Roar Guru
Joined July 2010
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With the regular season having drawn to a close, it’s time to present The Barry awards for the NRL team of the year. The…
It’s now part of the game’s culture and 'ref faulting' has never been as bad.
This week the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are mourning the loss of a club legend with the passing of Geoff Robinson. He was only 66 and…
Flashback to Round 11, 2023: the South Sydney Rabbitohs - the pride of the league - were sitting pretty atop the NRL ladder off…
Jurbo is a great pick as captain, although I’m sure he’ll share the duties with Panthers teammate Isaah Yeo.
The stark difference between the NSW and Queensland game plans last year was laid bare in the opening minutes of what was ultimately a…
Why are NSW people always so desperate to prove that they “get” Origin, and that Origin means as much south of the Tweed as…
“Rugby league is a simple game.” Don't you wish you had a dollar for every time you’ve heard that, especially over the past fortnight…
Ah, September. The sun is shining and blossoms are blooming as we emerge blinking into the spring sunshine from our (thankfully) brief winter hibernation.…
That’s it. The regular season for 2023 is in the can. September footy is a whole new competition. Before we reset and the tension…
Here is my NSW Origin team for Game 1. With the series kicking off in neutral Adelaide before moving to not-so-neutral Brisbane, make no…
Anzac Day is sacred, making money out of it is not.
The NRL is “getting tough” on head knocks and concussions by ensuring the victims of high tackles and illegal play are taken out of the game.
'Attacking players falling into high tackles'. 'Head clashes'. 'It was an accident'. 'Collisions happen'. We’ve heard plenty of this over the past couple of…
State of Origin has been run and won for another year. Queensland has pulled off another famous underdog victory over a more fancied New…
I remember what late July used to feel like. We’ve come through the Origin period okay. We’ve dropped a game or two that we…
It’s Bill Harrigan’s fault the NRL is in the mess that it is. Not really, but hear me out... Harrigan is probably rugby league’s…
Following on from Parts 1, 2 and 3 here's some more NRL identities with a point to prove. South Sydney Rabbitohs It seems odd…
Following Part 1, let's check out a few more men under the pump in the 2020 NRL season. Broncos Within 18 months of making…
Following on from Parts 1 and 2, here's some more NRL identities with a point to prove. Knights Whether it’s playing footy, hitting a…
Fascinated to see how Konstas responds. Second innings failure might be better for him in the long run
Boxing Day morning was as exciting as you’d hope to see, but I’m not sure Australia needs a rocks and diamonds T20 batter at the top. Getting the balance right is a huge challenge for any 19 year old, but probably more so for someone as confident as Sam
Khawaja must be on the thinnest of ice.
Test Mortem: Aussies need to make two key changes, MCG pitch perfect, ban bails by-play and Pant’s too high for India
Absolutely beautiful speech from Ashwin to announce his farewell… he’s been a sensational player
'Game has given me everything': Champion spinner makes shock mid-tour call on future in emotional scenes
No. Not remotely
I’d rather see that Smith has genuinely returned to form and goes on a run of good form and good scores, rather than the extended period of poor form he’s been on averaging 30 in the past 18 months
My point was one good score in the middle of a poor run is potentially more harmful to the team in the longer term. That’s got nothing to do with what I’d rather see
The complicating factor is that it’s bit just Smith but Khawaja and Marnus as well. With Marsh and McSweeney heading into those areas
Malcolm Conn: Head and Smith deliver in very different ways but a couple of teammates need salvation
Sure. But our batsmen need consistent runs not 10 single figure scores followed by a 100, then 10 single figure scores
Malcolm Conn: Head and Smith deliver in very different ways but a couple of teammates need salvation
Technically correct, but a doozy of a “wrong word” to call on…
Anyway, it was a mistake. I think we can move on. Hopefully other slip up’s are treated as kindly
'Chosen the wrong word': Guha apologises for Bumrah 'primate' comment, Jaiswal's warm-up accident foreshadows wicket
I’m as happy as anyone about Smith’s “revival”, but I don’t think it counts for too much until he can back it up
A one off big score is in some ways more harmful to the team than a continued run of outs
“It’s only been a couple of innings since his last hundred” can quickly become six, ten, 20-odd innings
He faced 190 deliveries and only looked convincing in the last 30. Hopefully he’s battled his way back to form and confidence, but most of the questions about Australia’s top six remain
Malcolm Conn: Head and Smith deliver in very different ways but a couple of teammates need salvation
Boland is unreal and I love it whenever he plays, but Hazlewood, Cummins and Starc are the number 3. 4 and 11 ranked test bowlers in the world
It’s tough, but Boland is the 4th best Australian quick of his generation
Hazlewood is not an automatic selection when fit, so stop treating Boland like a sub - he is far better than that
I agree, but Australia’s problem is those returns still make him Australia’s most reliable batter for that period
If we had a reliable top 4, Head would be an amazing weapon at 5
I don’t think the Aussie top 6 is out of the woods by a long shot. It’s been the same issue for the period you mention… a lineup can carry one, maybe two struggling batsmen. Not four or five
Travis Head is an unpredictable cowboy - and he’s the most reliable batter in Aussie line-up
That’s a great comment
The way Head plays, he’s bound to fail at times but it’s worth it because when he fires he changes a game. We should tolerate the misses with the hits
The problem arises when he’s constantly at the crease at 3 for not many so regularly. Pretty much a constant in the last 18 months
Travis Head is an unpredictable cowboy - and he’s the most reliable batter in Aussie line-up
I didn’t think there was too much in the Siraj / Head send off. It was all over before it got ugly
It’s always funny when a batsman whose smashed the bowling gets a send off
Australia has played aggressive cricket for a long time so can’t really complain when we get a bit back – even if it is misplaced and mistimed
I think cricket is at its best when two teams are going at each other’s throats than one bullying the other…
Test Mortem: Siraj won’t back down as part of 'new India' mantra, Marnus to ton up at Gabba and Pant falls apart at seams
* conditions, not contortions… 😛
Every player rated from the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test: Indian skipper's 'genuine stinker' as Head steals the show
I was the same re Marnus. He did well given the contortions, but that’s still just his second score above 10 in a dozen or so innings. He still only has one hundred from his past 27 innings
His innings and score was good enough to keep him in the side, but hasn’t comprehensively answered the questions about his own form or Australia’s ability to carry three struggling bats at once…
It’s probably a bit churlish, but if he goes back to a string of low scores, Australia’s in a tougher position
Every player rated from the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test: Indian skipper's 'genuine stinker' as Head steals the show
Khawaja looked like he was so focused early on, but then suddenly started getting squared up
No batsman looks good in those circumstances but Khawaja is particularly vulnerable
Was hoping he’d take the first one as a warning to switch on
Mitch craft: Swing king Starc stars but clock is ticking on Khawaja as Aussies do complete 180 on India in Adelaide
Most teams are crook, but England spend so much time stuffing around between overs and deliveries. They slow the game to a crawl at times – ironic given the constant self congratulations over Bazball
'No communication whatsoever': Stokes adds over rates to list of ICC complaints as Poms cop latest WTC points whack
I guess the jokes got a bit stale over time, but fatty was a breath of fresh air when he arrived on TV. I remember he had a segment with Simon O’Donnell on the midday show on Friday’s and fatty would have O’Donnell and Ray Martin in stitches
Fatty was funny, irreverent, passionate and knowledgeable and had a great chemistry with Sterlo and lots of others over the years
A story I’ve always respected about Fatty was in 87 when Allan Langer made his Origin debut. In a team meeting everyone was discussing where to hide Alfie in defence. Defend him on the wing, put him in the second line, etc. Fatty could see the young fellas head start to drop. “Just play him in the front line. He’s a Queenslander. He’ll get the job done.” He did
‘I’ve run out of petrol’: Fatty makes surprise call to pull the plug on TV career after 33 years of mayhem
That’s an interesting comparison
Max probably leans to the tough forward side and Bailey a bit more to the creative, but two sides of the same coin and their roles overlap a fair bit
Bulldogs make contract call on Xerri after encouraging comeback season from drugs ban
A lot of Dogs fans are dirty on Hutcho but I think he played an important role for the Dogs early in the season
Sexton wasn’t ready. Ciraldo gave him things to work on in reggies and Hutcho held the fort until he was ready
He was a good leader and influence despite his limitations
Bulldogs make contract call on Xerri after encouraging comeback season from drugs ban
I love Bailey, been singing his praises for a couple of years and so happy he got his chance
I think he’s an underrated ball player and link man
Hayes did a lot of good things, especially considering it was his debut season and played unfamiliar middle role
Bulldogs make contract call on Xerri after encouraging comeback season from drugs ban
I was mate, but I was only joking… I promise
Bulldogs make contract call on Xerri after encouraging comeback season from drugs ban
😂 😂 😂
I hope not…
Bulldogs make contract call on Xerri after encouraging comeback season from drugs ban
I don’t mind a 30 minute impact bench middle forward – especially as we have some big minute middles – but yeah we still need some bulk in the centre
Bulldogs make contract call on Xerri after encouraging comeback season from drugs ban
Good comment. See my reply to BG above
We have O’Neill and especially Woods coming through as 7s, but they may be a couple of seasons away
Bulldogs make contract call on Xerri after encouraging comeback season from drugs ban
Sexton did well last year and had a couple of very good games, but the truth is if you rank them he’s still probably bottom four 7 in the comp
So he needs to improve a lot again to make us a genuine competitor
Probably say the same about Tracey. Big effort player, but again a bottom four fullback
Can you win a comp or be a genuine top 4 team with two spine players like that. Probably not
Bulldogs make contract call on Xerri after encouraging comeback season from drugs ban
It’s not just the openers and Marnus… Smith is averaging 32 and Head 30 in 13 tests since the start of the Ashes
In a combined 102 innings since then Khawaja, Marnus, Smith and Head have scored four centuries and 18 fifties
When is it time to panic…? 😂 😂 😂
How’s this for openers: The key stat which reveals how dire Australia’s top-order woes have become
I gotta admit Head’s celebration didn’t look great live, but makes perfect sense when you hear the story behind it
The third umpire did a great job with the Jaiswal dismissal. There’s not a shadow of doubt he hit the ball and the ump prioritised what he (and most of us) could clearly see over a piece of (maybe) malfunctioning technology
The lack of snicko probably gave Jaiswal hopes of a reprieve, but his body language all the way through suggested he knew he’d hit it
Been a bit of an up and down series for Jaiswal, but when he’s in, he looks really good. A score or two in Sydney would represent a very good series from him…
Head's 'obnoxious behaviour' an 'insult to 1.5 billion Indians': Ex-Test player's salty tears make win even sweeter