I think taking the game out of NSW is good

At least with going to melbourne I would have a chance of getting a ticket!

I went to an origin at etihad a few years ago. Bumped into an old mate of mine in the lift of the motel we were staying at. On the way to the game bumped into another mate of mine.
After the game there was a massive chain of people making a beeline for the casino – because we didn’t know where else to go! While at the casino I met up with other mates who I had no idea I was going there.

I recall one of the waitresses at the bar wondering where the influx of crowd came from. She said it was the busiest wednesday night in her 4 year term there. It was all the out of state people.

People will plan to attend the grand final in advance. they always do. the game will sell out.

Qld changed its public holiday a few years ago because the NRL final moved to a sunday night game. The politicians may say otherwise. I remember scheduling RDOs for the monday after the NRL grand final before the change for a council I worked for.

I distinctly recall gould saying mamo was an idiot (or words to that effect) about 10 minute before the incident.

He said he was doing the same thing the week before in the nsw final. (which i did not see)

the guy can play footy, but until he sorts out some of his other issues he’s a grub, and will be targeted as the other clubs know this. Refs will know it and the benefit of the doubt will go against him.

That said it still does not absolve “madness”.

as an ex ipswich boy I had a great couple of weekends in football:

listening to Brothers versus Norths in the IRL final in the car as I drove from Port Douglas to cairns a few sundays ago, then watching the jets play in the state league final and then beat newcastle (despite channel 9 once again stuffing the telecast up by crossing to a shot of JT getting off the bus at the 76 minute mark of the final!) and then my 4th team the cowboys getting up over the broncos.

Would have loved to have a beer at the cecil last week. (I cannot call it the jets leagues club!, I have too many fond memories of drinking there before the change)

maybe if we in qld could have sent all those victorians back it may have spread rugby league down there, instead of accepting them and their sport. But if we did that the road uo the coast from brisbane to cairns would still be a potholed deathtrap. hang on- it still is.

cairns is lost. the cowboys ignore it

best facility is an afl ground.

I find AFL grounds everywhere I drive, but the league ones seem to be tucked away.

the rugby union fields are now an afl home

every 2nd person you meet is from victoria.

Cowboys will need better public trnasport infrastucture in townsville or will lose too. the council and government is trying to keep but is struggling.

Gallen played 14 games this year, they won 7 of them. In one of those games he played 4 minutes. 50% win rate with Gallen
They won a further 7 games without him. 7 out of 10. a 70% win rate.

I’ve often thought he does more damage then good. No good having someone make 200m a game in 50 hit ups, when someone can make the same in 10, but is starved off possession by person 1.

But I would like to see a shorter origin period.

I would like a national competition (SA and WA) – but believe that another team in Qld and regional NSW should come first. As a dragon supporter (who lives too far away to go to the games) I feel that the decision to play more games at the big venues nect year is the right one. The AFL did this a few year ago and has now got 2 of the best stadiums in the world, whereas we are spreading our money around smaller sydney grounds (I hope Brooky never gets upgraded, not because I hate manly, but because I believe the sydney teams need to rationalise a bit more. I think they wasted money on Kogarah and Illawarra. I also believe that they need to get the public transport infrastructure right first so the big stadiums are accessable.

Reserve Grade -no get a 2nd tier competition, with clubs that don’t act as feeders.

The channel nine announcement last year promised 2 hours of football every nite. They didn’t do that. That is a contract breach.

Get rid of nine

Can’t wait to read page 56 of the the “new york times” (or other american paper) and see the story on the success of this team if they beat Australia…..

Maybe Obama can say “Any boss who sacks someone for not turning up today is a bum!!!”

What the NRL needs to do is promote interstate migration. Victoria did this successfully for years with their “On the move” numberplates.

The fans moved, and created local demand for AFL.

Surely the NRL could band with the NSW and QLD governments to create a similar scheme?

NO All-rounders. THis obsesssion with All-rounders since Flintoff in 2005, has got to stop. We were test champions before we invested in each way betting…which is what an all-rounder is. Pick Batters. Pick Bowlers.

I am much happier losing a test by saying oh well HArris got hurt and couldn’t bowl in the 2nd innings, then we picked some allrounder who displaced a proper batter or bowler and we lose because they fail at both.

Actually there is no conspiracy.

What the NRL did was have a rule change experiment. With the constant criticism of the run 5 and kick playbook adopted by all teams. the NRL decided to give 7 tackles a go.

And while some of the plays cronulla used were a boring hit up, they essentially travelled the length of the field and had a winger score in the corner – other than by catching a kick.

It was fantastic footy to watch. Quick play the balls, a few passes (could have been more – maybe like kids footy introduce a minimum passes rules, but then again they were passing left to right which is traditionally weaker).

My only criticism is that the NRL has not admitted that the REFS are continually doing “on the run” rule experimentations.

This one was a winner for me. Although they need to do something to ensure it doesn’t become 6 hit ups and a kick….

I’m sick of Watto wasting reviews. Whether he is batting or bowling the guys costs us at least a wicket each game with wasted reviews. Wish I could do the stats on cricinfo. If someone has them then write an article, slip it under his door. If only you could add the wasted review to his Out column. His batting average would then plummet. Maybe thats the way to get the DRS to work properly – if you fail then you get another out against your name……(or one taken off in the bowlers case)

Spot on.

Any decent gambler will tell you that “each way” betting is for mugs and you only end up losing.

(I’m not a gambler).

The cricket team should be specialists.

When I was a kid I was a batter, so spent time in the nets batting, rarely bowled. Today the kids do everything. By doing all actions you weaken them all.

Batters should bat and field. not bowl

Bowlers should bowl and field. not bat

our fielding has declined as well.

Please remind siddle he’s supposed to get the frontline batters out. Not the tail.

I don’t care how he looks as he bowls, or how hard he tries. In fact I’m glad I can’t see the coverage.

BUt sadly now we will see this rubbish about him being the leader of the bowling stock, and he’ll front up for the final test and take 2 for 150…..but look like he tries….

nice polite boy putting his handup…..just go.

YOU are only in the team because your demenour appears that you are trying hard, whereas someone like johnson has a demeanour that says who cares.

in other words you are in the team because of your looks.

looks don’t kill

please sack him.

you are overrated.

the trees saw that all those years ago and they have no fear of you either.

pretty sure i read about Johnson not doing his homework at school. so how is he supposed to do it now.

The school system is obviously to blame, it let johnson graduate, now he has to suffer the consequences.

got to sort out those teachers first.

Why were the groundsmen in australia allowed to water the pitches when we had the drought a few years back?

Imagine all those dustbowls we could have had in Australia, MAybe we would have a large crop of spin bowlers right now, not the glutton of fast bowlers.

Sydney should be a dustbowl, if we are playing a series against india and somehow it has slipped away from us at the wacca, gabba, hobart or melbourne then we turn the sprinklers on at the scg and another pace wicket is formed.

Remember we were promised:

The Nine Network will broadcast:

Three weekly matches (two on Friday and one on Sunday);
Three Thursday evening matches over the course of the year;
Two hours of Rugby League content each evening on digital Channel 94 plus two hours of content on Saturday and Sunday morning;
Nine will ensure that all of its matches are telecast on either the ‘primary’ or ‘digital’ station in each state;

Ok , so first round… but no footy on 94 that i could find…..

I don’t know what all the fuss is about.

Our openers are doing a superb job

126partnership in the 1st innings of first test
65 in the 2nd innings

57 in the 1st of the 2nd test
56 at the moment in th 2nd innings

While it does appear a downward slope, its not often any openers manage 50 plus stands in 4 innings in a row

just because we need 4 openers to do it while others need 2 is irrelevant…..

as long as they screw the BCCI when it comes time to get the broadcast rights I will be happy.

The mistake we made was letting pattinson only bowl 6 overs on the first day of the indian 1st innings. He got 3 wickets in those overs.
We should have gone full on assault.

the stats make interesting reading. Lyon was not effective.

our pace bowlers took 7 of the first innings wickets. our spinner got 3. Our pace bowlers went for 285 runs, our spinners went for 259. OUr pace bowlers bowled 96.3 overs at 2.95 runs per over and 40.71 runs per wicket. Our spinners did 58 overs at 4.46 runs an over and 86 runs per wicket

you don’t win games giving 40 runs per wicket let alone 86.

siddle, starc and lyon were deadwood.

each bowler has an off day. but when 3 misfire at once that is a problem.

MY solution – play no spinners.
make the indians face a 5 prong pace attack. (Johnson, pattinson, henriques, starc, siddle (would love bird but is he hurt)
make them force the pace with runs or the game will peter out into a draw (which may be a risk with them 1 up in the series)

If we worried about losing clarke for not getting through the overs in a day, then we are worried about the wrong thing. HIs job is to win games. We should be 1 up in the series and making india play for wins.
He may be our best batsmen, but he now has a hundred, so is due to fail (well if we follow the injury management profile of the aust selectors he should be rested)

not 1 down and letting them play for draws.

yes, stand up and leave the room.

i wouldn’t write nine off, they are not as broke as it would seem.

but I would prefer a change. i used to enjoy watching 9 sports, but since about 1990 they have had serious decline in coverage.

Cricket Australia number one priority should be to have a clause where we don’t have commentators talking about how wonderful “the block” is, or “masterchef” or whatever.

stick to cricket, there’s an add every 3 minutes so it can bring in a lot of advertising revenue.

Ever looked at the ratings of non sport shows on tv? there is a direct relation between the southern states and channel 7 non footy shows and in the north channel nine and non footy show.

eg “packed to the rafters” on 7 rates better in the southern states than in the northern.

channel 10 know this. and will bid as they have no major sports to cross promote their shows.

no way would i have him in the team.

put australia’s decline down to he retirement of some greats- no way.

australia’s fall is in inverse proportion to the rise (if you could call it that) of watson.

no we don’t need an allrounder.

in 3rds at school I opened the innings.

Played a glorious hook shot off the first ball of the day,

sadly I got too much momentum up and swivelled round and my foot clipped the stumps dislodging a bail.

the other team was busy looking for the ball in the bush, when I heard the umpire say he’s out.none of the fielders had seen my feet dislodge a bail.

I knew the rule (I was a cricket tragic even back then) the team hadn’t appealed and I knew I wasn’t out.

but then one of the fielders said hows that…..

The umpire was the school teacher from the other team…I approached him, told him the rule and continued to walk to the pavilion (or at least the kopper log seating).

next week I was captain of the team. (and given the nickname Tunga, because I didn’t run between the wickets much)

In primary school I was no balled for chucking…..

When I was 22 or so I got into a bar fight.

When ricky finally retired I thought I might get a go, sadly the selectors have their eye on the future and deem a fat balding 41 year old who doesn’t even play cricket as not being under their watch.