Would bring them into the BBL (North and South Islands) but not into the shield. Though they used to play in the domestic one-day competition

Agree BBL should run from Boxing Day and the final on Australia Day at the absolute latest.

Also agree with the second Victorian team being in Geelong – it should have been set up there in the first place. It would also have created a better rivalry and not have been manufactured.

Actually, if you read it, you would know that Smith is more upset about the process that occurred. The major investigation was done after the penalties were given. Others have had months and months of investigation before penalties were handed down.
And to think the Storm are the only team, you are kidding yourself. The same goes for Cronulla being under the cap the year they won, yet over the year before and the year after – rather convenient.
Unless you were part of the investigation and NRL at the time, you don’t really know what happened. You only know what the media put out, and it is quite clear that the NSW media have it in for the Storm.

While I can see merit in your call for Paine and Langer’s head, the issue is much deeper. Our pitches are nowhere like they used to be if they were likely to be 2 Australian wins as the SCG would have fallen apart on Day 4/5 and the Gabba’s cracks would have made batting harder. That said well done India, showed up Australia.
The other issue is the summer of cricket in Australia. The Tests generally finish by the 2nd week of January, and we stop playing Shield at the start of December, with often 3 tests to go (sometimes 4 if 2 lots of 3 tests) and it doesn’t start up again until February so that the BBL can go ahead. No pressure is put on by players playing in the shield, only the hit and giggle of the BBL. Even the 50 over comp is shunted to Oct/Nov before the season starts and hardly anyone knows it is on.
Personally, I would have the shield start in Oct/Nov to finish maybe in the last week before Christmas. This would allow for those in the squads to keep playing red-ball cricket while the tests are on and they aren’t in the starting 12. Then the BBL could start Boxing Day and condensed to finish on Australia Day, there is nothing wrong with double-headers and playing every 4 days, it is how the 50-over WC is played. It would allow the visiting international team players to stay on and play as well. The One-day comp goes on from there to finish the season. ODI’s won’t be too affected because the BBL would be on when they are on.

He doesn’t play shield because he is selected for all the white-ball cricket and the way CA sets up the season, it is almost impossible to play shield.
How hard to play shield when tests are on, BB and ODI’s when the white-ball cricket is on?

They got rid of it because of the lack of interest from the teams. They didn’t want their players getting injured, and WCE was basically a state team anyway, same with Adelaide.

Just like in Sydney where the NRL is rammed down the throats of people…..

One problem is that Burns could become the new Khawaja – the first one dropped, next in line if one needed regardless of how the others are going. Khawaja’s record as an opener for Australia is 90+, yet he has done it only 7 times. Two of which were in tough conditions (saving a test in the UAE batting last, the other in D/N in Adelaide).
The other issue is that the selectors for the last couple of seasons have been talking about scoring runs, which Pucovski is doing. Yes it is only 3 innings, but as mentioned by others, Burns has struggled in more innings. So do you
1. back up your statement about scoring runs?
– Therefore Pucovski gets picked and given the 4 tests regardless
– Others see the reward for being in form and scoring and keep putting their cases forward,
with the incumbents knowing that they need to be on their game.

2. Or do you go with the incumbent ignoring form?
– Others don’t see the reward for being in good form and maybe become a little
disheartened
– would go against some of the decisions in the recent past – Renshaw, Khawaja, Hodge,
etc.
– no first-class cricket for a while will hurt Pucovski or Burns.

3. The Ashes coming up next year
– may not be the best time to someone a debut to open the batting, so it could be a case of
missing the boat with Pucovski

Both have claimants to the opening position, so which way will it go? I would pick Pucovski mainly on the fact that the Aussie selectors have been constantly on about current form and scoring runs. Remember what Langer said about Renshaw a couple of years ago when Renshaw was the incumbent?

Hi Bobby it is based on about 10 to 11 thousand boxes that record the viewer’s age, location, and what they watch. Not much else. So one box could equate to around 2500 – 3000 TV’s. As far as I know, it doesn’t consider the number of people watching the TV unless they individually log on. You can’t ask for a box and you are not supposed to tell anyone you have one. More info can be found here
https://www.nielsentam.com.au/

And what about the first try the AB’s scored? Foot into touch, yet still, a try was scored.

He did call it a second-rate event though Steven. PVL likes to talk and bringing in the US election as a reason for poor ratings is grasping at straws. If he is as well informed as everyone says he is, PVL would know that the US election would be on at the time. Plus there was no rolling coverage on FTA that I saw, maybe on Foxtel though.
So PVL either knows the NRL relies too heavily on Foxtel, or he knows that a lot of NRL supporters don’t like the ch. 9 coverage.

If you are going to blame the US coverage then I think you need to ask PVL why it was scheduled on the date it was. Everyone knows the US election is the 1st Tuesday in November every 4 years (just like the Melbourne Cup every year)!

If you are claiming “fatigue” with all the events that have been on recently, I would only expect that to happen in the 3rd game when the series has been decided. Otherwise, it doesn’t say much about the popularity of SOO. I would say if you love your Rugby League, you wouldn’t forget it was on or you are tired of the game – I mean this is supposed to be the highlight of the RL season isn’t it?

Please get it right – the Cats have asked for home finals since the 90’s when they had to play WCE at Waverly. Probably asked before that, but grounds only became rationalised in Melbourne when Docklands was about to open.
Victoria Park – last game in 1999
Princess Park – 2005
Others before that.
The Cats are not a Melbourne team either, yet made to play away from their supporter base in a home final.
The biggest issue is that the Cats rightly ask why they can’t and are told one of two things;
1. Maximise crowd numbers – therefore finances before the integrity of the game
2. Finals to be played at the biggest venue in the state – yet GC and GWS would play at the smaller venues.
Aside from that it actually allows the manipulation of the finals – a Victorian team sitting in 3/4 or 7 likely to face an interstate team (or another MCG-based team), yet level on points with the team below them who could be facing the Cats in week 1. Maybe it becomes like the Freo’s and NM resting players the before the finals furore that brought in the bye before finals and they then face the Cats at the MCG instead of Kardinia Park.
Funny how you bring up the MCG was not a problem before Richmond won when the Melbourne sides for years have been complaining about playing the Cats in Geelong – especially Richmond and Caroline Wilson.

Yet the article is talking about an era, not a season. Granted this year has been abnormal for various reasons, but it is not their whole era. Tigers “travelled” 12 times this season now you know how hard it was for the Lions.

So the Tigers degree of difficulty is/was greater than the Lions? They had to travel more often than the Tigers, played only 6 of their finals at home, and had to travel interstate to play the Grand Final.
Richmond’s record is skewed because of Covid-19. Their away record is very poor, just above the Lions who at the time would have traveled interstate at least 11 times during the H&A where Richmond would barely leave for 6 games. Covid-19 has skewed those values this year.
I would Rank
1. Brisbane – 3 in a row/4 GF’s in a row (Played all GF’s away)
2. Hawthorn – 3 in row/4 GF’s in a row (though played at their HG)
3. Richmond – 3 out 4 (would have been all on HG if not for Covid)
4. Geelong – 3 out of 5 (all played away)

Using another analogy from another sport to get my point across. Soccer, you can dominate the game and still lose. You can
1. have the most of the possession,
2. never let the opposition into the 16-yard box,
3. the opponent’s goalkeeper has the game of his life, getting a finger that deflects the ball just enough to parry the ball onto the post.
4. The opposition has a player sent off with 2 yellow cards
and then someone pulls of the fantastic goal from 30 yards that just curls under the crossbar in the left corner. This leads to a 1-0 loss even though you have dominated the game.

You missed the point sven, the better team on the ground can have a shocking time in front of goals and still lose. They can dominate everywhere except converting inside 50’s to goals by having a poor efficiency in front of goals.

Since when does winning/losing the free-kick mean the umpires favoured a team? You can still lose the free-kick count and have the benefit of the 50-50 calls. Also, the count doesn’t take into consideration the;
1. the type of free awarded (a team could give away 10 free-kicks through; out on the full, deliberate out of bounds, too many in the centre square at the bounce) but win the contested free kicks and still be behind in the free-kick count.
2. where the free was awarded (different umpires in different positions and interpretations)
3. when the free was awarded (when the game was up for grabs or when a team has no hope and starts giving away sill free kicks).

And if PA had won 9.1 to 7.9 – would the better team have won? Maybe 5 of those points were rushed or hit the post.

What about 1-6 play for final ladder positions, 7-12 play for the last 2 spots in the 8 and 13-18 playoff for draft order? 13th gets 1st pick, 14th – 2nd, etc.

Still going to have “dead” games, especially if there is a huge gap between teams but at least the top 6 is settled for the finals, 7th & 8th can still stay or drop depending on results (which can happen most years). At least, 13th – 18th have something to play for in a positive manner. Giving no. 1 pick to the bottom team is not the best anyway when it comes to drafting.

Just an idea.

Agree 100%. They could even use the little line about the width of the stumps away on the bowling crease that could be used. So tired of the batter stepping across and the ball just passes the pads and a wide is scored.

Indoor cricket rules state that if the ball passes between this line and the stumps (at the popping crease) it is a legal delivery as long as the batter doesn’t hit the ball.

So you don’t care about consistency or integrity in the competition?
Consistency
That would mean GC play finals at the GABBA, GWS would play at the SCG if Geelong can’t play in Geelong when the earn it. Marvel based teams should also be given the right to play at Marvel when they finish with the right to host.

Integrity
That would mean that if a team finishes 1,2,5 or 6 get to choose where the game is played not the most money or crowd dictating. That allows teams to manipulate where they finish. Consider any team whose home ground is the MCG and the ladder is
1. Geelong 60pts 120%
2. WCE 56pts 118%
3. Richmond 52pts 106%
4. Brisbane 48pts 110% (or same points less %)
Richmond knows if they lose the game or percentage drops with the Lions winning, they suddenly go from playing in Perth to playing at the MCG. If they win the 1st week they don’t leave the MCG, even though they finished 4th. Could be more pronounced if they are in 7th, with 8th (if they win) play the lower of 1st v 4th, and then if no non-Victorian teams and say the top 2 teams are Victorian, they don’t leave the MCG either.
The point is that teams should get the right to choose home ground advantage or play elsewhere not the AFL looking after money over integrity and consistency.

But Richmond has got to play at the ground of their choice in the past even when they haven’t earnt it.

Yes the lost to WCE and Collingwood in Perth. Lost by 7pts to WCE on a short break and after a slog in the wet against Freo.
However, PA lost convincingly to the Cats yet turned it around with wayward kicking helping. The Cats will have an extra couple of days rest and not have to fly from Perth. Time will tell but you can’t use the argument lost convincingly when PA turned it around on their home ground and didn’t put the Cats away really

Me too – just can’t shake it. After the bye, finals and in Adelaide – what can go wrong (should I say right)?

And he wasn’t an English bunny, like Warner.
Also, I said his mannerisms and approach – not fussed, not fidgety. I didn’t say he was like Mark Waugh in talent.
I know who I would rather be representing Australia if it came to choosing between Warner and Khawaja – Usman every time.