Roar Guru
Joined May 2014
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Passionate sports fan, who'll watch basically any sport on tv, but am particularly passionate about cricket and rugby league.
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There is currently a lot conjecture about the choices that await the Australian selectors for the upcoming Ashes series. There are a thousand opinions…
In the lead up to State of Origin much has been made of the defensive deficiencies of James Maloney and whether New South Wales…
I'm a lifelong rugby league fan and this week I signed my nine-year-old son up for Auskick. It's not my preference, but it's what…
State of Origin is often a close affair and despite Queensland's dominance over ten of the past 11 years, there have only been a…
So with all the speculation surrounding State of Origin selections, which players, past and present, have the highest success rates? Constructing Queensland and NSW…
In February and March the Australian Test team will be touring India for a four-match series. Regardless who we pick in the squad we…
Much has been spoken about the amount of cricket current day players play in comparison to their counterparts of decades gone by. The cry…
Every summer there is a debate about who should be in the Australian cricket team and all of us as armchair experts have our…
The Australian summer of cricket needs a major overhaul. It is simply not in tune with modern day needs of fan both attending the…
As we head into the third week of the finals, the experts have been giving us their opinion on who will win and why.…
I love Origin! As a Queenslander, I've thoroughly enjoyed our winning streak but even back in the 1990s and early 2000s when I was…
So at the end of this year at least a ninth and maybe a tenth Immortal will be named as one of the all-time…
The Sharks will not win the 2016 premiership. Don't get me wrong, ten wins in a row is impressive and they are travelling well,…
A few days ago I wrote a piece on the NSW Blues players Queensland wouldn't like to see picked. Today the focus is switched…
Let me start this by saying I don't think Queensland fear any side that NSW can put on the park. But I do believe…
If you happened to be out last night and arrived home in time to hear Gus Gould lambasting the Australian performance, you might have…
I love rugby league. It's my favourite sport (cricket comes in a close second) and it's by far the best winter code. I watch…
Much has been made of Fiji-born Semi Radradra's decision to represent Australia and Mal Meninga's decision to select him for the upcoming Anzac Test.…
In the lead up to this year's State of Origin series there will be plenty of passionate discussion about who should be picked for…
The salary cap doesn't work. The salary cap was designed to achieve two primary things, yet it fails to do both. 1. Keep the…
I can’t see a team in PNG working in the short term at least. You’d need at least 15 of the 30 squad to be current NRL players including a few guns. Players would not relocate to a team based in Port Moresby and a team based in Cairns in effectively playing 24 away games getting on a plane every single week. Not attractive to players. There are plenty of other reasons its not a good idea in the short term.
Long term to have it work you need to create the development pathways strong enough in PNG to get to the point that there’s 50 NRL quality players coming from PNG (born and developed there). Enough to fill an NRL squad and then another 20 or so spread throughout the NRL. Then you could have an NRL team based in Port Moresby. Can’t see Albo sinking $$$ into development though.
To my knowledge at the moment to only PNG born players in a top 30 squad are Justin Olam and Xavier Coates. Before them the last was James Seggyaro.
Using the NRL as a political football for your Pacific solution is a dumb idea, Albo - and a waste of taxpayers' money
Cummins was picked to be Captain because he’s a good boy and the last two test captaincy’s haven’t exactly ended in glory. Paine was the “good boy” brought in to clean up after Sandpapergate and Cummins the good boy to be squeaky clean after Paine’s misdemeanours. By those standards he’s fine as a test captain and for all home series (except against India) and some away series against weaker opposition a nice guy leading the team works fine because we’re just better than opposition and it doesn’t matter if we have tactical nous. It’s the tough series against top opposition where we need more from our captain particularly from a tactical point of view. And he’s not a lock for our ODI side so shouldn’t be captain.
We should really be looking at Marsh and Head as our white ball captaincy options with someone like Turner being a left field option if he could lock down a spot. For Test matches I think Head is the obvious choice with Marnus and Carey to support him.
Warner’s papers were marked, Khawaja is a fine leader but in the twilight of his career and I think Smith is possibly closer to retirement than we think.
Flat Pat: Cummins' captaincy hits a plateau as conservative tactics hold Australia back
Yeah I think a preference system works well. So in the case of the Hammer he might have Aus 1, Samoa 2. Staggs – Aus 1, Tonga 2, Too – Samoa 1, Aus 2, Crichton – Samoa 1, Aus 2,
So leading into each year if a player is not picked for their first preference eligible team they can be picked for their second preference. The only qualifier I think would be once they are picked for a team or squad in a calendar year they can only play for that country in that tournament / year. It would be a little too farcical.
I think Mal’s solution would weaken the international game a bit. Take Kotoni Staggs… born in NSW and is both a proud Indigenous and Tongan man. He grew up wanting to play for Australia. He is a very good player but not a lock on an Australian jersey. Right or Wrong if Tubro and Latrell were fit and Holmes hadn’t had little oops moment he may not have made the squad. Why then rob him of representing Tonga and weaken the international game.
Mal Meninga is annoyed about international eligibility rules again - he should be careful what he wishes for
I love how they name the 17 and the Kangaroos social media account uses Nico Hynes who isn’t in the 17 as the picture. Trying to appeal to a female demographic…?
Pacific Championships Team Lists: Four Kangaroos to debut, Samoa spring surprises, Upton gets Jillaroos No.1 gig
All good points. I think last week they had Tago and Cleary defending on one side and Luai and Crighton on the other so they didn’t have Tago and Luai together. I can see that happening again although it didn’t stop Olam running through Tago at one point. Surely Herbie sees a fair bit of ball to test out Tago.
Kicks, flicks and tricks: How the Broncos can decode the Panthers and claim Grand Final glory
He was definitely underrated as a player too. People forget Australia probably don’t win the 1992 world cup without Kevvie. Down 6-4 to the Poms with 12 minutes to play and Kevvie comes off the bench and lays on a beautiful out ball for Renouf to glide through and score the only try of the World Cup final. Silky passing game.
Underrated as a player, Walters doing likewise in coaching by stepping out of Wayne’s shadow to revive Broncos
Week 1 – 2v3 not sudden death. 4 v 5 sudden death
Week 2 – 1 v winner 2of3 not sudden death. Loser of 2v3 vs Winner 4v5 sudden death
Two non-sudden death matches – same as now. And there is no way the NRL will choose less finals games in terms of revenue and tv rights to sell. Outside Origin these games are highest raters of the year.
NRL Finals Talking Points: Hard to send a player off for biting, Knights on a roll but Panthers vs Broncos GF looks inevitable
Woakes won player of the series… if only we had a bowler in our squad who swings the ball both ways and is good lower order bat who could’ve excelled in these conditions, who has also been in exceptional form for the past few years…
Wonderful Woakes and Bairstow stunner sink Aussies as ball change debate, Stokes catch howler end Ashes in drama
Agreed. Neser’s bowling stands on it’s own. The fact he can bat too is a bonus.
Ashes Fifth Test teams: Better late than Neser, Murphy in the mix, Warner looks safe again, Anderson under pressure
I get there is the idea that Neser is a Gabba specialist but the facts last summer don’t really play that out. He played 5 shield games at the Gabba and took 22 wickets and played 3 shield games away from home and took 18 wickets (missed a couple I think one was for the birth of his child). Seems he’s pretty consistent across venues to be honest.
Ashes Fifth Test teams: Better late than Neser, Murphy in the mix, Warner looks safe again, Anderson under pressure
Being that its 2-1 rain can’t deny Australia an outright series win. But if England were in control and rain denied them again… wow that would be funny and would unleash a whole new level of whinging pom. “We would’ve won 3-2!” or “Rain denied us the greatest comeback every” and chants of “We were the better side” would ring out forever. 😂 😂 😂
UK View: 'Timid, petrified' Aussies escape in 'galling travesty' - as Pommy Pauline Hanson's hypocrisy exposed
Pretty sure I should have said weather before someone kindly corrects me!
UK View: 'Timid, petrified' Aussies escape in 'galling travesty' - as Pommy Pauline Hanson's hypocrisy exposed
I do have to admit 2-2 heading into The Oval would have been epic… but I am completely enjoying the Poms whinging about how unfair it is. Hey fellas, when you go down 2-0 then don’t complain about being at the mercy of the whether.
UK View: 'Timid, petrified' Aussies escape in 'galling travesty' - as Pommy Pauline Hanson's hypocrisy exposed
Yeah I think you’re stuck in 2022 Horses for Courses… which is when the Storm beat the Warriors 70-10, you know 25th April 2022… still not sure what that has to do with this season. Yeah they should have won against the Broncos who were missing Walsh, Cobbo, Haas, Carrigan and Flegler on Origin duty but Warriors are still in this comp right up to their eyeballs. Not sure they’ll win it this year but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them make a prelim.
Round 21 Talking Points: Broncos loom as Panthers’ main threat, Souths in danger zone, Holmes binning 'massive over-reaction'
Surely the Gold Coast could host it again. A lot of the infrastructure is still there.
'Incredibly embarrassing': Sports react as Vic government axes 2026 Comm Games hosting over $5 billion blowout
Yeah I question whether inflation can cause a 250% increase in the costs of running an event. Inflation is a factor for sure but questions have to be asked about the initial estimates and/or whether the revised estimates are being overblown as Dan’s get out card.
'Incredibly embarrassing': Sports react as Vic government axes 2026 Comm Games hosting over $5 billion blowout
Let’s play
Khawaja
Labuschagne
Smith
Head
Green
Marsh
Maxwell
Carey
Neser
Starc
Cummins
Will never happen but geez that team bats deep.
Maxwell smart left-field option worth considering for a spin if Aussies want to strengthen lower order all round
Yep i was one to say he shouldn’t be anywhere near the test team but good luck to him, he played a brilliant innings!
Marsh madness! Former whipping boy to the rescue with brutal ton as Wood five-for routs Aussies
Even if I accept the premise of your argument: Neser’s last first class game was less than two months ago and he’s played 8 first class games from February to late May. The last time Marsh bowled in a first class game was April 2021.
Marsh returns after four years in wilderness as Aussies make three changes, England win toss
I think what he’s suggesting is Marsh has played one first class match in the last two years. Granted he made a 108* batting at number 7, but he didn’t bowl and hasn’t bowled in a red ball match in a long time. Hardly the preparation or match fitness for an Ashes test. Green bowled 22 overs at Lords… again Lyon was out, but not sure anyone would even know the last time Marsh bowled 10+ overs in any game let alone a red ball game. Surely if Green is no good to go it’s a no brainer to bat Carey at 6 and Neser at 7.
In the shield Neser took 40 wickets @ 16 and made 357 runs @ 35. In County cricket this season he’s taken 19 wickets @ 25 and made 311 runs @ 51. Definition of match fit… but if Green is out the selectors will probably choose Marsh…
Marsh returns after four years in wilderness as Aussies make three changes, England win toss
Staggs didn’t exactly have a shocker. He got injured midway through the game and came off after 52 minutes. He had 7 runs for 78 meters, made 13 tackles, missed 2 tackles and forced a line drop out with no errors. Then got dropped for game 2. Hardly a shocker.
Selection Blues: Here’s a novel idea - a NSW team picked on current form instead of past reputation
In fairness Ponting was 36 and well past his best in that series. Ponting for the majority of his career was one of the world’s best batsmen who took bowlers like Robinson to the cleaners. And in that series he was dismissed 7 times and the only bowler to get him out more than once is a far better bowler than Robinson… his name is James Anderson.
There is method to Robinson's madness - but Ollie’s fighting out of his weight division as Bazball faces moment of truth
Thing is before Munster beat Hynes he also fended off Cleary too. As a Qlder I don’t really care who they pick but having a go at Hynes for what happened in a game 1 is a bit of a stretch. As a Broncos fan I’ll be happy for Reynolds if they pick him and happier if they don’t and he stays injury free for the Broncos.
Round 14 Talking Points: Blues need two new halves if Cleary out, Maroons can cover injured duo, ref's penalty call right
Yeah I don’t think there is any chance they drop him this series. He is the current NSW and Australian captain. He last year captained Australia to a World Cup victory, scored two tries and was man of the match in the final. He just doesn’t look the same this year. He’s been NSW best for years now. Even as a Qlder I’d like to seem him regain some form and not fade out of the rep scene.
Superstar poses no threat, enforcer gets only 30 minutes, playmakers struggle: Blues player ratings
Agar would be the obvious choice although his ODI record isn’t nearly as good as his T20 record. Tanveer Sangha may well be the answer and again has been good in T20 format, although he’s played a very limited number of 50 over games and his record is fairly middling.
The dark horse in all of it should be Matt Kuhnemann. He’s only 27, has the best List A record of any of the current up and coming spinners is three years younger than Agar and four years younger than Zampa.
I think Zampa at 31 has a lock on one spin spot as long as he keeps performing. Maxwell is filling the second spin role well now. If we want to play a second spinner batting at 7 Agar is an option, but I worry we’re putting an ok bowler and ok batter into the role. Or a second out and out spinner then either Kuhnemann or Sangha are really your other two options.
Australia’s 2027 World Cup mission starts now: The players title defence can be built around - only three incumbents to survive