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League fan. Roosters supporter.
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A one-on-one combative exchange, where tempers can flare and personalities clash, it's no surprise that tennis is often compared to boxing. Thanks to the…
Sport demands a winner. It’s the pay-off we expect for the emotional investment we put into our team or an individual we follow. We’ve…
Are there are some sporting dreams that are just so big that nobody has the nerve to proclaim them? Take that rarest of birds,…
Margaret Court hurls thunderbolts. They used to be tennis balls. Now, they’re words laced with fire and brimstone. The same steely resolve she displayed…
As we take in the Australian summer of tennis this year, part of the coverage of each match will be the regular cut-away shots…
Before a single ball is struck in anger at this year's Australian Open, consider this: it is the only time of the year that…
It’s easy to forget that the Australian Open was once on the cusp of having its Grand Slam status revoked. In 1925, the International…
With State of Origin looming large on the horizon, and NSW supporters full of hope, what better place to start the countdown to Game…
Friday, September 11, 2015, Flushing Meadows, New York. Serena Williams has just won the first set 6-2 in 31 minutes, in her semi-final against…
As the world's tennis top players leave their footprints all over clay courts in lead up events to the French Open, there is one…
I know the first State of Origin match is still a good month away, but it's never too early to start contemplating Origin and…
The intrigue surrounding men's tennis at the moment is at an all-time high. We're in the middle of an extraordinary renaissance from Roger Federer,…
Barely five weeks into this year's NRL season and intrigue and imbroglio are running rampant – not least, within the coaching ranks. Rumour and…
Roger Federer's stunning win at this year's Australian Open was a magnificent and unexpected addition to his legacy. However at 35 years of age…
The Greatest of All Time - GOAT - is a debate in sport that inspires heated discussion and more often than not proves inconclusive.…
Apparently around 6 million people tuned in to watch Roger Federer play Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open men's tennis final last Sunday. One…
As another Australian Open beckons, let's spare a thought for Ken Rosewall – the oldest man to ever win the event, the best tennis…
We all have favourite players we love and revere. These bonds are unbreakable and are forged within single moments that stay with us forever.…
Through nothing more than the circumstances of geography, as a small boy in 1975 my team was the Eastern Suburbs Roosters. That year they…
Now that the State of Origin dust has well and truly settled, with the focus back on the run in to the NRL finals,…
I think this sentiment is pretty widespread amongst Blues fans. And if they pick Laurie Daley to coach the team next year and his loyal buddies – Dugan, Ferguson, Hayne, Pearce, Maloney, Fifita and Wade Graham, then I’ll be watching State of origin strictly for laughs…..
The Blues will be back, trust me
Another excellent article – well considered and thought provoking. All makes sense, but when I rewatched the third state of origin recently, the big thing I kept seeing was not the tactical acumen of Smith (though of course it’s always there), or the brilliance of the QLD spine. What I kept seeing was something very simple. The Queensland team were hungry and energetic. They ran harder than NSW and they believed in what they were doing. NSW did not. If we can get the energy levels up in the NSW team, then we are at least starting from an even playing field. Laurie Daley as the coach has to cop the blame for twice now not being able to get the NSW team fired up and ready for a decider. I’ve always harboured doubts about Laurie’s strategic smarts, but what worries me more is his inability to motivate his team when crunch time arrives. Those NSW players in Origin III should have come out breathing fire and wanting to smash their opposition. Instead, after about 15 minutes, they looked beaten, meek and mild. It was embarrassing. And then you hear guys like Aaron Woods on the Big Sports Breakfast saying he hasn’t got a clue what happened in the third game. i don’t really want to hear that because if that’s the response of one of our ‘enforcers’ then there really is no where left to go with this team.
Where have the NSW halves and hookers gone?
Not sure about Terry Lamb instlling a solid Bulldogs culture. Wasn’t he coaching Wests Tigers when Hopate was running riot with his digital backdoor shenanigans. Lamb thought that was a hoot.
Citizenship fiasco: Hasler survives despite doubts he's a Canterbury person
Yeah, thanks Jeff… and Federer just won his eight Wimbledon….
State of Origin 2014-2017: Who starred and who stank? Part 1 - Queensland
What made it worse for me was that that this year, the team felt ‘genuine’ and ‘purposeful’ in the way they went about their business in Game 1. Dare I say it, like they actually deeply believed in what they were about. My support next year will be very dependent on the ‘character’ base of the team next year. No point naming names, we all know who they are, but please, no more selfish, ego centric, self-absorbed big heads….
Culture alone doesn't win Origin, but it paves the way
It certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed that they only thing jeff dusty contributes to these conversations is a large, unhealthy dollop of negativity, and very little else….
Culture alone doesn't win Origin, but it paves the way
Wasn’t Hodges the guy who called for Thaiday to be sacked from this year’s Origin team? May be he’s feeling a little guilty about that and trying to make it up to his mate.
Hodges can't see why Thaiday has to go
After 11 series losses in 12 years does NSW really have anything more to lose by picking a team based on character first and talent second? May be picking guys like Jarrod Croker instead of Dugan could result in a team with a mentality and spirit born out of character.
Culture alone doesn't win Origin, but it paves the way
Super piece of writing Emcie. Well thought out and very considered. This series loss feels like the one that broke the camel’s back for NSW fans. Certainly for me it did. Over the last dozen years I’ve felt disappointment, emptiness and anger at the QLD team. This year for the first time I felt contempt and anger at this NSW team and then genuine disinterest. We’ve reached the bottom and it doesn’t burn anymore….
Culture alone doesn't win Origin, but it paves the way
You’re in the wrong thread Dusty….
Culture alone doesn't win Origin, but it paves the way
Maybe we’re just waiting for a smart opposition coach to be able to put in some tactics that can negate the Storm’s methodical and well executed style of play. There’s very little ‘surprise’ in the way they play – you know what’s coming – loud and clear. it won’t be easy, but I hope that come the finals we see some flashed of tactical daring from some of the coaches.
Good luck trying to knock the Storm over from here
Adam Reynolds simply doesn’t run the ball or take the line on. His one move is to crab sideways and pass it to a forward standing still. He is a good goal kicker though.
NSW's halves conundrum: When the best isn't good enough
This is the most intelligent and insightful ‘aftermath’ article I’ve read. Well done, Andrew – you nailed it. We read that Wade Graham blamed himself for the Game Two loss because of his dumb play – rushing up out of the line on McGuire trying to make the big hit instead of holding the line. There was also of course his penalty on stripping the ball from Gagai when the Blues had a chance to consolidate their field position late in the game. So what has Wade Graham learnt? Absolutely nothing. To use Joey Johns’ words from last night – ‘he just doesn’t get it. And he never will.
This Blues team deserves to be purged – but it needs to be done intelligently and based on a criteria of the type of player you want representing the state – it’s a ‘character’ thing. It needs to be done by someone with some vision and that isn’t Laurie Daley…lovely guy though he is…
NSW lost Origin because of poor discipline
A very accurate assessment. There’s been so much talk about NSW changing their tactics in the last twenty minutes of the 2nd half. If you go back and rewatch the match this simply is not true. As Greg’s article alludes, you can pinpoint about 7 ‘dumb’ things NSW did in the way of penalties and dropped balls that kept inviting QLD back down their end of the field. It was just plain suicide….
State of Origin 3: Series win is all in the head for the Blues
Hmmmm. No doubt about it Pedro. Pearce has a lot to answer for. The way he kept dragging down the other 12 players in the team in each of these performances is positively outrageous. What chance did they ever have with this millstone around their necks?
This comment is simplistic, negative and quite depressing for a lot of reasons.
State of Origin 3: The definitive stats preview
I re-watched that match last night. I’m not a Manly fan, but to blame DCE for losing that match is pretty harsh. It’s almost as though these sorts of contentions grow over time without anyone ever bothering to check the original facts…
Queensland Maroons team for Origin 3: Expert reaction
Hi Tim,
I think at the heart of this is the ‘intangible’ element of DCE not blending with QLD’s senior players. Call it a personality clash, if you like, but if there’s a kink in the dynamic between Smith, Cronk and Slater and DCE (and any others) for whatever reason, Kevin Walters will feel the pressure to omit DCE. Look at the pull of Smith, Slater and Cronk getting Glasby into the team. I don’t think too many people thought the Glasby inclusion was a winner – it’s just that QLD won the match and some of the obvious cracks were papered over.
DCE won’t be picked.
Are the Maroons smart enough to realise Cherry-Evans is the future?
It’s almost like some kind of perverse taunt from Kevvie.
Are the Maroons smart enough to realise Cherry-Evans is the future?
I think Jack Debelin is ahead of Merrin.
Last chance for Origin hopefuls to impress before series decider
That’s interesting. With his smooth, silky skills, I’ve always seen him transitioning into cabaret.
Cameron Smith to be handed control of rugby league
This is one of the dumbest pieces of analysis I think I’ve read on the Roar. Hard to know where to even start….
Laurie Daley deserves another crack at Queensland – with Luke Lewis his skipper