By Steve Jancetic
June 23rd 2009 @ 12:39am
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Wing out of Origin Two, Morris called up
Given the shambolic nature of NSW’s build-up for State of Origin II, it seems only fitting that Craig Wing re-injured his hamstring while filling in for an injured teammate.
Wing was on Monday ruled out of Wednesday night’s must-win encounter at ANZ Stadium and replaced on the interchange bench by Bulldogs centre Josh Morris, who will [...]
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![There’s been some interesting sporting experiments in recent years: Nadal and Federer playing on a half-clay, half-grass court; the ICC World XI playing Australia in a Super Test and three one-day internationals; and the golfing obsession of seeing how the best females would go on the men’s tour.
They didn’t really prove much.
We already knew [...] Benjamin Conkey: Let’s test today’s champions using yesterday’s equipment](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/giggs-football-immortality-th.jpg)
![Netball is now following in the footsteps of cricket and rugby in providing a shorter version of the game, which will hopefully excite existing netball fans and grab the attention of new ones. Between October 9-11, a new World Netball Series will take place in Manchester, featuring the top six netballing countries: Australia, New Zealand, [...] Natalie Medhurst: World Netball Series may fizz without crowd support](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/nat-medhurst-th.jpg)
![This time of year is always my favourite. There are the Christmas and New Year festivities, the fantastic weather, and the love/hate relationship that comes along with the beginning of pre-season training. And of course the international cricket season kicks off here in Australia.
As much as I love to watch the cricket, what has [...] Natalie Medhurst: Why can the guys strip down, but not the girls?](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/calendar.jpg)
![If you’re still recovering from unwrapping presents and singing Christmas carols, fear not. There is an escape from the boredom of the season: five great documentaries that not only entertain but also enlighten us about what makes sport so great.
1. Once in a Lifetime (2006)
Narrated by actor Matt Dillon and featuring a groovy 70s [...] Adrian Musolino: The Greatest Sports Documentaries](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/m-ali.jpg)
![There were many talking points to come out of Wednesday night’s Australia Vs Bahrain WCQ, a major one being the continued and inexplicable international career of Brett Holman, which I have attended to in my Friday column for The World Game. It deserves a blog on its own.
Another is Scott McDonald, who couldn’t hit [...] Jesse Fink: What’s really holding “soccer” back?](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/whats-holding-soccer-back-th.jpg)
![The old saying goes that when NSW is strong, Australia is strong. There is some truth in it even today, with both NSW and Australia struggling.
However, in the current Ashes squad, NSW has the best representation: seven out of 16 (44 per cent) are from NSW. That includes both the openers, Simon Katich and [...] Kersi Meher-Homji: A Blues side from the past decade would blitz them all](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/blues-side-blitz-michael-clarke-th.jpg)
![In some ways, the Melbourne Victory has been too successful, especially for the prospects of a second franchise in the city. With Melbourne certain to have a new franchise in the next round of A-League expansion, how can this new club hope to compete with the team that has united the city and is the [...] Adrian Musolino: Does Melbourne need a second A-League team?](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/2nd-a-league-barbiero.jpg)
![My lovely wife, a self-labelled cricket widow (and for another two weeks at least, dear), who doubles as my chief proof-reader, has stated in recent weeks that she was getting a little tired of reading about cricket. I guess that’s fair enough, it has been a long summer.
This meant, as I explained to her at [...] Brett McKay: Super 14 is so much more watchable this season](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/digby-ione-reds-th.jpg)
![We’ve all heard the argument against A-League fixtures clashing with FIFA dates and this weekend is a case in point. The FFA admits they’ll review the situation at season’s end, but with a congested fixture list next season, it’ll be a tough decision.
The 2010-2011 Hyundai A-League campaign will see eleven teams compete for the ‘silver [...] Ben Somerford: 33 or 22 Rounds in A-League Version 6?](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/five-reasons-a-league-th.jpg)
![There’s been a bit of significant Australian football news slipping under the radar recently. Last week Football Federation Australia announced they had signed an agreement with Indonesia that is intended to result in “a raft of exchange programs and more internationals between the two countries.”
As Matthew Hall wrote in his SBS blog, “Had you blinked [...] Davidde Corran: A raw deal is still the best deal for the Matildas](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/salisbury-matildas-th.jpg)
![NRL fans need to be remember the virtue of patience before they anoint the next superstars of the game. The exposure of the Toyota Cup has given every club a glimpse of their future and plenty of young players are making the jump into first grade.
But the gulf in class between the Under 20s [...] Steve Kaless: Don’t expect too much too soon from young NRL stars](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dont-expect-much-nrl-folau-th.jpg)
![The Fox Sports effects microphone has become a fair barometer of an A-League match’s excitement level. When you can hear the players and coaches cussing, it’s a fair indicator that the crowd isn’t really into the match. Sadly, it’s a common occurrence.
Aside from the raucous at Etihad Stadium caused by Melbourne’s passionate and large supporter [...] Adrian Musolino: Lack of atmosphere stifles A-League games](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/33-or-22-rounds-a-league-ryall-th.jpg)



