By Steve Jancetic
July 6th 2009 @ 8:04am
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Winning the only objective for Blues
NSW coach Craig Bellamy will take a win-at-all-costs approach to the selection table on Monday in a bid to salvage some pride in what could be his final State of Origin game.
On a day when Penrith flyer Michael Jennings all but guaranteed his Origin place with a scintillating hat-trick, Bellamy said his only focus was [...]
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![As we wait on edge to see what the Socceroos will achieve in South Africa, the only guarantee we have is that they won’t look good doing it. That’s the overwhelming consensus following the release of the away kit the Socceroos will wear at the World Cup and beyond that has left many Australian fans [...] Adrian Musolino: Socceroos to be the ugly ducklings at World Cup](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/vince-grella-socceroos-shirt-th.jpg)
![The Sports Minister, Kate Ellis, who famously did not know the difference between rugby league and rugby union, is floating the proposition that successful athletes should pay back part of their expenses incurred training at the Austalian Institute of Sports and other similar institutions.
The Minister, in the great tradition of the Rudd Government’s penchant for [...] Spiro Zavos: Should successful athletes pay back their AIS costs?](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/should-successful-athlete-pay-back-th.jpg)
![We often assume media interest is a barometer of a sports’ popularity. If it’s not at the forefront of priorities for newspaper editors and newsroom producers, then it must not be important and entertaining enough to warrant sufficient media and public interest.
But that logic, in my mind, is flawed.
Rather, it’s the media that is dictating [...] Adrian Musolino: The media dictates the popularity of sports in Australia](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/lleyton-hewitt-th.jpg)
![“I see the IPL is becoming bigger than the NFL, the NBA, the English Premier League.” So said Lalit Modi, Commissioner of the Indian Premier League, ahead of the third instalment of the competition which opened with the Deccan Chargers facing the Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday.
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![It’s a hotly contested Top 5 this week as we take a look at sportspeople who have lost the plot during their careers to such an extent that they’ve landed themselves in jail. There are many unworthy candidates, so I’ve stuck to one per sport. I welcome your additions and suggestions.
1. Greg Bird (c)
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![In wake of Geelong’s Matthew Stokes’ alleged possession and trafficking of cocaine, the AFL has again been forced to defend its illicit drugs policy, which was introduced in 2005 with the assistance of the AFL Players’ Association.
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![Rudyard Kipling wrote memorably about ‘the muddied oafs’ of rugby football and the ‘flannelled fools’ of cricket. The cricket part of the description sums up the behaviour of Shane Watson and Sulieman Benn in the Perth Test between Australia and the West Indies.
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![Ricky Ponting did an interview before the Ashes series for the BBC. It covered the usual subjects such as player form, predictions, what the Ashes means etc and near the end of the conversation, Ponting was asked what he thought about the England team’s over the top celebrations following their 2005 series victory.
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![When Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy announced that Australia were hoping to both host and win the 2018 FIFA World Cup you could almost hear the sniggers echoing around the globe.
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joeb said | July 6th 2009 @ 10:54pm | Report comment
“NSW coach Craig Bellamy will take a win-at-all-costs approach to the selection table on Monday in a bid to . . . ”
Steven, tell him it’s “too bloody late” now to save his job for next year – we want Gus, someone who delivers the bacon.
http://www.leaguehq.com.au/articles/2009/07/06/1246732282105.html
Richard Brockhurst said | July 7th 2009 @ 1:27pm | Report comment
jeob ….You want Gus because his philosify is “the pass may have been a bit forward – but it deserved a try”.
joeb said | July 8th 2009 @ 2:50am | Report comment
Richard, Gus’s record speaks for itself, six series wins from eight, one drawn, one lost. Craig is none from two. We’ve won three games from the last eleven, one in ‘06, ‘07, ‘08, so we’ve lost four series on the trot. Or if you prefer with Bellamy at the helm we’ve won one game from the last five. The guy is performing worse than Malcolm Turnbull, although he hasn’t used any fake email excuse just yet to suggest Big Mal is on the receiving end of some favour from some official.