Couldn’t agree with you more Griffo.

Hawker, I agree totally, however that is not how he saw it, but as is anything else GLT is open to the opinion and interpretation of all. Even the ignorant.

I would have to agree with you there Mark; well written article.

Honestly, it still astounds me that in a team sport you can single out one player and give them an award for being the best. Sure, Ronaldo is a great player and he scores a lot of goals, but how many times have you seen him, stop a shot on goal and then proceed to run the ball past 10 players and slot it past the keeper at the other end.

It’s really quite astounding that in an era where it is important to work together as a team, society still wants to single out “the best”. I don’t believe that the Ballon d’Or is a true account of a player’s ability or form. Now im not saying it’s easy to put the ball past a goal keeper from 20+ yards out but strikers get paid for that.

It seems ridiculous that Ronaldo receives the Ballon d’Or and pretty much no midfielder, back or keeper got a look in.

How many goals did Valdes save this year? More than Ronaldo scored that’s for sure. But no respect or reward for one of the hardest job’s on the field, even in today’s style of game, if a keeper concedes a goal, he is the worst scum on earth but if a striker pushes one wide or high, its okay, because he will get it next time.

I think that the board really needs to, pull their heads in and evaluate players on higher Performa like goals saved and assists given rather than goals scored. There’s a lot more aspects to the game than scoring goals. And there is more to a team than a striker who can score.

I used to keep for the U/16 NSW team about 10 years ago may i add, but i still goal keep part time for my Belmont team in Newcastle NSW, I have always admired keepers, through my years i have played many positions from 8-10 i was a midfielder, from 11-13 i was a full back and from 13-22 i was a goal keeper, i now play sweeper and keeper when our keeper is injured. Its an interesting topic, why do keepers keep, and i guess its all down to personal preference. but i am alot like you i guess in the fact that i never feel more at home then when im between the sticks.

Yeah see your point Michael, but Optimism isn’t a curse, i suppose we will find out sooner rather than later, but i reckon having Heskie back will turn the table a bit; he has always been a good morale booster.

In reply to all the comments, i do have pulse, and in all honesty the 5 minute flashes of the next game really aren’t a reason to not watch the game, i just find it annoying.

I don’t think my article is crazy, granted i knew a few things in it would cause a stir, but hear me out on my one major point, the gap between series. Think of how big it is right now, I would have to agree it is the biggest NRL competition bar none, the rivalry, the camaraderie etc. Now, I urge you to have a look, at my side of the argument. if we had the state of origin every 2 years, it would bring, bigger crowds, more money, also Australia would need larger infrastructure to support the massive crowds, as well as the publicity it brings itself, the game play would be better, it would turn into a Mini-World Cup “although ill get some scathing remark about how Australia isn’t the world”, but hear me out. For a player like Billy Slater who hasn’t missed an origin side in forever, what would it force him to do to make the team, simply put… Play better! In a 2 year competition, its not just who was the best players for the 6 months that they were looking, but for a two year period… they would take the best of the best and pit them against each other. All im suggesting is there is the possibility of turning a ‘great game’ as you say fantastic.

Absolutely Matthew, I would have to agree with you there, it would be great to get a win but im not holding my breath. However i must say after playing under GVE in my early years as a rep player, I understand his tactics, I don’t believe he will ‘fall on his sword’. Actually I think it will take him getting fired before, he gives up.

I played for GVE for 5 years and 3 consecutive years we won the final, so I have experienced first hand what he can do, ultimately; he has the time to make a difference and to create his team and as anyone else who has played for good managers/coaches will tell you. You just need to stick with them until they show you what they can do. As far as his youth work, I can’t agree more we have a lot of talent here in Newcastle and its unfortunate that so few of them have been given the chance from previous managers. The member numbers are fantastic, being one myself and a proud Novocastrian I hope for my team and my city we do well this year…. Go the Jets: D

For me honestly, I agree with Matt aswell, I would take Test cricket over paint drying any day of the week and twice on Sunday, there is nothing better than going to a test, the atmosphere, the crowd, the competition.

Or watching it on the TV, volume blaring, with a BBQ going out back, cold beers in the fridge and the anticipation of the next wicket. I look forward to days like this all year and soon, the Summer of Cricket will begin.

I would have to agree 4.855 Million people is an incredible number, and as you say 21% of the population is a lot of people, however, no matter which way you look at the number it is still a minority with roughly 79% of the population uninterested or un-entertained.

Storm Boy It’s apparent that many people in this country don’t like the State of Origin for example:

‘LAST night’s third State of Origin decider was the highest rating game since the introduction of the OzTam TV rating system in 2001.

The game, won by Queensland and shown on Channel Nine, and Gem in WA, recorded a peak audience of 3.103 million and an average of 2.699 million viewers.

It was the number one program of the night, peaking at 4.855 million and averaging 4.195 million viewers.

It was seen by 1.61 million in Sydney, 865,000 in Brisbane, 464,000 and 95,000 in Adelaide.’

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/television/last-night8217s-state-of-origin-decider-was-most-watched-game-since-oztam-system-was-introduced/story-e6frfmyi-1226681637020

Current Australian Population is estimated at – 23,272,467

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs%40.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/1647509ef7e25faaca2568a900154b63?OpenDocument

You do the math…

Hey Craig.

I understand that, now worries, but I wasnt ref bashing in fact; I am both a Cricket Umpire and Official Football referee, however my article wasn’t neccesarily about the centre referee’s or linesman but more on the reliance of video referee’s in our modern day professional codes, for example the Rugby Union game I watched in Twickenham between Australia and England where the first 3 tries went for video referee verification. Thats all.

Madrid John,

It wasnt a suggestion that play is rarely stopped, however even when the goal keeper has the ‘thing’ as you call it in his hands the ball is not out of play, untill it goes dead or out of bounds. dependant on your outlook. I was merely asserting the point that in a game where the referee is suppose to use and play the advantage rule to keep the game flowing, rather than stop – start. how is it going to be possible for a video referee to be called for; or even used within the game, other than goals. Since the play has to be stopped or the ball dead for the ref to gesture for video verification i fail to understand how it would be introduced for examples.

Free kick.- the call has already been made by the centre referee.
Ball out.- linesman has called that out.
offside – linesman again
corners, goalkicks, handballs etc etc.

The only real difference a video referee would make would be the ability to disallow the Maradona-esk goals in the future, but in reality is introducing a million dollor tecnological advancement for the ability to prevent a small minority of goals really neccesary?

Yes, lets, Kallis is good in T20 and One day but failed in the test environment. Its not that T20 is a scape goat, it differs from batsman to batsman, what T20 does for them, however when you get 50 runs from 20 ball’s with five 6’s it applaudable. When you get 50 runs from 150 ball’s it shows a true batters skill. it takes patience and timing to build an innings not just swinging the bat and hoping for the best.

I dont think its as risky as you say Holger, i mean morale has a big role to play in every team, on field it’s every persons responsibility to keep morale high, however it Ange manages to get the team to gel and play well in their given roles, i think that in particular that XI isn’t the worst case scenario. and if it happens to turn out that way it will give us all something to complain about in the next 12 months… YAYY 🙂

I agree with most of the points you make abigail, however.

As you say “The new breed of Indian batsmen like Dhawan, Sharma, Kholi and Raina are world class whether playing tests, ODI or Twenty20 cricket.”

That isnt neccessarily to do with T20 games, first and foremost, Australia and India, have different types of player, grounds, conditions but mostly they have different selection criteria, in some aspects its a completely different game in India. and due to this, I have seen a pattern evolving in regards to CA which puts many T20 players in test matches, and im not stipulating that its extremely hard to adjust and change between the types of cricket, but merely suggesting that when a batsman gets comfortable playing one type of the game for example T20, it is difficult to make the mental switch in order to stop yourself from playing stupid shots and getting out.

In response to

“The Twenty20 format mostly favours batsmen and disadvatages bowlers.”

I would have to aggree with that, however one of my subtle points was this indeed, when a pace bowler like Watson bowls for T20, its about getting dot balls, without giving wides or no balls, but to do this every ball has to be in line with the stumps, or on the off side of the wicket, anything down leg is a wide obviously… but when the format changes its highly possible for a bowler to put one or two more balls astray because they have more freedom.

I honestly cant tell you what CA are thinking when they pick a team, i am only speculating on our last season of cricket. However, i think that Australias past affinity of resting on the shoulders of our pace bowlers to get the batsmen out for a chase-able total are almost if not over, we were really lucky in the past with the likes of McGrath one of the best fast bowlers of australian cricket who could land the ball on a 5 cent piece 9 times out of 10. and then having Gilespie and Lee to back him up but as the bowlers get faster the batters get more used to quick bowling and its simple physics. For example Newtone 3rd law ” for every action there is an oposite and equal reaction, the faster the ball comes out of the hand, the faster it comes off the bat.

anyway i have strayed from my point. ill basically leave it here with this. In the last ODI Austaralia went out and scored 352 runs. and lost by 6 wickets, you cant have a good batting half and no bowling half. and india just proved my point.

Learn something new everyday.

Sup Ash, my bad, I may have been abit drunk when i wrote that comment… It is only now that i realise my mistake….
Its upsetting i know but everyones entitle to one mistake every now and then right??? feeling abit special now….

Well i would have to disagree with you there JGK…

Soccer has been here for decades. it may have its ups and downs, but most sports do. If you look at the past there has been many times where soccer leagues have folded, but one returns to step up again, in this instance the A-League. Australia never really had a professionally regognised competition untill recently, and when we are able to pull EPL clubs over here to play it suggests that the only way for A-League to go is up. especially when we have so many Australians playing in the EPL itself. the important thing to remember is that soccer has been in Australia longer than most sports and most importantly its still here. mark my words. Soccer is only going to get more popular as time goes on.

Peter, i think your missing one important point….. Soccer is a SUMMER sport. Not winter, like NRL and AFL.

It’s not neccessarily that soccer is so clean and rugby league is the scourge of the earth it’s just that alot more reputation damage in soccer/football is done by the teams supporters, granted flares and shit are not on, and should not be allowed. In contrast NRL fans are more timid and tame however the players themselves are damaging to the codes reputaion. I hear alot of people say praise them for what they do on the field and don’t pay attention to what they do off the field but they are one in the same, you cant have one and not the other. I agree the Brett Stewart scandal was over a decade ago but it still hangs with him because it was “alleged” he did it. In comparison you dont see scandals like that in A-League or EPL, as far as the match fixing you can’t taint the globe or every match based on two separate incidents. The fact is I’m an avid Jets and Knights supporter, I love both codes, for their differences, because thats what makes them unique. It’s not about pitting one code aginst the otrher its about understanding the different rules and loving or hating it for the game that it is.