unless their Jamie Harnwell).

Then there was this morning. As I hunch over my bowl of nutri-grain with rain falling outside on another dreary Canberra morning, I look up to see that not only are Ajax dominating early on, but Siem de Jong has scored early on. Intrigued to see how they respond, I refuse to switch over to the other two games I had the choice of watching (Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04 v Arsenal) and note that Ajax seem to be buoyed by their first, and 8 minutes later de Jong climbs high on a corner and heads home strongly to double the lead. You can feel through the broadcast the frustration of Citizens who were in attendance who expected swift retribution for what happen in Holland. After Ajax's 20 minute ambush at the start, City eventually got themselves back into the game, this didn't surprise me because Ajax, despite winning the Eredivise last season, are still quite young and if the keep players like de Jong, Eriksen and Sana (who entered the game late as a sub) they will be sure to achieve great things, but right now they are a bit young for my liking. City drew 2-2, but lost so much more. With 2 games to go, tonight's games practically handed Madrid and Dortmund their passes to the next round, and if City are too keep this worrying trend of sloppy, uninspired play going, Ajax may get to continue on through to Europa League glory.

This weekend Ajax travel to face PEC Zwolle, a game they should win, on the other  hand Manchester City host Tottenham Hotspur, and frankly a game between those two is bound to be full of plots, sub-plots, and me watching as my friend and the entire Spurs community descend into madness. 

#International Article #UEFA Champions League #Manchester City #AFC Ajax #Football

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Australia hits the panic button

Australian cricket fans, you can relax, we are not doomed....yet. Australians all simultaneously hit the panic button when it was announced that on Saturday Shane Watson hurt his calf muscle, and when announced yesterday that he would not play, Cricket Australia also announced that Victorian top-order batsmen Rob Quiney would take his place. Quiney has been impressing for a while in both Sheffield Shield and Ryobi Cup, but he hasn't done as well in the longer form this year so far. However in the recent Australia A game against the touring Proteas side, Quiney teamed up with unknown Alan Doolan to dispatch every Saffa bowler to every corner of the SCG.

But Australians do not care for this, they only care that Australian crickets current golden boy has a dodgy calf and without his presence, we are sure to fail.

This is not the case.

Granted, losing Watson is a big loss, but Quiney will adequately fill his batting spot at 3, and with Cowan and Warner complementing each other at the top of the order, we should see Quiney at the earliest just before lunch, maybe after if (if we bat first). That said Warner could hole out first ball, you never know with him. As for Watson's bowling, well one of the quicks will need to step up and take on his workload. I feel this will fall upon Siddle's shoulders, and he's capable of it, problem being that at times Siddle can just bowl over after over of nothing and allow the batsmen to get comfortable. I wouldn't give the extra workload to Pattinson because he is too young to carry such a workload, and I would much rather see him on the field and not in the rehab room unlike Pat Cummins.

The point I try to make, is that we need not fear the loss of Watson in the first test. He's not our only player, we will recover, and I have faith in the Australian team as long as we play Lyon all summer, he can really play

#National Article #Australian Cricket Team #Shane Watson #Rob Quiney