Best Bets

Seeing as though Deevs hasn't done it yet I will post my best bets for the weekend.
1. Melbourne Storm off scratch-Although the Storm aren't playing that well their defence is very good. It is only a matter of time until their attack clicks and they fire. Tonight should be the night against the putrid Stewartless Eagles.
2. Geelong -start. They are giving away a massive start but should easily blow the Demons away by probably 100.
3. Hurricanes off scratch-Canes have been coming good lately and the Blues are very erratic at best. Canes should win at home comfortably.
4. West Coast off scratch-West Coast have been very competitive for most of the year and are good at home.

Past greats...undoing their good work

This is in relation to sports stars who excelled in their chosen sports but now are doing everything they can possibly do to destroy any good memories left of their success.

Rafter has not completely destroyed all credibility yet, but one more bonds add with Clarke will tip him over the edge. Stop now please !!! I really don't care how much charity work he does, Madonna does charity work also. So does that make it ok If I go steal some kids from 

Africa and feed them cardboard blessed by the elders of the Church of Scientology. He has earnt 11.1 million USD in prize money (not including other good sponsorship deals). He doesn't need to destroy my good memories of him by now hitting a tennis ball into Clarkies undies.

O.J. traded in running through defensive lines for slicing and dicing his ex-misses and her current squeeze. This guy was the first NFL player to rush 2000 yards in a season but will forever be known as the man who got away with murder only to be locked up for stealing back his own stuff. (slightly illegally though) 

                                                                                                                                                                             

        

I can't believe how much I used to love watching this guy play. That is all but a distant memory now. I have never seen any other star bite the hand that feed them as badly as Campo did and continues to do. He has not had a good word to say about Australian Rugby Union or its players for the last 5 years. Can someone please shut this bitter old man up ffs. It is getting ridiculous !! I hadn't heard from him for a while and read somewhere that he was living in Sth Africa or something (I feel 

sorry for them) but then his ugly mug popped up again on TV this week, I changed the channel swiftly and didn't have to listen his verbal diarrhea.  His own nephew doesn't even like him. He will be remembered for his constant criticism not for his goose step !!

The man who ate Diego Maradona. One of the greatest soccer players in the history of the sport. His career has had more up and downs since he stopped playing then the multiple cocaine binges he had from 1997 to 2004; When he finally got off the coke. He then turned to alcohol and clearly food, to help overcome his other addictions. He has recently took over as head coach of the Argentinian football team which I hope means he is stepping back in the right direction, but considering he has practically no management experience and his brain is fried from years of drug abuse then I wouldn't be surprised if he brings down this soccer super power. 

Australian Captains......

Walking around the plaza on Saturday morning, I am wandering through Myer and I was confronted with the following disturbing image plastered all over the place in the menswear section-








and this got me thinking- you want to be the next Australian cricket captain- here you are posing in YOUR FUCKING UNDERPANTS!!!!



It's one thing to be planning to wed a braindead blonde socialite but this is unacceptable behaviour for the leader of our national team- the position described as the second most important job in the country (and I'm sure a few PMs would've happily swapped jobs)



I said to my wife- you wouldn't have seen Allan Border poncing around like this- in fact- how would it have gone had an ad exec pitched such an idea to the original Captain Cranky, maybe after the World Cup victory in 1987- probably something like this-





AD EXEC-


So, AB, we thought you could make a little extra dough after the big win, y'know shoot an ad perhaps?


BORDER-


What, for Fourex? VB?


AD EXEC-


Aaahh, maybe thinking about Bonds-


BORDER-


You mean singlets and stuff?


AD EXEC-


Yeah, singlets and underwear- they're really trying to establish a foothold in the mens market-


BORDER-


Undies? Whaddya fucking mean undies? How do you expect me to sell undies for Christ's sake?


AD EXEC-


Well, you could model them-


BORDER-


Stand there in my fucking undies? Are you pulling the piss?


AD EXEC-


Well, you're a fit bloke- you might have to lose the rug on your chest.....


BORDER-


Do you want me to stick this bat in your arse?


AD EXEC-


Now AB....


BORDER-


You want me to shave my chest then model underwear? I'm the captain of the Australian Cricket team you fucking homo clown!!! What do you think Boonie, Merv and the rest would say? I'd lose credibility among my team and every red-blooded Aussie male out there!!! Not to mention what would happen next time I played the Windies!!! Not even Craig McDermott or Dean fucking Jones would do this!!! Now fuck off before I really lose my patience and impale you on this stump!!!



/throws stump as ponytailed exec ducks


I think that would be something like it.

Grubs...

With all the talk lately about the Grubs in League I thought I would name my top 10 Grubs in world sport. Again they are in random order.
1. Brett Stewart-Personally sabotaged the NRL's entire million dollar launch campaign by getting over friendly with his young neighbour. Apparently he has a girlfriend and apparently the neighbour didn't want to be touched by this grub.
2. Anthony Watmough-Massive niggler on and off the field who can't put a sentence together. Slapped/punched a Manly sponsor and couldn't understand why he got fined. GROW UP JERK.
3. Raphael Nadal-When Roger Federer was winning everything people still loved him, this greasy germ just gets on my nerves. Smart ass brat.
4. Michael Clarke-Would rather brush his hair and spent time with his bimbo fiance' than concentrate on his cricket.
5. Ben Cousins-May have been clean for a while but once an ice addict always an ice addict. Only a matter of time until he is caught shooting up in the dressing sheds.
6. Greg Bird-Who glasses their missus? Monster grub.
7. Harbhajhan Singh-Don't care if that's how you spell his 1st name because he shits me. Always sledging the house down and complains when it happens to him. Gets away with murder because Indian cricket controls the ICC. Also a chucker!
8. Christiano Ronaldo-Sure he can play but is grub no1 in soccer. Loves it when things are going his way but loses the plot when they are not. Loves a cheap shot and loves a dive.
9. Nick Darcy-Was a great chance for a medal at the last Olympics but instead decided to re arrange Simon Cowley's face with his fist. Refuses to apologise and keeps saying he is hard done by. If he was sincere in his statements this might have all been finished with but instead he has ruined his career. Oh and thugs shouldn't be able to represent the Green and Gold anyway.
10. Shayne Hayne-Not really a sportsmen I know but close enough. More arrogant than Bill Harrigan and without any personality. Loves to be bigger than the game!

Give me your thoughts on this list.

NSW origin

I think this 40 person squad is a joke. I think they are kidding themselves with some of the players they have picked, the players they have left out and the fact that they picked 40 people so many weeks out before the origin and then state that others are still in contention. Qld only pick 30 players and they haven't picked them yet either.

2009 NSW Blues Induction Day Squad

Peter Wallace - Will be halfback
Michael Ennis - Should be hooker
Josh Morris - Out injured. Not ready anyway.
Terry Campese - Will be five-eigth (I think Anasta should be in the squad somewhere though)
Joel Monaghan - Decent player - Don't think he is origin material
Alan Tongue - Legend but no chance in hell
Paul Gallen - This grub will play origin one and then be suspended for the other two. He better not be captain. Roid freak !!!
Anthony Tupou - Playing ok. Form not being helped by rubbish team.
Luke Bailey - Too old but will prolly be the other prop. (Not in the same league as Price or Civoniceva)
Anthony Laffranchi - Row or bench.
Mark Minichiello - Rubbish no chance
Brent Kite - Doesnt deserve it. Poor form.
Jamie Lyon - Doesn't want to play. Leave him out.
Josh Perry - Crap form this year.
Michael Robertson - Not a fullback. No chance.
Brett Stewart  - Injured. Had the fullback spot sewn up. 
Glenn Stewart - Will be in the row
Anthony Watmough - Red hot. Will be on the bench
David Williams - Good player but only played 2 games this year. Can't judge form.
Ryan Hoffman - Cry baby. Offers nothing. Kleenex.
Anthony Quinn - Hate him. Hope he isn't in the team. 
Ben Cross - You are kidding. No chance.
Kurt Gidley - Captain and fullback. Solid.
James McManus - Isn't he Irish or Scottish or something. Decent but not origin material
Jarrod Mullen - Injury prone
Luke O’Donnell - Should be in there somewhere. Play him as prop or something. No brain cells.
Jarryd Hayne - Wing spot. Apply ample amount glue to hands before game.
Michael Jennings - Form centre of the comp. Has to be there.
Luke Lewis - Playing awesome but hard to fit in.
Trent Waterhouse - Same as Lewis. Good year but hard to push out O'Donnell, Watmough, Stewart and Laffranchi.
Colin Best - Rate him for the wing. Not completely convinced though.
John Sutton - Great player. Definited chance due to versatility. 
Matt Cooper - Will be one centre.
Ben Creagh - Will get injured before the origin. Don't bother picking him.
Justin Poore - No chance
Michael Weyman - Should be one prop. Can fight.
Mitchell Pearce - Wallace is playing better and doesn't look like a sumo wrestler. (See his face ?)
Robbie Farah - Already discussed. Ennis better !!
Keith Galloway - Not bad for a ranga. Good form. Chance.
Chris Lawrence - Him or jennings should take out the centre spot. Or possibly on the wing.

Omissions
Anasta - Standout in a team with too many egos.
Hindmarsh - Has to better then some of these players picked. But I guess there are too many good (younger second rowers)
Ryan - Awesome form for the Dogs and a true leader. Should be in there somewhere. Prop maybe (fat enough) ? 

Soward - Has to be a shot now. Red hot.
Douglas - Sharks prop. Young and good. Start blooding some young props. Only way to compete for the future. 
Scott- Dragons centre. Can play anywhere. Good form.
Wing - Great utility. Pretty boy but can play.
Gordan - Must be a chance for the wing spot. Can kick and doesn't drop the ball.

Golden Shambles

Why do we need the golden point? What’s wrong with a hard fought draw?

We take the piss out of soccer that ends world cup finals with a shoot out and then we watch a great game ruined by ten minutes of dummy half runs leading to a half-assed attempts at field goal.

Alleged Best Bets for the weekend

Time to throw out some random best bets- the Tahs atrocity and the Storm getting beaten by the Tigers really shows how futile this exercise is, but I got the best bet of all time right -the Dragons only giving 4.5 to the quitting Eels- and the upset pick-Crows over Hawks, so here goes- (home teams in caps)
COWBOYS(-3.5) over Eagles- An on-the-road Manly without Brett Stewart? Only 3.5? Really? Sign me up!!!
Titans (pick) over PANTHERS. The Panthers should still be getting start off the comp leaders, even if it is at Bogan HQ, CUA Stadium. There will probably be three more weeks until the bookies and punters give the Titans the respect they deserve. Or more likely, I'll fuck this pick up and they'll go on a three game losing streak
SPECIAL THREE TEAM PARLAY Take the 1.30 on Brisbane against Parra, into Souths paying 1.60 against the putrid Sharks into the Saints paying a generous 1.65 to bounce back against the Roosters. Pays 3.60. You can add massive value to this by taking the upset of Bulldogs paying 2.20 v the Raiders to kick it up to a positively juicy 7.75
BULLS (-3.5) over Chiefs- Bulls are tough to beat over there, and while I like the Chiefs, 3.5 is not enough to get in South Africa against the best they have to offer
Brumbies (+8.5) over HURRICANES The Brumbies having been in good form, and eight is a lot of start to get- so take it.
St Kilda (-4.5) over PORT Port are pretenders and the Saints will sort them out this weekend. Also, the Hawks continue get way too much respect, giving the Eagles a ridiculous 21.5 start. I dont care if the Hawks are at home, they shouldnt be giving anyone three and half goals start at the moment.

TRIPLE STANDARDS

Let me get this right the NRL wants its players to be choirboys but uses stinks and aggression to market the game. Players are involved in a game where they are loudly cheered and celebrated when the physically harm others and then in public or when full of piss we want them to be held to a higher standard than the rest of society.

Think about the last year in Rugby League-

Greg Bird charged with assaulting his girlfriend and is banished to the English league…

Brett Stewart is charge with assaulting a girl and is suspended for 4 weeks.

Mosada Iosefa is charged with assaulting someone at a pub and is suspended for 1 week.

Tell me there are great differences in the above cases all are charged with assault….all caused harm to others as they are paid to do on a weekend……

Seems like the NRL only cares if the media cares….

Ennis Vs Farrah

Who do you think is more suited to State of Origin football ???

I think Ennis is the right man for the job. Farrah is a decent footballer but it seems that Ennis just loves getting in your face and doing the dirty work which is needed to win games. Farrah is more about the flare and tries to spark brilliance out of every play which is good if your team is going well, but it is worthless when you are struggling.

I also would love to see a massive punch up during the origin at some point and I think Ennis is more likely to start a brawl then Farrah. Someone needs to punch Hodges head in and while they swinging I wouldn't mind if 5 or 6 punches hit Cameron "where is my dummy" Smith.

Bring on the Cattle Dog call !!!

2009 Over and Under

After only a quarter of 2009, I thought I would rate the top 5 over and under rated sports stars of the year. Let me know your thoughts, they are not in any order.
Over-Rated
1. Brett Stewart-Has a ton of speed but that is it. As I have mentioned before he is nothing but a TRY THIEF who capitalises off other peoples good work. Channel 9 commentators and Daily Telegraph journoes think he is Jesus Christ re incarnated.
2. Michael Clarke-Apparently our next captain, HELP! Only makes runs when Australia are in good positions. Loves to throw his wicket away at the most vital moments in games. Sick of hearing about him and Bingle, reminds me of Posh and Becks.
3. Adam Scott-Was toted as the next Tiger a few years back but cant finish higher than 3rd in a major gold tournament. Most times he misses the cut or is well back in the field. Great players are measured on their majors success not by winning insignificant tournaments around the world.
4. Richie McCaw-Biggest cheat in world sport. Has made a career of being offside at the breakdown. Referees are intimidated to penalise him because of who he is. Sure he is still a good player but wouldnt get as many raps if he spent 10 minutes in the bin every game like he deserves.
5. Lote Tuqiri-Was a very good league player but will only ever be a good union player. Is talked up as one of the number 1 wingers in rugby but I would take many players over Lote. How often do you see him finish off a move by running around the fullback and scoring, NEVER. Wingers should have pace, he has too much bulk and isnt agile enough. Should become a breakaway!

Under-Rated
1. Phil Waugh-Always lives in the shadow of George Smith which is wrong. Hard working rugged defender who you would love to have in the trenches with you. Only NSW forward doing anything at the moment.
2. Braith Anasta-Cant believe I am saying this either but after years of being put in the top list I think he has finally learned to produce week in week out. Plays behind a very fragile roosters pack and has been very consistent for 18 months, good kicking game and runs the ball well. Still probably not a real 5/8.
3. Leo Barry-Leaping Leo has been the backbone of the Swans defence since mid 2000's. Very solid and never gets players kicking big bags of goals on him. Won the 2005 Grand Finals with that memorable mark. Hasnt played this year and the swans have been brittle at the back at times.
4. Josh Kennedy-"Who" you might say. He is the bloke that keeps scoring goals for the Socceroos when we need them. Scored a crucial goal against Uzbekhestan last month when we were looking shaky at 0-0. Models his looks on the cult hero Jason"Nice mullet" Gillespie. This guy can play and will only be a matter of time before he gets a starting berth up front.
5. Stuart Clarke-Hasnt been playing much this year but geeze Australia miss him. His tight bowling lines create much needed pressure on the oppostion. Something we have struggled to do against South Africa in the last 2 series. Hopefully he will be fit for the Ashes as we will need him.

Penriff a force?????

A can't believe I am saying this but I could possibly see Penriffffff Panfffers being a force in the near future. From what I could see in last nights game against Brisbane, there is a lot for Matt Elliott to work with. At times their attack was utterly brilliant and made the Broncos seem out of their depth. The youthful enthuisiasm of Lachlan Coote, Michael Jennings, Wade Graham etc was very exciting for Panffers fans to see. The only thing that is holding them back is a pretty important thing, TACKLING! If you cant tackle you generally dont win games. This lot needs to learn to be committed both in attack and defence and then they will be a scary prospect for any team visiting "Club Bogan Stadium" at the foot of the mountains.

Where's Bin Laden??!

Where the hell was Osama when you needed him. Last night there were more pests than a locust invasion in Bourke on The Footy Show. Billy Slater, Michael Ennis, Fatty, Matt Johns, Anthony Mundine FFS and no sign of a Bin Laden terrorist atrocity anywhere. If ever the Channel 9 studio needed to be blown to smithereens it was last night with this multitude of subhumans in the one venue on the one night!

Opportunity gone begging

Best bets for the weekend

Did a bit better last week but still haven't nailed 6 out of 6 yet. Not very likely to this week either but here goes....(Home teams in caps)
Dogs (-4.5) over EELS
Absolute disarray could best describe the situation in Parra while it seems that the Dogs have their shit together. I think 9.5 would be a more appropriate start- I'd probably still take the Dogs.
Storm (-6.5) over TIGERS
The Storm haven't been a scoring juggernaut yet this year, but if anything is going to get a teams attack clicking, it's playing the Tigers. They're making every team they play look like the mid 90s Broncos at the moment.
SHARKS (+4.5) over Cowboys
I don't think the Sharks can lose to two terrible teams back to back at home can they? Probably can actually. They certainly shouldn't be getting 4 and a half at home against a team this bad.
Chiefs(-6.5) over CHEETAHS
I know it's in South Africa but I reckon no one should give less than ten to the Cheetahs they are a joke.
TAHS (-3.5) over Force
The Tahs can't score but then again, the Force can't tackle. If it were in Perth, I'd go Force, but the Tahs should do the business at home
Port (+26.5) over HAWKS
Hawks shouldn't be giving anyone this big a start when they are 1-2. Port haven't been as bad as expected yet so should cover here

D Anderson Kidding

As more and more comes out about the Brett Finch Vs Danial Anderson fiasco, I am continually amazed. As everyone knows Parramatta Eels recently let Brett Finch go, mid year, to play for the Storm and probably guide them to a comp win. Parra have no halfback! The guy who filled in on Friday night against the Dragons was average and the only other option is to throw young Mortimer in from the under 20's to get smashed behind a soft pack of forwards. This still isnt the most amazing thing I have heard. Apparently from when Danial Anderson was offered the job as Eels mentor whilst still overseas, until he arrived at Eels HQ to start his tenure, he REFUSED to watch any old Eels tapes from the 2008 season just gone by. He "allegedly" wanted to judge everyone from what he could see in the trials and by their training attitude. WHAT THE FUCK? Is he coaching Blue Mountain A Grade or a NRL 1st grade squad? Surely you would want to see what certain players are capable of and what needs addressing. Parra were awful last year so obviuously a lot needed addressing sooner than Anderson is getting around to it. The season is only in its early days but already it looks like Parra will be cannon fodder for most teams and Danial Anderson will be on the chopping block come seasons end. He was living in a dream world coaching one of the heavyweights in English Super League for years where you only lose a few games per year and the teams with the highest bank balance usually win. It always pays to do research into such a highly competitive industry like the NRL as we have a salary cap and the best coached team usually wins!

Hey Tahu!

Don't let the door knob hit you in the back!!

Apparently Tahu is trying to get back to the NRL after his dismal showiing in 18 months on the sidelines and off the bench in rugby. Not a moment too soon I say.

Seriously, can this end the madness of the ARU throwing cash at NRL players? What has the return been compared to the investment- one world class winger in Tuqiri. That's it. Rogers, Tahu, Schifcofske, and of course World Wide Dell had their moments but ultimately were failures in the 15 man game. And, really, it's not like Australia struggles to produce top line backs so was even the investment in Tuquiri necessary? If we could poach some tight fivers from somewhere I'd be all for it, but league won't produce those for us.

The delicious irony of the whole NRL-raided-by Rugby-era is the indignation of League types wailing that they are developing these talented players only to have rugby throw cash at them, just like, Oh I don't know- Rugby League did for the past 95 years!! Anyone heard of Michael O'Connor, Ricky Stuart, Ray Price etc etc? Do you think they just went to play League for the challenge? Rugby League wouldn't be a sport if it wasn't for Union players sick of being shortchanged, so don't bitch when the shoe is on the other foot.

Also, I think we can put to rest the myth that Union loves League athletes because they're so superior and League wouldn't be interested in any Union players. That's some serious horse shit. As the success rate of League converts shows, they really aren't that great, and even Tuqiri was probably better off in League. John O'Neill's love of publicity is the only reason so many Leaguies have been poached- it gets the attention of the Telegraph readers.The only reason Union players don't convert now is because they like money. Do you think there would be a single NRL club that wouldn't want Giteau or Carter playing for them? Please. But they can't pay these guys a third of what they now make, so the NRL don't bother even wasting time to make an offer.

We need the ARU to stop this ridiculous experiment and invest the cash in developing actual Rugby players. Ones that might win a scrum and lineout on a consistent basis against world class opposition.

Who is Australia's Most Boring Sports 'Star'

After watching the US Masters over the weekend, it hit me like a sledgehammer just how boring Aaron 'Dresses' Baddelly is, both as a golfer and even more so as a human being. That monotone, boring as batshit voice is enough for me to instantly switch channels when he is dribbling on about his own boring game at present. There are plenty more candidates out there, but I challenge you to find a quicker cure to insomnia than watching 'Dresses' play/speak....

Brett Stewart is NOT the Messiah

Although judging by the reaction of the despicable Daily Telegraph he is. I can kind of understand the reaction of Manly fans at Brookvale to their "returning hero" as they were desperate to see their team win, they were delighted to see their best player back and scoring tries again and, oh that's right, they are RETARDED.
What I couldn't believe or understand is the drooling, fawning coverage from the Telgraph on Monday. You wouldv'e though that this was a guy returning from devestating injury or personal setback rather than someone UP ON CHARGES FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A 17 YEAR OLD. He is a grub and this shouldn't be forgotten and glossed over just because he played well in his return. He did not cure cancer, he scored three tries. He still is on sexual assault charges. Let's keep a little perspective here folks. If I were a Manly fan I still wouldn't cheer for him, but again, I understand one-eyed barracking. For a major newspaper to act like this is inexcusable.

Best picks for the weekend

About a week or two ago, there was a mighty uproar about the fact that the TAB was operating on Good Friday, which was a first. Predictable outrage from the Daily Telegraph, which would show outrage if they saw somebody slam a cockroach with a basketball shoe. But really, who is saying to themselves "Well, I was going to go to Good Friday Mass then spend all day with my family, but fuck it, I think I'll sit and punt on overseas racing instead".
The facts are that there is no racing on today anyway, only sports and overseas racing. With the sports, you pop in, lay your bets, and leave. Big fucking deal. If a bloke is going to sit and punt all day on overseas racing, he's probably a degenerate gambling and not the church going type anyway. Besides which THE POKIES ARE STILL OPERATING IN THE SAME PUBS THAT THE WOWSERS WANT THE TAB SHUT IN. Fucking moral-outrage dicks. Plus you could always gamble online anyway if you want. In that spirit, I give you my bets of the week, which were spectacularly unsuccessful on debut. If you actually punt on any of these picks based on my advice, time to reconsider where your life is at right now.
Saints -6 over PARRA
I wrote last week that Parra have a real coach now, but apparently he hates all his players and they hate him. On the other hand, Saints discovered how to score points last week. Give the six and plunge the Saints.
DOGS even over Souths
No start in this game, which sounds about right. However, I'm not prepared to live in a world where Souths are actually good, and sit atop the NRL after 5 weeks. This is where the wheels fall off.
Raiders even over SHARKS
Its at Shark Park, the Raiders don't travel, but the Sharks are in disarray and playing with their reserve grade team this week. Raiders cant go winless on the road can they?
WARATAHS (2.5) over Bulls
In what will be probably the dullest sporting event of 2009
Reds (+6.5) over HIGHLANDERS
In a game being two teams that define mediocre, take a start this big.
And in a bonus AFL pick-
Hawks (-8.5) over ROOS
Big bounceback here- Hawks wont start 0-2

Kangaroos harshly treated

Can anyone please tell me what was offensive about the video taped skit the Kangaroos AFL team did, (involving a frozen chicken and rubber chicken getting jiggy with it) that is getting so much press? From what I have seen it is a harmless way for a footy club to take up some time and have some fun without hurting anyone. Apparently NOT. All the Rebecca Wilsons of the world are on their high horses saying it offends them and that the players should be punished, BLAH BLAH BLAH!Anyone that says it is offensive can Fuck off back under the rock THEY came from. I can understand when a certain league player "alledgedly" assaults his neighbour, that is bad for the game and he should be punished. The footage from the Kangaroos was amusing and if you find it offensive then DONT WATCH IT. It is better than them boozing on all week or pissing on someones leg for instance, which I am sure is far worse. Let the players blow off some steam once in a while if it doesnt hurt anyone. The Kangaroos made a public apology and that is where it should stop and lets get on with the footy.

Footy Show Announcement

Gee I'm not looking forward to tonight's Footy Show 'announcement' on where Brett Finch is going to play from this week onwards. Whose club will he destroy?
Ours Deevs' or that of PAWD's....
I await with baited breath. Please don't be us, please don't be us PLEASE!!!

Fuck Off D'Arcy!

This has to be the end of this prick doesn't it. yeah he may have been treated a little harshly, but hey, that's the risk you run when you king hit a bloke in a public, or private setting in fact.

The fact that this arrogant little turd (with a killer punch) has shown no sense of regret or sorrow towards his actions of obliterating Simon Cowley's head on this fateful night doesn't help his cause either. In fact, if he showed just a sceric of remorse, I dare say he wouldn't even be in this mess right now. His punishment would have been served for missing the Olympics only.

And for those that say it's his right to represent Australia, I say FUCK OFF! I have the right to represent Australia at swimming but instead chose to drink myself silly every Friday and Saturday night through my youth, My decision, my 'consequences'. D'Arcy chose to become a criminal when he belted Cowley, his decision. The rest of us wouldn't be allowed into Rome for the World Championships or on a Contiki Tour with a criminal record so why should this grub be given the right to not only enter the country, but represent us in doing so. The Olympics are being held in London in 3 years time, and even if this 20 something aged flea would be not over the hill by then as he would be an old fart in swimming terms, I'm pretty certain the strict pommy Government wouldn't be letting him in anyhow as they denied Greg Eastwood the chance to play in the Super League earlier this year for unpaid parking tickets!

Hopefully this is the last we hear of you you little man, and you go back to earning a decent living like the rest of us, and count your lucky stars you aren't spending the majority of your 20's behind bars getting used and abused like you thoroughly deserve

Stuart can't coach!

I must say it is great to see that Cronulla is falling apart and Ricky Stuart cant do anything to stop it. I was a great Ricky Stuart fan through his Raiders, NSW and Kangaroos days, but as a coach he is a non talented punce with less personality than Wayne Bennett. Sure he can jump up and down the sideline every now and then when things are going well, but he is overly boring and a massive whinger most of the time. He has always seemed to turn very good teams into also rans within a matter of years which it currently looks like he might do with that rabble he has right now. Only Ricky Stuart could have let Australia lose the last world cup to NZ!
I hope I am not proven wrong if Cronulla pull off a miracle and win the comp but I am very doubtful about that with the current players and coaching staff!

Was Khoder Nasser in charge of Waco

Who is this grub?
Whoever he is, he has the ability to brainwash footballers into thinking they are talented boxers destined for the big time. Unfortunately fighting taxi drivers and kebab shop owners boxing part-time for a living won't get you to the MGM in Las Vegas. Whilst still waiting for SOS's Mundine and Haumono's careers to take off after 5 years and more in the ring, we learn this week that Nasser is promoting Mundine's newest undercard to his next upcoming fight to yet ANOTHER unknown this time in Brisbane in May. His newest addition, none other than SBW! FFS, what are we going to witness this time??! The 'self proclaimed' greatest athlete in the world belting the absolute tripe out of some poor simple eager to make a couple of hundred bucks dodging wild haymakers in the ring with a 'celebrity'. It borders on brutality, and the only way they get away with it, is their inability to land a haymaker on any of these poor simples' chins. The minute one does, the public will go insane and that will be the end of such mismatches in boxing. And the Mundines of this world will be found out for their distinct lack of courage in continuing to only fight those with either no experience in winning bouts, or no experience at all in boxing.

What the fuck...

Can someone please tell me how the Aussie cricket team can get bowled out for 131 against the Keffa lovers last night? Even more of a disgrace when we picked a "DEEP" batting lineup including a few allrounders. Ponting is batting like my 1 year old son just swinging the willow at anything and hoping it comes off. This, for me, is showing quite a bit of arrogance on his part as he isnt treating a very good South African attack with any from of respect. This has been happening from the beginning of our summer when they put the cleaners through us out here. Michael "I am above the team" Clarke doesnt ever seem to have his mind switched on for any long periods of time, leading to his poor form recently aswell. Also, what the fuck is going on with the running between wickets? We are a national cricket team which used to pride ourselves on out running between wickets. Quick decisive calling and minimal runouts are keys to success and we have totally forgotten this. The Hussey brothers are very similar to when the Waugh twins used to bat together. One of them surely runs the other out eventually.
It is all well and good for players like Ponting to claim that test cricket is the only real crciket but this doesnt mean you have to lose the plot in the shorter forms! Pick up your games or fuck off with your bad, arrogant attitudes. Many a young cricketer would die for a chance to play some pyjama cricket.

Apparently Bennett really is that good

I've always been a firm believer that in many sports that coaching is vastly overrated- players matter. Rugby league is one of those sports (exhibit A- Michael Hagan winning a comp- but with Johns as his halfback), cricket obviously, soccer, definitely. In some sports like American football coaching is crucial, but you still need a QB.

This was running through my mind after seeing St George put Brisbane to the sword convincingly last night. Wayne Bennett has always been lauded as some sort of coaching guru, while skeptics, including myself, have always maintained coaching would be easy when you have the whole of Queensland to pick from. When he signed on to be the saviour at the chronically underachieving Dragons I thought this was an hilarious convergence between the always hysterical Dragons fans like PAWD who are forever jumping on and off the bandwagon at ankle breaking speed and the myth of Bennett. Just wait until things go wrong and the media turns on him, he'll slink back north by May, I told PAWD.

Well, it seems that the grumpy old bastard CAN coach after all. The defensive intensity they've shown with pretty much the same, or less heralded guys, has been a thousand percent better than during Brown's tenure. Upon further reflection, maybe coaching matters at the defensive end more than I thought. Defence is about attitude and committment, attack is about talent. Clearly, Bennett has gotten committment from his guys that Brown never could. Why? Who knows, but professional athletes rarely go for the big motivational speech, or they won't every week. Generally, they don't like their faces being slapped on the sideline either. The thing that will best make a team commit for a coach is when the players think the coach isn't full of shit and knows what he's talking about, and Bennett obviously does.

NRL/Super 14 Picks week 4

One of the things I am famous for is being shit at sports gambling. It's gotten so bad that when I am going down the pub to put a bet on and my daughter says "Where are you going Daddy?" my wife invariably says "Daddy is going to throw some money in the bin" which is generally accurate but really fucks with my daughters head.
The thing is, I do fairly well at picking the games, but I always have 5 or 6 leg multis. I am a master at getting 5 out of 6 right. If I were gambling on each game, I'd probably make a decent profit. Unfortunately, I am greedy and thick as pigshit so I get three parts of fuck all each week (although I did hit a 10-1 4 leg multi in Week 1 of the Super 14)
With all of this in mind I thought it would be a good idea to have a weekly post picking some specials in the league and union. Although you are crazier than Angelina Jolie during her Billy Bob days if you actually invest anything based on this shoddy advice.
PARRA (-2.5) over Roosters
Roosters only getting two and a half when their only win was over winless Canberra? Parra have a good coach now therefore are playing with heart and brains (see also, the Dragons) so shouldn't have too much trouble here. The Roosters are probably over valued because they are at home, unfortunately for them the SFS as a home ground is as scary as a rundown by three playmates. And, importantly, the Roosters are shit anyway.
Titans (+13.5) over STORM
13.5 seems too high here- the Titans have been playing well, while the Storms for and against is only plus-13 on the year. True, the Titans travel terribly while the Storm have one of the best home ground advantages in the league, but I like the points here.
Manly (-5.5) over KNIGHTS
Two desperate teams, the Knights at home, but without any good players. They missed Joey when he left, but the loss of Buderus will prove almost as bad. Kurt Gidley can't win by himself and is overrated in the first place.
CRUSADERS (-3.5) over Bulls
The Crusaders are rounding into some sort of form thanks to the fact that the Tahs can't score, and while the Bulls are a quality outfit, backing South Africans in Christchurch is generally a poor investment
SHARKS (-7) over Hurricanes
LOVE the Sharks at home. The Canes started well but havent set the world on fire lately. The Sharks are money here- they have had only two home games but have really taken care on business both times- they'll do it again here.
Brumbies (3.5) over CHEETAHS
The Cheetahs could be the worst Super 14 team in recent memory, with 6 losses at -106 in the first six weeks and they've already played the putrid Lions, basically their only hope for a win. While I'm always nervous backing against South Africans, I mean, for fuck sake, its the Cheetahs. The Brumbies are 3 and 3, 0-2 on their South African trip, but they really need the cash here. 3 and a half isn't too much to give.

Manly...

I must say that this new Blog is a very exciting outpost for all sports lovers alike. I, like most "True" Aussies, love nothing more than a day of watching any sport, together with a carton or two of VB tinnies, and putting my 2 cents in about it.

I would like to dedicate my 1st post to the fiasco at the Manly Sea Eagles rugby league club.
When I was asked to tip a winner for the NRL comp pre season I thought it was quite simple! MANLY, MANLY AND MANLY. They recruited well (Tony Williams and Chris Bailey are very good players), didnt lose too much (Menzies will be missed a little) and have very good coaching a staff. Surely they will at least make another Grand Final. That was before they all started acting like no brained idiots at the infamous club launch.

Q: Who slaps/punches a sponsor of your own club?
A: Quite possibly the NRL player closest to being a chimp, Anthony Watmough!

Q: Who "allegedly" assaults his own neighbour in full view of the public, after being named "the face of the NRL"?
A: Brett "I am the greatest try thief in history" Stewart

Q: Who does their best to completely sabotage their own rugby league club prior to a title defence?
A: The entire Manly board and the above 2 players!

All of this together with a 0-3 start to the year has me heavily questioning their ability to challenge for the title. I hope they can prove me wrong for my tipping comp!

I used to be an avid Manly "hater" from the time I started watching league to a few years ago. The addition of Des Hasler as coach and a cleaner reputation had changed my mind until recently. I think I, as well as many league and sports fans in general, have had enough of the media attention these pricks are getting, and wish they would just play footy. GROW UP players and board members alike or your precious Manly may go from Heroes to Zeroes!

PAWD

And on the topic of boozing athletes....

The biggest topic so far in the NRL season has been that of the boozing footballer. On one side we have had the usual moral outrage of the tired old sports journos who hate footballers and think they should all be banned from drinking, on the other we have had the unabashed apologists who think that our poor downtrodden footballers are being picked on.

And to both sides I say "Shut the fuck up"

The idea of a "booze ban" on NRL players is completely illogical and could never work. To suggest that a guy like Todd Carney would be told "it's in your contract so you can't drink" and actually comply is a complete joke. The players that would comply are not the ones going around causing troubles (this would include the majority of players). The minority that go around tinkering with 17 year olds and playing tags with a groupie in a pub toilet are exactly the ones that would ignore the ban anyway.

However, to say that footballers are young men being held to unfair scrutiny and double standards is an equally dumb position to take. There were so many ex-player types in the media suggesting with a straight face that Brett Stewart was hard done by and copped an extra harsh punishment becaue he was "The face of the League". Well, no one was holding a gun to his head there, were they? He agreed to let the League spend a couple of mill centering their whole advertising campaign around him, money that they can definitely not afford to waste with clubs on the brink of busto even before this recession started. So if he signs on for this, he must expect to be held to higher standards.

The same concept applies for footballers and athletes in general. Don't get me wrong, the "athletes are role models" argument trotted out by every predictable sports columnist is a lazy, stupid postion to take. Kids can admire athletes for what they do on the field, but only the biggest bogan parent would actually suggest that their kids should model their behaviour after someone because they are good at tackling people. Role model should be a job for parents, and probably teachers. That's the list.

While I don't think that athletes should be role models, they must also understand that the reason they get paid at all is because people care about the sport they play. If you are the 86th best player in the NRL, everyone knows who you are and you are making around 100-150 k a year. If you are the 86th best javelin thrower in the world, no-one knows who the fuck you are and you make nothing. This means you will get media attention- if you weren't well known, again, you'd get nothing from playing league and lets face it, a lot of NRL players aren't exactly rolling in other quality job prospects. Sponsors and many potential spectators are turned off by with drunken dickheads and that threatens the livelihood and earning potential of all the non-drunken dickheads playing the game. So while there is a double standard in whats expected in your off field behaviour compared to a local plumber, this double standard is really the reason you get paid to play a game. It might be unfair, but it sure beats the shit out of digging ditches for a living, so deal with it.

Welcome to the shoe

This is a blog devised by myself and my seedy partner in crime Pawd. We and some other selected contributors will try to put our hopefully interesting thoughts on the Australian sports scene out there. Many of these thoughts will be cynical and sometimes ridiculous but we think there is a place for an Australian sports blog that will have a candid shot at whats happening. The newspapers are always trotting out the same old shit so why not try something new.

The birth of this came soon after the disasterous Manly Season 2009 launch so we decided to name the blog after the original rugby league alcohol atrocity. (and still it's greatest "what the fuck was he thinking?" moment if you ask me) Ironically, both the idea and the name came about while Pawd and I were out on the booze ourselves. We will try to post something most days, usually about whats in the sports pages but not necessarilt without going off topic every now and then. We hope you enjoy.