Will Sinclair's Roar Profile

I can’t answer your questions, but I can tell you that for the sake of Australian rugby there had better be an improved showing from the four Super Rugby clubs… imagine if the ARU went through all that pain to dump a province, and nothing improved…

Five pre-season questions to kick off the Australian rugby year

You could be right mate, but there is no reason not to introduce another level of governance.

There could literally be anything in there.

I can’t talk about it publicly, but I’ve worked as an accountant in Sydney and Brissy long enough to have seen a few NRL sponsors / players… and if you ever buy me a beer I can tell you a few stories!

The NRL's player movement system has to change, but can it actually be fixed?

2017

Maybe Baz – but at least being able to review tax returns for any undisclosed income would give the NRL some confidence that they are being thorough.

After all, it’s easy to lie to the NRL, but a crime to lie to the ATO… and if the NRL finds out you’ve been receiving cash payments it’s a slap on the wrist, but if the ATO finds out…

That win still hurts too much.

I was on Invincible Star and was counting my cash.

The best racing win of 2017

Racing

All good points mate (and we have had this conversation before too!).

I don’t think player salaries need to be publicly disclosed, but I DO think players need to make their tax returns and financial records available to the NRL auditor.

I believe this was proposed by the NRL in the recent CBA negotiations but opposed by the players union (headed by, ironically enough, Cameron Smith).

A lot of airtime is given to the Roosters so-called advantages in securing TPAs. But other than the fact that they employ people with enough business smarts and contacts to be able to organise TPA introductions for their players I’m yet to hear anyone successfully articulate what inherent advantages the Roosters actually have. I’m not a Roosters fan.

A couple of things Baz –

Firstly, there are rules that a) prevent clubs from guaranteeing third party agreements (which is where the Storm were caught) and b) limit the amount of TPA’s that a club can organise on behalf of a player.

The strong (STRONG) suspicion is that the Roosters are flaunting the second of these – ie: they have access to wealthy benefactors who are willing to help them sign players. The problem is that any connection is very difficult to prove. Arrangements can be made in person or over the phone and the NRL certainly doesn’t have the right to be recording personal conversations.

The other significant area of concern is player managers, who are more or less completely unregulated. There are all sorts of stories going around about certain clubs paying player managers directly to steer star players to their club. Again, given the lack of regulation, these activities are incredibly hard to prove.

Secondly, the current rules have significant concessions for TPAs but next to no concessions for developing junior players. This means that the clubs with low junior bases but access to TPAs are able to effectively outsource their junior development to other clubs, who put significant amounts of time and money into the practice.

It’s plainly out of kilter at the moment.

Great article, Matt.

However I noticed that he dodged your question about whether Hunter Fujak is his real name… very suspicious.

The stadiums thing? Less is more, baby. Less is more.

The article is long on baseless boasting from the supposed fixers, and very short on detail.

Clearly needs investigating, but I would take anything in that article with a grain of salt at this stage. It genuinely reads like a couple of con-men trying to get money out of the undercover Sun reporter.

UPDATE: James Sutherland, ICC react to third Ashes Test spot-fixing claims

Cricket

Great stuff, Brett – so many great memories at the Waca.

Also, this is one of the few times my picture has appeared alongside that of Dennis Lillee. Seems strange it hasn’t happened more often…

As for other memorable moments – this one is often forgotten as we lost the series, but Mitchell Johnson’s 6-38 against the Poms in 2011 was absolutely mesmerising. He was utterly unplayable. A taste of what he was to produce a couple of years later.

Once more at ‘the WACA’, with feeling

Not sure why playing credentials are important for the Board, David.

They’re not being hired to coach the team.

Raelene Castle was always going to replace Bill Pulver as rugby boss

The first thing Madge needs to do is put up a picture of Cameron Smith in the referee’s rooms.

Just so the referees know what he looks like.

What Michael Maguire has to do as the new referees coach

Brett – any news on why the ARU overlooked the obvious candidate: Bob Katter?

I hope Raelene Castle ticks the crucial boxes, not just the right ones

EXACTLY!

This is all part of Tew and Castle’s fiendish plan. Bring down Australian rugby from the inside and be rewarded by being appointed the Prime Minister of New Zealand (at least, I think that’s the plan. I am still working through the details.)

We are through the looking glass now, John. Forget everything you thought you knew and, above all, TRUST NO ONE.

I enjoyed your incoherent rant, but this was the highlight:

4. She was widely publicised in NZ as being mentored by STEVE TEW who hates Australian rugby and wants to make sure the Wallabies never threaten the All Blacks financial muscle.

Full credit to Steve Tew, who has apparently been planning this Trojan Horse for some years. The sheer foresight and forward planning required to bring this plan to fruition is mind-boggling. What a master manipulator! Hat’s off.

Heartily agree, Brett.

Nice article.

Nope.

Adelaide highlights all the joys of Test cricket

Really agree – Brisbane in particular was in the balance for long periods of time.

Indeed, although Brisbane looks like a much more comprehensive win on paper, I reckon Adelaide was by some distance a more comfortable result.

Test cricket is, by some considerable distance, the best sport in the World.

Nothing can match the ebb and flow, the silence and the noise, the tactics and the fleeting, fleeting moments of drama that Test cricket delivers on a regular basis.

Even a couple of (eventually) one-sided matches like those we have seen in Brisbane and Adelaide were packed full of drama and intrigue.

Test cricket is the best. Everything else is just competing for second place.

That picture is misleading – there is no way the Roosters would ever get that many people to a game.

Needs of the many against loyalty to a sport: Sydney's stadium upgrade dilemma

Yeah, I really agree too.

The haste of the ECB to forgive and forget such a brutal assault, all in the attempt to win a couple of games of cricket, is really unseemly.

Is it worth cheapening the badge, and damaging team culture, to rush Stokes back?

England headbutting themselves is a better story

It’s pretty hilarious that certain sections of the English press are accusing the Aussies of “dirty tricks” over this…

Ultimately, the Australian team didn’t make mention of this publically, then when they were asked by the press they were completely honest and made it clear there was no malice, and no real issue. Laughed it off (literally).

They’ve played the Poms beautifully on this issue. The whole team could go into PR when they retire.

I was at the Gabba and was lucky enough to see every ball of Smith’s innings – it was truly masterful.

As Geoff says, Australia were on the ropes when he came to the crease. If he had not stood up, then the Aussies would have been staring a disastrous defeat right in the face.

Gulf between Smith and Root makes all the Ashes difference

Now reports emerging that he’s play for Canterbury in New Zealand while he’s there!

The ECB really playing silly buggers on this one. They are clearly pulling the strings here, and seem more than happy to ignore Stokes indiscretions if it means gaining a foothold in this Ashes series…

Twitter just exploded over a bunch of Ben Stokes rumours which are absolute garbage

Absolutely brilliant, Geoff.

Thanks for writing that. Bring on Thursday!

Empire versus upstart, coloniser versus colony: The contests which define the Ashes

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