Roar Rookie
Joined April 2018
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There’s a lot of big cricket coming up – the T20 World Cup, Australia’s Test tour to India in early 2023, and then the…
Australia will tour India in February and March of 2023 for four Tests as part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The visitors will tour Pune,…
The Canberra Raiders made – and could/should have won! – the 2019 Grand Final. While still having some great players in 2022, the Raiders…
The Canberra Raiders have been in Australia’s premier rugby league competition since 1982 - that’s 40 years! There’s been three grand final triumphs –…
Each nation that qualifies for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India will likely need to select a 15-man squad (unless the ICC allows…
Wow – freak injury!!
Aussie star out of IPL after breaking leg in 'freak accident' at training
We all know that Matty Timoko is the best centre in the game.
And Tapine and big Papa are the best Props.
And to be fair Fogarty is probably the game’s best #7.
So any voting system that delivers these results should be what we choose! 🙂
End the Dally M farce: Time to hand over voting on the NRL's best players to the only true experts
I strongly agree with Hardie/McSweeney over Webster in the Test arena. Both now and for the future.
The Dean Jones example that Australian selectors must avoid in regenerating ageing Test squad
To be fair, I think I could score a few against Siraj…..
Now Bumrah – he is a worry!!
The Dean Jones example that Australian selectors must avoid in regenerating ageing Test squad
It’ll be an interesting match. I am keen to see how Galvin goes!
NRL Round 2 Team Lists: Foxx OUT for Dogs, Sharks call up debutant for sick prop, Benji rolls dice, Wayne wields axe
Raiders look Strong! You’d be backing us to get the 2 points vs the Tigers at home 🙂
Right move by Ricky in bringing Kris into the centres and Hoppa to the wing.
Cotric/Weekes/Mooney/Big Red out of the 17 – the squad is looking decent 🙂
NRL Round 2 Team Lists: Foxx OUT for Dogs, Sharks call up debutant for sick prop, Benji rolls dice, Wayne wields axe
yeah – but how good is it to have the Shield on when working away?! quiet day in the office for me….
Test Mortem: Epic comeback win but cracks remain in line-up, Shield form has to count for something, Pat should bat higher
Yeah I like it – re Marnus! And agree on Head.
Test Mortem: Epic comeback win but cracks remain in line-up, Shield form has to count for something, Pat should bat higher
Yes – plenty of changes + regeneration in the Indian XI too, agreed Sheek.
I suspect some of those you reference won’t in fact come – eg Rahane/Pujara.
I think Jurel is their outstanding wk/bat!
Jaiswal and Gill in particular are epic prospects. But unproven in Australia vs the cartel! So we will see 🙂
But India don’t really have heaps of high-quality “pacers” come through to partner Bumrah.
I remain confident for next summer. Maybe I am just too parochial.
I also am hopeful that many of our current crop can make the home Ashes – especially Hoff!
Test Mortem: Epic comeback win but cracks remain in line-up, Shield form has to count for something, Pat should bat higher
What’s your top six Don – selected at the moment – for the First Test vs India?
Test Mortem: Epic comeback win but cracks remain in line-up, Shield form has to count for something, Pat should bat higher
Well, he’s certainly out of form Ace!
Test average of 41-42 atm though. And an ability to attack and play some great knocks, I personally am not discounting him. Let’s see where things stand early in the summer is my view, rather than dropping people now. Way too premature imo.
I agree with you re Smith. I am concerned about him as an opener indeed. Especially vs Bumrah. I’ve always been in Bangers’ camp myself.
Test Mortem: Epic comeback win but cracks remain in line-up, Shield form has to count for something, Pat should bat higher
Of course there’s time. You cannot “find form” only in the Test arena.
There’s Shield cricket in the immediate run up to the Indian summer. There’s of course white-ball cricket too in the intervening months. Many cricketers have regained form playing a different format of the game.
An example of their not being time to find form for Head would be if he was in this current rut immediately prior to the First Test vs India.
Interesting, there’s equally sufficient time for players currently in form – like a Carey or Cam Green eg – to fall out of form. This is the nature of time – and cricket.
Test Mortem: Epic comeback win but cracks remain in line-up, Shield form has to count for something, Pat should bat higher
Yes I do. I have 3 Indian mates – so I am constantly reminded 🙂
But last tour’s events won’t automatically be replicated this time around. Otherwise, they wouldn’t need to schedule the series. There are differences with the Indian team. And more importantly there are big differences with the Australian team/approach.
Test Mortem: Epic comeback win but cracks remain in line-up, Shield form has to count for something, Pat should bat higher
India will be in some senses stronger, but in other senses weaker.
Main Strengths = emergence and establishment of Bumrah, some quality young top order batsmen, quality spin allrounders and spin all round!
Main Weakness = ageing XI, untested young bats in Australia, loss of Pujara and maybe Kohli (or Kohli being not as good as in the past), maybe no real backups for Bumrah (if Shami doesn’t make it, the 2nd/3rd seamers could be problematic), absence of a seam allrounder.
I think Australia is much stronger than the previous series at home. That’s where my confidence principally comes from.
Test Mortem: Epic comeback win but cracks remain in line-up, Shield form has to count for something, Pat should bat higher
I think 8 weeks is about right.
I thought it should have been 4 weeks – provided it was accompanied by a genuine/sincere apology. Ie positive learning outcome. But 8 is probably reasonable imo.
'I am really sorry': Leniu cops HUGE ban as NRL judiciary hands down verdict for ‘monkey’ racial abuse at Mam
Yep, I can’t see them changing much for the Indian Tests. Smithie will be opening!!
Smithie as opener is the only real concern atm. Otherwise, there’s plenty of time for Head to find form, and for Marnus to continue to find form.
We should be pretty confident vs India on our own decks, with the cartel and lyono fired up!
Test Mortem: Epic comeback win but cracks remain in line-up, Shield form has to count for something, Pat should bat higher
Bit like the Dragons making the GF in 2024 Tony? 🙂
Carey the clutch king: Gloveman's stunning 98, Cummins heroics keep Kiwi curse alive in thrilling comeback win
Massive kudos to Carey! – delivers when it matters. Well done!
Carey the clutch king: Gloveman's stunning 98, Cummins heroics keep Kiwi curse alive in thrilling comeback win
I thought this listing was about spot on for after R1……
NRL Power Rankings: Round 1 - Small sample size but major concerns at a few clubs, Flanno back in style at Dragons
Yeah, first Test at the Gabba, it certainly makes sense!!
Have a pink ball special at the Adelaide Oval for the second test too!
Rejigged Aussie batting line-up fails again as top-order collapse puts Black Caps on track for drought-breaking Test win
The right balance, IMO, with batsmen playing in their natural positions would be:
Khawaja
Bancroft
Labuschagne
CGreen
Smith
Head
I know it is very harsh on MMarsh – but this is what I think our best top six actually is. And I appreciate the assumed reasons as to why Bangers mightn’t be there atm.
But that’s what I reckon our best current top six is. Smith dropping down the order a la Clarke/Border/Ponting/etc. But he’s still class so warrants the spot. Smithie will deliver bulk runs next 2 summers – I’d have him at #5. And THead’s natural game is the wonderful + counterattacking six!!
I’d leave Marnus + Green at 3/4 as they’re likely to be our best two bats over the next 4-5 years.
Rejigged Aussie batting line-up fails again as top-order collapse puts Black Caps on track for drought-breaking Test win
Likewise – thank goodness it will never be up to you as to what to do with anything like this!
I think the traditional, commonsense view of a multiple weeks suspension is likely to be the outcome here – ie rather than an ideological-based call for years or decades (or worse?) out of the game….
NRL News: Leniu pleads guilty to monkey racial slur, apologises to Mam - 'I said the word but I didn't mean it in a racist way'
which is worse?
NRL News: Leniu pleads guilty to monkey racial slur, apologises to Mam - 'I said the word but I didn't mean it in a racist way'
That was my prediction before last night!
Tipster's nightmare: Ricky's written-off Raiders upset rusty Knights to show they won't be wooden spoon fodder
Bunnies will be back. Maybe not this week, but they’ll come good over the following few weeks!
No doubt about it, too much quality to not happen
'I won’t explain my reasoning': Demetriou curt on Ilias and Latrell questions as Cook demotion looms