I don’t know about you lot, but I have already started to hoard toilet paper. I suggest you take similar concrete precautionary actions to protect yourselves and your family.
When the proverbial hits the fan and angry Serbian shepherds herd their flocks to charge at us, I for one will be burying my pickled cabbage for retrieving once peace eventually returns.

Ta, mate.

Ha! Great image! Those two would grab a gig on Murdoch’s Sky After Dark.

Ahhhh! Grenada. How quickly I forgot. Thank God, though, otherwise we may be in chains right now if those Caribbeans had got their nasty way. And don’t forget that other Evil Empire, Panama!

BennO. Agree with, and enjoyed, the justified sarcasm in the opening.
However, can’t see the same way re: the political dimension. This has political stink all over it. When the exemption was given, Morrison deflected blame by saying it was a Victorian matter (And since when do states become sole judges of visa entry or not? – Well, since Morrison put them in charge of international Q, I suppose.).
Then when outcries rocketed off around the nation bombarding the perceived attack on our values by our own Govt, and with an election looming, things had to change. The Fed Govt stepped in via ABF – and we are now talking about the results.
In fact, Greg Hunt gave his side’s game away when he was asked about the U-turn: “Yes, it’s tough but it is fair and equitable and it’s one rule for all under this Australian Government.’
Crap. He had just spent that interview using visa procedure to defend the Govt’s turnabout, now he talks about values when it was never a part of any of his voiced justifications. The “values” part was the heart of all the vitriol thrown at the accomplices in that attempted crime; the Govt had to do something, and they did. Hunt’s aside was a reminder to the public that they have been listened to. He latched onto the equity aspect when he felt the rumble of the steam roller heading his way.
Morrison supported that with his ‘rules are rules and they apply to everyone’. That Johnny-come-lately worming out of an appalling original decision proves the political (and Health and common-sense) nature of the 180.
The intent of The Roar comment “that his entry difficulty is due to the public response to his exemption” is perceptive and accurate.
If there had been no widespread outcry, the Serbian would be roaming the streets of Melbourne today preparing to acclimatise for the AO.

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Joke and laugh at Djokovic’s father and the Serbian president all you want, but this is serious. If the Serbians really declare war on us then I hope that the CSIRO are developing a calicivirus against donkeys in order to bring “Serbia to its knees”.

Why, when reading the insane outbursts of Srdjan Djokovic, do I have a mental picture of Barnaby Joyce?

Hello Mushi, Geo was the subject where those topics were covered. Though, it may have been in Science, or even Home Science, PE or …

Perceptive, honest and well worded. Thanks.

Agree that TA is in cahoots with the Govt (Vic, Melbourne and Fed) in perpetrating this crime; but do not excuse Border Force. They are not independent of Govt. They were sent in to savage the visa after the Govt knew they were being buried in a sh-t storm of their own making.
Illegal visa, eh? Wonder if BF recommends Nauru?

Yep – but he was allowed ON the plane despite his visa being checked before take off.
He was denied entry due to the upRoar of media and citizens. The Govt buckled because an election is around the corner. The Govt believed they could ride out a storm, but they created a cyclone that carried a tsunami, which triggered an earthquake that all their spin and hot air yesterday just could not combat. (Apologies to my Geography teacher).

He has been denied a visa, but can appeal. So, hold don’t your breath because it is not a certainty that justice and morality have prevailed. After all, we are talking big money influence and politics here. Never a confidence building combo.
That Morrison, Andrews and Au Tennis conspired to insult Australian values is clear. We know society travels along a bumpy road pot holed with corruption, discrimination and favours for mates when big money is concerned.
However, there are some lines that are too galling to stand when crossed. This obscenity with Djokovic is just one such example. It was sickening when Kerry Stokes was exempted from Hotel Q; and it is deflating when other big names are given special Covid favours denied to the majority of us.
However, this horrible kick in the face did more than depress spirit and wound faith in those who run the show – it inflated anger at the same time.
With an election looming, Morrison bowed to the overwhelming pressure generated by media articles such as the one above, and from the outrage of 10s of 1000s of citizens writing to Vic, Melbourne Council and Fed Govt, Tennis Australia and AO organisers, and tournament sponsors.
That a visa was issued in the first place, that the Fed Govt and TA spent all of yesterday defending the decision, is a blasphemy against Australian values of fairness and equality. So much for Morrison’s “We are all in this Covid boat together”!
BS!!!
Societies partly operate on myths. ‘Fair go’ and ‘equality’ are just two that work part time here – and they are not unique to this place.
The visa was just too abhorrent for those myths to remain fluttering. The people spoke, and the Marketing man listened.
Greg Hunt let the cat out of the bag with his last words on the matter:
“Yes, it’s tough but it is fair and equitable and it’s one rule for all under this Australian Government.’
Crap mate. You just spent that interview using visa procedure to defend your turn about, now you talk about values when it was never a part of all of your justifications. The “values” part was the heart of all the vitriol thrown at you and your mob. You latched onto that aspect when you felt the rumble of the steam roller heading your way.
You can’t even be honest when you are forced to do the right thing. God help us…

As for the threats from the Serb president (who like Morrison re: China) is talking tough for a domestic audience, we do not live in Srebrenica, mate. We have guns…and…and nuclear subs. Just hold off invading us for another 40 years, and we will be ready.
And as for Djokovic’s father, he can be put in the same box as Damir Dokić, the one labelled “batcrap crazy”.

I think you need to look at the incident once, or 100 times, again.Cook comes in and places his hands on the culprit’s back to get him off an injured teammate. The culprit starts to swing punches. That is what caused the melee.Really, it was the culprit’s inability to make an impact on the game that had him frustrated into breaking the rules in trying to break an opponent’s neck.His team were being flogged. His team were being pressured into simple and numerous errors. He and his team were now up against one of the big teams with big boys – and he and his team were clearly not handling it.He began the incident with a dangerous tackle; he then compounded his error by violently overreacting to Cook putting his hands on his back. He got what he deserved because it was utter stupidity what he did – TWICE!Go on, now – watch it again as it is only a few inches above where you are now reading. The culprit’s spear tackle was dangerous – it was illegal – it was stupid. The culprit’s reaction to hands on his back by punching was dangerous – it was illegal – it was stupid. Trying to blame Cook for any of that is stupid.

I think you need to look at the incident once, or 100 times, again.
Cook comes in and places his hands on the culprit’s back to get him off an injured teammate. The culprit starts to swing punches. That is what caused the melee.
Really, it was the culprit’s inability to make an impact on the game that had him frustrated into breaking the rules in trying to break an opponent’s neck.
His team were being flogged. His team were being pressured into simple and numerous errors. He and his team were now up against one of the big teams with big boys – and he and his team were clearly not handling it.
He began the incident with a dangerous tackle; he then compounded his error by violently overreacting to Cook putting his hands on his back. He got what he deserved because it was utter stupidity what he did – TWICE!
Go on, now – watch it again as it is only a few inches above where you are now reading.
The culprit’s spear tackle was dangerous – it was illegal – it was stupid. The culprit’s reaction to hands on his back by punching was dangerous – it was illegal – it was stupid. Trying to blame Cook for any of that is stupid.

That is not a bad call – something not often considered. Without any evidence to support this next bit: I wonder if the Super League war, which was all about TV ratings, particularly getting subscriptions for pay TV, led to a multitude of rule changes to speed up the game and to open attack for a better spectacle. That in turn has caused a blurring of law interpretation as some actions are let go, while being punished 10 minutes later. Even the pace of the modern game means refs may miss incidents that would have been spotted long ago when it was a more pedestrian event moving from one hit up to the next.

I really think you need to have another look at the footage. Cook places his hands on the culprit to get him off a teammate. The culprit does the swinging of punches. That “smart and heroic move to…start a melee on top of an injured” player, is what REALLY happened.
Go watch it again. It is only a few inches above this section you are now reading.
The Manly nob had the shits because they were getting flogged. His team could not do much right. They – and he – were frustrated by a superior team: as well as their own inability to match the great sides.
Not only did he compound his team’s accumulation of failures by that dangerous and illegal tackle, he wants to swing punches because someone placed their hands on his back. That is the real stupidity of that whole episode.

Fweddy got it all wrong. Cook came in to push a thug off an upended team mate. That is honourable – not stupid. The stupidity involved the culprit getting to his feet and wanting to swing punches at Cook because – sob, sob – he got pushed.

NRL refs only have a handful of rules to apply. Yet they continually stuff-up the most obvious. When has anything approaching that head high not been penalised? (No points for answering, “Every game between 1908-2020”).
Yet, it was just one of about 10 high shots that went unpunished.
And yet again the stopping of play by trainers with the injured player allowed to stay on, is baffling.

Love your work 😂 😂 😂

Manly need to protect the welfare of players suffering head knocks by employing the suspended Penrith trainer who stops play for anything. In the corporate world it’s called “head hunting” – also a League term from the last century that may be apt here.

I’m a rabid Rabbit, but I agree with with your read of last night. Plenty to be happy about, but a few causes for worry. Melbourne nor Penrith WILL NOT provide the same gifts next week that Manly offered.

A relieving win carried much style and strengths, including rock solid mid-field defence.
Big games are often decided by how many errors are made V not made – and the capitalisations that result. Manly cruelled themselves and Souths pounced.
However, for most of the night when Manly were able to string some tackles/phases together, they worried the hell out of Souths right side defence.
Why NRL defending wingers like to rush in to leave their opposite unmarked within 10 metres of the line is a mystery. For every tried saved, three are let in. Paulo demonstrated that tonight. All it does is to force the full back to desperately cover an extra 10 metres (at a location where the playing area is quickly disappearing) to make up for the space the defending winger has manufactured by leaving his space.
Graham made some strong hits – when he was able to make contact. Too often he was caught out, with a 12 man Manly twice scoring long range tries (one from 80 metres out, the other from 70 metres – and at the 73 min mark, a left side out-flanking ruse from 55 metres would have see another if DCE had gathered an infield kick).
If that glaring weakness is not attended to, both Storm and Penrith with potent left side attacks, will gleefully exploit.
Souths most potent attack ploy is outmaneuvering the opposition flanks with Cody Walker using decoys to bamboozle opponents. In the first half Manly crowded him with straight-on pressure – twice forcing him to throw wild passes, and a third time causing him to drop the ball. If that is repeated next week against either of the year’s two pick teams, Souths may be in tears.

One of the best worded, and penetrating, comments on the problem.
When a match involving the host nation against the World Champions, is used as a warm-up for one involving foreigners, NZ V Pumas, because of the clash with a club League match, then you know you have an issue.
Everything in Rugby is a contest for the ball – which is wonderful; but it is at the same time the cause of so much resentment and irritation as an over burden of laws and irregular application prevents a flow of action, but more wretched, interferes with an understanding-involvement-appreciation of what is happening in front of your eyes.
“resentment and irritation” are not the emotions on which to base the “selling of a product” (a distasteful, though realistic, description of what sport has become).

Agree with the main theme. Some rules do need modifying, but it is the mystery of many penalties that stun a spectator – and many Captains!
Maybe that is the fault of the human body not having enough hand-signals to identify each of the myriad reasons for free kicks and penalties.
For a viewer, that is where a good commentator can help to assist all -both casual and serious watchers – to understand the game, and therefore, appreciate it at a deeper level.
For me, it is the lack of consistency in applying the laws that has me turning off. The erratic enforcement just does not cause confusion, but far worse, it rocket-fuels downright frustration.
It is the latter that will harm the game since pissing off live and televised spectators will see a drain in funds that will squeeze the development of Rugby into oblivion.
Case at hand, a few years ago Rod McQueen asked Orange Emus ‘Super Coach’ (and 1995 RWC winning Springbok assistant), Richard Turnbull, to identify the number of reasons that could cause a whistle to be blown at the break down. From my dull memory, I think Richard got to 53! That is whopping!
No wonder a ref will miss so much that engenders genuine anger from a player or spectator. No wonder inconsistency is bred like a virus that HAS caused illness in the game.
Such a burden on any official will unsurprisingly cause a poisonous mindset applied to Rugby: that it is arbitrary.
No institution – political, legal, sporting, social – can flourish when viewed that way as respect is demolished.