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The Roar

Ben Pobjie

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Joined August 2011

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Ben Pobjie is a writer and comedian whose promising rugby career was tragically cut short the day he stopped playing rugby and had a pizza instead. The most he has ever cried was the day Balmain lost the 1989 grand final. Today he enjoys the frolics of Wallabies, Swans, baggy greens, and Storm.

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One hell of a team.

A book I owned that did the alphabet teams exercise for the whole world separated the Ms into Ms and Mc/Macs. Both were super strong teams – the Mc team almost all Australian.

The Australian cricket all-time great alphabet teams: Letter M

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Cricket
 
Mar

Funny how weak the Aussie Gs are compared to an international G team, which would be terrifyingly good. Gooch, Gavaskar, Greenidge, Grace, Gower, Gibbs, Garner. Add in Gregory, Gilchrist, Grimmett and Gillespie from the Aussies and you have a hell of a team.

The Australian cricket all-time great alphabet teams: Letter G

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Cricket
 
Feb

Clem Hill, Sid Barnes, Keith Miller, Ian Chappell…many more no doubt

The Australian cricket all-time great alphabet teams: Letter H

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Cricket
 
Feb

Philadelphia’s Bart King was The Godfather of swing bowling – swung it before the test nations had figured out the trick

The Australian cricket all-time great alphabet teams: Letter H

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Cricket
 
Feb

Was there any consideration to picking Dutchy Holland over Hordern?

The Australian cricket all-time great alphabet teams: Letter H

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Cricket
 
Feb

Personally I don’t think leg byes should exist. That’s a whole other column…

The Mankad: You know it makes sense

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Cricket
 
Feb

The obvious point is that anyone who wishes not to be Mankaded has it completely within their own power. It’s much easier to avoid than, for example, getting stumped. And no, it hasn’t served perfectly well throughout cricket history. It’s a convention that achieves precisely nothing.

The Mankad: You know it makes sense

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Cricket
 
Feb

There are times when the invocation of “spirit of the game” is justified and times when it’s not. The underarm was dirty pool for several reasons, and I don’t think you even have to have been a cricket fan to understand why. The Mankad is a time when “spirit of the game” talk is nonsense. Particularly when NOT getting Mankaded is the easiest thing in the world – to paraphrase Eleanor Roosevelt, no one can Mankad you without your consent.

The Mankad: You know it makes sense

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Cricket
 
Feb

Ok. A woman is not a man and therefore calling her a batsman is inaccurate. There, justified.

The Mankad: You know it makes sense

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Cricket
 
Feb

If it’s inadvertent they’re incompetent. Batsmen generally get out inadvertently- otherwise its match-fixing.

The Mankad: You know it makes sense

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Cricket
 
Feb

Getting out for “straying once out of the crease” is what is known as a run out. Fairly well known phenomenon.

The Mankad: You know it makes sense

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Cricket
 
Feb

1. Because they would be taking advantage of an accidental occurrence that had nothing to do with either skills or decisions taken by them or the other team.
2. Because the batsman gains nothing by doing so and is just being helpful, not attempting to get an advantage.

Neither of these are equivalent to a Mankad. Next.

The Mankad: You know it makes sense

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Cricket
 
Feb

I’m assuming you’re not serious John, as it seems to me very unlikely indeed that someone would actually think the underarm and a Mankad are equivalent. Also seems a bit weird that you think that I’d have a bias *against* Australia. So…you’re not, are you?

The Mankad: You know it makes sense

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Cricket
 
Feb

I’d just like to point out that many commenters are saying that cricket is a TEAM game, yet fail to congratulate Warner on his attempt in South Africa last year to help his TEAM win. So when Paine tries to secure team success it’s laudable, but when Warner does the same, it’s “cheating”? Double standards.

Tim Paine must go

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Cricket
 
Dec

Mark, what I’m saying is what I said. If you wish me to have said something entirely different, my condolences.

Israel Folau and the inexplicable public interest in sportspeople's opinions

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Rugby
 
Nov

Perthstayer, my “I agree that he shouldn’t” was responding to the question about Folau, nothing to do with Pocock.

But no, my article says absolutely nothing about what a sportsperson has a right to do or not do.

Israel Folau and the inexplicable public interest in sportspeople's opinions

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Rugby
 
Nov

Yes, I agree that he shouldn’t.

Israel Folau and the inexplicable public interest in sportspeople's opinions

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Rugby
 
Nov

https://frinkiac.com/meme/S07E09/657189.jpg?b64lines=ICggc2NyZWFtaW5nKSBCeSB0aGUgd2F5LAogSSdtIGF3YXJlIG9mIHRoZSBpcm9ueSBvZgogYXBwZWFyaW5nIG9uIFRWIGluIG9yZGVyCiB0byBkZWNyeSBpdCwgc28gZG9uJ3QKIGJvdGhlciBwb2ludGluZyB0aGF0IG91dC4=

Israel Folau and the inexplicable public interest in sportspeople's opinions

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Rugby
 
Nov

You don’t need a specialist keeper, you just rotate the bowlers through the keeper’s spot. Someone who seriously thinks Nathan Lyon should open the batting should not find this an unusual proposal.

Australian selectors should toss conventional thinking for Tests this summer

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Cricket
 
Nov

It seems that picking eleven specialist bowlers is the logical choice, since the greater the number of bowlers, the lower the opposition score, right? Only picking seven is the coward’s way.

Australian selectors should toss conventional thinking for Tests this summer

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Cricket
 
Nov

I thought this article was about something, but it turns out I was mistaken.

Cheika and Australian Rugby Union's triumphs should be praised, not dismissed

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Rugby
 
Oct

Manson’s was indeed inexplicable. Hard to believe Ridge even thought he could get up and go again and get away with it, let alone that Manson would let him.

The worst call in grand final history

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League
 
Oct

As a Storm fan, I’d love it if it was indeed swings and roundabouts, but I can’t see any swings coming our way.

We have to be honest about refs

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League
 
Oct

“Human beings make mistakes” is what I said in the article. What I’m saying is that accepting that human beings make mistakes doesn’t mean we have to be happy with those mistakes, or pretend that those mistakes don’t sometimes lead to unjust results.

We have to be honest about refs

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League
 
Oct

The good thing is that we now know teams have a great last-tackle option when in attack. Don’t risk a kick, just throw the ball into your trainer and voila, six again!

The NRL knew the risks for years about on-field trainers and did nothing

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League
 
Oct
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