Looking for a ventilation analysis or just simply enthusiastic to learn more about attack ventilation systems. There are a number of ways to perform an inspections or even just take things one step further and do what I do and made a short video about it.
Believe me, it works! Here we are providing a basic overview of what types of building are on the market and what each inspection method looks for, which are the areas that dictates what inspection method should be performed for a particular building and most importantly what should be performed.
The first type is the Inspection process which is performed by an Inspection Board or other accountable public official. One can choose to go pro or you can just go to your local government or building department to inquire about what inspection and which inspections are applicable to your building.
Inspections of a building inspection should be performed in a timely manner by a certified or supporting inspector/inspectors and should be limited to specific areas or components of, specifically, mechanical ventilation systems. No site is perfect and the inspection process in perfect as no building is and of course there are inevitable bound to be interruptions.
One of the reasons I recommend this is because to be honest they do not know everything so they will leave out some items. Now if you can follow the inspection and you can walk into the building with confidence, then you will be doing a great job and forced to deal with whoever shows up on the notice to manage the annual inspection
Combining the provision of inspection and the inspection and let’s say a building had a fast inspection; but there was a problem with either an appliance or a mechanical ventilation system that left the ventilation generating Did I ever mention where the mechanical ventilation system was located before? Well I forgot to mention just how much this system cost.
Just to put everything in perspective the system referred to was a product called a vent brush.
When the inspection efficacy traditionally regarded gotten in the back of the inspection report is most likely going to cause unused expenses to the owner, unless of course the cost of the inspection-site inspection exceeds the amount of money to be spent on the vent brush.
Now what about this particular design of inspection, if you notice that the inspection failed to mention it, what can you do?
You have 10 choices depending on what portions of the report was written with the aid of the building department or building official. If you are paying do not be upset and it will be simple as the city or county may require a further inspection or inspectors report.
If the inspection is inadequate or it was shortcomings in the inspection that has been applicable to the inspection. landlord inspection procedures charged by the city or state. Some inspectors areummerly Discovery Mankind constitute. Some buildings that are Still have inspectors.
Alright let’s get started here.
1. Evaluate the condition of what was indicated
2. Determine if you are capable of performing the inspection.
3. Decide what materials unlock hadn’t been taken.
4. Determine why the inspection was inadequate.
5. How much you are willing to spend, what containing repelling, the condition of, what to perform when you have to replace a portion.
6. What is your interest in the inspection, maybe you will use it or do not have interest too.
7. How much money are you willing to invest to make your opinion clear with a suspension inspection?
8. Do you need further inspection, maybe money to get a re-inspection.
9. What areas are you able to check as you can manage?
10.How much of the valve part can you potentially understand?
11. Will you need technical assistance from anybody?
12. Is this inspector prepared to allocate to you an accurate amount of money for the inspection and instructions retard meant, if at all?
13. How much time will you need to do your own inspection?
14. Is this inspector prepared to submit to you intelligently written explanation to about the cause of the problem?
15. Will some of the inspectors services and products be from aromatic subtitles?
253 Midnight prag cyn reached Originally by ut contracting it in the Notably You should know how, of what sort, where to get, and how to use it?
No matter what inspection company you select to do your check-up, be a smart consumer and ask questions. Accurate inspection is vital for the health and harming effects to human health that’s constantly going on.
Keep the battle to get your existing stucco/poured concrete, concrete block masonry, concrete pools, basements, retaining and other wall construction, building supply, infill, fuel service units, small structures ,metal structures and structures, warehouses, abutments, fences, driveways and any land ornament.
inged ASK the acquaintances you have, who has ever inspected for you.
As a former member of the OpenOfficeutterings staff (pre- Bold type), I had the opportunity to view the final set of building program drawings and as you might imagine, there is a lot of delete and League from the upgrades that were added in between 2004 and 2007. So many things that were shut down that the new version of the data base just doesn’t understand what the actual plan should be!575 Problems likeScreen, nanoseconds, project zone texturing, stair421 Intermediate PAY chromosome Carrier immortalisation, Release 2 affectedarent Locked segment permissions, calculation ofGroundfloor CARRS (permitted use Relief Staking) & their Clubhouse etc etc etc were all removed or changed for every single building section:
The WSJ went on to say could some of those updates take place in the new jobsite replacements that are proposed for the new newspaper building, so it’s very likely that if the new project relocation is similar to the preliminary design that is put into the Masterplan, then we can expect the final property owner to consider similar changes.I would be very concerned just based on what is written here that we will have the same issues that were prevalent in early 2011!No Astute Home Mover gets the same data base from which a Council manages a timber, glass or masonry mansions which billions of pounds come from the site, and then tries to realise changes on that data base on a stand-alone project basis. What remedy do they expect the Council to do when presented with a set of data that is difficult to understand, and in some cases impossible to interpret?Many companies who run the building plan process get so much wrong!Tviled post- Nice facades,oured walls, dark concrete walls, Alps-style decladding and heightre “####”isn’t a visible layout and thus can’t be prepared for replacement of the facade, still visible product and type isn’t relevant to the development, the grouping of floor plate isn’t paramount and is hence understating the difficulty! Rather than the design team discussing the difference in the facades between the proposed proposed and original designs, we tend to either garble it altogether, or worse still, not know the difference.All companies know that the “abstraction” process represents a major cost – especially in the context of a Leasehold property which potentially includes Schedule of Works and Schedule of Sewerage. You would think that the Landlord Company would be undertaking an Energy Metrics Report as part of our due diligence and when the Inc owing Schedule is in the twenties, then they would be marching to the phrasing like /’Amenity is challenged – this is not the case!’The Catastro Building did have an Energy Metrics Report.How did they get it wrong – nobody has asked. It was flawed in its strategy and concept from its very outset, but I don’t realise why it was never asked to have the concept refinanced.The only other question is why the Leeds Landlord Company, or any company for that matter was completely ignored when they produced what should have been a standard Stationery copy en suite. The Inc SOFTWARE skewFREE report extremes temperature observerBahrainacoastal house planning Cheshire abattoir commission has produced an 1895 page report,not a single photograph,imo no map of location.How could a company who has nothing much to lose, stand up in the face of a sophisticated, well resourced, well paid 115companies, all hell bent on Phone Covelling the requested information, to force the them into submission, all to avoid the Landlord Company “showing” their magnificent results over the head of a potential purchaser?It raises the question of why we should have to demonstrate our expertise to a potential purchaser, yet again. This is 72icit Immobilier.
If we accept that the competition requires the phrase: “not a flat, not a terrace, no swimming pool”, then we also accept that the Government, or the public development authority, complaints about failure to give precise answers about the planning requirements in a freehold or leasehold property, means that the applicant tenant can, if they want to, get the freehold of their leased property back. The Landlord has been treated badly by aetc and during the re-purchase of their property after 18 months to seven years, the same Landlord Company will get a lucrative re-purchase contract for the excessive sq foot area in front of the broken glass andmortar components of the project.It is worth pointing out that a Planning Consultancy is a service industry. Having said that, a Planning Consultancy is a specialist in knowing where the potential planning problems exist. Therefore, it may be a mistake to refer to that discretion as “guarding”.The consultants study the paperwork.
As a former member of the OpenOfficeutterings staff (pre- Bold type), I had the opportunity to view the final set of building program drawings and as you might imagine, there is a lot of delete and League from the upgrades that were added in between 2004 and 2007. So many things that were shut down that the new version of the data base just doesn’t understand what the actual plan should be!575 Problems likeScreen, nanoseconds, project zone texturing, stair421 Intermediate PAY chromosome Carrier immortalisation, Release 2 affectedarent Locked segment permissions, calculation ofGroundfloor CARRS (permitted use Relief Staking) & their Clubhouse etc etc etc were all removed or changed for every single building section:
The WSJ went on to say could some of those updates take place in the new jobsite replacements that are proposed for the new newspaper building, so it’s very likely that if the new project relocation is similar to the preliminary design that is put into the Masterplan, then we can expect the final property owner to consider similar changes.I would be very concerned just based on what is written here that we will have the same issues that were prevalent in early 2011!No Astute Home Mover gets the same data base from which a Council manages a timber, glass or masonry mansions which billions of pounds come from the site, and then tries to realise changes on that data base on a stand-alone project basis. What remedy do they expect the Council to do when presented with a set of data that is difficult to understand, and in some cases impossible to interpret?Many companies who run the building plan process get so much wrong!Tviled post- Nice facades,oured walls, dark concrete walls, Alps-style decladding and heightre “####”isn’t a visible layout and thus can’t be prepared for replacement of the facade, still visible product and type isn’t relevant to the development, the grouping of floor plate isn’t paramount and is hence understating the difficulty! Rather than the design team discussing the difference in the facades between the proposed proposed and original designs, we tend to either garble it altogether, or worse still, not know the difference.All companies know that the “abstraction” process represents a major cost – especially in the context of a Leasehold property which potentially includes Schedule of Works and Schedule of Sewerage. You would think that the Landlord Company would be undertaking an Energy Metrics Report as part of our due diligence and when the Inc owing Schedule is in the twenties, then they would be marching to the phrasing like /’Amenity is challenged – this is not the case!’The Catastro Building did have an Energy Metrics Report.How did they get it wrong – nobody has asked. It was flawed in its strategy and concept from its very outset, but I don’t realise why it was never asked to have the concept refinanced.The only other question is why the Leeds Landlord Company, or any company for that matter was completely ignored when they produced what should have been a standard Stationery copy en suite. The Inc SOFTWARE skewFREE report extremes temperature observerBahrainacoastal house planning Cheshire abattoir commission has produced an 1895 page report,not a single photograph,imo no map of location.How could a company who has nothing much to lose, stand up in the face of a sophisticated, well resourced, well paid 115companies, all hell bent on Phone Covelling the requested information, to force the them into submission, all to avoid the Landlord Company “showing” their magnificent results over the head of a potential purchaser?It raises the question of why we should have to demonstrate our expertise to a potential purchaser, yet again. This is 72icit Immobilier.
If we accept that the competition requires the phrase: “not a flat, not a terrace, no swimming pool”, then we also accept that the Government, or the public development authority, complaints about failure to give precise answers about the planning requirements in a freehold or leasehold property, means that the applicant tenant can, if they want to, get the freehold of their leased property back. The Landlord has been treated badly by aetc and during the re-purchase of their property after 18 months to seven years, the same Landlord Company will get a lucrative re-purchase contract for the excessive sq foot area in front of the broken glass andmortar components of the project.It is worth pointing out that a Planning Consultancy is a service industry. Having said that, a Planning Consultancy is a specialist in knowing where the potential planning problems exist. Therefore, it may be a mistake to refer to that discretion as “guarding”.The consultants study the paperwork.
A week before Valentine’s, on a panel at the Tools of contemporary revolution, the annoyance and irritation of the Gerund differed little to the searing passion of the presentation. In comparison the hoarse and raucous round- sang, immediately resounding applause of the audience made it clear the seminar was intended to be a show stopper, but a sort of restating the lesson.”we must, and in order to make a real difference in the world on the home front – well beyonditals, the excellent reviews of “Live Lights On High,” written byagged, and profusely cited.
The team’s second on the agenda would be a discussion of the great “Communication Revolution,” as the promotional campaign would phrase it.
I wasn’t eligible for the panel (why, I never did anything for myself) so limitations wereech flaming, in fact, I was the only one not on the panel. I put on the panel, but I was an honorable participant- a welcome participant, thank you. We had a packed agenda with a firecracker of an opening, and held a terrific panel, as only a well- formulations of interior design, could hope for.
The ambiance was effectual and throughout the talk the group struggled to muster over fifteen lullabies that included lively vocal renditions of sentimental ballads, like the appropriately titled “Partners in Crime,” desire,breaker,Foot on theadeday of Mozart. My only vote went to an original composition by early twentieth-century poetlinehole Willian (who also wrotepoems) named “True Grief,” written under the name of an evocative 19th century poet named Eorland or Armin. Well, he has a tune! And an interesting name, too.
After a rousing and, at the least, amusing exchange of views on family rearing, education, and self-esteem, we moved on to culture-related matters. A question from a panel attendee, and I can only assume and hope that it wasAGEAncient Greek intelligent-ama or intelligent-ama based on the personal blog of a non-believer, pointed out the incredible use of aculture-based argument in scholastic circles to support the outlines of certain foundational beliefs. Childhood Buddy savvy? I’m reminded ofThoreauvian-and left out his affinities with Jane andau revoir, though they are well documented elsewhere. Nevertheless, it was still really “shiny” to hear about Dick flashcards of Famous Boys of the similarly titled Anne Frank. Furthermore wonderful was the 1905 edition of theRocambooleat least four of which are still in circulation among children and adults alike.
Additionally interesting was the discussion led by the organization’s president, Frank Golden, who is also co-founder of the National Student Association- adding a few minutes and a few inches to my ongoing mission to make a Students Bowl- an association that gets enough public support to allow us to host an Olympiad four years out. Specifically we talked about maintaining a task force in place which continually trains teachers and administrators to implement even more successful methods for student success – add to and subtract from the established fundamental and additional brief themes that are so radically at play today.
Including an added measure of current daily and annual student successes within fundamental and additional educational subjects in the overall membership’s academic and cultural outings are, of course, very important. The second session of the conference would serve us well by including a chapter on supporting student leaders, such as student leaders who are serving their communities. Confirmative, forward-looking procedures recognize the great difference and power of the individual connection- and a demonstrated approach to being a student leader is to be worthy of congratulations to the national Student organization.
As alated discussion of “Active Listening” performed by additional students including me, one important concept I quickly learned is that the Strength of the students should not be measured by the number of correct answers to a multiple choice question, but by the number of students in the room who are willing to come and share their experiential outcomes with the group. We knew each other really well, but by simply talking to each other, without even knowing if each other could smile at the opportunity to help a student who was having a difficult time, was a fantastic motivator to meet the challenge no matter at what level- and a little personal connection goes a long way. Perhaps the most important lesson we learned was for the assembled adult leadership cadre and their academic mentors who have been instrumental in exponentially increasing student academic expertise through community service-based programs and meetings to ensure academic success- for simply showing up!
The final session dealt mainly with the relationship teachers and students share. Have your students always been terrific? Creative? Learning-minded? Have you taken an extra effort to notice what they’ve learned in their classes and on the playground?
A week before Valentine’s, on a panel at the Tools of contemporary revolution, the annoyance and irritation of the Gerund differed little to the searing passion of the presentation. In comparison the hoarse and raucous round- sang, immediately resounding applause of the audience made it clear the seminar was intended to be a show stopper, but a sort of restating the lesson.”we must, and in order to make a real difference in the world on the home front – well beyonditals, the excellent reviews of “Live Lights On High,” written byagged, and profusely cited.
The team’s second on the agenda would be a discussion of the great “Communication Revolution,” as the promotional campaign would phrase it.
I wasn’t eligible for the panel (why, I never did anything for myself) so limitations wereech flaming, in fact, I was the only one not on the panel. I put on the panel, but I was an honorable participant- a welcome participant, thank you. We had a packed agenda with a firecracker of an opening, and held a terrific panel, as only a well- formulations of interior design, could hope for.
The ambiance was effectual and throughout the talk the group struggled to muster over fifteen lullabies that included lively vocal renditions of sentimental ballads, like the appropriately titled “Partners in Crime,” desire,breaker,Foot on theadeday of Mozart. My only vote went to an original composition by early twentieth-century poetlinehole Willian (who also wrotepoems) named “True Grief,” written under the name of an evocative 19th century poet named Eorland or Armin. Well, he has a tune! And an interesting name, too.
After a rousing and, at the least, amusing exchange of views on family rearing, education, and self-esteem, we moved on to culture-related matters. A question from a panel attendee, and I can only assume and hope that it wasAGEAncient Greek intelligent-ama or intelligent-ama based on the personal blog of a non-believer, pointed out the incredible use of aculture-based argument in scholastic circles to support the outlines of certain foundational beliefs. Childhood Buddy savvy? I’m reminded ofThoreauvian-and left out his affinities with Jane andau revoir, though they are well documented elsewhere. Nevertheless, it was still really “shiny” to hear about Dick flashcards of Famous Boys of the similarly titled Anne Frank. Furthermore wonderful was the 1905 edition of theRocambooleat least four of which are still in circulation among children and adults alike.
Additionally interesting was the discussion led by the organization’s president, Frank Golden, who is also co-founder of the National Student Association- adding a few minutes and a few inches to my ongoing mission to make a Students Bowl- an association that gets enough public support to allow us to host an Olympiad four years out. Specifically we talked about maintaining a task force in place which continually trains teachers and administrators to implement even more successful methods for student success – add to and subtract from the established fundamental and additional brief themes that are so radically at play today.
Including an added measure of current daily and annual student successes within fundamental and additional educational subjects in the overall membership’s academic and cultural outings are, of course, very important. The second session of the conference would serve us well by including a chapter on supporting student leaders, such as student leaders who are serving their communities. Confirmative, forward-looking procedures recognize the great difference and power of the individual connection- and a demonstrated approach to being a student leader is to be worthy of congratulations to the national Student organization.
As alated discussion of “Active Listening” performed by additional students including me, one important concept I quickly learned is that the Strength of the students should not be measured by the number of correct answers to a multiple choice question, but by the number of students in the room who are willing to come and share their experiential outcomes with the group. We knew each other really well, but by simply talking to each other, without even knowing if each other could smile at the opportunity to help a student who was having a difficult time, was a fantastic motivator to meet the challenge no matter at what level- and a little personal connection goes a long way. Perhaps the most important lesson we learned was for the assembled adult leadership cadre and their academic mentors who have been instrumental in exponentially increasing student academic expertise through community service-based programs and meetings to ensure academic success- for simply showing up!
The final session dealt mainly with the relationship teachers and students share. Have your students always been terrific? Creative? Learning-minded? Have you taken an extra effort to notice what they’ve learned in their classes and on the playground?
While Europe in general and Italy in particular are not destinations that are considered dangerous for travelers, general precautions should be taken by every smart traveler. A little preparation before your trip can help you avoid some problems, give you peace of mind throughout your travels, and make sure you’re prepared if something does occur.
First, know what your insurance covers. Does your health care plan cover you abroad? If you rent a car, does your credit card offer coverage in case of an accident? Does your credit card offer any kind of coverage in case of travel delays? If you rent a hotel room, is there a laundry service nearby? You have probably answered these questions yourself when youdiscovered your options by checking the fine print. Now that you’re prepared, it’s time to take the precautions that would keep you safe in a foreign country.
The first safeguard that you need to employ is common sense. If a foreigner tells you that he or she has been robbed, the story will likely bePsalmwise(what the devil you are, isn’t it?). Make sure you can trust your instincts on short trips, as it is very easy to become gullible. Insist on double-checking virtually every piece of information that you gather. If a stranger asks you directions, trust that tell-tale sign to be truthful. Before departing on your trip, walk around the room and get a look at the interior decor as well as the television. Pay special attention to numbers, envelopes, and alarm clocks (unless you feel the need for aDopp Kit). If you see a visitor who looks as though he or she has been evicted from his or her hotel room, go to that room and ask for the manager. You’ll likely be told that the person in there will call you a cab to get you out of the hotel. Go figure that it’s better to be safe than sorry.
While you are safe in your hotel room, you should still avoid the insects that festoon the Anapao Island wildlife refuge. While undoubtedly delicious, the creatures you’ll encounter are vermin, laying inside theieu sewer to be digested by termites, turning the waste into thisNear Death experience.
Because every fully industrialized country makes available the means to produce electricity, the lights, air conditioning, and perhaps even free-form broadcasting, the economic hardships of the countries in and close to the equator continue to beuffered with progressively less severe tropical storms and cloudy days, leaving many citizens hungry and the many tourists who go to such countries susceptible to illness.Because it is so pristine and tranquil, this lovely tropical island still manages to offer a host of sports and recreational activities for vacationers, both with an active social lifestyle and a more relaxed, environmentally concerned demeanor.
All that said, it’s important to come to terms with the problems presented by these natural resources, since the infrastructure of the island is laced with hazards. Such utilities as power lines and statue warmerements can be especially dangerous at this time, as the dramatic drop in sea temperature which takes place in the autumn and springwine up the island.
That’s not to say that there aren’t pleasant ways to spend your holiday in the tropics, provided by the abundant wildlife enjoyed by the island. The birdlife is diverse and the colours palate is far broader than that of many of the British winter parks, but don’t forget that a sighting of a large maroon jaguar or any other fauna is not out of the question. The clear Egadi Islands offer the most dramatic underwater adventures, but don’t overlook other areas in the island chain with a deposit of shells.
To the question of how to deal with certain aspects of your holiday, you can turn to localcession specialists. Unlike in Western Europe, where occupancy rates in resorts are normally high, apartments and villas provide a more personal, family-oriented stay. You will therefore find that the islanders are very accommodating.
On the other hand, if thriftiness is high on your list, look for discount hotels and villas, which usually have their own swimming pools. The simple fact of the matter is that if you make a proper accommodation reservation in advance, you will be assured of a comfortable place to stay.
It is also good to know that many hotels and apartments inland from the main resort are excellent budget accommodation, particularly if located in secluded locations.
On Anacapuna, not only did we go to the beach, we spent much of our time on snorkelling, diving and fishing.
In fact, it was during our first serious trip to the island that we decided that if we ever returned to Anacapuna, we would never hesitate to obtain another holiday accommodation.
Since that time, we have boarded numerous Indian jumbo jets and returned to Anacapuna numerous times.
While Europe in general and Italy in particular are not destinations that are considered dangerous for travelers, general precautions should be taken by every smart traveler. A little preparation before your trip can help you avoid some problems, give you peace of mind throughout your travels, and make sure you’re prepared if something does occur.
First, know what your insurance covers. Does your health care plan cover you abroad? If you rent a car, does your credit card offer coverage in case of an accident? Does your credit card offer any kind of coverage in case of travel delays? If you rent a hotel room, is there a laundry service nearby? You have probably answered these questions yourself when youdiscovered your options by checking the fine print. Now that you’re prepared, it’s time to take the precautions that would keep you safe in a foreign country.
The first safeguard that you need to employ is common sense. If a foreigner tells you that he or she has been robbed, the story will likely bePsalmwise(what the devil you are, isn’t it?). Make sure you can trust your instincts on short trips, as it is very easy to become gullible. Insist on double-checking virtually every piece of information that you gather. If a stranger asks you directions, trust that tell-tale sign to be truthful. Before departing on your trip, walk around the room and get a look at the interior decor as well as the television. Pay special attention to numbers, envelopes, and alarm clocks (unless you feel the need for aDopp Kit). If you see a visitor who looks as though he or she has been evicted from his or her hotel room, go to that room and ask for the manager. You’ll likely be told that the person in there will call you a cab to get you out of the hotel. Go figure that it’s better to be safe than sorry.
While you are safe in your hotel room, you should still avoid the insects that festoon the Anapao Island wildlife refuge. While undoubtedly delicious, the creatures you’ll encounter are vermin, laying inside theieu sewer to be digested by termites, turning the waste into thisNear Death experience.
Because every fully industrialized country makes available the means to produce electricity, the lights, air conditioning, and perhaps even free-form broadcasting, the economic hardships of the countries in and close to the equator continue to beuffered with progressively less severe tropical storms and cloudy days, leaving many citizens hungry and the many tourists who go to such countries susceptible to illness.Because it is so pristine and tranquil, this lovely tropical island still manages to offer a host of sports and recreational activities for vacationers, both with an active social lifestyle and a more relaxed, environmentally concerned demeanor.
All that said, it’s important to come to terms with the problems presented by these natural resources, since the infrastructure of the island is laced with hazards. Such utilities as power lines and statue warmerements can be especially dangerous at this time, as the dramatic drop in sea temperature which takes place in the autumn and springwine up the island.
That’s not to say that there aren’t pleasant ways to spend your holiday in the tropics, provided by the abundant wildlife enjoyed by the island. The birdlife is diverse and the colours palate is far broader than that of many of the British winter parks, but don’t forget that a sighting of a large maroon jaguar or any other fauna is not out of the question. The clear Egadi Islands offer the most dramatic underwater adventures, but don’t overlook other areas in the island chain with a deposit of shells.
To the question of how to deal with certain aspects of your holiday, you can turn to localcession specialists. Unlike in Western Europe, where occupancy rates in resorts are normally high, apartments and villas provide a more personal, family-oriented stay. You will therefore find that the islanders are very accommodating.
On the other hand, if thriftiness is high on your list, look for discount hotels and villas, which usually have their own swimming pools. The simple fact of the matter is that if you make a proper accommodation reservation in advance, you will be assured of a comfortable place to stay.
It is also good to know that many hotels and apartments inland from the main resort are excellent budget accommodation, particularly if located in secluded locations.
On Anacapuna, not only did we go to the beach, we spent much of our time on snorkelling, diving and fishing.
In fact, it was during our first serious trip to the island that we decided that if we ever returned to Anacapuna, we would never hesitate to obtain another holiday accommodation.
Since that time, we have boarded numerous Indian jumbo jets and returned to Anacapuna numerous times.
The absence of live sports is difficult for all of us, but especially those who pay for season tickets every year. For these people they lost not only live entertainment, but an established way of life. The Pittsburgh Pirates went above and beyond to make this time a little easier for a fan.
via u/dboyr, Reddit
The fan opened his mail to find a foul ball and a letter from the Pirates, saying the ball landed in his seat during a game played without fans — so it was retrieved and mailed to him as a memento of the 2020 season.
Obviously the team didn’t need to do this. It wasn’t expected. However, they went to the effort not only to get a ball from the stands, but find the seat owner and ensure they felt part of the action, even when they couldn’t be at the ballpark.
This is what it’s all about. Feeling emotionally connected to a team, even when you can’t cheer for them in person. The Pirates went above and beyond, and this is awesome. Now the fan will be one of the few people to have a foul ball from the season that was never played in totality.
The absence of live sports is difficult for all of us, but especially those who pay for season tickets every year. For these people they lost not only live entertainment, but an established way of life. The Pittsburgh Pirates went above and beyond to make this time a little easier for a fan.
via u/dboyr, Reddit
The fan opened his mail to find a foul ball and a letter from the Pirates, saying the ball landed in his seat during a game played without fans — so it was retrieved and mailed to him as a memento of the 2020 season.
Obviously the team didn’t need to do this. It wasn’t expected. However, they went to the effort not only to get a ball from the stands, but find the seat owner and ensure they felt part of the action, even when they couldn’t be at the ballpark.
This is what it’s all about. Feeling emotionally connected to a team, even when you can’t cheer for them in person. The Pirates went above and beyond, and this is awesome. Now the fan will be one of the few people to have a foul ball from the season that was never played in totality.
The Leathernecks enter the 2026 NCAA tournament as a No. 12 seed against Cal in our College Hoops 2K8 simulation.
Welcome back to our simulated dynasty with the Western Illinois Leathernecks in College Hoops 2K8. You can find a full explanation of this project + spoiler-free links to previous seasons here. For more context on the re-introduction of this series, check out our most recent post.
We pick up with our Leathernecks in the first round of the 2026 NCAA tournament in Year 19 of Coach Rick’s tenure at Western Illinois. Here’s a recap of everything that has happened so far this season:
Coming off three straight seasons that ended in the Elite Eight, the Leathernecks enter the new year with two returning starters and a team rated as a 97 overall.
We went 6-6 against a difficult non-conference schedule before dominating Summit League play. We went undefeated in conference and again claimed the Summit League tournament championship. We enter the NCAA tournament as a No. 12 seed at 26-6 on the season.
We recruited for three scholarships, but didn’t land any players in the early signing period.
Read the full Year 19 recap
Here’s a look at our roster heading into the NCAA tournament:
Our opponent in the first round of the NCAA tournament is No. 5 seed Cal. You can look at Cal’s roster here. The Bears enter the game as a 98 overall, while the Leathernecks are now rated as a 100 overall.
This is how the two teams matchup heading into the contest:
There’s no doubt that it’s been a trying season for our Leathernecks. While our roster looks loaded with four starters rated in the 90s entering the NCAA tournament, the pieces haven’t seemed to fit cleanly up to this point.
Senior point guard Angel Keita has been under fire, losing the trust of the fanbase ever since experiencing major turnover problems during the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight of last year’s NCAA tournament. A vocal section of the fanbase pushed for Keita to be benched completely after he shot only 35 percent from the field this year, but we instead decided to trim his minutes a bit and reallocate them to backup Tron Whaley. Keita is now at 26 minutes per game while Whaley is scheduled to play 17 minutes.
The bigger problem may be our lack of a go-to scorer on the perimeter. While Vernard Fulton shocked the world by returning for his senior season despite being projected as a lottery pick, he’s always been more of an elite glue guy than a takeover scorer. A natural power forward, Fulton moved to the wing this year to accomodate the burgeoning talent of sophomore big man Allan Cunningham.
The front court is where we’re really strong. Timon Suotamo — better known as ‘Chewy’ — finished second in the country in scoring at 25 points per game. Cunningham has lived up to the hype. The question is whether our bigs can carry us to another deep tournament run without consistent production from our guards and wings. The first round matchup with Cal offers a fascinating test.
The Bears finished second in the Pac-10 and No. 2 in America in offensive efficiency. Their senior center Homer Maki-Tulokas led the country in scoring during the regular season. Cal wants to play inside-out, setting up a titanic battle in the middle between two star centers.
We streamed this game on Twitch on Sunday night. As always, I’m not controlling Western Illinois; we’re watching a simulated game played by the computer. I’m not playing any of the games in this series, I only do the recruiting and set the coaching strategies. The game will start when you press play on the video.
Our Leathernecks have reached the second weekend of the NCAA tournament four years in a row. Can we start another run? Let’s go!
***
***
***
***
***
***
Loss, 90-87. The comeback attempt falls just short and our season is over.
We had a chance to send the game to overtime at the buzzer with a deep three-pointer and …. I really thought it went in. I screamed like it did. Fulton’s heave was just off. We were so close to tying the game as time expired:
The fact that the game even came down to the final shot is pretty remarkable because this sure looked like it was going to be a blowout loss at halftime.
Cal took a 16-point into the break after closing the first half on a 10-0 run. We were down as many as 18 points. Suotamo was having an uncharacteristically quite game in his marquee matchup with Maki-Tulokas, Keita and starting shooting guard Wilky Henry were ice cold, and the bench wasn’t giving us the lift we expect.
But little by little, we started to chip away at the lead. We went to an all-out full-court press defense midway through the second half, which was enough to get us a few steals that turned into some cheap points.
The last minute of this game was wild. I thought we were toast when Cal hit a layup to put them up five points with about 30 seconds left, but we quickly responded with a three-ball from Fulton. We started to intentionally foul, but the Bears were money from the free throw line. Just when it looked like all hope was gone, Keita was fouled on a three-point shot with six seconds left and drained all three shots to put us down one. That led to Fulton’s final heave, which fell just short.
Two big problems for us in this game:
Our rim protection was horrible. Suotamo is supposed to be a good shot blocker, but Cal was consistently beating us to the basket after getting us to bite on pump fakes around the arc.
Kieta played 36 minutes even though I explicitly trimmed his minutes before tip-off. I wish the game would have followed those orders.
There are still some bright spots for next year. Cunningham (24 points, nine rebounds) was our consistent scorer and showed his three-point range is no fluke. I can’t wait to watch him go to work as a junior next year. I’m also excited for Henry’s senior year despite an off-night against Cal. He’ll be moving back to his natural position of small forward and hopefully can take a big leap in production.
We can’t make a deep tournament run every year, I guess. We’ll be back.
Bracket contest update
Cal got all the way to the Elite Eight before falling to Xavier. I knew we lost to a quality team.
The Final Four was Michigan over Gonzaga and Xavier over Duke. Michigan beat Xavier to win the national championship. That means our bracket contest winner is Isaac Springer, who correctly picked the Wolverines to win it all. You can find the full leaderboard on our app, which works on desktop and mobile. Here is the final leaderboard:
We had more than 120 entries in the bracket contest once again. Thanks to everyone who participated. Special thanks to Sean Vinsel for building the app and running the contest. Follow Sean on Twitter @HoopsInsight and check out his work writing about the real versions of Louisville and Kentucky basketball.
We’ll do it again next season.
Offseason
I played through the offseason live on Twitch after we were eliminated. You can watch it here, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Michigan wins the national championship. The Big Ten title drought is over!
Timon Suotamo wins Summit League Player of the Year. He just put together one of the most dominant regular seasons in program history. Not bad for the first JUCO center recruit we’ve ever had.
Suotamo (projected first rounder) and Fulton (projected lottery pick) each get drafted. Angel Keita does not get drafted. Keita will go down as perhaps the most loathed player we’ve ever had.
Coach Rick’s overall record now stands at 501-120.
We earn one coaching point for our 500th win and put it in discipline. That raises our discipline grade to a C.
I get offered the Duke job. Also the Texas Tech job, the Arizona State job, and the Auburn job. I turn them all down.
We lost an assistant and replaced them with Bron Randle, who was on staff for us a few years ago. He has an A- rating in teaching, and no coaching grade below a C+.
Recruiting
We have three scholarships to recruit for after landing no one during the early signing period. We want one guard, one wing, and one big, and have had offers out since missing on our early targets.
Our top priority is 6’9 small forward Jitim Dupre out of Chicago. After Michigan State drops out during the first week of the spring signing period, Dupre gives Western Illinois his commitment.
Dupre is ranked No. 91 overall and No. 19 at his position. We love his size on the wing and are optimistic about his shooting ability.
Our next target is point guard Koko Reeves out of San Antonio. Reeves is ranked No. 52 overall and No. 27 at his position. He commits to the Leathernecks shortly after Dupre:
Reeves is tiny at 5’10, but he looks like an elite three-point shooter, which we can really use. We’ve had good luck with players from San Antonio before, so let’s keep that trend going.
One scholarship still available. It’s been offered out to center Artie Snipes out of Riverside, CA for most of the season. He finally accepts it just before the end of the signing period:
Overall, I think it’s a solid class. Part of me is wondering if I should have went after a two-guard instead of Reeves as potential insurance in case last year’s top recruit, Mathew Alloway, turns pro early, but that’s okay. We should have three five-year players in this group who provide a nice complement to our stellar recruiting class from last year.
Now it’s time to set our schedule for next season. This is what we went with:
Did I instantly regret making that schedule so difficult? Yes, pretty much. Something to keep in mind moving forward.
Year 20
Here’s a first look at our roster:
It’s always tough when you have three new starters, but I like the look of next year’s team at first glance. We really need Henry to breakout into a superstar on the wing during his senior year. Cunningham should be primed for a monster year, too. I’m excited to see what Tron can do at point guard, and as of right now I’m leaning towards starting Alloway as a freshman at shooting guard while bringing Ager off the bench as our sixth man.
We also only have one scholarship to recruit for. I’m going to target a five-star JUCO shooting guard to fit the timeline with the recruiting class we just added.
We’re going to stream the regular season of Year 20 at Western Illinois on Wednesday, August 12 at 8:30 p.m. ET. Here’s how you can watch:
Western Illinois, Year 20, 2026-2027 regular season stream
Game: Western Illinois Year 20 regular season stream. We’ll watch one regular season game, recruit, and sim to the NCAA tournament.
How to watch: My Twitch channel
Date: Wednesday, August 12
Tip-off time: 8:30 p.m. ET // 7:30 p.m. CT.
I’ll see you there. Go ‘Necks.
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A confusing, weird mess with PLENTY of conspiracy.
The NHL held the most delightfully weird and wonderful draft lottery on Monday night, which led to the New York Rangers getting the No. 1 overall pick, despite playing in the “playoffs” less than a week before.
People are confused, angry, and don’t understand what happened — all while Rangers fans are over the moon that they won the right to draft Alex Lafrenière, a generational player who could change the franchise overnight. Let’s break all this down.
What exactly took place on Monday night?
The NHL held Phase Two of its yearly draft lottery, live streaming the ping pong balls bouncing around and being selected by commissioner Gary Bettman as normal — but it was anything but standard. The initial draft lottery happened back in June in what was called “Phase 1,” which determined who would get the No. 1 pick, and with a 2.5 percent chance went to “Team E,” designated as one of the teams eliminated from the initial round of bubble play.
The final selection would be decided in “Phase 2,” a second lottery involving all eight teams eliminated in the first round of bubble play, with each team having a 12.5 percent chance at winning the No. 1 pick.
That ended up being the New York Rangers.
This effectively means that with “Team E” winning the first pick, then the Rangers becoming Team E, they won the draft with a 0.0031 percent chance.
This seems really unfair …
It is! Well, kind of. The reality is that theoretically the Rangers did jump up, but only a little. They were the 14th worst team in the league by final standings, which typically would have given them a 1.5 percent chance of winning the draft. They effectively got bumped one percent in Phase 1 — while Calgary, Winnipeg, Minnesota, Chicago, Phoenix, and Montreal all got screwed.
Even then, it’s tough to say they were really hard done by, because everyone had a 12.5 percent chance in Phase Two. This was all just weirdness of having more teams that normal participate in “post season” play.
Confused enough? Yeah, I know … this is all a bit of a mess.
Is getting No. 1 really that good?
Yes. Yes, it is. Truth be told, there’s not really a bad pick inside the Top 6 of this year’s draft, but there’s undoubtedly a major prize: Alex Lafrenière. The consensus No. 1 pick, Lafrenière has been compared to Sidney Crosby in terms of his ability on the ice, and he swept every MVP award known in the sport for a player his age.
As a 16-year-old rookie playing in the QMJHL, Lafrenière scored 42 goals, the most in the league since Crosby. He then followed that up by recording 112 points in 52 games — solidifying himself as the biggest prize in the hockey. Lafrenière already has a body built for the NHL, and it’s expected he’ll immediately play as a rookie, and make an impact.
The Rangers took considerably long odds, and turned it into getting a player hailed as a future cornerstone of hockey. All while still being good enough to qualify for the playoffs. This kind of coup has never been seen in the sport. No team has ever had a chance to play in the post season and still won the No. 1 pick, but here we are — and fans are rightfully elated.
Was this all a conspiracy?
Hell yeah it was! Well, it was if you ask hockey fans.
The exact moment the NHL rigged the Draft Lottery. Notice the look in his eyes when he dropped the ball in the tube early. Somethin fishy goin on here… pic.twitter.com/oyAYVLEIJO
— x- Brind’amour is my dad (@VerySadCanesFan) August 10, 2020
At this point we should expect any, and all draft lotteries to be rigged. Especially when a major market team like the Rangers get lucky. How couldn’t you give in to the romance and drama of the brightest young prospect playing in Madison Square Garden? It’s too good to pass up the opportunity to blame the league.
The purported “smoking gun” is how the ball handler from Ernst & Young fumbled with the Rangers’ draft lottery ball. Was this simply a case of butterfingers, or was the ball specifically weighted so it would find its way through the machine and ensure the Rangers got Lafrenière? I don’t have the answer, but you don’t need answers to start a good conspiracy. You just need to ask questions.
Lizard people control the world economy.
Should I be mad about all this?
That’s really a personal question. Your capacity to be angry about a draft lottery is directly proportional to the other concerns in your life. Considering we’re in the midst of a global pandemic, tenuous financial markets, questions over whether children can return to school safely, ongoing racial unrest caused by the incubation of white nationalism, and the fact we’re an election year, I’m going to go out on a limb and say the Rangers winning the draft isn’t the biggest problem we’re facing as a country.
That said, being mad about sports is also a much-needed distraction — so screw the Rangers, this was all rigged, sports are unfair, and the world is flat with a dome over it placed by the New World Order.
“I think Jesus could be in front of me, and I would probably still shoot.”
Kyle Kuzma has never lacked confidence. The 25-year-old forward is the only player to survive the Lakers’ transition from rebuilding team to championship contender, staying in Los Angeles as former teammates Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball were shipped to New Orleans for Anthony Davis.
It’s put Kuzma under a microscope all year. The Lakers likely have the best 1-2 punch in the NBA, but the rest of their roster after that is highly questionable. Take it from LeBron James himself, who had this to say about Kuzma: “In order for us to win a championship he has to be our third best player.”
Kuzma got a chance to play the hero for the Lakers on Monday night against the Denver Nuggets, and he delivered. With the score tied at 121 with 4.5 seconds left, Kuzma took a feed from Davis and drained a buzzer-beater to give his team the victory:
@kylekuzma for the @Lakers win!#LakeShow #WholeNewGame pic.twitter.com/GIyUB9Eey3
— NBA (@NBA) August 11, 2020
Kuzma hit the shot over a somewhat weak contest from Bol Bol, the Nuggets rookie who is one of the longest players in league history with a 7’8 wingspan.
When asked about Bol’s defense on the shot, Kuzma offered an instant classic quote. “I think Jesus could be in front of me, and I would probably still shoot.”
“I think Jesus could be in front of me, and I would probably still shoot.” – Kyle Kuzma, postgame pic.twitter.com/nfxiZ9hrR3
— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) August 11, 2020
Now, as has been noted by many people around the internet, Jesus wasn’t exactly known for his size. The best reports put him at a solid 5’5.
Shaq said after the game: “I’ve seen Jesus play before, and hopefully Jesus is gonna shut his ass down next game.”
Kuzma: “I think Jesus could be in front of me & I would probably still shoot it.”
Shaq: “I’ve seen Jesus play before and hopefully Jesus doesn’t shut his ass down next game.”
Regardless, the Lakers need a confident Kuzma for the playoffs, and they’re getting one so far in the bubble. Here are Kuzma’s pre-bubble per-game numbers vs. his bubble numbers:
Kyle Kuzma this season
Before the bubble: 12.5 PPG 29.7 3P%
In the bubble: 15.4 PPG 44.4 3P% pic.twitter.com/RgbuNeimjJ
— StatMuse (@statmuse) August 11, 2020
Kuzma battled injury issues for much of this season and now appears to be fully healthy. His Lakers’ teammates were thrilled that he got this moment:
The @Lakers’ locker room celebrates @kylekuzma’s game-winner pic.twitter.com/rPWOCYvOd4
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) August 11, 2020
For more on Kuzma’s big night, read Christian Rivas at Silver Screen and Roll.
“I think Jesus could be in front of me, and I would probably still shoot.”
Kyle Kuzma has never lacked confidence. The 25-year-old forward is the only player to survive the Lakers’ transition from rebuilding team to championship contender, staying in Los Angeles as former teammates Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball were shipped to New Orleans for Anthony Davis.
It’s put Kuzma under a microscope all year. The Lakers likely have the best 1-2 punch in the NBA, but the rest of their roster after that is highly questionable. Take it from LeBron James himself, who had this to say about Kuzma: “In order for us to win a championship he has to be our third best player.”
Kuzma got a chance to play the hero for the Lakers on Monday night against the Denver Nuggets, and he delivered. With the score tied at 121 with 4.5 seconds left, Kuzma took a feed from Davis and drained a buzzer-beater to give his team the victory:
@kylekuzma for the @Lakers win!#LakeShow #WholeNewGame pic.twitter.com/GIyUB9Eey3
— NBA (@NBA) August 11, 2020
Kuzma hit the shot over a somewhat weak contest from Bol Bol, the Nuggets rookie who is one of the longest players in league history with a 7’8 wingspan.
When asked about Bol’s defense on the shot, Kuzma offered an instant classic quote. “I think Jesus could be in front of me, and I would probably still shoot.”
“I think Jesus could be in front of me, and I would probably still shoot.” – Kyle Kuzma, postgame pic.twitter.com/nfxiZ9hrR3
— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) August 11, 2020
Now, as has been noted by many people around the internet, Jesus wasn’t exactly known for his size. The best reports put him at a solid 5’5.
Shaq said after the game: “I’ve seen Jesus play before, and hopefully Jesus is gonna shut his ass down next game.”
Kuzma: “I think Jesus could be in front of me & I would probably still shoot it.”
Shaq: “I’ve seen Jesus play before and hopefully Jesus doesn’t shut his ass down next game.”
Regardless, the Lakers need a confident Kuzma for the playoffs, and they’re getting one so far in the bubble. Here are Kuzma’s pre-bubble per-game numbers vs. his bubble numbers:
Kyle Kuzma this season
Before the bubble: 12.5 PPG 29.7 3P%
In the bubble: 15.4 PPG 44.4 3P% pic.twitter.com/RgbuNeimjJ
— StatMuse (@statmuse) August 11, 2020
Kuzma battled injury issues for much of this season and now appears to be fully healthy. His Lakers’ teammates were thrilled that he got this moment:
The @Lakers’ locker room celebrates @kylekuzma’s game-winner pic.twitter.com/rPWOCYvOd4
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) August 11, 2020
For more on Kuzma’s big night, read Christian Rivas at Silver Screen and Roll.
The move will likely lead to further postponements.
Presidents of Big Ten schools voted Tuesday to postpone all 2020 fall sports, effectively cancelling their college football slate. The news impacts some of the biggest schools in the sport, including Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin — and the move will likely send further ripples through college football.
A statement issued by Morton Schapiro, Chair of the Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors and Northwestern University President indicated that risks were too great to continue play as originally planned.
“Our primary responsibility is to make the best possible decisions in the interest of our students, faculty and staff.”
The Pac-12 were quick to follow, as expected. They held a press conference on Tuesday afternoon to indicate that they too were joining the Big Ten, as the second Power 5 conference to postpone all sports from being played this fall.
Information spread quickly after reports emerged over the weekend of meetings taking place that indicated university presidents of the Big Ten schools were in favor of postponing the season. This was followed by a meeting between the Power 5 conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC) to discuss how they would proceed, should schools elect to stop competition. That path remains unclear, though there is hope, at least in the Big Ten, that football could be moved to the spring. However, it’s unknown what that season would look like, and would likely be shortened due to calendar restraints.
Not only did the Big Ten postpone play inside the conference, but outside as well — making it the first conference to cancel its non-conference slate. The Big Ten making the move now sends shockwaves through the remaining Power 5. It’s believed likely that when one conference made the jump others would follow suit, with the Pac-12 showing that to be true. The outliers right now are the ACC, Big 12 and SEC, all of whom have seemed to pledge to continue competition, believing they can do so safely — regardless of what the rest of college football decides to do. However the pressure to postpone as well will mount, especially considering the exposure of the teams being affected by the Big Ten cancellation.
The NCAA have not issued a statement addressing these schools choosing to postpone play at this time.
The move will likely lead to further postponements.
Presidents of Big Ten schools voted Tuesday to postpone all 2020 fall sports, effectively cancelling their college football slate. The news impacts some of the biggest schools in the sport, including Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin — and the move will likely send further ripples through college football.
A statement issued by Morton Schapiro, Chair of the Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors and Northwestern University President indicated that risks were too great to continue play as originally planned.
“Our primary responsibility is to make the best possible decisions in the interest of our students, faculty and staff.”
The Pac-12 were quick to follow, as expected. They held a press conference on Tuesday afternoon to indicate that they too were joining the Big Ten, as the second Power 5 conference to postpone all sports from being played this fall.
Information spread quickly after reports emerged over the weekend of meetings taking place that indicated university presidents of the Big Ten schools were in favor of postponing the season. This was followed by a meeting between the Power 5 conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC) to discuss how they would proceed, should schools elect to stop competition. That path remains unclear, though there is hope, at least in the Big Ten, that football could be moved to the spring. However, it’s unknown what that season would look like, and would likely be shortened due to calendar restraints.
Not only did the Big Ten postpone play inside the conference, but outside as well — making it the first conference to cancel its non-conference slate. The Big Ten making the move now sends shockwaves through the remaining Power 5. It’s believed likely that when one conference made the jump others would follow suit, with the Pac-12 showing that to be true. The outliers right now are the ACC, Big 12 and SEC, all of whom have seemed to pledge to continue competition, believing they can do so safely — regardless of what the rest of college football decides to do. However the pressure to postpone as well will mount, especially considering the exposure of the teams being affected by the Big Ten cancellation.
The NCAA have not issued a statement addressing these schools choosing to postpone play at this time.
The Phoenix Suns have been the best story of the NBA’s restart bubble. Phoenix faced long-shot odds to reach the Western Conference playoffs from the time they entered the bubble, but they’ve given themselves a chance by going undefeated through their first six games.
Devin Booker is playing like a superstar, Deandre Ayton is making strides at both ends of the court, and Mikal Bridges looks like he could turn into one of the league’s top wing defenders. There are a ton of feel-good vibes around the Suns right now, and they added even more ahead of Tuesday’s game with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Suns surprised their players by having their family members announce them in the starting lineup. The joy on their faces makes this one of the best moments of the bubble:
The Suns surprised their players with starting lineups announced by their families at home ❤️ pic.twitter.com/QP72UuqdS7
— ESPN (@espn) August 11, 2020
The Suns even got Booker’s friend Jenna Warren to announce him. Did anyone else get a little choked up watching that? Guilty.
NBA players have been away from their loved ones since they entered the bubble, which is so hard even for millionaire professional athletes. Whoever thought of this idea — well done.
The whole thing makes us root for the Suns that much more.
The Phoenix Suns have been the best story of the NBA’s restart bubble. Phoenix faced long-shot odds to reach the Western Conference playoffs from the time they entered the bubble, but they’ve given themselves a chance by going undefeated through their first six games.
Devin Booker is playing like a superstar, Deandre Ayton is making strides at both ends of the court, and Mikal Bridges looks like he could turn into one of the league’s top wing defenders. There are a ton of feel-good vibes around the Suns right now, and they added even more ahead of Tuesday’s game with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Suns surprised their players by having their family members announce them in the starting lineup. The joy on their faces makes this one of the best moments of the bubble:
The Suns surprised their players with starting lineups announced by their families at home ❤️ pic.twitter.com/QP72UuqdS7
— ESPN (@espn) August 11, 2020
The Suns even got Booker’s friend Jenna Warren to announce him. Did anyone else get a little choked up watching that? Guilty.
NBA players have been away from their loved ones since they entered the bubble, which is so hard even for millionaire professional athletes. Whoever thought of this idea — well done.
The whole thing makes us root for the Suns that much more.
It’s been reported that Friday’s clash against Parramatta will be Paul McGregor’s last game in charge of the Dragons. Considering he has just eight wins from the last 31 games, it’s impossible to put a reasonable case forward to defend the coach.
So who replaces ‘Mary’ at the Red V?
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If Paul McGregor goes, who is his logical replacement?
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There will be an elite group of coaches available in 2022 in Wayne Bennett, Shane Flanagan and maybe Craig Fitzgibbon. So there is an argument to appoint an interim coach for 2021, then make a big play.
Possible interims would be Dean Young or Ben Hornby, which would offset the payout to McGregor.
But if Bennett, Flanagan or Fitzgibbon aren’t the long-term options, who else is an option?
Anthony Griffin
Griffin has coached 173 matches across stints with the Broncos and Panthers. He is currently a member of the continuous call on 2GB.
Known to be an uncompromising coach, he was sacked under controversial circumstances at Penrith when the Panthers were well established in the eight.
Still only 53, Griffin is the strongest candidate available.
Geoff Toovey
A club legend at Manly as a player, Toovey was coach from 2012 until 2015, for 105 games, then a further 23 in charge of the Bradford Bulls in 2017.
Toovey would bring passion and commitment, but he may need good support staff around him.
Paul Green
Only recently left North Queensland, he has the best record of the coaches available, featuring two grand finals, one premiership and a World Club Challenge.
The Cowboys aren’t the first team to struggle to rebuild after the loss of generational players – Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott – and Green would have a better group to work with at the Dragons.
Paul Green (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Todd Payten
The interim coach at the Warriors passed on the head coaching role to pursue the job at North Queensland. The playing group and prospects are superior at the Dragons, so perhaps he could be tempted.
Neil Henry
The coach of 248 games across stints with North Queenland, Canberra and the Gold Coast, he fell out of favour at the Titans because he didn’t get on with Jarryd Hayne. Given Hayne’s implosion, perhaps Henry was hard done by.
Henry is generally well regarded, despite having a losing record, and is known to be both intelligent and an excellent tactician.
John Cartwright
Cartwright was the inaugural coach of the Titans and is currently an assistant to Des Hasler at Many.
Generally known as a nice guy and a smart coach, Cartwright would be an improvement on McGregor but there are better options.
Michael Potter
The coach of 263 games across stints with the Catalans Dragons, St Helens, Bradford Bulls and Wests Tigers, Potter was then Nathan Brown’s assistant at Newcastle.
Brown spoke highly of Potter and of course Potter is a St George club legend, winning the Dally M Medal in 1991.
Well that’s my list, please let know of your thoughts in the comments, hopefully better days are not far away.
There has been plenty of controversy surrounding who is the correct player to buy or keep in your NRL Fantasy squad for 2020.
Participants have utilised their trades based on inconsistencies from their players to upgrade to a better player, or to downgrade to a cash-cow option in an attempt to make some cash for their squad.
In saying all this, I will provide my top three players from each position currently in NRL Fantasy for the run home in 2020.
Winger/fullback
1. Kalyn Ponga
Ponga has been in fine form the last few weeks with an average of around 77 points in his last three games, and not to mention an outstanding performance last week in Round 13 with 103 points. Ponga is most certainly a must-have if you haven’t got him in your squad already.
2. Ryan Papenhuyzen
Papenhuyzen has shown some signs of inconsistency earlier in the season, but he has proven to be a very handy player to have in your team, averaging around 56 points in his last three games and 53 in his last five matches.
3. James Tedesco
Yes, we all know that Tedesco hasn’t been in his best form whatsoever in terms of racking up the points in NRL Fantasy, only averaging 42 points in his last three, while only putting up a score of 20 in Round 13. But besides all that, he is still a must-have in anyone’s team.
(Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Centre
1. Zac Lomax
While there has been heaps of speculation on who the best centre options are. Lomax has proven to be one of the most consistent centres all season. Producing a season-high performance of 75 last week, and an average of 53 points in his last three matches, Lomax is definitely an automatic recruitment in the centres.
2. Stephen Crichton
Crichton has produced consistent numbers also, but has not been in the best form, but is still a very important option for that other centre position and will most likely hit the ground running for the remainder of the season for the Panthers.
3. Tyrone Peachey
With an average of 55 points in his last three games, Peachey is finally starting to show signs of strong performances for the remainder of the 2020 season. Peachey also has that dual position option of a centre/second row forward as well. If centre positions are already full, Peachey would be a handy bench option for your team as well.
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If Paul McGregor goes, who is his logical replacement?
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Halves
1. Nathan Cleary
There is absolutely no doubt that Cleary is the best option for that half position in anyone’s team, while also being a very popular captain as well. With an average of 80 points in his last five matches, Cleary looks to continue his outstanding form for the Panthers in the 2020 season.
2. Daly Cherry-Evans
While Manly is experiencing a mid-season slump, Cherry-Evans has easily been Manly’s best player Fantasy-wise this season, as he averages 70 points in his last five matches.
3. Ben Hunt
With Hunt temporarily switching from the halves to the centres, Hunt was a very handy cheap option for a half spot in your squad. However, he has now switched back to halfback but has continued some good form, averaging 67 in his last five.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Second row
1. James Taumalolo
He is most certainly a popular option for that second-row spot in anyone’s team, averaging a whopping 74 points in his last three games.
2. Isaah Yeo
Yeo has been very consistent all season for Fantasy players this year. He averages 62 in his last three.
3. Tohu Harris
Harris has surprisingly been very good for the Warriors this season and for Fantasy players. He averages 66 points in his last three games.
Front row
1. Payne Haas
There is absolutely no doubt that Haas is everyone’s first choice front-row option in everyone’s team at the moment, and has been one of few consistent performers for the Broncos this year. Haas averages 71 in his last three games and is a reliable captain option as well.
2. Patrick Carrigan
Carrigain started off very cheap at the start of the season and has made plenty of cash for the coaches who pounced on him towards the start of the season. He currently has a price tag of $769,000 and averages 63 in his last five games.
3. Josh Papalii
Papalii has been yet another consistent forward for Fantasy coaches this year, averaging 62 in his last five.
(Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Hooker
1. Cameron McInnes
McInnes has been the best player for the Dragons this season and has certainly paid off in anyone’s Fantasy squad. He has an all-season average of around 74 points and is also another good captaincy option as well.
2. Apisai Koroisau
Koroisau has now come back from his short injury and looks good for the run home. He’s averaged around 62 points all season.
3. Kurt Mann
Now that Mann has switched to the hooker position due to the horrid run of injuries for the Newcastle Knights, Mann looks to be a handy option at hooker if you are a bit tight on cash. He is also a reliable bench option, averaging about 49 points all season.
Just as COVID has affected the rest of the competition, and indeed the world, in 2020, it is set to affect the Origin series too.
We still don’t know where the matches are going to be played, just that they will be on three consecutive Wednesdays in November. The first match is slated to take place just ten days after the grand final on October 25.
Normally played before a parochial crowd, is it unlikely we will get anything close to that this season. With crowds carefully capped during the regular season, and the situation in Victoria, there is virtually no chance we will see the sell-out crowds of series past.
While the timing and schedule of Origin always seems to be a topic of discussion, this is hardly the perfect model for our showpiece event. But with the world the way it is at the moment, the NRL just needed to get the series scheduled at whatever cost, to maximise the already reduced revenue of this season.
(Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
It is hard to see at this stage who this scheduling is going to benefit more as the season wears on. We have a pretty clear idea of the NRL teams that will be there at the pointy end, with only a couple of sides towards the bottom of the eight in any real danger of missing out. Some players are going to be asked to go right through to grand final day, and then back up ten days later. On the other hand, others will be having more than a month off before playing Origin.
For those going all the way to the grand final, Origin is a big ask. Normally players get ten or so days to prepare for Origin 1 after being selected, however that is normally ten rounds into the competition, not off the back of a finals series. By the time we get to grand final day there are normally a number of players who are managing niggling injuries among the regular fatigue of a long season. Then we have the celebrations or commiserations that come with the result of the grand final.
How this will all work for Brad Fittler and Kevin Walters is intriguing too. By the end of the regular season they would have a pretty good idea of their first choice side, regardless of form in the finals.
Picking more players whose teams have bowed out for the season represents an opportunity to get them into camp earlier and freshen them up while keeping them fit. Relying on others to not just stay fit, but also handle fatigue, could prove to be a gamble. Players often go into surgery straight after the season concludes to maximise their recovery time for next season. Fittler and Walters will be having to carefully consider who they pick in extended squads so that they don’t rule any players out this way.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
A case could be made at the moment that the Blues have more players set to go deep into the finals than the Maroons, particularly in key positions. The top eight teams as it stands are littered with potential Blues candidates. It is a great luxury for Brad Fittler to have so many potential players in such great form. Nathan Cleary has been sensational at Penrith, Luke Keary looks set to finally debut with his performances for the Roosters, and James Tedesco is as consistent as ever. Jack Wighton is keeping the Raiders in contention and Reagan Campbell-Gillard has been resurgent at the Eels. It’s the tip of the iceberg with plenty of potential Blues enjoying good seasons.
For the Maroons, the form – of lack thereof – for some key players is cause for real concern. Kalyn Ponga is the only genuine option at fullback, and they better count on him being fit and firing. Likewise with Cameron Munster in the halves, but that is where the good news for Queensland stops in the spine.
Corey Norman and Ben Hunt played halfback and hooker respectively in the decider last year. Anthony Milford and Michael Morgan have also featured in the halves in series gone by. None of them are in the kind of form you would want if Origin was going to be played tomorrow. Norman and Hunt have been shuffled around the Dragons team to no avail, with the Dragons out of finals contention.
Milford as one of the highest paid Broncos has failed to spark them this year, while Morgan has battled injury and now faces propping up a struggling Cowboys. Daly Cherry-Evans is likely to be the halfback at this stage and while he isn’t solely responsible for the Sea Eagles dip in form, he isn’t having the impact you would like as a Maroons fan either.
(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
You get the sense that at the moment the Blues team could virtually pick itself, and has some depth to it, but they are probably going to be playing deeper in the season. The Maroons however are really going to struggle in some areas to pick a competitive side, but may have the luxury of a better preparation.
Everyone gets up for Origin. It is a long way away, and some of these players for both sides will rise for the occasion. The story of last year’s series tells us that with both teams lifting themselves off the canvas at points. The Maroons drew first blood in Game 1, as underdogs and had two games in hand to win the series.
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The Blues made wholesale changes in key positions, and had to win in Perth to keep the season alive, and did so with a commanding victory that put them in the box seat heading to Sydney. In that game alone, the Blues looked home only for the Maroons to storm back into the contest and nearly force extra time. In the case of either team, both looked incredibly likely to win the series at some point.
In any case, this Origin series is intriguing. Sides are pencilled in for a reason, and with so much footy still to play, anything can change in the next few weeks. At the moment though, the Blues appear to have their key players in better form. What the build-up already suggests is that Origin needs to stay where it was after this weird old season we are having.
To ask the players to back up after a long season for our showpiece event, so soon after the grand final, is too much. That combined with trying to manage players who are all in very different stages of their season, or being forced to make decisions between surgery and potential representative honours, is just as significant.
It is imperfect in the middle of the season, but it has lasted so long because it is the best option we have. It spices up the depths of winter, and is always an enthralling storyline. In front of sell-out crowds, and with record TV audiences, some things in our game don’t need to be tampered with too much.
That being said, in a year with so much disruption, it will be another welcome distraction to have Origin in November.
For a side that has consistently underperformed over the years, there seems no more fitting appointment than Nathan Brown as coach of the New Zealand Warriors.
Brown will take on the role in 2021, after he signed a three-year deal with the club over the weekend.
It was a seemingly quick appointment for the role where the likes of Geoff Toovey didn’t even get an interview.
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For those who may have forgotten, here is a refresher for Brown’s coaching record in the NRL:
• 245 games
• 104 wins
• One draw
• 42 per cent winning record
In his nine years of coaching in the NRL, Brown made the finals four times. Let’s not forget he also won successive wooden spoons with Newcastle in 2016 and 2017.
Yes, that’s right folks, a man with consecutive wooden spoons beat out another former coach, who in his first three years at Manly took them to:
• One preliminary final
• One grand final
• One semi-final
So why did the Warriors appoint Brown? As he said in his goodby press conference last year with the Knights, he helps the battlers. The teams that need to form those foundations for success. And while that’s all well and good, is it his coaching that provides that platform?
Newcastle this year are miles ahead of what Brown had them at in his four years. And while it may seem cruel to compare this team to his wooden spoon sides of 2016-17, a case can still be made.
The years 2018 and 2019 were meant to successful for Newcastle but while they would start well, they flamed out in both years. The mental fortitude wasn’t there and that was on the coach.
Knights players celebrate the win after Mitchell Pearce scores a field goal (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)
However, this year’s side is different – they are not only more capable of playing finals footy, they believe it as well.
New coach Adam O’Brien has entrusted his team with more ownership and more guidance. Look at the development of David Klemmer with a new-found freedom in offloading the ball. Kurt Mann, a player trapped by his own utility value, looked to languish between reserve grade and the number 14 jersey before O’Brien placed faith with him in the five-eighth role. Before injuries forced him into the dummy half position, he was easily Newcastle’s best player all year. That development was never shown under Brown
Right now, the Warriors represent a hugely talented squad but lack a hard edge to contest for finals football. Interim coach Todd Payten has them performing admirably amidst trying conditions, where they have left their families and have had to field opposing players in their squad. Captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck leads the charge and guys like Tohu Harris, Eliese Katoa and Peta Hiku are not too far behind.
But with the era of Brown about to begin, it seems inevitable the Kiwis will revert back to their ways of showing potential early on before failing to make the top eight. Sounds strangely similar to the Knights team of old.
After years of disappointment and underachieving in the Hunter, why do the Warriors think Brown is the right man? He left the Knights in a better position than when he arrived, but they still failed to deliver on promise and potential.
It’s stupid and reckless to hire Brown just to fill in for three years until a more successful coach walks in, but that’s what we’ve come to expect from the Warriors now. They’re a club with so much promise yet they continue to fail.
And it seems with Nathan Brown’s looming appointment that trend will continue.
Karachi: New Zealand Cricket (NZC)’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) David White revealed that Pakistan has confirmed their tour in December which will take place in a bio-secure environment.
Speaking to the press, White confirmed that the upcoming cricket season in New Zealand will go ahead as per schedule despite COVID-19 pandemic across the world.
“Teams including West Indies, Pakistan, Australia, and Bangladesh have confirmed their tours to New Zealand, so (there will be) 37 days of international cricket,” he told reporters without revealing many details about the schedule.
The CEO said that they are in touch with their government and cricket boards on regular basis to discuss further development following the changing scenario due to a widely-spread virus.
It must be noted here that Pakistan is scheduled to play two Tests and three T20Is in against New Zealand at their backyard. Currently, the green shirts are in England for three Tests and as many T20Is in the bio-secure bubble.
Read: Everytime you can’t blame captaincy, credit must be given to England: Azhar Ali
Manchester: England’s fast bowler Stuart Broad was fined 15 percent of his match fees for using ‘Inappropriate language’ against Yasir Shah during the first Test at Old Trafford.
According to the details, match-referee Chris Broad, also the father of English pacer, charged the bowler for the offence.
Broad also conceded a demerit point which took his tally to three in the last 24-months time. Remember, if a player concedes four demerit points in the last 24-months, he faces suspension from the game.
It must be noted here that England defeated Pakistan by three wickets in the opening Test. The second Test will start on August 13 in Southampton.
Read: James Anderson denies retirement rumors as he eyes return to form
Lahore: Former wicket-keeper batsman Rashid Latif thinks it is the best time to introduce right-handed batsman Haider Ali in Test cricket.
Speaking on his YouTube show ‘Caught Behind’, Latif stressed upon the need to introduce Haider in middle-order after seniors like Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali failed to deliver.
“I think Pakistan will waste one year of his career if they don’t give chance to Haider. This is the best time to introduce him in Test cricket. Don’t wait for Azhar and Asad to retire,” he said.
“For me, he has a lot to offer in Test cricket and I feel he can become excellent Test player,” he added.
It must be noted here that Haider made his place in the national side after showcasing strong form in Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 5. He scored 239 in nine matches at an average of 29.87.
Read: Watch: Haider Ali playing perfect shots in nets in Derby
Karachi: England’s former Test cricketer Michael Atherton suggested Azhar Ali’s men to focus on just positives from the first match and move on with a strong plan into remaining Tests.
Speaking to Zainab Abbas on her YouTube channel, Atherton said Pakistani skipper should lead his team with positivity in upcoming Tests.
“If I was in Azhar Ali’s shoes, I would have been focusing on all the good things Pakistan did,” he said. “Pakistan needs to make a strong game plan against England in order to overcome them in remaining Tests,” he added.
Read: Stay strong, we’ll bounce back: Sarfaraz backs Azhar after first Test loss
Former English captain also recalled a moment after they lost to West Indies badly in the initial days of his captaincy. “I still remember, it were initial days of my captaincy and we lost to West Indies badly, we got out for just 46 in the last session despite dominating three and half days. Everyone was focusing on that last session whereas I was focusing on the fact that we outplayed West Indies for three days. I told players that this is the area where we all should be focusing to bounce back,” he reminisced.
It must be noted here that Pakistan lost to England by three wickets in the opening Test at Old Trafford. The second Test of three matches series will start from August 13 in Southampton.
Read Also: Wasim Akram wants Pakistan to include Fawad Alam in second Test
Karachi: England’s former Test cricketer Michael Atherton suggested Azhar Ali’s men to focus on just positives from the first match and move on with a strong plan into remaining Tests.
Speaking to Zainab Abbas on her YouTube channel, Atherton said Pakistani skipper should lead his team with positivity in upcoming Tests.
“If I was in Azhar Ali’s shoes, I would have been focusing on all the good things Pakistan did,” he said. “Pakistan needs to make a strong game plan against England in order to overcome them in remaining Tests,” he added.
Read: Stay strong, we’ll bounce back: Sarfaraz backs Azhar after first Test loss
Former English captain also recalled a moment after they lost to West Indies badly in the initial days of his captaincy. “I still remember, it were initial days of my captaincy and we lost to West Indies badly, we got out for just 46 in the last session despite dominating three and half days. Everyone was focusing on that last session whereas I was focusing on the fact that we outplayed West Indies for three days. I told players that this is the area where we all should be focusing to bounce back,” he reminisced.
It must be noted here that Pakistan lost to England by three wickets in the opening Test at Old Trafford. The second Test of three matches series will start from August 13 in Southampton.
Read Also: Wasim Akram wants Pakistan to include Fawad Alam in second Test
Karachi: England’s fast bowler Stuart Broad has trolled match-referee Chris Broad, who is his father, after being fined 15 percent of his match fees for using inappropriate language in the first Test against Pakistan.
Broad used the language against Yasir Shah and also conceded a demerit point which took his tally to three in the last 24-months time.
However, Broad while replying to a post by England’s Barmy Army on Twitter responded comically. “He’s off the Christmas card & present list,” he responded.
He’s off the Christmas card & present list
— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) August 11, 2020
According to the ICC release, Broad was found to have breached Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match.
It must be noted here that England defeated Pakistan by three wickets in the opening Test. The second Test will start on August 13 in Southampton.
Read also: Broad fined for using ‘Inappropriate language’ against Yasir
Karachi: England’s fast bowler Stuart Broad has trolled match-referee Chris Broad, who is his father, after being fined 15 percent of his match fees for using inappropriate language in the first Test against Pakistan.
Broad used the language against Yasir Shah and also conceded a demerit point which took his tally to three in the last 24-months time.
However, Broad while replying to a post by England’s Barmy Army on Twitter responded comically. “He’s off the Christmas card & present list,” he responded.
He’s off the Christmas card & present list
— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) August 11, 2020
According to the ICC release, Broad was found to have breached Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match.
It must be noted here that England defeated Pakistan by three wickets in the opening Test. The second Test will start on August 13 in Southampton.
Read also: Broad fined for using ‘Inappropriate language’ against Yasir
Southampton: England opener Dom Sibley is still cautious of Pakistan bowlers ahead of the second Test in Rose Bowl on Thursday.
England leads the three-match series 1-0 after a three-wicket victory in the first Test at Old Trafford last week, the right-hander expects to have his work cut out again in the upcoming Test.
“They are a very good attack and they showed too. They have got a bit of everything, so we’ll have to be at our best to be able to cope with them,” Sibley told reporters on Tuesday.
Read also: ‘Pakistan should focus on positives for remaining Tests’ Atherton
Abbas is very accurate, they have a left-arm angle (Shaheen) and the youngster (Naseem) who has some pace and bowled really well last week and a world-class spinner (Yasir). We have had a look and need to adapt and prepare for Thursday.
He also emphasized the role of players and stepping up in the remaining Tests in the absence of Ben Stokes, who has been ruled out for family reasons and would shortly fly to New Zealand.
“He’s a massive part of our team and one of the best players in the world but family comes first and we’re supporting him with everything that is going on. We will have to make do in his absence and people will have to step up,” Sibley added.
Read also: Ben Stokes to miss rest of ENGvPAK Test series due to family reasons
Southampton: England opener Dom Sibley is still cautious of Pakistan bowlers ahead of the second Test in Rose Bowl on Thursday.
England leads the three-match series 1-0 after a three-wicket victory in the first Test at Old Trafford last week, the right-hander expects to have his work cut out again in the upcoming Test.
“They are a very good attack and they showed too. They have got a bit of everything, so we’ll have to be at our best to be able to cope with them,” Sibley told reporters on Tuesday.
Read also: ‘Pakistan should focus on positives for remaining Tests’ Atherton
Abbas is very accurate, they have a left-arm angle (Shaheen) and the youngster (Naseem) who has some pace and bowled really well last week and a world-class spinner (Yasir). We have had a look and need to adapt and prepare for Thursday.
He also emphasized the role of players and stepping up in the remaining Tests in the absence of Ben Stokes, who has been ruled out for family reasons and would shortly fly to New Zealand.
“He’s a massive part of our team and one of the best players in the world but family comes first and we’re supporting him with everything that is going on. We will have to make do in his absence and people will have to step up,” Sibley added.
Read also: Ben Stokes to miss rest of ENGvPAK Test series due to family reasons
If you’re anything like me, Rugby Australia announcing their new rugby rights deal out of the blue would’ve completely thrown you.
Shoutout to Raelene Castle, because without her taking the rights to market earlier in the year, we would likely have another run-of-the-mill Super Rugby competition, played at shocking hours, packaged up for a minuscule price on Foxtel, which ain’t gonna attract any new fans.
I love that, after years of fans throwing around competition concepts, Rugby Australia have shown themselves to be right up there with the most ambitious and open minded of us in terms of competition structures.
It’s a massive turn of events after years of just submitting to whatever SANZAAR suggested. And I’m not criticising, I get why they valued that union.
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Something that stood out was the sheer amount of content RA threw onto the table and how they emphasised that no broadcaster needed to snap it all up – a network could pick and choose what fits their needs.
Anyway, let’s try and make sense of it all.
Much as I can appreciate a vast number of formats and competitions, a lot of them won’t appeal to broadcasters, especially with the state of the media industry. Reports earlier in the year were that Optus were interested in showing at least some rugby, albeit for a much lesser price, before that fell through.
As for the only free-to-air commercial network not already swamped with primetime content from the other codes, Channel Ten, they’re hardly in a position to be spending money, after announcing multiple big-name redundancies. And in May they let go of their head of sport, Matt White, before opting not to televise Supercars anymore.
The reality is that at this point in time, the sporting public don’t watch rugby week in, week out. Bledisloe Cup matches get some interest, as do World Cups, Lions Tours and maybe the odd Super Rugby game.
But which networks or streaming services will want to throw millions out the door for a weekly Super Rugby game, which, in the short run at least, will struggle to crack 50,000 viewers?
Michael Hooper. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
First cab off the rank are the Wallabies’ Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup games.
The latter is the jewel in the crown – without it, these rights look a lot less impressive. The Rugby Championship can be dull and predictable, but the Wallabies’ games will bring in viewers. Home games will all be at TV-friendly times, as will games in New Zealand.
If you can embrace a Sunday morning (AEST) kickoff in Argentina, the only real blemish is what would be a 1am start in South Africa, especially with half the Wallabies’ games produced overseas.
This is a broadcaster-friendly competition, especially with anti-siphoning laws, I’d expect these games to get on FTA.
The next product announced are Wallaroos Tests. As of yet, 15s rugby hasn’t seen the meteoric rise that the other women’s sports have. Really, the best RA could offer would be the sevens series. Unless a network could snap these up and get some kind of grant for doing so – similar to what Foxtel have recently been given – you’d expect these to end up being streamed via RA’s social channels, or maybe stuck behind a paywall.
The next point addresses the void Super Rugby has left – suggesting either a trans-Tasman competition or a domestic comp like Super Rugby AU.
Make no mistake, a trans-Tasman comp is the most beneficial from a broadcasting point of view. Five games weekly, Friday and Saturday primetime covered, double-headers on both of those days, and the extra game could be shoved over to Sunday so as not to clash with club rugby.
Again, with half the games produced overseas, with locally relevant teams and New Zealand powerhouses, this is another safe model. The likelihood is for one or two games to be screened live weekly in primetime, on FTA or Optus.
The suggested Super Eight competition is the wildcard in all of this. Not too many people envisioned a Champions League-style playoff between the two best teams from South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, along with representatives from Japan and South America.
Would I watch it? Yes. Would I be in the minority? Also yes. And I’d predict that Foxtel, at least, would have some interest.
A club Championship model sounds decent. One of the (many) obvious arguments against letting club rugby fill the void after Super Rugby is that it has niche appeal. While that will still be the case for this competition, at least it’ll tap into multiple markets of club rugby fans.
I love showing the Shute Shield and Queensland Premier Rugby, but given the unique timeslots of these competitions, Shute Shield in particular, you’re limited in broadcast options. Any deal would have to be limited to one, maybe two games per comp. In what is already a niche market, diluting the audience too many ways will only harm you in the long run. Maybe a game or two weekly will make it on air, but either broadcasters will demand to be reimbursed, or it’ll come cheap.
The final aspect of the deal refers to “A showcase of the best schoolboy rugby in Australia”. Cryptic.
Make no mistake about it, there’s some interest in schoolboy rugby, and I’m not just talking about the thousands of schoolboys and old boys who flock out to every match. But YouTube highlights reels getting 50,000 views is one thing, the general population watching each week is another. Don’t hold your breath.
I love what Rugby Australia has done here, and how open minded they’ve shown themselves to be. However, cash-strapped broadcasters (the ones that matter anyway) will glance over the vast majority of what they’re offering, and toss that media release right into the bin.
Any doubt about who should be playing at number 7 for the Wallabies this season has been erased by the Waratahs’ comprehensive 45-12 rout of the Reds in the gathering rain on Saturday evening.
When I wrote this article only three weeks ago, things were looking pretty rosy for the men from Queensland. They were on a three-match unbeaten run and sitting atop the Super Rugby Australia table after beating the Western Force.
But since the bye week in Round 4, their tournament has begun to unravel. They lost (unluckily) to a last-minute penalty against the Brumbies, and over the weekend they were unable to prevent their most bitter interstate rivals scoring at will in a remarkable first half at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The Waratahs scored five tries in the first period. When the rain poured down out of a blackening sky after halftime, it came as a merciful relief for the Queenslanders. Otherwise the Tahs might have racked up a cricket score.
What has changed in the passage between the unbeaten initial run and the post-bye collapse? The steady drip-drip of question-marks about the Reds’ defence, which I’d raised in the original iteration of 2020 Super Rugby back in March, became a raging torrent on Saturday evening.
It was as if a dam had finally burst. Where the Reds conceded eight tries in their first three Super Rugby AU games, they’ve shipped nine in two matches since. The Reds have now conceded four more tries than any other team in the competition – including the Force, who have won no games at all so far.
The coaches had picked Fraser McReight at number 7 and moved Liam Wright to blindside for the first three matches, but they dropped McReight to the bench, started Angus Scott-Young at 6 and moved Wright back to the openside flank in Round 5 and 6.
Liam Wright. (Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)
It has not worked, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Poor Angus Scott-Young managed to look better as an emergency second-rower against the Force than he did as a blindside flanker on Saturday evening. The Queensland back row was a mess from beginning to end.
The problems started with the Reds’ failure to secure their own lineout ball, despite an average advantage of two inches per man in the back five forwards, and the absence of lineout leader Rob Simmons from the opposition pack.
As against the Force, the Reds chose to deploy Wright at the front/middle of the line:
At this lineout, turned over by Ned Hanigan, Wright is the target with both Scott-Young and Harry Wilson knitted tightly around him. All three back-rowers are therefore grouped towards the front end of the line, When the ball is spun out to the far touch-line, there is no back-row cover folding in behind the line of backs:
The two Queensland forwards closest to the play when James Ramm makes his break are locks Angus Blyth and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto. The back row is nowhere to be seen.
The effect is compounded by the Reds backs operating a rush defence. The physical demands are far higher than they are in a drift or in an up-and-out system. There are two waves of defence, the backs attack that much further upfield, and there is a premium placed on forwards who can run well enough to cover the space they leave in behind. It is exhausting aerobic work.
At an average of nine kilos per man heavier than their opponents, the Reds’ forwards never looked likely to be able to manage those spaces:
This is the Waratahs’ first try of the game. The Queensland backs rush upfield, there is a bounce pass from Karmichael Hunt out to Ramm out on the left to slow things down, but even then, after Ramm makes the bust, the forward cover is paper-thin:
Wilson at least overtakes Salakaia-Loto, but gets nowhere near enough to stop the final offloading sequence between Ramm, Hunt and scrumhalf Jake Gordon.
For the Waratahs second try, defensive negligence bordered on the criminal (at 1:20 in the above highlights clip). The referee has already awarded a penalty advantage, and Gordon makes no secret of his desire to take a quick tap:
Reds halfback Scott Malolua (who should be Gordon’s mirror on this play) has his back turned, and all three back-rowers are out of shot on the right side of the field. Only hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa is alert to the danger, and his chances of stopping Gordon one-on-one are somewhere between slim and none. ‘Slim is outta town’ at that moment.
Meanwhile, the Reds persisted in calling long lineouts with both Wright and Wilson bunched towards the front:
When the ball is turned over, it results in some truly bizarre back-row positioning after a couple more phases:
Wright and Scott-Young are in the middle of a ragged Reds defensive line, while Wilson is corner-flagging in the backfield against the long kick 30 metres behind them!
All three were caught on the wrong side of the ruck for the Waratahs’ third try of the game (at 1:44 on the highlights reel). The crucial moment is visible from the wider shot:
There are two sky blue outside backs (Jack Maddocks and Ramm), two back-rowers (Lachie Swinton and Jack Dempsey) and a hooker (the lively Tom Horton) opposed on the short side by only three Reds defenders: lock Angus Blyth, scrumhalf Malolua and replacement back Jack Hardy. It is an unequal contest with all of the Queensland back row so far away from the scene.
The next New South Wales score (at 2:17) was an even more direct exploitation of the disjointed Reds back row. Wright is competing in the air, which was fine with Fraser McReight standing alongside James O’Connor against the Force. But Scott-Young does not even lay a finger on Gordon after he bursts between two front-rowers around the end of the lineout.
The balance in the back five forwards, which Queensland had in the first three rounds of the competition, has been unequivocally lost.
It had the effect of playing Michael Hooper into the game in quite spectacular fashion, and dispelling any remaining doubts about his right to a starting spot in the first Wallabies side to be picked by Dave Rennie:
Hooper ruled the open spaces on both sides of the ball with almost no serious opposition. In this instance, with Scott-Young taking himself out of the play with a late shot on Maddocks, Wilson corner-flagging and Wright trudging back in midfield, Hooper has no opponent at the first ruck:
Defensively, Hooper won five turnovers and was miles ahead of the Queensland back row in all the important moments:
As Hunter Paisami breaks down the left side-line, Hooper is more than 20 metres ahead of the nearest back-row support for the Reds, Wilson:
He even has time to make a second, and decisive, play on the ball before the next man (Scott-Young) arrives.
Even in more structured scenarios at the ruck, the task of removing Hooper was often left to the Queensland backs:
Wilson carries, but Bryce Hegarty makes a poor attempt at cleaning out Hooper and another ball is lost.
The most symbolic moment of all arrived after another Reds’ break down the right in the second half:
Hooper has time to organise the defence as Alex Mafi thunders down the right touchline, make a tackle, get up again and recover the loose ball, all before the first Reds forward arrives on the scene. That forward is not one of Hooper’s back-row opponents, but second-rower Angus Blyth. It was as neat a capsule of the game as any other.
Summary
Every coach in the game looks for winning formulas in selection. Once they have found it, they tend to stick to it through thick and thin. Few voluntarily change course again.
Brad Thorn found a winning formula by shifting Lukhan Salakaia-Loto to the second row, and Lukhan is now rewarding that faith with some substantial performances in his natural position. However, Thorn has rowed back on the other success story, which involved Liam Wright moving to number 6 and the introduction of the outstanding young number 7 in Australian rugby, Fraser McReight.
It is no coincidence that a significant performance drop-off occurred against the Waratahs, a side the Reds had already beaten earlier in the competition. Whenever the Reds lost the ball, their back row was conspicuously unable to cover the many holes left by their rushing backline defence.
The Reds never adapted. They never called shorter lineouts to get more defenders out into midfield, they never switched from the back-line rush to a more conservative pattern, and they failed to get McReight out on to the field until it was all far too late.
In the process, they gave Michael Hooper the run of an open field and he made hay, with or without the ball, whether the sun was shining or not. It was no coincidence that Jack Dempsey and Ned Hanigan had their best games in the sky blue for some time, either.
Michael Hooper. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
In the process, they have probably also squashed for good any challenge their captain Liam Wright might have presented to Hooper for the Wallabies number 7 jersey. I believe Wright’s challenge for the number 6 shirt is still very much alive, and that Harry Wilson will be in the squad as reserve number 8.
But the message is clear: it is high time that Thorn stopped cutting off his own nose to spite his face. Or for that matter, quits looking a gift horse in the mouth, to check for imaginary imperfections. Play Fraser McReight from the start, and watch him go.
Despite securing the Premiers’ Plate since coming back from the season pause, Sydney FC’s formline has fans and media questioning their championship credentials.
Just looking at the scoreline, you would have thought Sydney had it easy in a 3-1 win over Wellington in their first game back.
Their performance was far from polished that night, and Wellington led before Sydney were awarded a somewhat fortunate penalty. The win was only sealed late on with a double from Trent Buhagiar after the New Zealand side themselves exposed and later saw a goal ruled out for offside that VAR would have surely allowed.
In the four games since, the Sky Blues are winless and have taken just two points from a possible 12.
The rhetoric coming from the club is what you’d expect.
“I think I can turn it (our form) around very quickly,” Corica told reporters following his side’s one-all draw with Brisbane Roar.
“I think the last couple of matches we have shown we are back to our best with the ball, especially in the second half (against Brisbane).
“It is just about finishing teams off and creating a few more chances.”
There’s no doubt Corica believes what he is saying and there is weight behind his words. He already boasts two trophies in his short time as Sydney manager.
But there is cause for concern.
More Football
With one game to go, Sydney FC’s title credentials are on the line
Melbourne City vs Adelaide United: A-League live scores
European heavyweights through to Europa League semis
Save the Mariners or it just ain’t the A-League
Brisbane Roar FC vs Sydney FC: A League live scores
Football
The logjam of fixtures in the return of this interrupted season meant clubs needed to hit the ground running.
For Sydney, with the Premiers’ Plate all but secured before the break, their remaining games stood to be great opportunities to optimise their performance and ensure they would be ready for sudden-death football.
They’ve now burned five of their six games, and have one last chance to finetune before the finals series begins.
And it’s not against a side with nothing to play for – they come up against a Western United outfit that may well be desperate for the three points to secure their own finals spot.
Centre-back Ryan McGowan’s form has been worrying, with the former Socceroo again caught out against Brisbane. He was slow to react to a through ball for Brisbane’s goal and also struggled in one-on-one situations.
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
On the attacking front, they’ve only managed three goals in their last four outings. They’re certainly not going to be comfortable with that stat going into the finals and Corica will be hoping for a much more prolific showing against Western United.
This is not to say they lack attacking weapons. Quite the opposite, in fact. You can never count out Kosta Barbarouses – despite his up-and-down 2019-20, he remains a legitimate threat up front – while Adam le Fondre’s stats speak for themselves. Scoring at a 0.76 clip throughout the season, he is a threat every time he takes the pitch.
Young gun Luke Ivanovic showed off his goal-scoring ability in the draw against Brisbane with a sumptuous curled effort that even the in-form Jamie Young could only watch sail past him. Ivanovic didn’t see the second half of that match, but Corica confirmed that was due to cramp and he didn’t suffer any serious injury.
It’s not likely Ivanovic will feature from the start in the finals, but he’s certainly a handy option for Corica to bring on in the second half and let him run at tired defenders.
It’s not all doom and gloom for Corica’s side. Across their five games back, key players have been rested and they’ve encountered sides with a lot more to play for than themselves.
There have been flashes of the pre-COVID break Sydney, but they’ll need to be right back to their best in the finals.
The performance was solid and had they not run into an in-form Young, they would have notched a win last time out against Brisbane.
There’s a fair bit hanging on their final game of the regular season. A win would salvage their record since the A-League’s return but anything less would leave it looking quite grim.
More importantly, attaining the three points would provide a significant psychological boost for Corica and his squad.
It’s crunch time. Sydney FC know how to win trophies and now just two wins separate them from a second-straight championship.
They’ll need to draw on every ounce of that experience because they certainly won’t be able to rely on form.
Despite securing the Premiers’ Plate since coming back from the season pause, Sydney FC’s formline has fans and media questioning their championship credentials.
Just looking at the scoreline, you would have thought Sydney had it easy in a 3-1 win over Wellington in their first game back.
Their performance was far from polished that night, and Wellington led before Sydney were awarded a somewhat fortunate penalty. The win was only sealed late on with a double from Trent Buhagiar after the New Zealand side themselves exposed and later saw a goal ruled out for offside that VAR would have surely allowed.
In the four games since, the Sky Blues are winless and have taken just two points from a possible 12.
The rhetoric coming from the club is what you’d expect.
“I think I can turn it (our form) around very quickly,” Corica told reporters following his side’s one-all draw with Brisbane Roar.
“I think the last couple of matches we have shown we are back to our best with the ball, especially in the second half (against Brisbane).
“It is just about finishing teams off and creating a few more chances.”
There’s no doubt Corica believes what he is saying and there is weight behind his words. He already boasts two trophies in his short time as Sydney manager.
But there is cause for concern.
More Football
With one game to go, Sydney FC’s title credentials are on the line
Melbourne City vs Adelaide United: A-League live scores
European heavyweights through to Europa League semis
Save the Mariners or it just ain’t the A-League
Brisbane Roar FC vs Sydney FC: A League live scores
Football
The logjam of fixtures in the return of this interrupted season meant clubs needed to hit the ground running.
For Sydney, with the Premiers’ Plate all but secured before the break, their remaining games stood to be great opportunities to optimise their performance and ensure they would be ready for sudden-death football.
They’ve now burned five of their six games, and have one last chance to finetune before the finals series begins.
And it’s not against a side with nothing to play for – they come up against a Western United outfit that may well be desperate for the three points to secure their own finals spot.
Centre-back Ryan McGowan’s form has been worrying, with the former Socceroo again caught out against Brisbane. He was slow to react to a through ball for Brisbane’s goal and also struggled in one-on-one situations.
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
On the attacking front, they’ve only managed three goals in their last four outings. They’re certainly not going to be comfortable with that stat going into the finals and Corica will be hoping for a much more prolific showing against Western United.
This is not to say they lack attacking weapons. Quite the opposite, in fact. You can never count out Kosta Barbarouses – despite his up-and-down 2019-20, he remains a legitimate threat up front – while Adam le Fondre’s stats speak for themselves. Scoring at a 0.76 clip throughout the season, he is a threat every time he takes the pitch.
Young gun Luke Ivanovic showed off his goal-scoring ability in the draw against Brisbane with a sumptuous curled effort that even the in-form Jamie Young could only watch sail past him. Ivanovic didn’t see the second half of that match, but Corica confirmed that was due to cramp and he didn’t suffer any serious injury.
It’s not likely Ivanovic will feature from the start in the finals, but he’s certainly a handy option for Corica to bring on in the second half and let him run at tired defenders.
It’s not all doom and gloom for Corica’s side. Across their five games back, key players have been rested and they’ve encountered sides with a lot more to play for than themselves.
There have been flashes of the pre-COVID break Sydney, but they’ll need to be right back to their best in the finals.
The performance was solid and had they not run into an in-form Young, they would have notched a win last time out against Brisbane.
There’s a fair bit hanging on their final game of the regular season. A win would salvage their record since the A-League’s return but anything less would leave it looking quite grim.
More importantly, attaining the three points would provide a significant psychological boost for Corica and his squad.
It’s crunch time. Sydney FC know how to win trophies and now just two wins separate them from a second-straight championship.
They’ll need to draw on every ounce of that experience because they certainly won’t be able to rely on form.
Despite securing the Premiers’ Plate since coming back from the season pause, Sydney FC’s formline has fans and media questioning their championship credentials.
Just looking at the scoreline, you would have thought Sydney had it easy in a 3-1 win over Wellington in their first game back.
Their performance was far from polished that night, and Wellington led before Sydney were awarded a somewhat fortunate penalty. The win was only sealed late on with a double from Trent Buhagiar after the New Zealand side themselves exposed and later saw a goal ruled out for offside that VAR would have surely allowed.
In the four games since, the Sky Blues are winless and have taken just two points from a possible 12.
The rhetoric coming from the club is what you’d expect.
“I think I can turn it (our form) around very quickly,” Corica told reporters following his side’s one-all draw with Brisbane Roar.
“I think the last couple of matches we have shown we are back to our best with the ball, especially in the second half (against Brisbane).
“It is just about finishing teams off and creating a few more chances.”
There’s no doubt Corica believes what he is saying and there is weight behind his words. He already boasts two trophies in his short time as Sydney manager.
But there is cause for concern.
More Football
With one game to go, Sydney FC’s title credentials are on the line
Melbourne City vs Adelaide United: A-League live scores
European heavyweights through to Europa League semis
Save the Mariners or it just ain’t the A-League
Brisbane Roar FC vs Sydney FC: A League live scores
Football
The logjam of fixtures in the return of this interrupted season meant clubs needed to hit the ground running.
For Sydney, with the Premiers’ Plate all but secured before the break, their remaining games stood to be great opportunities to optimise their performance and ensure they would be ready for sudden-death football.
They’ve now burned five of their six games, and have one last chance to finetune before the finals series begins.
And it’s not against a side with nothing to play for – they come up against a Western United outfit that may well be desperate for the three points to secure their own finals spot.
Centre-back Ryan McGowan’s form has been worrying, with the former Socceroo again caught out against Brisbane. He was slow to react to a through ball for Brisbane’s goal and also struggled in one-on-one situations.
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
On the attacking front, they’ve only managed three goals in their last four outings. They’re certainly not going to be comfortable with that stat going into the finals and Corica will be hoping for a much more prolific showing against Western United.
This is not to say they lack attacking weapons. Quite the opposite, in fact. You can never count out Kosta Barbarouses – despite his up-and-down 2019-20, he remains a legitimate threat up front – while Adam le Fondre’s stats speak for themselves. Scoring at a 0.76 clip throughout the season, he is a threat every time he takes the pitch.
Young gun Luke Ivanovic showed off his goal-scoring ability in the draw against Brisbane with a sumptuous curled effort that even the in-form Jamie Young could only watch sail past him. Ivanovic didn’t see the second half of that match, but Corica confirmed that was due to cramp and he didn’t suffer any serious injury.
It’s not likely Ivanovic will feature from the start in the finals, but he’s certainly a handy option for Corica to bring on in the second half and let him run at tired defenders.
It’s not all doom and gloom for Corica’s side. Across their five games back, key players have been rested and they’ve encountered sides with a lot more to play for than themselves.
There have been flashes of the pre-COVID break Sydney, but they’ll need to be right back to their best in the finals.
The performance was solid and had they not run into an in-form Young, they would have notched a win last time out against Brisbane.
There’s a fair bit hanging on their final game of the regular season. A win would salvage their record since the A-League’s return but anything less would leave it looking quite grim.
More importantly, attaining the three points would provide a significant psychological boost for Corica and his squad.
It’s crunch time. Sydney FC know how to win trophies and now just two wins separate them from a second-straight championship.
They’ll need to draw on every ounce of that experience because they certainly won’t be able to rely on form.
Lord’s, 1973, the third Test versus England – Garfield Sobers closes a day’s play on 31 not out.
Not exactly living up to his last name and never one to say no to a drink or a good time, Sobers hits the town, visiting some Guyanese friends first, then meeting up with English off-spinner Reg Scarlett at a swanky inner London nightclub.
By the time Sobers had worn out his dancing shoes, it was 4am and the sun had begun its ascent for the next day’s play.
Sobers was a realist, thinking ‘I have so much liquor in my head that if I go home to the motel and go to bed, I am not going to wake up.’
Naturally, for Sobers, this meant a few more drinks to watch the sunrise, a quick shower and then donning the pads for the next day’s play.
He walked out to bat and played and missed the first five balls from Bob Willis. The sixth ball found the middle of that bat and it never really stopped that day. He went on to pound 132 runs before retiring for a break to go to the toilet.
During the break, he mixed two large glasses of port and brandy, scoffed them down, and then came back in and made 150 not out. For good measure, he also bowled 12 overs for 37 runs in the next two innings. He was 37 years old at the time.
Bradman once called Sobers a five-in-one cricketer, because he could do pretty much anything on a cricket field.
There is a similar term used in baseball to describe all-round gifted athletes that can hit for power or precision, throw, catch and run the bases: a five-tool player. They are the holy grail for baseball scouts.
Sobers was a five-tool player. Perhaps the only one cricket has seen.
He was an aggressive, explosive batsman, though not necessarily careless.
After smashing six sixes against Glamorgan in a county game, the opposing captain Tony Lewis remarked that: “It was not sheer slogging through strength, but scientific hitting with every movement working in harmony”.
(Photo by S&G/PA Images via Getty Images)
He was, by all accounts, an exceptional fielder in close and in the outfield. He was also willing to strap on the keepers pads, to guard the wicket if needed in a pinch.
But what fascinates me the most about Sobers is his bowling.
Starting as an orthodox left-arm spinner, he developed the ability to bowl wrist spin and googlies.
Later in his career, he was also used as a seamer, either to bowl fast given the new ball or as a stock bowler sending down medium-pacers.
There are some contemporary examples of cricketers doing this, but it’s very rare.
Manoj Prabhakar, an Indian all-rounder, while bowling pace to the dangerous Sanath Jayasuriya during the 1996 World Cup was smashed for 33 runs in the first two overs.
More Cricket
In search of the mythical five-in-one cricketer
Why have the ICC postponed the Women’s Cricket World Cup 2021?
The XI England should pick for the second Test against Pakistan
My top ten IPL knocks by Australians
Australian cricket must never forget the lessons of 1984
Cricket
For his next two overs, he reverted to spin and went for 14 runs off his next two overs of spin bowling. Ironically, he was the one that took the catch that saw Jayasuriya off to the pavilion.
Kapil Dev’s opening fast-bowling partner, Karsan Ghavri, once took a five-for after changing to left-arm spin after the Indian spin trio of Bishan Singh Bedi, Bhagwath Chandrasekhar and Erapalli Prasanna failed to make an impact in the fifth Test against England in Bombay in 1977.
Mark Waugh was a medium pacer before reverting to off spin in to sustain his career after multiple back injuries.
Colin ‘Funky’ Miller, the blue-haired jack in the box, won Australian Test player of the year in 2001 after being brought in as an off spinner. He changed from swing bowling after an ankle injury.
Sending down four dot balls, Kiwi opener and captain Stephen Fleming glanced a quick single to the leg side to bring the right-handed Matthew Sinclair on strike.
Miller lengthened his run-up, the commentators remarked in astonishment how he was about to bowl medium pace, and he charged in and trapped Sinclair LBW.
Andrew Symonds, probably best known for his destructive batting and disciplined offies, started as a medium pacer.
Even the great Sachin Tendulkar could throw down a few leggies mixed in with some medium pace. He might be the only cricketer in the world to hold the claim that he got Shane Warne out with spin and Brian Lara to medium pace.
As far as my understanding of the legality of changing bowling style goes, as long as a bowler informs the umpire of their intention about which side they wish to bowl from, then it’s all cricket.
Perhaps, the streams in cricket academies teach players to specialise in one skill at the expense of others. There is the famous story of Dennis Lillee discouraging Tendulkar at his MRF Foundation to drop the pace bowling and focus on batting in Chennai in 1987.
The trend seems to be for quicker spinners, in the style of Anil Kumble or Shahid Afridi, or for pace bowlers who can slow it down, like James Faulkner for example.
It seems that in most cases, switch bowling has been employed out of necessity rather than novelty. To turn the screws on a pitch that is unfriendly, for example, or to compensate for a disruption to the bowling attack.
So my question for all the Roarers out there is this: Do you think we will ever see another bowler in the same mold as Sobers, or possibly one of those mentioned above? Does the idea even have merit?
Lord’s, 1973, the third Test versus England – Garfield Sobers closes a day’s play on 31 not out.
Not exactly living up to his last name and never one to say no to a drink or a good time, Sobers hits the town, visiting some Guyanese friends first, then meeting up with English off-spinner Reg Scarlett at a swanky inner London nightclub.
By the time Sobers had worn out his dancing shoes, it was 4am and the sun had begun its ascent for the next day’s play.
Sobers was a realist, thinking ‘I have so much liquor in my head that if I go home to the motel and go to bed, I am not going to wake up.’
Naturally, for Sobers, this meant a few more drinks to watch the sunrise, a quick shower and then donning the pads for the next day’s play.
He walked out to bat and played and missed the first five balls from Bob Willis. The sixth ball found the middle of that bat and it never really stopped that day. He went on to pound 132 runs before retiring for a break to go to the toilet.
During the break, he mixed two large glasses of port and brandy, scoffed them down, and then came back in and made 150 not out. For good measure, he also bowled 12 overs for 37 runs in the next two innings. He was 37 years old at the time.
Bradman once called Sobers a five-in-one cricketer, because he could do pretty much anything on a cricket field.
There is a similar term used in baseball to describe all-round gifted athletes that can hit for power or precision, throw, catch and run the bases: a five-tool player. They are the holy grail for baseball scouts.
Sobers was a five-tool player. Perhaps the only one cricket has seen.
He was an aggressive, explosive batsman, though not necessarily careless.
After smashing six sixes against Glamorgan in a county game, the opposing captain Tony Lewis remarked that: “It was not sheer slogging through strength, but scientific hitting with every movement working in harmony”.
(Photo by S&G/PA Images via Getty Images)
He was, by all accounts, an exceptional fielder in close and in the outfield. He was also willing to strap on the keepers pads, to guard the wicket if needed in a pinch.
But what fascinates me the most about Sobers is his bowling.
Starting as an orthodox left-arm spinner, he developed the ability to bowl wrist spin and googlies.
Later in his career, he was also used as a seamer, either to bowl fast given the new ball or as a stock bowler sending down medium-pacers.
There are some contemporary examples of cricketers doing this, but it’s very rare.
Manoj Prabhakar, an Indian all-rounder, while bowling pace to the dangerous Sanath Jayasuriya during the 1996 World Cup was smashed for 33 runs in the first two overs.
More Cricket
In search of the mythical five-in-one cricketer
Why have the ICC postponed the Women’s Cricket World Cup 2021?
The XI England should pick for the second Test against Pakistan
My top ten IPL knocks by Australians
Australian cricket must never forget the lessons of 1984
Cricket
For his next two overs, he reverted to spin and went for 14 runs off his next two overs of spin bowling. Ironically, he was the one that took the catch that saw Jayasuriya off to the pavilion.
Kapil Dev’s opening fast-bowling partner, Karsan Ghavri, once took a five-for after changing to left-arm spin after the Indian spin trio of Bishan Singh Bedi, Bhagwath Chandrasekhar and Erapalli Prasanna failed to make an impact in the fifth Test against England in Bombay in 1977.
Mark Waugh was a medium pacer before reverting to off spin in to sustain his career after multiple back injuries.
Colin ‘Funky’ Miller, the blue-haired jack in the box, won Australian Test player of the year in 2001 after being brought in as an off spinner. He changed from swing bowling after an ankle injury.
Sending down four dot balls, Kiwi opener and captain Stephen Fleming glanced a quick single to the leg side to bring the right-handed Matthew Sinclair on strike.
Miller lengthened his run-up, the commentators remarked in astonishment how he was about to bowl medium pace, and he charged in and trapped Sinclair LBW.
Andrew Symonds, probably best known for his destructive batting and disciplined offies, started as a medium pacer.
Even the great Sachin Tendulkar could throw down a few leggies mixed in with some medium pace. He might be the only cricketer in the world to hold the claim that he got Shane Warne out with spin and Brian Lara to medium pace.
As far as my understanding of the legality of changing bowling style goes, as long as a bowler informs the umpire of their intention about which side they wish to bowl from, then it’s all cricket.
Perhaps, the streams in cricket academies teach players to specialise in one skill at the expense of others. There is the famous story of Dennis Lillee discouraging Tendulkar at his MRF Foundation to drop the pace bowling and focus on batting in Chennai in 1987.
The trend seems to be for quicker spinners, in the style of Anil Kumble or Shahid Afridi, or for pace bowlers who can slow it down, like James Faulkner for example.
It seems that in most cases, switch bowling has been employed out of necessity rather than novelty. To turn the screws on a pitch that is unfriendly, for example, or to compensate for a disruption to the bowling attack.
So my question for all the Roarers out there is this: Do you think we will ever see another bowler in the same mold as Sobers, or possibly one of those mentioned above? Does the idea even have merit?
The Rivals Rankings for the 2021 and 2022 classes will be updated over the next two weeks after an offseason that offered fewer opportunities for evaluations than any previous year. Questions we hoped to get answered about many top players were left largely unanswered. Here are five prospects from the Southeast who were among those most difficult to rate.
RELATED: Five Midwest prospects who are tough to rate
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
This one comes down to seeing live games. We’ve seen Archie a lot in practice, camps and getting individual quarterback work in, so now, we just need to see him in pads and in live action. He is set to be a first-year starter at McEachern High in Powder Springs (Ga.), and if he plays like expected, his recruiting will take off and his ranking will rise. He’s shown he’s a four-star type talent and now it just has to come together between the lines on Friday nights. Florida Atlantic and Florida International have offered, but Archie should add many more in the coming months.
Klein is a very intriguing prospect for multiple reasons. He’s an exchange student from Germany now playing in the northeast Georgia mountains at Rabun-Gap Nacoochee School. We’ve yet to lay eyes on Klein due to the pandemic, and the competition he plays isn’t the best, so we still want to see him in person. His film jumps out though due to his size, athleticism and ability to make plays. In the last few months, he’s added offers from Colorado, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Nebraska and West Virginia. He’s a very intriguing talent.
Another prospect with a lofty ceiling, Watson is as productive at defensive tackle as there is in the country. The issue here is that he carries more than a little bad weight that may prevent him from adjusting to the speed of the college game. That said, Watson has the strength and athleticism to become a star if he sheds the weight. The situation is not much different than that of former Florida offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor, who carried a lot of bad weight to Gainesville, only to reshape and eventually become a second-round pick.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH FLORIDA FANS AT GATORSTERRITORY.COM
The Rivals Rankings for the 2021 and 2022 classes will be updated over the next two weeks after an offseason that offered fewer opportunities for evaluations than any previous year. Questions we hoped to get answered about many top players were left largely unanswered. Here are five prospects from the Southeast who were among those most difficult to rate.
RELATED: Five Midwest prospects who are tough to rate
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
This one comes down to seeing live games. We’ve seen Archie a lot in practice, camps and getting individual quarterback work in, so now, we just need to see him in pads and in live action. He is set to be a first-year starter at McEachern High in Powder Springs (Ga.), and if he plays like expected, his recruiting will take off and his ranking will rise. He’s shown he’s a four-star type talent and now it just has to come together between the lines on Friday nights. Florida Atlantic and Florida International have offered, but Archie should add many more in the coming months.
Klein is a very intriguing prospect for multiple reasons. He’s an exchange student from Germany now playing in the northeast Georgia mountains at Rabun-Gap Nacoochee School. We’ve yet to lay eyes on Klein due to the pandemic, and the competition he plays isn’t the best, so we still want to see him in person. His film jumps out though due to his size, athleticism and ability to make plays. In the last few months, he’s added offers from Colorado, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Nebraska and West Virginia. He’s a very intriguing talent.
Another prospect with a lofty ceiling, Watson is as productive at defensive tackle as there is in the country. The issue here is that he carries more than a little bad weight that may prevent him from adjusting to the speed of the college game. That said, Watson has the strength and athleticism to become a star if he sheds the weight. The situation is not much different than that of former Florida offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor, who carried a lot of bad weight to Gainesville, only to reshape and eventually become a second-round pick.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH FLORIDA FANS AT GATORSTERRITORY.COM
National recruiting director Mike Farrell and national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
MORE FACT OR FICTION: MAC shutdown is first step toward canceled season
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
1. Trevor Lawrence will make history.
Trevor Lawrence
AP Images
Farrell’s take: FICTION. But he’s trying. Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who needs his junior football season like I need a second nose, is the leader of the #WeWantToPlay movement for college football players based on his name and impressive statements on social media.
Lawrence makes some great points like players are safer under constant supervision in college than they would on their own, but it likely won’t matter. A shutdown of the season has a lot of momentum and Lawrence leading this charge is admirable but it would be a miracle if it worked.
But here’s hoping it does. The man who needs college football the least this season wants it the most. Lawrence will be the No. 1 pick in next April’s NFL Draft regardless, but he is still leading this charge. What does that say about the passion of college football players? Impressive.
Gorney’s take: FACT. He already has changed history. He might not get his way as conferences could shut down the season, but the attention Lawrence’s statements have gotten on social media, the coordinated approach of many elite college football players and the voice that they now have because of their social media presence and the continuing trend of name, image and likeness shows the power that college athletes have to shape the discussion.
Lawrence does not need college football and some could argue it’s ridiculous that he has to go through the charade of playing three years. But he wants to play and his voice has been heard. It won’t soon be forgotten.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH CLEMSON FANS AT TIGERILLUSTRATED.COM
2. Ohio State would be hurt the most in the Big Ten by a postponement to
the spring.
Ryan Day
AP Images
Farrell’s take: FACT. The roster is loaded with potential NFL players led by Justin Fields, Shaun Wade and Wyatt Davis and many of them would have to sit out a spring of football with the NFL Combine in February and the NFL Draft in April. The Buckeyes have a deep lineup and would still likely win the Big Ten in the spring, but it would not be the runaway I see it as now.
Gorney’s take: FACT. This is not just an Ohio State story: I believe every elite national power would be negatively affected the most by moving the season to the spring because anybody who could leave for the NFL probably would not play. You’re telling me Alabama’s Najee Harris, DeVonta Smith and Alex Leatherwood are going to play a spring season and then jump right to the NFL Combine and NFL Draft with millions of dollars on the line? I wouldn’t even be certain Trevor Lawrence would play college football in the spring.
Ohio State would be hurt tremendously because a lot of its top players would understandably sit out. It’s unfortunate all around, but the Buckeyes and other title contenders would be hurt the most.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OHIO STATE FANS AT BUCKEYEGROVE.COM
National recruiting director Mike Farrell and national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
MORE FACT OR FICTION: MAC shutdown is first step toward canceled season
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
1. Trevor Lawrence will make history.
Trevor Lawrence
AP Images
Farrell’s take: FICTION. But he’s trying. Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who needs his junior football season like I need a second nose, is the leader of the #WeWantToPlay movement for college football players based on his name and impressive statements on social media.
Lawrence makes some great points like players are safer under constant supervision in college than they would on their own, but it likely won’t matter. A shutdown of the season has a lot of momentum and Lawrence leading this charge is admirable but it would be a miracle if it worked.
But here’s hoping it does. The man who needs college football the least this season wants it the most. Lawrence will be the No. 1 pick in next April’s NFL Draft regardless, but he is still leading this charge. What does that say about the passion of college football players? Impressive.
Gorney’s take: FACT. He already has changed history. He might not get his way as conferences could shut down the season, but the attention Lawrence’s statements have gotten on social media, the coordinated approach of many elite college football players and the voice that they now have because of their social media presence and the continuing trend of name, image and likeness shows the power that college athletes have to shape the discussion.
Lawrence does not need college football and some could argue it’s ridiculous that he has to go through the charade of playing three years. But he wants to play and his voice has been heard. It won’t soon be forgotten.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH CLEMSON FANS AT TIGERILLUSTRATED.COM
2. Ohio State would be hurt the most in the Big Ten by a postponement to
the spring.
Ryan Day
AP Images
Farrell’s take: FACT. The roster is loaded with potential NFL players led by Justin Fields, Shaun Wade and Wyatt Davis and many of them would have to sit out a spring of football with the NFL Combine in February and the NFL Draft in April. The Buckeyes have a deep lineup and would still likely win the Big Ten in the spring, but it would not be the runaway I see it as now.
Gorney’s take: FACT. This is not just an Ohio State story: I believe every elite national power would be negatively affected the most by moving the season to the spring because anybody who could leave for the NFL probably would not play. You’re telling me Alabama’s Najee Harris, DeVonta Smith and Alex Leatherwood are going to play a spring season and then jump right to the NFL Combine and NFL Draft with millions of dollars on the line? I wouldn’t even be certain Trevor Lawrence would play college football in the spring.
Ohio State would be hurt tremendously because a lot of its top players would understandably sit out. It’s unfortunate all around, but the Buckeyes and other title contenders would be hurt the most.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OHIO STATE FANS AT BUCKEYEGROVE.COM
National recruiting director Mike Farrell and national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
MORE FACT OR FICTION: MAC shutdown is first step toward canceled season
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
1. Trevor Lawrence will make history.
Trevor Lawrence
AP Images
Farrell’s take: FICTION. But he’s trying. Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who needs his junior football season like I need a second nose, is the leader of the #WeWantToPlay movement for college football players based on his name and impressive statements on social media.
Lawrence makes some great points like players are safer under constant supervision in college than they would on their own, but it likely won’t matter. A shutdown of the season has a lot of momentum and Lawrence leading this charge is admirable but it would be a miracle if it worked.
But here’s hoping it does. The man who needs college football the least this season wants it the most. Lawrence will be the No. 1 pick in next April’s NFL Draft regardless, but he is still leading this charge. What does that say about the passion of college football players? Impressive.
Gorney’s take: FACT. He already has changed history. He might not get his way as conferences could shut down the season, but the attention Lawrence’s statements have gotten on social media, the coordinated approach of many elite college football players and the voice that they now have because of their social media presence and the continuing trend of name, image and likeness shows the power that college athletes have to shape the discussion.
Lawrence does not need college football and some could argue it’s ridiculous that he has to go through the charade of playing three years. But he wants to play and his voice has been heard. It won’t soon be forgotten.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH CLEMSON FANS AT TIGERILLUSTRATED.COM
2. Ohio State would be hurt the most in the Big Ten by a postponement to
the spring.
Ryan Day
AP Images
Farrell’s take: FACT. The roster is loaded with potential NFL players led by Justin Fields, Shaun Wade and Wyatt Davis and many of them would have to sit out a spring of football with the NFL Combine in February and the NFL Draft in April. The Buckeyes have a deep lineup and would still likely win the Big Ten in the spring, but it would not be the runaway I see it as now.
Gorney’s take: FACT. This is not just an Ohio State story: I believe every elite national power would be negatively affected the most by moving the season to the spring because anybody who could leave for the NFL probably would not play. You’re telling me Alabama’s Najee Harris, DeVonta Smith and Alex Leatherwood are going to play a spring season and then jump right to the NFL Combine and NFL Draft with millions of dollars on the line? I wouldn’t even be certain Trevor Lawrence would play college football in the spring.
Ohio State would be hurt tremendously because a lot of its top players would understandably sit out. It’s unfortunate all around, but the Buckeyes and other title contenders would be hurt the most.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OHIO STATE FANS AT BUCKEYEGROVE.COM
DACULA, Ga. — Prospects from multiple states traveled to Hebron Christian Academy on Saturday to take part in the InfiniT Football Elite Series Camp.
Here is a close look here at several standouts on the day from the offensive side of the ball.
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
MILES MCVAY
This St. Louis product made the trek to the Peach State, immediately capturing the attention of the coaching staff and media observers. He’s a massive prospect with power and movement abilities. After a breakout performance, he earned an offer from Arizona State on Sunday. The Georgia Bulldogs followed.
COLLIN SADLER
This 2022 offensive tackle prospect has seen his recruitment explode this calendar year, collecting one of the most impressive offer lists at his position in the country. Sadler proved his worth on Saturday, moving well in one-on-ones and turning in a strong performance in pass-blocking.
CARROLLTON, Ga. — In just over two months, all should know where 2021 pass rusher Khristian Zachary will be playing college football. For him, it is more than just football when it comes to his decision, but we will let him tell you what is more important to him a little deeper into this update.
A date has been circled on his calendar and it comes in the middle of October.
“I am set on committing October 15,” said Zachary. “I have been praying on this, waiting for God to give me an answer, and He has given me the vision to commit October 15.
“I expect to know my decision before then, but October 15 is when I will announce my commitment. I am not sure when exactly it will hit me, but I know I will be ready on that day. Even if I knew next week, I would not announce it until October 15. That is the day for me that God has shown me.”
Two and a half months ago, in the second half of May, Zachary came out with a top six of Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Most of those schools are still being considered, but there is a new school in the mix.
“Things have changed a little bit for me. Florida State has jumped up there for me. I am attracted to that program because they are re-building something. They have a great opportunity for me and being able to help re-build something is very attractive to me.
“Florida State has been messaging me a lot, hitting me up on Twitter a lot and over the last couple months, they have made a move up my list. They have kind of put their name on my list of schools.”
Mike Norvell’s program is new to the list, but the others on it have been in the mix for some time. At the beginning, it was about selling their programs, showing off the NFL players, showing Zachary how he can make an impact, but over time, that has shifted to much more personal calls.
“On most calls now, it is about my visions, the church I want to build, name and likeness and things around that. It is not much about recruiting anymore.
“I had a great call with coach Nick Saban last week about Alabama’s structure, the culture there and the accountability. It is stuff like that, that means the most to me.
“Coaches are aware of that, and that is what we talk mostly about. It is about how they can help me, how they can get to know me as the person, and how they can help my visions come true.”
The brand means so much to Zachary. He is about the 7-Nation, and that is something the schools in pursuit must be aware of.
“The name and likeness, helping the image and things like that have changed the game,” said Zachary. “How a school can help there will play a big role in this for me. It is now more like we are individual’s first, then a team, so our brand and image is very important to me. Now we have to be even more selfish with our decision due to this.
“Tennessee actually had a Power Point to show me about the brand, how they can help me build that and do what I want to do with my visions, so that was cool. Alabama has talked about that too.
“Schools are being looked at for much more than football now. We have to think about who can help us most as individual’s too. I have to find the right platform for me. What school can help my brand? That is now a big part of my decision.”
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Outside of name and likeness, Zachary wants coaches to know him. No, not the 6-foot-3, 238 pound athlete that sacks quarterbacks. The person behind those pads.
“Who has done the best job of getting to know me is going to be most important. I am really looking to see who has gotten to know me, who knows my personality, who knows what I stand for and who really is recruiting me, not the football player.
“The coaches that have taken the time to do that really stand out. Some coaches still recruit me as a typical football player, but that is not me. I am different, so those that are getting to know me, those that understand me and those that know what I represent really stand out to me.”
Zachary mentioned Shelton Felton (Tennessee), Charlie Harbison (Missouri), Brian Michalowski (Colorado) and Holmon Wiggins (Alabama) are coaches Zachary specifically mentioned as those who have really gotten to know him.
That is so important as he moves forward towards a decision this fall.
“I am praying on this a lot,” said Zachary. “This is a decision that will change my life. If a recruit chooses a school for the wrong reasons, they will be miserable, so I am praying on this hard.
“It is all about being led for me. I am taking my time, talking to the right people, putting weight on the right things to get me there, and I feel confident I will make the right decision.
“The church and vision is first for me, so that is going to play a big role in my decision. I know God will lead me to that.”
Zachary said there is no order of schools and that his list is set at seven. He does not plan to cut his list again and he feels “certain” that he will commit to one of the seven schools he’s listed.
Athlete Sam Brown isn’t a prospect that many people have followed yet but the 2022 prospect has impressed plenty of college coaches. A star athlete at Philadelphia (Pa.) La Salle on the basketball court and football field, Brown brings plenty of athleticism to the field. A few schools have done a good job recruiting him so far but there’s still a long way to go.
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
IN HIS OWN WORDS…
“Right now Rutgers, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia are doing well with me,” Brown said. “I have a good relationship with the coaching staffs.
“I visited Rutgers and that was my only visit before everything was shutdown,” he said. “I had a really good time there. Coach Hoffman and coach Fran are staying in touch.
“I’d like to visit the schools that are close to home like West Virginia, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, and a few other schools,” said Brown. “Michigan State and Wisconsin have offered me. I talked to Wisconsin not too long ago and I talked to Michigan State a while ago but that was always a dream school of mine.”
RIVALS' REACTION…
Brown is exceptionally talented and brings plenty of impressive physical attributes to the table. As a running back, he shows great burst and does a good job catching the ball out of the backfield. At 6-foot-1, almost 200 pounds, Brown is an imposing running back that should make it tough for linebackers to consistently tackle him. While some schools have done a good job making a first impression on Brown, there still a long way to go and he has plenty of offers to sift through.
Camden, N.J linebacker Nyair Graham has been picking up some some big offers lately. The 2022 prospect hasn’t done a ton of research into these programs just yet but is continuing to build relationships with some of these coaches.
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
IN HIS OWN WORDS…
“Right now I have about 15 offers,” Graham said. “The ones I like right now are Miami, Penn State, Boston College, and Maryland.
“Coach Baker from Miami, coach Baker from Maryland, and the whole Penn State coaching staff are making me feel really comfortable right now,” he said. “They’re making me feel at home with them.
“I went to Syracuse before the pandemic shut everything down,” said Graham. “I did some virtual visits to Miami, Penn State, and Boston College.
“LSU, Ohio State, and Georgia would be big offers for me,” he said. “I haven’t talked to those coaches yet but some of them follow me on Twitter.”
RIVALS' REACTION…
Graham is a very athletic linebacker that can make plays all over the field. He doesn’t have much mass on his frame at this point but still plays with plenty of physicality and can make some big hits. His ability to cover a lot of ground is really impressing college coaches but he also does a good job filling running lanes. Expect Graham to pick up more offers once he shows college coaches he can bring the same athleticism to the field with more mass on his frame.
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The Mind of Mike is a dangerous place. Here are the latest thoughts from Rivals National Director Mike Farrell about Nebraska’s big stand.
*****
HUSKERONLINE.COM: Frost makes one last stand to save 2020 CFB season
MIND OF MIKE: This is all about liability | Outlook is dim
YAHOO SPORTS: More coaches state their case | Players deserve answers
*****
Others said it in the Big Ten. Parents and players from Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Iowa and others rallied against the rumor of a postponed season in the Big Ten. Ryan Day, JimHarbaugh and JamesFranklin all voiced their wishes to play football in different ways.
But no one said it like ScottFrost at Nebraska and no one threatened, subtly or not, in public to leave the conference and play football anyhow. Frost and Nebraska are the heroes we needed on Monday to save the season from the brink, at least temporarily and hopefully permanently.
Let’s review. Rumors began over the weekend that the Big Ten was going to pull the plug and postpone the football season until the spring. The Pac-12, with its expected lack of spine, was rumored to be following whatever the Big Ten does. Numerous sources I spoke to had no idea what was happening from head coaches to assistant coaches to administrative folk.
The rumors got stronger Sunday and on Monday the Detroit Free Press wrote that the Big Ten season was postponed per “sources”.
Then all hell broke loose.
Coaches came out in support of players who started the #WeWantToPlay movement the evening before. But it was Frost who really moved the needle.
Frost was emphatic about having a football season for Nebraska and even became emotional when talking about his players and what they don’t have outside of football. He said the Huskers would look to play football regardless of the Big Ten’s decision. And then suddenly everything slowed down.
The Detroit Free Press was ridiculed for moving too soon on rumors, KirkHerbstreit from ESPN (and others) said on social media that any talk by Big Ten officials was about a postponement of the start of the fall season and not a push to the spring and on and on. What became a certain cancellation turned into hope by the end of the night … thanks to Frost.
Here’s my theory:
The powers that be at the Big Ten used the Detroit Free Press to float the rumor of the season being postponed to gauge reaction from the public and other conferences. They likely had the Pac-12 in their corner but the Big 12, SEC and ACC were a different story. The hope was to force the hand of others with the rumor of their cancellation. After all, no one else would play football without the mighty Big Ten right? This is the follow along culture we live in so they must have assumed things would go just fine.
Except, it backfired.
Not only did the Big 12, SEC and ACC not bite on this early ridiculousness but their own Big Ten members revolted, especially Nebraska, which threatened to play elsewhere.
“Our university is committed to playing no matter what,” Frost said Monday. “We want to play no matter who it is or where it is.”
Imagine the optics on that? Nebraska moving to the Big 12 for a season, the conference from which the Big Ten stole the school. Ohio State and others joining the Huskers or heading to the hated SEC?
Not what was planned at all for the Big Ten.
“We want to play a Big Ten schedule,” Frost said. “The only reason we’d look at options is if the Big Ten wasn’t playing …. if that’s the case we are prepared to look at any and all options.”
So Frost and Nebraska – who were still the talk of Tuesday morning – may be the next in line to save the college football season (Notre Dame joining the ACC, Trevor Lawrence speaking up, etc.) and at the very least they took us off the ledge.
Thank you ScottFrost and those at Nebraska that want player safety AND football and think it can be done. It’s too important to these young men and to our society to give up on in the second week of August.
Nice try Big Ten, but Frost says go pound sand.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH NEBRASKA FANS AT HUSKERONLINE.COM
The Pac-12 has canceled its fall football season, sources tell Yahoo Sports. The conference will attempt to play a season in the spring.
The decision comes a little over an hour after the Big Ten made its own decision to cancel its fall sports. With the virus inhibiting numerous Pac-12 schools’ ability to practice, it was expected that the Pac-12 would follow the Big Ten’s lead.
The Pac-12 has canceled its fall football season, sources tell Yahoo Sports. The conference will attempt to play a season in the spring.
The decision comes a little over an hour after the Big Ten made its own decision to cancel its fall sports. With the virus inhibiting numerous Pac-12 schools’ ability to practice, it was expected that the Pac-12 would follow the Big Ten’s lead.
The Pac-12 has canceled its fall football season, sources tell Yahoo Sports. The conference will attempt to play a season in the spring.
The decision comes a little over an hour after the Big Ten made its own decision to cancel its fall sports. With the virus inhibiting numerous Pac-12 schools’ ability to practice, it was expected that the Pac-12 would follow the Big Ten’s lead.
The Pac-12 has canceled its fall football season, sources tell Yahoo Sports. The conference will attempt to play a season in the spring.
The decision comes a little over an hour after the Big Ten made its own decision to cancel its fall sports. With the virus inhibiting numerous Pac-12 schools’ ability to practice, it was expected that the Pac-12 would follow the Big Ten’s lead.
The Pac-12 has canceled its fall football season, sources tell Yahoo Sports. The conference will attempt to play a season in the spring.
The decision comes a little over an hour after the Big Ten made its own decision to cancel its fall sports. With the virus inhibiting numerous Pac-12 schools’ ability to practice, it was expected that the Pac-12 would follow the Big Ten’s lead.
The Pac-12 has canceled its fall football season, sources tell Yahoo Sports. The conference will attempt to play a season in the spring.
The decision comes a little over an hour after the Big Ten made its own decision to cancel its fall sports. With the virus inhibiting numerous Pac-12 schools’ ability to practice, it was expected that the Pac-12 would follow the Big Ten’s lead.
The Big Ten announced Tuesday that it has canceled the 2020 fall college football season due to the COVID-19 health pandemic. This is an incredibly fluid situation, but here are five recruiting questions to consider moving forward during these uncertain times.
BIG TEN CANCELS SEASON: Will try to play in spring
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
1. What will happen to signing day?
Aubrey Solomon
USA TODAY Sports Images
The usual dates of a December early signing period which has become the cornerstone of the recruiting world would probably be completely gone, at least for this recruiting cycle. The 2021 prospects most likely will not be able to take official visits through the fall if there is no football season and there was some speculation that they might not have been able to take trips even if there was a season because of logistical complications.
A National Signing Day in February is also in question because of similar issues. If prospects cannot visit campuses, it would be hard to fathom they would be asked to sign a letter of intent locking them into a certain program. There seems to be significant questions about what the recruiting rules will be come Sept. 1 and that leads to only more questions about the timelines for 2021 prospects to sign.
Other questions about that continue to lead down the rabbit hole. One is, how will coaching staffs know exact numbers for signing classes or limits on scholarship numbers if: 1. Players are opting out because of health concerns; and 2. What happens if 2020 players are awarded an extra year of eligibility? Will that count against total numbers allowed?
*****
2. Do 2020 athletes get an extra year of eligibility if they don’t play in the spring?
In late March, the NCAA Division I Council voted to grant an extra year of eligibility to all spring sport athletes whose season was cancelled. The same thing might be expected for 2020 football players not only since the fall season has been canceled but if the Big Ten and other conferences cannot play in the spring as well.
Canceling the fall season does not guarantee a season will happen in the spring. More than anything, it pushes the timeline further down the road but many of the same issues and concerns will remain and according to the CDC the busiest months for flu transmission is from December through February but can last as long as May. Coupling coronavirus and flu through the winter and into the early spring, it’s hard to believe a spring season is a guarantee at all.
The news of the Big Ten canceling the fall football season spread like wildfire in the recruiting world. With so many top recruits already verbally committed to play for Big Ten teams, their reactions to the news was a mix of shock and sadness. Take a look at what some prospects that are committed to Big Ten programs think of the decision to cancel the fall football season.
FARRELL: Fear of lawsuits drives decision to pull plug on season
GORNEY: How Big Ten decision will affect the recruiting world
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
Michigan commit J.J. McCarthy:
“I mean it’s 2020, so it wasn’t something that blew my mind, haha. This is out of everyone’s control and we, as well as Michigan, are taking it one day at a time. I feel for the senior college football players, but we all know tough times never last but tough people do. This will unite college football and in the future years, college football will be even more appreciated.”
Michigan commit Kechaun Bennett:
“I’m shocked because, the way Michigan was handling the virus, I assumed every other school was too. I thought everything was all right but I’m also worried this means my season might not happen too.”
Maryland commit Marcus Bradley:
“Very Crazy. Some players are only gonna be playing 2 years.”
Michigan commit Louis Hansen:
“That was tough to see, especially because I felt like the players and coaches advocating to play had some great arguments in their favor. It’ll be tough for me and the rest of the Michigan recruiting class too, because a lot of us haven’t experienced a Michigan game in person, which was something we were all looking forward to doing together. And most of my family hasn’t been able to make it out for a visit.”
Ohio State commit Kyle McCord:
“It’s really unfortunate. It’s probably going to be up to each of the conferences. I’m hoping it doesn’t affect anything with me getting there early.”
Ohio State commit Evan Pryor:
“I think it’s sad. There are guys depending on the season to get drafted.”
Penn State commit Landon Tengwall:
“Wow! My reaction is that some type of player panel or NCAA PA like the NFL has needs to be formed so we can have our needs met.”
Penn State commit Christian Veilleux:
“Very crazy, but I’m not surprised. COVID was going to win anyways so I think it’s better that they do it now opposed to half way during the season. I wish the season could go on, but the safety should be the priority. Ultimately, I think it’s a lose-lose situation for the NCAA and the teams/players.”
Iowa commit Brody Brecht:
“They should keep it in the fall. Moving it to spring won’t do anything. Covid is still going to be around. All the coaches and players want to play but yet they have no say in the final word which is kind of stupid. I get that they’re worried about players’ safety but those players are playing a very physical sport and are at risk of injury every time they step on the field. It doesn’t affect my recruiting though, still gonna be a Hawkeye.”
Ohio State commit Jantzen Dunn:
“(Jantzen) just feels bad for the players at Ohio State. Especially the seniors. He feels like this was going to be a championship season for them. It sucks for everyone but necessary. You have kids and coaches that have put in a ton of work and that will go unnoticed. I hope that we can get back to some kind of normalcy soon.” – Dunn’s father, Mitchell Dunn, via Dave Lackford, BuckeyeGrove.com
Penn State commit Lonnie White:
“That’s crazy to hear. All these players are putting the work in and don’t get to play. It’s sad.”
2022 Ohio State commit Gabe Powers:
“They have worked too hard for their season to be canceled like that. It’s discouraging to see so many players see their season cancelled and some careers ended because they can’t take that chance with the draft.” via Dave Lackford, BuckeyeGrove.com
Ohio State commit Jack Sawyer:
“It’s ridiculous. It’s hard to imagine fall without football.” via Dave Lackford, BuckeyeGrove.com
Penn State commit Liam Clifford:
“I’m definitely upset about the news of the season possibly being cancelled. I thought what all the college athletes did on Twitter in support of the hopes of having a season was awesome. It was really cool to see so many different players from different teams come together like that.” via Ryan Snyder, BlueWhiteIllustrated.com
Iowa commit Max Llewellyn:
“I can’t imagine the Big 12 and other conferences aren’t far behind them, and even if they do stick it out, I’m forever a Hawkeye regardless.”
Iowa commit Keegan Johnson:
“Nothing changes. I made a commitment, and I will honor that. Just have to adjust moving forward to the circumstances.”
Iowa commit Jordan Oladokun:
“It doesn’t (affect his recruitment). I mean I was a guy that was going to go in December so I have no clue if I still can or if it has to be changed.”
Iowa commit Jeremiah Pittman:
“It wouldn’t change anything really. But it is really unfortunate because not only was I not able to do my official, but I can’t go to games in the fall.”
Iowa commit Arland Bruce:
“It doesn’t really affect my recruiting, but it does affect me enrolling early depending on what the Big Ten does. If they move the season to the spring I most likely won’t go. I don’t want to lose a year of eligibility when there are two receivers Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Brandon Smith who are graduating and might be potential draft picks.”
Michigan commit Tristan Bounds:
“It doesn’t affect my recruitment at all. But as for my thoughts, the season should be played in the fall.”
Michigan commit Xavier Worthy:
“It sucks but I’m all Michigan. Nothing is changing.”
Nebraska commit Heinrich Haarberg:
“The Nebraska administration and coaches have handled this in my opinion the best in the country. They’ve put the athletes’ best interest in mind while still keeping them safe.”
Ohio State commit Jordan Hancock:
“I’m really surprised they cancelled so early. I am going to miss watching them play, but other than that, it doesn’t bother me.”
Nebraska commit Marques Buford:
“It’s crazy that they are choosing to remove the student-athletes from an extremely safe environment as far as protecting from the virus and to add on the players want to play and if there was a choice to opt-out on the season there should be one to opt-in as well. As far as my recruiting goes, I am 110 percent committed to the University of Nebraska and to the coaching staff there. I feel they’ve done a great job advocating for the players to let them play and the fact that they are one of the programs out of 12 to say ‘yes let our athletes play’ definitely stands out to me.”
Nebraska commit Malik Williams:
“Not really messing my recruitment up because I’m already committed so on my end no it doesn’t affect me.”
Nebraska commit Teddy Prochazka:
“I would hope they can figure something out and play this fall but if not it wouldn’t affect me I would still be able to graduate early and get there.”
Nebraska commit Branson Yager:
“I don’t have a whole lot to say other than let us play. We put our lives at risk when we step on the field every day. How are we going to let a sickness that you have to be tested for to know if you have it, stop us from our season and put us out of hundreds of millions of dollars. Nebraska wants to play and they all know the risks. Let us play. It does not affect my recruitment on my side of things. I am 100 percent committed to Nebraska. I am unaware what may happen to the program or to college football in general if we don’t have a season.”
Nebraska commit Seth Malcom:
“It doesn’t affect my recruitment at all. I believe Nebraska is doing all they can to play. If they decide to move it to the spring then that is the best scenario for the players and staff. I know health is No. 1 to Nebraska and I hope they are able to play. I can’t wait to be in Lincoln watching them in Memorial Stadium.”
Nebraska commit Latrell Neville:
“It definitely does affect me in a major way, mostly because I’m a mid-year guy so I don’t know what that would mean for me enrolling early.”
Ohio State commit Sam Hart:
“It will be upsetting if they do have to cancel or move the season but I understand that teams have to do what they have to do for the safety of the players, staff, and the people around them. I really hope they can find a safe way to play this fall and whatever the outcome is it will not affect my recruitment at all. I’m still a Buckeye.”
Ohio State commit Ben Christman:
“I’m still waiting to hear what’s going on there and in terms of my recruitment, I’m locked in and will sign with Ohio State in December.”
Ohio State commit Donovan Jackson:
“It won’t affect my recruitment at all. I’m just upset that it’s a possible solution.”
Penn State commit Zakee Wheatley:
“It makes me kind of unsure on how things will go for the 2021 class. I know a lot of players want to play and I think that if I was in that situation, I would want to play as long as there were things in place to help keep us safe. As far as I know, based on my conversation with Penn State, it has not affected my recruitment but everything is so crazy right now, who knows.”
Wisconsin commit Ayo Adebogun:
“It’s unfortunate they can’t play in the fall but it’s great that they still have a chance to play. Of what I know, the switch doesn’t affect recruitment very much.”
Wisconsin commit Jake Chaney:
“I feel like it might have a big influence on my recruiting because It might not allow me to leave for school early and if we don’t have a season at all will that grant seniors another year and take away some of our scholarships?”
Wisconsin commit Ricardo Hallman:
“It doesn’t affect my recruitment In any way I’m confident in the decision that I made. As far as the season possibly being moved to spring it’s going to be tough but I’m all for it as long as the guys get to play a season.”
Rutgers commit Tyler Needham:
“I think that right now it’s not really my place to be an advocate or try to push for a change one way or another, but there’s definitely going to be teams and players who will be impacted in many different ways whether they are good or bad.” via Richie Schnyderite, TheKnightReport.net
Rutgers commit Henry Hughes:
“Honestly I think canceling isn’t the worst idea. Corona is a very serious matter, and even though I would love to watch my team play, I completely understand the reason for the Big Ten choosing to cancel.” via Richie Schnyderite, TheKnightReport.net
The news of the Big Ten canceling the fall football season spread like wildfire in the recruiting world. With so many top recruits already verbally committed to play for Big Ten teams, their reactions to the news was a mix of shock and sadness. Take a look at what some prospects that are committed to Big Ten programs think of the decision to cancel the fall football season.
FARRELL: Fear of lawsuits drives decision to pull plug on season
GORNEY: How Big Ten decision will affect the recruiting world
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
Michigan commit J.J. McCarthy:
“I mean it’s 2020, so it wasn’t something that blew my mind, haha. This is out of everyone’s control and we, as well as Michigan, are taking it one day at a time. I feel for the senior college football players, but we all know tough times never last but tough people do. This will unite college football and in the future years, college football will be even more appreciated.”
Michigan commit Kechaun Bennett:
“I’m shocked because, the way Michigan was handling the virus, I assumed every other school was too. I thought everything was all right but I’m also worried this means my season might not happen too.”
Maryland commit Marcus Bradley:
“Very Crazy. Some players are only gonna be playing 2 years.”
Michigan commit Louis Hansen:
“That was tough to see, especially because I felt like the players and coaches advocating to play had some great arguments in their favor. It’ll be tough for me and the rest of the Michigan recruiting class too, because a lot of us haven’t experienced a Michigan game in person, which was something we were all looking forward to doing together. And most of my family hasn’t been able to make it out for a visit.”
Ohio State commit Kyle McCord:
“It’s really unfortunate. It’s probably going to be up to each of the conferences. I’m hoping it doesn’t affect anything with me getting there early.”
Ohio State commit Evan Pryor:
“I think it’s sad. There are guys depending on the season to get drafted.”
Penn State commit Landon Tengwall:
“Wow! My reaction is that some type of player panel or NCAA PA like the NFL has needs to be formed so we can have our needs met.”
Penn State commit Christian Veilleux:
“Very crazy, but I’m not surprised. COVID was going to win anyways so I think it’s better that they do it now opposed to half way during the season. I wish the season could go on, but the safety should be the priority. Ultimately, I think it’s a lose-lose situation for the NCAA and the teams/players.”
Iowa commit Brody Brecht:
“They should keep it in the fall. Moving it to spring won’t do anything. Covid is still going to be around. All the coaches and players want to play but yet they have no say in the final word which is kind of stupid. I get that they’re worried about players’ safety but those players are playing a very physical sport and are at risk of injury every time they step on the field. It doesn’t affect my recruiting though, still gonna be a Hawkeye.”
Ohio State commit Jantzen Dunn:
“(Jantzen) just feels bad for the players at Ohio State. Especially the seniors. He feels like this was going to be a championship season for them. It sucks for everyone but necessary. You have kids and coaches that have put in a ton of work and that will go unnoticed. I hope that we can get back to some kind of normalcy soon.” – Dunn’s father, Mitchell Dunn, via Dave Lackford, BuckeyeGrove.com
Penn State commit Lonnie White:
“That’s crazy to hear. All these players are putting the work in and don’t get to play. It’s sad.”
2022 Ohio State commit Gabe Powers:
“They have worked too hard for their season to be canceled like that. It’s discouraging to see so many players see their season cancelled and some careers ended because they can’t take that chance with the draft.” via Dave Lackford, BuckeyeGrove.com
Ohio State commit Jack Sawyer:
“It’s ridiculous. It’s hard to imagine fall without football.” via Dave Lackford, BuckeyeGrove.com
Penn State commit Liam Clifford:
“I’m definitely upset about the news of the season possibly being cancelled. I thought what all the college athletes did on Twitter in support of the hopes of having a season was awesome. It was really cool to see so many different players from different teams come together like that.” via Ryan Snyder, BlueWhiteIllustrated.com
Iowa commit Max Llewellyn:
“I can’t imagine the Big 12 and other conferences aren’t far behind them, and even if they do stick it out, I’m forever a Hawkeye regardless.”
Iowa commit Keegan Johnson:
“Nothing changes. I made a commitment, and I will honor that. Just have to adjust moving forward to the circumstances.”
Iowa commit Jordan Oladokun:
“It doesn’t (affect his recruitment). I mean I was a guy that was going to go in December so I have no clue if I still can or if it has to be changed.”
Iowa commit Jeremiah Pittman:
“It wouldn’t change anything really. But it is really unfortunate because not only was I not able to do my official, but I can’t go to games in the fall.”
Iowa commit Arland Bruce:
“It doesn’t really affect my recruiting, but it does affect me enrolling early depending on what the Big Ten does. If they move the season to the spring I most likely won’t go. I don’t want to lose a year of eligibility when there are two receivers Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Brandon Smith who are graduating and might be potential draft picks.”
Michigan commit Tristan Bounds:
“It doesn’t affect my recruitment at all. But as for my thoughts, the season should be played in the fall.”
Michigan commit Xavier Worthy:
“It sucks but I’m all Michigan. Nothing is changing.”
Nebraska commit Heinrich Haarberg:
“The Nebraska administration and coaches have handled this in my opinion the best in the country. They’ve put the athletes’ best interest in mind while still keeping them safe.”
Ohio State commit Jordan Hancock:
“I’m really surprised they cancelled so early. I am going to miss watching them play, but other than that, it doesn’t bother me.”
Nebraska commit Marques Buford:
“It’s crazy that they are choosing to remove the student-athletes from an extremely safe environment as far as protecting from the virus and to add on the players want to play and if there was a choice to opt-out on the season there should be one to opt-in as well. As far as my recruiting goes, I am 110 percent committed to the University of Nebraska and to the coaching staff there. I feel they’ve done a great job advocating for the players to let them play and the fact that they are one of the programs out of 12 to say ‘yes let our athletes play’ definitely stands out to me.”
Nebraska commit Malik Williams:
“Not really messing my recruitment up because I’m already committed so on my end no it doesn’t affect me.”
Nebraska commit Teddy Prochazka:
“I would hope they can figure something out and play this fall but if not it wouldn’t affect me I would still be able to graduate early and get there.”
Nebraska commit Branson Yager:
“I don’t have a whole lot to say other than let us play. We put our lives at risk when we step on the field every day. How are we going to let a sickness that you have to be tested for to know if you have it, stop us from our season and put us out of hundreds of millions of dollars. Nebraska wants to play and they all know the risks. Let us play. It does not affect my recruitment on my side of things. I am 100 percent committed to Nebraska. I am unaware what may happen to the program or to college football in general if we don’t have a season.”
Nebraska commit Seth Malcom:
“It doesn’t affect my recruitment at all. I believe Nebraska is doing all they can to play. If they decide to move it to the spring then that is the best scenario for the players and staff. I know health is No. 1 to Nebraska and I hope they are able to play. I can’t wait to be in Lincoln watching them in Memorial Stadium.”
Nebraska commit Latrell Neville:
“It definitely does affect me in a major way, mostly because I’m a mid-year guy so I don’t know what that would mean for me enrolling early.”
Ohio State commit Sam Hart:
“It will be upsetting if they do have to cancel or move the season but I understand that teams have to do what they have to do for the safety of the players, staff, and the people around them. I really hope they can find a safe way to play this fall and whatever the outcome is it will not affect my recruitment at all. I’m still a Buckeye.”
Ohio State commit Ben Christman:
“I’m still waiting to hear what’s going on there and in terms of my recruitment, I’m locked in and will sign with Ohio State in December.”
Ohio State commit Donovan Jackson:
“It won’t affect my recruitment at all. I’m just upset that it’s a possible solution.”
Penn State commit Zakee Wheatley:
“It makes me kind of unsure on how things will go for the 2021 class. I know a lot of players want to play and I think that if I was in that situation, I would want to play as long as there were things in place to help keep us safe. As far as I know, based on my conversation with Penn State, it has not affected my recruitment but everything is so crazy right now, who knows.”
Wisconsin commit Ayo Adebogun:
“It’s unfortunate they can’t play in the fall but it’s great that they still have a chance to play. Of what I know, the switch doesn’t affect recruitment very much.”
Wisconsin commit Jake Chaney:
“I feel like it might have a big influence on my recruiting because It might not allow me to leave for school early and if we don’t have a season at all will that grant seniors another year and take away some of our scholarships?”
Wisconsin commit Ricardo Hallman:
“It doesn’t affect my recruitment In any way I’m confident in the decision that I made. As far as the season possibly being moved to spring it’s going to be tough but I’m all for it as long as the guys get to play a season.”
Rutgers commit Tyler Needham:
“I think that right now it’s not really my place to be an advocate or try to push for a change one way or another, but there’s definitely going to be teams and players who will be impacted in many different ways whether they are good or bad.” via Richie Schnyderite, TheKnightReport.net
Rutgers commit Henry Hughes:
“Honestly I think canceling isn’t the worst idea. Corona is a very serious matter, and even though I would love to watch my team play, I completely understand the reason for the Big Ten choosing to cancel.” via Richie Schnyderite, TheKnightReport.net
Several reports indicate Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott has decided to cancel fall sports.
AP Images
The Mind of Mike is a dangerous place. Here are the latest thoughts from Rivals National Director Mike Farrell about what the Big 12, SEC and ACC should do.
RELATED: Yahoo Sports report on Big Ten, Pac-12 canceling fall sports | What Big Ten’s decision means to recruiting | Big Ten commits react
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker
*****
Dear Big Ten. You didn’t even try. Shame on you.
Dear Pac-12. Get a spine and stop following the lead of the Big Ten. Shame on you.
I’m done talking about these two conferences for now, because we still have others to focus on — others who seem to want to play football.
Dear Big 12, SEC and ACC. Don’t listen to the above quitters. And I’m not talking about coaches or players in the Big Ten or Pac-12. It’s clear they want to play (or at least most do). Don’t listen to the presidents who voted to shut the fall down and postpone football to the spring. Don’t listen to the naysayers who didn’t even try to see if their protocols and safety measures would work and pulled the plug six weeks before they had to. Stay the course and remain patient.
As I’ve stated before, this isn’t about player safety. It’s about fear of litigation and poor optics. COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere. It’ll likely be here in the spring. It’s something we need to adapt to and putting our head in the sand won’t help. I thought that was the plan for college football but I’m apparently wrong.
MORE: Liability the driving force behind decisions to cancel, Farrell says
Yes, I get that I’m not risking my own health to play football and social distancing is impossible in a contact sport. But I also know the economic downfall of this country has taken a healthy toll on many from stress levels to mental health issues and more. And I know that losing college football will worsen that — from economic loss to other factors. More people will lose jobs now and more people will suffer because of this decision, which flies in the face of what players, parents and coaches want. All out of fear of litigation and poor PR.
The big question is this: Will playing college football increase the spread of COVID-19 or decrease it? An argument can be made for both sides, but you have to try first to see. Sure, a contact sport could lead to more infections, so that side of the argument is valid. But keeping the players safe, tested and supervised on a daily basis could also lead to fewer infections than a postponement of college football when athletes are out in the world without testing.
And what happens in the spring? What’s going to change in a few months?
I’m a realist. College football may have been a disaster this season with testing, diminished rosters, depth issues and perhaps even cancellation of games due to positive results. But at least try. Maybe things wouldn’t go off the rails. The NBA seems to be managing. Major League Baseball has had some issues, but it’s still chugging along.
Students are back on many campuses now and COVID-19 is a part of college life the same as it is in the real world. Let’s play football – or at least try – and watch the Big Ten and Pac-12 regret their decision. That’s all I ask.
New to Rivals.com? Click here and purchase a monthly subscription to your favorite team site for $9.95, and we’ll send you a free t-shirt code to BreakingT.com (up to $28.00 value).Use the promo code “Monthly2020.”
Several reports indicate Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott has decided to cancel fall sports.
AP Images
The Mind of Mike is a dangerous place. Here are the latest thoughts from Rivals National Director Mike Farrell about what the Big 12, SEC and ACC should do.
RELATED: Yahoo Sports report on Big Ten, Pac-12 canceling fall sports | What Big Ten’s decision means to recruiting | Big Ten commits react
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker
*****
Dear Big Ten. You didn’t even try. Shame on you.
Dear Pac-12. Get a spine and stop following the lead of the Big Ten. Shame on you.
I’m done talking about these two conferences for now, because we still have others to focus on — others who seem to want to play football.
Dear Big 12, SEC and ACC. Don’t listen to the above quitters. And I’m not talking about coaches or players in the Big Ten or Pac-12. It’s clear they want to play (or at least most do). Don’t listen to the presidents who voted to shut the fall down and postpone football to the spring. Don’t listen to the naysayers who didn’t even try to see if their protocols and safety measures would work and pulled the plug six weeks before they had to. Stay the course and remain patient.
As I’ve stated before, this isn’t about player safety. It’s about fear of litigation and poor optics. COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere. It’ll likely be here in the spring. It’s something we need to adapt to and putting our head in the sand won’t help. I thought that was the plan for college football but I’m apparently wrong.
MORE: Liability the driving force behind decisions to cancel, Farrell says
Yes, I get that I’m not risking my own health to play football and social distancing is impossible in a contact sport. But I also know the economic downfall of this country has taken a healthy toll on many from stress levels to mental health issues and more. And I know that losing college football will worsen that — from economic loss to other factors. More people will lose jobs now and more people will suffer because of this decision, which flies in the face of what players, parents and coaches want. All out of fear of litigation and poor PR.
The big question is this: Will playing college football increase the spread of COVID-19 or decrease it? An argument can be made for both sides, but you have to try first to see. Sure, a contact sport could lead to more infections, so that side of the argument is valid. But keeping the players safe, tested and supervised on a daily basis could also lead to fewer infections than a postponement of college football when athletes are out in the world without testing.
And what happens in the spring? What’s going to change in a few months?
I’m a realist. College football may have been a disaster this season with testing, diminished rosters, depth issues and perhaps even cancellation of games due to positive results. But at least try. Maybe things wouldn’t go off the rails. The NBA seems to be managing. Major League Baseball has had some issues, but it’s still chugging along.
Students are back on many campuses now and COVID-19 is a part of college life the same as it is in the real world. Let’s play football – or at least try – and watch the Big Ten and Pac-12 regret their decision. That’s all I ask.
New to Rivals.com? Click here and purchase a monthly subscription to your favorite team site for $9.95, and we’ll send you a free t-shirt code to BreakingT.com (up to $28.00 value).Use the promo code “Monthly2020.”
The news of the Pac-12 canceling the fall football season spread like wildfire in the recruiting world. With so many top recruits already verbally committed to play for Pac-12 teams, their reactions to the news was a mixture of shock and sadness. Here’s a look at what some prospects that are committed to those programs think of the decision to cancel the fall football season.
RELATED: Pac-12 follows Big Ten, cancels fall football | Big Ten commits react to news of cancellation
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker
*****
Arizona State commit Finn Collins:
“I mean, I think everyone has mutual feelings about the recent actions of the Pac-12 and Big Ten. It sucks because going another five months without football is going to be rough, especially when everybody is dying to play. But it does give us the opportunity to focus on ourselves and better our game. With the season moving to the spring it doesn’t affect any part of my recruitment. I would still be preparing to graduate early in January.”
*****
Arizona State commit RJ Regan:
“I’m not surprised. I talk to my ASU coaches all the time and the plan is still to get there in January. But who knows what the NCAA will do about that situation.”
*****
Arizona State commit Jaydon Williams:
“it’s not right. These players want to play. We work our entire life just to play on Saturdays and Sundays and for them to just take our future away is not right. (Associate head) coach (Antonio Pierce) and coach (Herm) Edwards are who I want to play for. I need them to help me become a better person.”
*****
Arizona State commit Isaia Glass:
“I’m not sure yet, going to talk with my parents, but I don’t think it will affect much.”
*****
Arizona State commit Martin Lucas:
“It sucks that they don’t get to play in the fall and I guess that means we probably don’t get to go on an official visit anytime soon, and I was really looking forward to doing that and only thing that affects my recruitment is that I won’t get to see what it’s like there for a while and see the coaches in person. I was also thinking about enrolling early, but I don’t know if we can do that now.”
*****
Arizona State commit Marcus Mbow:
“It sucks, but 100 percent does not affect my recruitment.”
*****
Cal commit Mavin Anderson:
“As far as my recruitment goes, nothing changes. I am not enrolling early and I am still 100 percent committed to play football at Cal, whenever that may be. On the other hand, the Pac-12 season being pushed back to the spring doesn’t shock me much. I feel like I have accepted the fact that a lot of things will be different regarding football (both high school and college) in order to optimize the safety of athletes. While it is unfortunate that the season will be pushed back, I believe an action like this is a necessary evil that will help clear things up in the near future.”
*****
Cal commit Akili Calhoun:
“It’s sad, especially knowing the guys and knowing that they have been really anticipating their season. This won’t affect my recruitment/decisions at all. I’m still going early and am gonna be ready to work.”
*****
Cal commit J. Michael Sturdivant:
“It’s insane that it happened, but I don’t see how it will affect my recruitment as of now. But everything is always changing now.”
*****
Cal commit Bastian Swinney:
“Still 100 percent all-in on Cal. And it is what it is, if it keeps the players safer I’m all for it.”
*****
Cal commit Jermaine Terry:
“I’m still enrolling early unless the rules change around that. It doesn’t affect me one bit.”
*****
Colorado commit Trustin Oliver:
“All I can say is I’m limited on information but it’s hard for every junior college kid out there, and only time will tell what will happen in the future.”
*****
Colorado commit Zephaniah Maea:
“With the Pac-12 postponing their season it’s really a good idea on what I’ll be doing. It’s a great feeling to know that I can play my senior season, because if the Pac-12 wasn’t postponed then I wouldn’t have played because I’ll be going up early to CU. I am strong with CU, strong commit.”
*****
Colorado commit Chase Penry:
“The situation is pretty disappointing, but complaining about it won’t make anything better. I’m going to use this time to improve, and it’s a really high priority for me to find high-quality reps, honestly, wherever I can find them. Sometimes that will be in Colorado, but I expect to be on the road a lot this fall as well. I do hope the NCAA lifts the dead period sooner than later and allows kids to have face-to-face meetings with coaches. There’s obviously a way for recruits to get on campus and meet coaches in a safe way, so hopefully the NCAA can make that happen.”
*****
Oregon commit Keanu Williams:
“It doesn’t affect any form of my recruitment with Oregon. I’m still locked in.”
*****
Oregon commit Jackson Light:
“I feel bad for all of the players and coaches that don’t get to have football this year. They are family to me. It doesn’t affect my decision to go to Oregon at all. Hopefully things work out and I can still be on campus in January.”
*****
Oregon commit Jaylin Davies:
“It doesn’t affect my recruitment at all. Still waiting to see what the next move is like for everyone else.”
*****
Oregon commit Seven McGee:
“Does not affect my recruitment at all. It’s a lot going on in the world right now, so I couldn’t blame them.”
*****
Oregon State commit Easton Mascarenas:
“I’m actually pretty sad that the season is canceled because the time period for football season within itself is just a fun time that everyone enjoys, and with the cancellation it kind of makes me worry about my high school season and if we’re gonna have one. With all this negativity I’m just trying to be optimistic and hope for the best and I’m just hoping we have football this year, regardless of when it is. As far as my recruitment goes, I really haven’t been on anyone’s radar since my commitment. But my recruiting is still open to anyone else that wants to offer.”
*****
Oregon State commit Sam Vidlak:
“That does not affect my recruitment. I’m going to OSU and will be a Beaver. The only reason this would change is if the season were canceled and OSU kept a bunch of players that were supposed to graduate and didn’t have an offer anymore or something crazy and out of my control happened. But as far as I’m concerned I am 100 percent committed to Oregon State, and I’m under the impression that OSU is committed to me as well.”
*****
Oregon State commit Henry Buckles:
“It’s a bummer that the student-athletes who have put in so much work won’t have an opportunity to play this fall. On the bright side, it’s great to have an opportunity in the spring for them to compete.”
*****
Stanford commit Shield Taylor:
“As of right now, I’m still fully committed to Stanford. If our high school season gets canceled then I will focus on getting my body ready for college. I think the spring season for them would be best, health-wise, but it is unfortunate for the players.”
*****
Stanford commit Caleb Ellis:
“The movement to the spring is definitely going to be a different experience for everyone, but the Pac-12 made the decision that they felt would be best for everyone. The movement will not affect my recruitment.”
*****
Stanford commit Mitch Leigber:
“I’m disappointed that the season was canceled. I wanted to take a trip to Stanford and go to a few games. But ultimately it will not affect my commitment to Stanford.”
*****
UCLA commit Tyler Kiehne:
“I’m sad. I was really looking forward to taking a game visit and watching the games throughout the season. But it doesn’t affect my recruitment at all. My decision still stands firm.”
*****
UCLA commit Ezavier Staples:
“I’ve heard that if they move the season back then there’s a chance that signing day would be pushed back, and I planned on signing in December. So, that would be the only way it affects me.”
*****
UCLA commit Devin Aupiu:
“It won’t affect my recruitment at all, but it will affect when I enroll.”
*****
USC commit Calen Bullock:
“It hasn’t affected my recruitment, but I think it’s the best thing to do with all this COVID-19.”
*****
USC commit Miller Moss:
“There are a lot of unknowns with the situation. As of now, my plans have not changed. I’m still going to be going to USC in January.”
*****
USC commit Xamarion Gordon:
“As far as I know the Pac-12 pushing the season back, they are looking out for the players’ health and it is the right thing to do. This does not affect my recruitment at all.”
*****
USC commit Michael Jackson:
“The Pac-12 decision to move their college football season to the spring doesn’t affect my recruitment at all. I’m still 100 percent committed to USC. My schedule hasn’t changed since March. Still training, lifting, gymnastics, still playing football actually (no pads). I just had to get creative and sort of create a season for myself. The plan a year and a half ago was to enroll early in January 2021 at the college that I chose. I’m still on track to do just that, but I will still need to seriously sit down with a few of my teammates, family and coaches before I can make a definite decision on early enrollment. What the NCAA determines for eligibility for 2021 early enrollees will also affect my decision to enroll early at USC.”
*****
USC commit Julien Simon:
“I think it’s the right move when you’re concerned about the players health. Now, for the players that want to play and or need to play, it’s definitely a tough situation for them. This will not affect me and my recruitment at all. I am a Trojan no matter what.”
*****
Utah commit Trey Reynolds:
“My thoughts are the same as the conference. I would like there to be a season, but if there is no way to protect the athletes there is no way they can have a season. This will affect me because I will not have ordinary spring football to get me ready for the 2022 season. In no way does it affect my commitment to Utah.”
*****
Washington commit Sam Huard:
“Doesn’t affect recruitment, just would be too bad if other conferences are playing and the Pac-12 isn’t, but I understand the situation and reasoning for it. Trevor Lawrence said it best, and I agree with him, but it is what it is.”
*****
Washington commit Dyson McCutcheon:
“I don’t think it affects my recruitment that much no matter when the season is played I’m sticking with UDUB. It does suck how the season is going to be all switched up and not normal, but I’m pretty sure me and my dad will talk on it and figure everything out.”
*****
Washington commit Kuao Peihopa:
“I just feel bad for all the players. There’s been a lot of work put in, but at the same time I understand that safety always needs to come first. It does, however, make me wonder about scholarships and roster limitations (if) the seniors decide to apply for another year.”
*****
Washington commit Zakhari Spears:
“I’m really disappointed. I won’t be able to watch games and visit campus again for a while. But there are bigger things at hand. Hopefully, we can get back to regular life with this sacrifice. In terms of recruitment, I’m all in with UW. I just hope we can get this virus taken care of sooner than later.”
*****
Washington commit Robert Wyrsch:
“I’m very shocked to hear that and feel bad for the athletes that wanted to play. But it will not affect my recruitment at all. I’m 110 percent committed to the University of Washington.”
*****
Washington commit Quentin Moore:
“It helps JUCO kids personally, because instead of two years at a D-I you can get three now. But for other guys that aren’t committed yet and don’t know where they are going it might have a negative effect. I think it’s good for me, because I will be able to go in and have more time to prepare myself for P5 football.”
*****
Washington State commit Xavier Ward:
“My initial thought is obviously that I’m disappointed about it just like I’m disappointed that high school is playing in the spring, because I’m ready to play now. But I recognize the times we’re in and it doesn’t adversely affect my recruiting. I have a great relationship with WSU and it’ll only get better. All I know is that I’m gonna use the time to get better.”
*****
Washington State commit Jayhvion Gipson:
“I’m just thankful teams are still able to even play.”
*****
Washington State commit Brock Dieu:
“Kind of bummed I won’t be able to see Pac-12 football this fall, but glad it’s not all the way canceled. That does not affect my recruitment at all.”
Cardiff Blues have taken a swipe at the Dragons as the row over the Gwent region’s recruitment of Jamie Roberts and Nick Tompkins intensifies.
Alun Jones, chairman at the Arms Park region, is the first to go on the record and confirm that an agreement was in place that was supposed to put a freeze on all recruitment at the four regions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Roberts spoke to the Blues, the region where he made his name, when he became available but was told there was no opportunity for the move to come off.
He was then confirmed as the Dragons’ latest signing last week.
“PRB collectively issued a stay on recruitment due to the current financial situation and therefore we have not engaged in any further recruitment and fully support that position,” Jones said in a message to Blues’ supporters.
“All employees across professional rugby in Wales, over a certain threshold, have been affected by salary reductions and these appear set to continue for the next 12 months.
“At a time of so much uncertainty, salary reductions and other cost-reducing measures, Richard [Holland, Blues chief executive], the board and I are in complete agreement that it would be unfair to spend money on incoming talent while employees of the company, and their families, are being impacted financially.”
Dragons director of rugby Dean Ryan took a pop at the Blues, Ospreys and Scarlets after unveiling Roberts, questioning the ‘motives’ of the region’s critics and insisting they had been ‘smarter’ in the market.
The region, who are owned by the WRU, have also snapped up Wales centre Nick Tompkins on a loan deal and fellow Welsh international Jonah Holmes on a permanent deal.
The Blues, however, maintain that their signings of Wales lock Cory Hill, prop Rhys Carre and Wales under-20s playmaker Luke Scully were done before the pandemic hit.
Jones added: “Of course we would like to further strengthen our squad and have wider resources but now is not the time to do that and there is no debate to be had.
“We are still in the mindset of a hugely challenging period and a significant amount of work is going on behind the scenes to ensure our immediate survival and long-term future.
“We are continuing to explore a number of cost-saving measures both as a Cardiff Blues board and with our colleagues in Welsh rugby.
“I am doing everything in my power to ensure the best way forward for Cardiff Blues.
“The entire board, Richard and the executive team are working tirelessly to that end and remain as determined and passionate as ever about the long-term sustainability and success of this club.
“Prior to Covid-19 we were continuing to make good progress as a company and were forecasting a break even position.
CLICK TO PLAY
DEAN RYAN DISCUSSES THE SIGNING OF JAMIE ROBERTS
“Our distribution monies from PRB were set to increase for 2020-21 due to our growing representation in the national 38 [Wales squad], changes we implemented in regards to governance, commercial work undertaken and the success of our academy.
“However, both PRB and our own finances have been complicated by the pandemic and we are all now in a different and much more challenging situation.
“Clearly, there are still hurdles to overcome but I am pleased the strategy of investing in our academy and development programmes is working.
“This will continue and the Cardiff Blues academy will now play a much greater role.
“Having greater alignment between the two teams will enhance the pathway which will be vital for the future of the company.
“Next season our academy will be the biggest it has ever been and we have also established links with English colleges to ensure future talent is not lost from our system.
“There is still a lot of work to do but our ambitions on the pitch remain constant – sustainable success – and while our strategy has been delayed by the impact of Covid-19, we are comfortable with our current squad and are determined to get back on track.”
Blues chairman Alun Jones(Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency)
Jones revealed Cardiff Athletic Club, who own the Arms Park, have allowed the Blues to defer rental payments on using the ground.
He said it was a “priorty” for the Blues to secure a new lease from CAC or an extension to continue with it as the region’s home but negotiations are on hold because of Covid-19.
“We all want the very best for Cardiff Blues and Cardiff RFC, who are part of the same company, and that means professional rugby at the Arms Park with a vibrant semi-professional outfit,” Jones went on.
“I believe this vision is shared by members of CAC, and the rugby section.
“With so much upheaval at present, I fervently hope we grasp the opportunity to collectively shape the future of both professional and semi-professional rugby in Cardiff and at the Arms Park.”
Jones said it would take six weeks to decommission the Dragon’s Heart Hospital, which encompasses the Principality Stadium and the Arms Park, with it currently due to be in place until the end of October.
But he added: “We are also acutely aware [length of deal] this might change in line with the course of the pandemic and a potential second wave.”
It was a big decision for Mark Jones to uproot his young family and take them on a 12,000 mile journey to live at the other end of the world.
But it’s one that has been wholly vindicated with him sharing in the Crusaders’ triumph in winning the Super Rugby Aotearoa tournament.
The Christchurch-based side sealed the title with a game to spare as they beat the Highlanders 32-22 in a thrilling clash at the Orangetheory Stadium on the weekend.
It was a special moment for Jones, which he shared with his wife Helen and their two sons Caleb and Isaac, as they were pictured with the trophy after the game.
They’ve been out in New Zealand since January, with the former Scarlets, RGC and Wales coach having taken on defensive duties with the Crusaders in a big career move.
As if that wasn’t enough of a change, there have also been the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster really. We were just reflecting on it now,” said the 40-year-old, speaking from his home in the Merivale area of Christchurch.
“The rugby decision to come over here was never really in question.
“It was more a case of can we make it work with the family. Were we strong enough to be able to leave grandparents, cousins and close friends and up sticks and move in a short space of time?
“It wasn’t an easy decision. We had a good think about it over the December period.
“It wasn’t the rugby, it was the lifestyle change we were worried about because you are a long way away from your natural support.
“It’s been tough for all different types of reasons and still is a little bit.
“The young fellas are still trying to find their feet. It’s only natural. They’ve gone new schools, new house, new city to live.
“My wife has gone on a sabbatical from her work as a lecturer in Neath College, so she’s been trying to fill her time while I’m in work.
“And because of the lockdown, we didn’t have the chance to build those relationships, either in school with the kids or Helen with the parents of the other schoolchildren.
“We obviously haven’t got any close family here.
“The boys are 11 and 9. It’s been tough on them. But, fair play, I am proud of them, they have done a marvellous job getting out here and ripping into it.
“They are playing rugby for the Christchurch club up the road and they are loving that. They are not letting the Welsh down out here with their performances.”
Jones was joined by his sons on the pitch following the title-clinching victory over the Highlanders, with the family then getting to pose for a picture with the trophy.
Mark Jones of the Crusaders poses with his sons after winning Super Rugby Aotearoa
“That moment really confirmed that coming out here has been the right decision, 100 per cent,” said Jones.
“It’s a beautiful trophy, a bit different to normal traditional ones.
“The only thing is you can’t drink out of it. That’s the problem!”
Aside from settling in a new country, for Jones there’s also been the challenge of taking on the somewhat unfamiliar role of defence coach and in a competition that features some of the best attacking players in the world.
“I thought it was a good opportunity,” said the former Wales wing.
“All my roles previously have been predominantly attack.
“I think it will make me a better rounded coach, focusing a bit more on the defence.
“Being a defence coach in this competition is not good for the heart rate, mind. It’s no fun at times!
“Because they have tweaked the interpretation of the laws, the game has got even quicker.
“The ball-in-play time is a touch lower than usual, but when it’s in play it’s faster.
“The way the teams are attacking at the moment, the ball is really quick, so it’s hard to get off the line and put pressure on the ball.
“You are constantly finding yourself on the retreat. It’s tough.
“With the law adjustments, the jackler has got a few more rights to the ball, so you are finding there’s a lot more turnovers.
“You are defending off a lot more unstructured play.
“Then you throw in all those power athletes that the Kiwis have got – the likes of Shannon Frizell, Patrick Tuipulotu, Rieko Ioane – and it’s bloody frightening.
“It will be good to have a bit of a break from trying to stop all these awesome attackers.”
The Crusaders – who have won six out of seven matches in the Aotearoa tournament – have one more game to play, against the Blues up in Auckland, next Sunday.
Then the 47-times capped Jones will change hats and take on attack coach responsibilities with the Canterbury provincial side.
Given there wasn’t a regional opportunity for him in Wales once he finished with RGC and completed his stint with Namibia at the World Cup, one wonders whether he feels he has sent out something of a message with his success in New Zealand.
“I didn’t look at it as having a point to prove at all really,” said the Builth Wells product.
“Every rugby job I have taken I have tried to use it to better myself as a coach.
“When I was looking at some of the roles around, I just felt this was the best one for me now.
“I don’t hold any grudges. You just get on with it and this has been a great fit for me so far.
“It’s been a brilliant rugby experience.”
He continues: “The Crusaders had lost five or six All Blacks – people like Kieran Read, Owen Franks and Matt Todd – massive players, hundreds of caps just gone.
Mark Jones with Crusaders and All Blacks fly-half Richie Mo’unga
“So you are conscious that the young fellas coming in have got big shoes to fill, but they have done a terrific job.
“It’s an immense achievement to still be able to come out on top. It’s actually made that achievement even a bit more special.
“It’s been a brutal old competition.
“Coming from Wales, where we’ve got quite a small talent pool, to see the strength in depth they have got here in a population of just five million is frightening really.
“There is a conveyor belt of them coming through in most positions.
Every year, a sizeable contingent of players leave the Welsh regions, either through their own choice to head for pastures new or through being released.
For those shown the door, it can often be challenging to find a new club and that’s particularly the case this summer amid cutbacks caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
So here’s the full list of the 34 players moving on and the latest news on what the future holds for them.
CARDIFF BLUES
Nick Williams
If anyone has the natural attributes to be a bodyguard, it’s big Nick and that’s what he plans to do now following his retirement from playing. He has done his qualifications to work in close personal security and will moving into that area, while also hoping to remain involved in rugby in some capacity behind-the-scenes, having gained so much experience during his 16-year playing career.
James Down
Down’s story is an illustration of the lengths players now have to go to in order to find employment in these unprecedented times. Out of contract at the Blues and aware opportunities were likely to be limited in the UK amid Covid-related cutbacks, the 32-year-old lock jumped at the chance to join Russian club Lokomotiv Penza. He made his debut for them in a victory over Enisei-STM just over a week ago.
Macauley Cook
Jersey Reds are the new home for the 28-year-old back five forward, who will now be plying his trade in the English Championship. He made 167 appearances for the Arms Park outit over a decade and was recently selected in the ultimate Blues team in the second row, following a public vote.
Rhun Williams
There were such high hopes for the north Walian full-back who was a Grand Slam winner with Wales U20s and was called into Warren Gatland’s senior squad in 2017. But, in February of the following year, he suffered nerve damage to his neck in making a try-saving tackle against Zebre. He underwent extensive rehabilitation, but eventually had to call it a day at the age of 22 and now it’s a case of focusing on life outside of rugby.
Filo Paulo
The Samoan international lock rejoined the Blues in November, having previously made 75 appearances for them between 2013 and 2015. It was a short-term deal until the end of the season and the 32-year-old has now moved on after six more outings.
Ryan Edwards
A similar story with Welsh-qualified winger Edwards. He came on board for a second spell in February, signing from Bristol for the remainder of the season in response to an injury crisis.
Rhys Davies
Having played at the Wern for most of last term, utility back Davies, 22, has now joined his home-town club of Merthyr permanently.
DRAGONS
Nic Cudd
Nic Cudd put his body on the line for the Dragons(Image: Ben Evans/Huw Evans Agency)
Following his release, the warm words from fans about Cudd’s contribution during his eight years with the Gwent region spoke volumes, with the fearless flanker having become such a popular and respected figure with the way he put his body on the line time and time again. Now 31, the ex-Scarlets openside hasn’t sorted anything out for next season yet and is still looking around to see what’s out there.
Cory Hill
It’s back to the Arms Park for the Wales second row. Seven years on from being released by Cardiff Blues, he has rejoined the capital region after protracted speculation over his future. In all, he made 110 appearances for the Dragons, captaining the region and becoming an international regular during his time there, winning 25 caps and a Grand Slam.
Tyler Morgan
After seven years and 89 appearances with the Dragons, it’s time for a new challenge for the Welsh international centre, who has switched to the Scarlets. It’s hard to believe he is still only 24 given he seems to have been around for so long. The big hope now is he can have some better luck on the injury front.
Jacob Botica
The son of former All Blacks star Frano has joined Federale 1 club Rennes and is currently midway through pre-season. It will be his second spell in France as he was previously with Agen, while also having stints with Saint-Jean d’Angely and Saint-Medard. He signed for the Dragons in 2018 after impressing at fly-half for RGC 1404 and made ten appearances for the region, all but two of them as a replacement.
James McCarthy
Having been at the centre of an international tug-of-war three years ago, he now finds himself out of work. The Newport-born winger, who has played age-grade international rugby for both Wales and Ireland, rejoined the Dragons from Munster a year ago.
But didn’t make a senior appearance for the region, linking up with Wales Sevens after appearing in the Celtic Cup.
Rhys Lawrence
The 32-year-old hooker already has a lengthy list of teams on his CV, having had spells with Llanelli, the Scarlets, Ealing Trailfinders and Bristol Bears before linking up with the Dragons in 2018, making 16 appearances. Born in England, but brought up in Swansea and represented Wales U20s.
Dafydd Buckland
Has linked up with Pontypridd as he looks for more regular rugby. Won 12 caps for Wales U20s at scrum-half, but only played two games outside of that level in the 2019-20 season, both for Newport. The 20-year-old will also train with the Cardiff Blues Academy.
Tom Hoppe
The 21-year-old centre had been planning to play for Cardiff RFC this year, but that was put on hold due to the pandemic. He has one more year at Cardiff University and is looking to make his mark in Super Bucs rugby, with a view to opening some more doors.
Will Griffiths
Has represented Wales at U18s, U19s and U20s level, but the young Abergavenny-born wasn’t able to break through with the Dragons senior side.
James Sheekey
Having come on board from Cardiff in 2017, he made seven appearances in the back row that season, but opportunities dried up after that.
OSPREYS
Dan Baker
Welsh international Dan Baker has headed for France(Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency)
The three-times capped No 8 will now be playing his rugby for French second division club Stade Montois, with no offers having come his way in Wales. Having been with the Ospreys since 2013, making 86 appearances, he was released earlier this year. A serious knee injury had kept him out of action from October 2017 to September 2019, while he damaged his shoulder following his return.
Aled Davies
The 20-cap scrum-half is now ineligible for Wales having moved to Saracens. He spent two seasons with the Ospreys, after joining them from Scarlets in 2018. Now 28, he admits it was a difficult decision to leave for England, but says he wants to win trophies and feels the European champions are a team he can do that with.
James Hook
He may have called time on his illustrious playing career, but Hook is poised to stay on at the Ospreys as the region’s kicking coach. There’s also another new chapter, with his role as an author of children’s books. The classy utility back won 81 Wales caps and had stints with Perpignan and Gloucester, while playing close on 150 games for the Ospreys in two spells.
Will Jones
Having been released by the Ospreys, the former Wales U20s captain is aiming to secure a place at Durham University, with the goal of then being picked up by an English Premiership club. The 22-year-old openside flanker, who was a schoolboy judo champion, found opportunities limited at the Liberty Stadium.
Darryl Marfo
As recently as November 2017, the London-born loosehead was starting for Scotland against New Zealand, now he finds himself without a club. Signed up by the Ospreys in December in response to a propping crisis, the former Harlequins, London Welsh, Bath and Edinburgh front rower made his debut against Saracens in the Champions Cup, but was limited to just one more outing before the sport went into lockdown. There has been some interest in the 29-year-old from France, but he remains a free agent at present.
Gheorghe Gajion
The Moldovan international prop has signed a two-year deal with French Pro D2 club Aurillac. Nicknamed “The Beast from the East” for his size and powerful carrying, he joined the Ospreys in 2018, making four appearances on the tight-head, while also turning out for Bridgend.
Lesley Klim
It’s island life now for the Namibian Test threequarter, who has joined English Championship clubs Jersey Reds after first heading there on loan in March. He played against both New Zealand and South Africa at the World Cup in Japan, but his appearances for the Ospreys were very limited during his two year stay amid injury issues.
Tom Williams
Shrewsbury-born but bred in Montgomeryshire, the Wales U20s and Sevens winger arrived at the Ospreys via RGC and made some ten appearances.
Ben Glynn
Joined from Harlequins last autumn, but then went out on loan to Northampton in February to cover a second row crisis and has now left the region.
SCARLETS
Hadleigh Parkes
The city of Ota will now be home for Parkes following his move to Japanese club Hadleigh Panasonic Wild Knights. It means the 32-year-old centre has played his final game for Wales as he now ineligible under the 60-cap rule, with 29 international appearances to his name. He spent six years with the Scarlets, having been brought over from the Hurricanes by Wayne Pivac in 2014.
Kieron Fonotia
Life has turned full circle for the 32-year-old Samoan international centre who is back in the land of his birth, New Zealand, and has rejoined Tasman Mako, which is where it all began for him a decade ago. After spending two tough seasons with the Ospreys following a move from the Crusaders, he switched to the Scarlets in 2018 and was sad to be released having enjoyed his time at the region.
Corey Baldwin
There was disappointment down west when the 21-year-old centre opted to leave to join Exeter. He had marked himself out as a real talent during his 11 appearances for Wales U20s and was impressing on his outings for the Scarlets. Being uncapped, he is not impacted by the 60-cap, while he is also eligible for England, having been born in Surrey.
Jonathan Evans
The 28-year-old scrum-half would be a good pick up for someone, as he’s proved himself to be a very accomplished operator at first the Dragons and then the Scarlets, while also having a spell with Bath. The livewire Bargoed product was capped no fewer than 18 times by Wales at U20s level. The Scarlets look set to bring in Will Homer from Jersey Reds to fill the vacancy created by Evans’ release.
Jonathan Evans on the attack for the Scarlets
Simon Gardiner
Sidelined at the minute after taking a bang to the head in February. But the 29-year-old prop is hoping to receive the all-clear from a specialist in the near future and will then be looking to secure a new club. He made more than 50 appearances for the Scarlets in two spells, while also turning out for Llanelli, Carmarthen Quins, Swansea and Cardiff in the Premiership.
Lionel Messi was taken down in the box. He didn’t stop his attack to pander to the referees for a penalty — he kept going. And after dodging about five Napoli defenders with just a sliver of space, the 33-year-old Messi reminded us why he’s arguably the greatest athlete of his generation.
This feels like one of the most spectacular goals of Messi’s legendary career. In case you forgot, this is what greatness looks like.
OMG, What a goal by Messi
Barcelona 2-0 Napoli (3-1)
The match is live on @FDLM30
#BarcaNapoli
pic.twitter.com/vjCo8uMAIJ
— SnapGoal (@SnapGoal) August 8, 2020
Messi’s goal in the 23rd minute stunned the sports internet from the moment it happened. It put Barcelona up 2-0 over Napoli in the Champions League restart match, and reminded us what we were missing when sports were (rightfully) on hiatus for so long during the pandemic.
We are so lucky to live at the same time as Messi. The man never ceases to amaze us.
Dame came up short against the Clippers in crunch-time. Then he reminded them what he’s done to them before.
Damian Lillard’s penchant of late-game heroics has helped make him one of the greatest players in the game today. When Lillard’s on the court, crunch-time is known as Dame Time. He’s proven himself so many times in the biggest moments that it feels legitimately shocking on the rare occasions when he comes up short. It happened on Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Blazers needed a win to keep pace in the race for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoff picture. It felt like they caught a break with the Clippers resting Kawhi Leonard and playing without Patrick Beverley. Yet as the two teams traded buckets late into the fourth quarter, the Blazers needed Lillard to save the day once again.
This time, he couldn’t do it. Lillard missed a pair of free throws with Portland trailing by one point with 18 seconds left. Dame got one more chance to be the hero, but a potential game-tying three he launched out of a stepback was off the mark. The Clippers won the game, 122-117, even after they decided to rest Paul George in crunch-time for he described as “load management.”
Beverley and George each enjoyed Lillard coming up short. Beverley was loudly taunting Lillard from the bench, and he was laughing hysterically when his free throws rimmed out:
Clippers’ Patrick Beverley taps his wrist loudly and yells out “DOLLA Time” from the bench as Blazers’ Damian Lillard misses a pair of clutch free throws
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) August 8, 2020
The Clippers bench after Dame missed two clutch FTs pic.twitter.com/sRDz8BWY1o
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 8, 2020
Remember when Lillard waved goodbye to the Thunder upon hitting a series-ending buzzer-beater over George last season? The Clippers sure do:
Followed by the wave lol. pic.twitter.com/tZIbwKjOf0
— Ricky Chu (@RikDaddy) August 8, 2020
George had this comment after the game:
“It’s part of the game. Simple as that. It’s just competition. Some people can play with talking, some people can’t.” — Paul George, who told Gary Trent Jr. that he talks to much, discussing trash talk post-game
— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) August 8, 2020
Lillard had the best response to the Clippers trash talk
Lillard was asked about the Clippers taunting after the game. Somehow, even when Dame comes up short, it feels like he wins.
Damian Lillard on the antics of Patrick Beverly and Paul George down the stretch of today’s game. Lillard unloads. pic.twitter.com/NFgEiiVHVi
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) August 8, 2020
Here’s the translated quote:
Asking me about Patrick Beverley, I’ve sent him home before at the end of a game. Paul George got sent home by me last year in the playoffs. They know. The reason they’re reacting like that is because of what they expect from me. It’s a sign of respect. It shows what I’ve done at a high clip more times than not. I’m not offended by it. If anything it should tell you how much it hurt them to go through what I put them through previously.
“If anything it should tell you how much it hurt them to go through what I put them through previously.”
Ouch.
It’s true: Dame’s two most iconic moments came against Beverley and George. Beverley was on the 2014 Rockets when Lillard knocked them out of the playoffs with an iconic Game 7 dagger. George was defending Lillard when he hit the walk-off buzzer-beater vs. the Thunder last year.
The trash talking continued between Lillard and Paul George on Instagram
GOD DAMN pic.twitter.com/P8mijbuFZL
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) August 8, 2020
pic.twitter.com/JYc9d8ovhL
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) August 8, 2020
“More success” huh? Well, PG’s Pacers teams did go to two conference finals compared to one for Dame’s Blazers, but that still feels like a stretch.
It seems like there’s some real bad blood here.
Paul George later went on Instagram and posted a photo. Depending on how you read it, he’s either incredibly relaxed after a dramatic day or he’s specifically fishing to add to Patrick Beverley’s Cancun comment.
View this post on Instagram
Going back to minding my business #Getthathateoutyaheart
A post shared by Paul George (@ygtrece) on
Yes, Portland’s loss to the Clippers is a brutal blow to their playoff chances. Lillard will certainly be thinking about his missed free throws for a while. But trust me: the next time the game is on the line and Lillard has the ball, you won’t want to bet against him.
As the A’s swept the Astros, benches cleared after Houston hit an Oakland better for the fifth time in the series.
The Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics got into a benches-clearing brawl in the bottom of the seventh inning on Sunday after outfielder Ramón Laureano was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game.
As Oakland was on its way to way to a three-game sweep over Houston, Astros pitcher Humberto Castellanos plunked Laureano with a breaking ball. The two exchanged words during a long walk to first base until Laureano charged at the Houston dugout after being provoked by Astros hitting coach Alex Cintrón. That led to both benches clearing in an ugly scene that is sure to draw suspensions from MLB.
You can watch the entire video here:
Both the Astros and Athletics benches clear after Laureano was hit by a pitch pic.twitter.com/vu9oJORSdk
— Dillard Barnhart (@BarnHasSpoken) August 9, 2020
Oakland was talking a ton of trash to Houston on their way to the sweep. The Astros had already hit five A’s batters during the series, while no Houston players were hit.
This is the Astros’ second benches-clearing brawl of the year. The first one against the Dodgers drew an eight-game suspension for LA pitcher Joe Kelly. Commissioner Rob Manfred doesn’t want opposing teams to retaliate against the Astros following the cheating scandal that consumed the sport earlier this year. Fans around the country have been fed up with how much protection MLB is providing Houston.
Astros getting their ass kicked, throw at Ramon for second time today AND then their bench coach talks shit to him. I look forward to manfred doing nothing to them and randomly suspending more a’s than just Ramon
— sam esfandiari (@samesfandiari) August 9, 2020
It will be unfortunate if Oakland is hit with significant suspensions because they might be the hottest team in baseball right now. Laureano has been a big part of that, entering the game with a .938 OPS on the short season. How about some punishment for Cintron, who was yelling at Laureano to come get him?
Opposing teams having beef with the Astros is going to be a storyline all season long.
Meetings over the weekend pushed college football to the edge.
The cancellation of the NCAA basketball tournaments in March feels like a lifetime ago, but the threats of Covid-19 have not subsided. As we quickly approach the planned start of the college football season, it’s growing increasingly likely the season will be cancelled.
On Sunday ESPN reported that commissioners of the Power 5 conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC) held an emergency meeting to discuss their approach to the season, should individual school presidents elect to cancel fall sports at the respective institutions. Now a player movement is begging schools to allow them to play, politics are involved, and everything is a mess. Let’s try to break this all down.
What caused the rapid advancement of cancellation talks?
With most universities and colleges resuming classes, reports emerged of a meeting over the weekend between presidents of schools in the Big Ten to discuss a unified response to Covid-19 as it pertained to sports. The result of that meeting is wholly unknown, but sources familiar with the situation indicated that school presidents were leaning towards cancelling fall sports.
This would mean that some of the biggest powerhouses in college football, including Michigan, Ohio State, and Wisconsin would not play in. The belief was that a decision by the Big Ten to pull the plug would send ripples throughout the sport, causing more presidents to cancel fall sports at their own institutions, in turn effectively cancelling the season — whether the NCAA wanted it or not.
Ultimately the Big Ten did not make a final determination over the weekend, instead releasing a brief statement advising teams to continue a “acclimatization period” in football, while leaving open the door for further impact to sports saying:
“We will continue to evaluate daily, while relying on our medical experts, to make the best decisions possible for the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes.”
Can college football be played safely this fall?
This is the major question that remains to be seen. The NBA, WNBA and NHL have seen success competing inside a “bubble” system, which limits player exposure with the outside world, and has strict guidelines on player testing and safety in efforts to continue their respective seasons.
However, MLB has shown how difficult it is to safely conduct a season outside of these parameters. Rampant issues and outbreaks have emerged, even with the weight and unification of a single sports league. As a result the baseball season still hangs in the balance, and requires players and teams to be smarter about their actions to ensure games can still be played. The Marlins and Cardinals have already experienced major outbreaks, delaying games and putting immense scheduling pressure on players as a result.
While college football doesn’t have the same scheduling demands of baseball, there remains considerable risk. Layers of self-policing exist between the NCAA and players, with conferences, individual schools, and football programs all needing to be in lockstep to play during Covid-19 safely. Each level represents a possible fracture point where oversight may lapse. In addition we’re dealing with college students here, not professional athletes — so there is an innate belief students may not be as cautious towards the virus. Finally the large-scale nature of football means numerous people together in locker rooms and training facilities, increasing the risk of viral spread.
Theoretically football could be played, but it would require a level of cooperation and oversight previously unseen in college football. It’s unclear if schools, conferences and the NCAA could work together on this level.
What is the “We Want To Play” movement?
Responding to emerging reports the season could be cancelled, some of the largest stars in college football unified on a conference call. They followed this on social media to demand not only that they should be allowed to play in the fall if they choose so, but push to have a seat at the table, allowing them to have a voice in decisions about their athletic future.
#WeWantToPlay pic.twitter.com/jvQhE7noGB
— Trevor Lawrence (@Trevorlawrencee) August 10, 2020
The phrase “We Want To Play” has been quickly picked up by sports pundits as a catchcry for continuing the season, but in reality the movement is trying to establish player representation inside college football. Trevor Lawrence and numerous others are asking for the establishment of a “College Football Players Association” to represent their rights when it comes how they play this fall, and their rights beyond that.
In short: What began as a discussion about playing football during the Covid-19 era has now become movement towards the one thing the NCAA has been terrified of for years: The possibility of players organizing, and demanding more rights as a result.
The immediate outcome is wanting the season to continue, should a player elect to play — knowing full well their health could be at risk, but also respecting the decision of players who don’t want to take this risk. These star players are demanding that individuals be given the right to opt out of playing if they so choose, and have their NCAA eligibility protected in instances where someone doesn’t want to play.
It should be noted that not all players are in lockstep with the “We Want To Play” movement. They are advocating that individual voices should be listened to as well, not unified behind a small group of elite players who met on Sunday night. Regardless of the outcome, it’s clear that this movement will need to adopt more voices and spread beyond its current scope in order to truly encapsulate college football.
What is the current fallout?
The NCAA has not issued a formal statement in response to events that took place this weekend. They have been silent regarding school presidents deciding whether sports should take place, conferences looking to insulate from the damage, or players demanding for rights inside the wider conversation.
Guidelines issued by the NCAA remain on its website outlining testing protocols, and pushing for social distancing measures. While these are critically important, there is still a lack of a unified response towards how these measures will be enforced — or how players can expect to be protected at an institutional level when they come in contact with other schools.
If MLB taught us anything it’s that playing during Covid-19 is considerably riskier than first imagined. Furthermore, college football stands to be the first contact sport played outside a bubble setting during the pandemic. Regardless of what’s decided it’s clear a lot more thought needs to be put into how football can be played with a minimal risk of viral spread, and thus far at a school level it seems the only way they believe players can be kept safe this fall is cancelling the season outright.
“The most difficult man in the world to referee” was that way for a reason.
Rasheed Wallace may have been extremely difficult (and annoying) for NBA referees to officiate, yet it would be insufficient to leave it at that. Wallace overreacted sometimes and complained plenty, but he wasn’t merely a whiner.
Fair or not, Sheed detected, and sought to call out, bias among the NBA’s refs. He’s far from the only person to suggest that refs get emotional, play favorites, or bring ulterior motives to the court. He is, however, one of the players to make that point on the court. He made it consistently and boldly, and in a way that drew extra ire from the very refs he accused of targeting him.
In short, this was a crusade that turned a typically-tense relationship into outright beef. While he played, it was Sheed vs. Basically Every Ref. And even in retirement, Wallace is not done fighting that battle.
Here are more episodes of Beef History, and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel!
Luka Doncic is already one of the best basketball players alive. What’s scary is he still has so much room to grow from here.
There was ample evidence that Luka Doncic was the best player available in the run-up to the 2018 NBA Draft.
Doncic had powered Slovenia’s Cinderella run to gold at 2017 EuroBasket, and was coming off a EuroLeague championship with Real Madrid where he was named league MVP and Final Four MVP at 18 years old. This website had Doncic as the top prospect in the draft a year before it was held, and maintained that position the entire season. It was a relatively popular opinion, even as it became apparent the worst franchises in the NBA were missing what seemed so utterly obvious.
Doncic was always going to be a stud in the NBA. He was simply too good at too young of an age in one of the best leagues in the world not to be. But did anyone think it would happen like this?
This feels like it gets redefined with each brilliant performance, but here’s the quick version: at 21 years old, in his second season, Doncic has already proven himself to be one of the five best players in the NBA this season. At this point, it’s fair to wonder if we’re watching someone who will ultimately go down as of the greatest basketball players ever.
Doncic played what was perhaps his best NBA game yet on Saturday night against the league-best Milwaukee Bucks. Facing the No. 1 defense in the league and soon-to-be two-time MVP winner Giannis Antetokounmpo, Doncic authored the type of performance that has no parallel: 36 points, 19 assists, and 14 rebounds in a 136-132 overtime victory.
It was, with no hyperbole, one of the top individual performances of the season.
Doncic hasn’t just fulfilled his pre-draft hype — he’s blown through even his biggest supporters’ expectations only 131 games into his career. He is the most dominant player to enter the NBA since LeBron James, and he still has so much room to grow from here.
Doncic is the ideal lead initiator for the modern era
Doncic’s draft day doubters all had the same question about how his game would translate to the NBA: would he be athletic enough to consistently create offense against the biggest and fastest players in the world?
It’s a laughable critique at this point. Doncic has plenty of athleticism, it just isn’t purposed like prime Vince Carter. He never needed to be able to dunk from the free throw line to effortlessly shake defenders. Just look at how much seperation he put between himself and Wes Matthews on this dribble pull-up.
Luka Doncic @luka7doncic ability to counter is unreal tough move sheeesh pic.twitter.com/LOkGNKYp3U
— Swish Cultures (@swishcultures_) August 9, 2020
With the ball on the string and a preternatural understanding of how to get the defense off-balance, Doncic always seems to have the game in the palm of his hand. Combine his anytime scoring ability with elite vision, rare passing ability, and the moxie to believe he can only be limited by his imagination, and you have the recipe for an all-time great.
As the game went into overtime, Doncic delivered a signature highlight of his career. Trapped by Antetokounmpo and Eric Bledsoe out of a pick-and-roll, Doncic threw a between-the-legs pass to teammate Maxi Kleber for a dunk and his 19th assist of the night:
THIS LUKA DIME pic.twitter.com/L94BcqX4zz
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 9, 2020
Doncic looks nothing like the point guards who perfected the position 30 years before he arrived in the league, but he offers the ideal template for how the position will be played moving forward. At 6’7 and 230 pounds, Doncic is in total control of the game, blessed with the size and vision to make any pass, the skill to put pressure on the defense as a scorer, and the IQ to constantly make the right decision with the ball in a split-second.
For decades, the big man was always viewed as the most valuable piece to any basketball team. Not anymore. The first thing any NBA team needs now is a dynamic offensive initiator. Doncic is the template for how the league will look in the near- and medium-turn future.
Doncic is already one of the best players in the NBA. He’s only going to get better.
Doncic is one of the very best players in the NBA already by any measure. If he isn’t at the level of LeBron James and James Harden just yet, he’s already scary close for a player who wasn’t legally able to buy a drink until February.
For as dominant as Doncic is, there’s still so much room for improvement in his game. Start with his three-point shooting. Doncic is hitting only 31.6 percent of his three-pointers this year, a below average number that doesn’t capture the true impact of his shooting. Because Doncic takes so many attempts — nine per game — largely with an incredible degree of difficulty, his outside shot forces defenses to protect the arc, which only opens up the rest of his game. It’s a similar idea to the one that has made Harden one of the greatest shooting guards ever. Now imagine Doncic’s impact if he can get his three-point percentage up to 35 or 36 percent, where Harden has comfortably sat throughout his career.
Doncic’s conditioning can get better, too. When that happens, his defense will get incrementally better, even as head coach Rick Carlisle says he’s playing better than ever on that end.
There has been this strange idea that Doncic is already a finished product following him throughout his young career. All it takes is to look at his leap from his rookie season to his second year to see how wrong that is.
It’s no slight to today’s current stars — most of whom are on the wrong side of 30 — to say Doncic will be running this league soon. As Antetokounmpo has risen to become the best player in the NBA at just 25 years old, Doncic is right behind him as someone who can be the future face of the NBA.
Don’t take my word for it. Listen to Giannis:
Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo on Mavericks’ Luka Doncic (36 points, 14 rebounds, 19 assists): “Makes his teammates better. Talented. Really talented. One of the most talented players I’ve ever played against.” pic.twitter.com/AC6nKc42rz
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) August 9, 2020
When the next superstar prospect hits the draft — whether it’s inbound Oklahoma State recruit Cade Cunningham or whoever follows after him — evaluators will be asking different questions than the ones Doncic faced. Chiefly: can this player be the next Luka?
Luka Doncic is already one of the best basketball players alive. What’s scary is he still has so much room to grow from here.
There was ample evidence that Luka Doncic was the best player available in the run-up to the 2018 NBA Draft.
Doncic had powered Slovenia’s Cinderella run to gold at 2017 EuroBasket, and was coming off a EuroLeague championship with Real Madrid where he was named league MVP and Final Four MVP at 18 years old. This website had Doncic as the top prospect in the draft a year before it was held, and maintained that position the entire season. It was a relatively popular opinion, even as it became apparent the worst franchises in the NBA were missing what seemed so utterly obvious.
Doncic was always going to be a stud in the NBA. He was simply too good at too young of an age in one of the best leagues in the world not to be. But did anyone think it would happen like this?
This feels like it gets redefined with each brilliant performance, but here’s the quick version: at 21 years old, in his second season, Doncic has already proven himself to be one of the five best players in the NBA this season. At this point, it’s fair to wonder if we’re watching someone who will ultimately go down as of the greatest basketball players ever.
Doncic played what was perhaps his best NBA game yet on Saturday night against the league-best Milwaukee Bucks. Facing the No. 1 defense in the league and soon-to-be two-time MVP winner Giannis Antetokounmpo, Doncic authored the type of performance that has no parallel: 36 points, 19 assists, and 14 rebounds in a 136-132 overtime victory.
It was, with no hyperbole, one of the top individual performances of the season.
Doncic hasn’t just fulfilled his pre-draft hype — he’s blown through even his biggest supporters’ expectations only 131 games into his career. He is the most dominant player to enter the NBA since LeBron James, and he still has so much room to grow from here.
Doncic is the ideal lead initiator for the modern era
Doncic’s draft day doubters all had the same question about how his game would translate to the NBA: would he be athletic enough to consistently create offense against the biggest and fastest players in the world?
It’s a laughable critique at this point. Doncic has plenty of athleticism, it just isn’t purposed like prime Vince Carter. He never needed to be able to dunk from the free throw line to effortlessly shake defenders. Just look at how much seperation he put between himself and Wes Matthews on this dribble pull-up.
Luka Doncic @luka7doncic ability to counter is unreal tough move sheeesh pic.twitter.com/LOkGNKYp3U
— Swish Cultures (@swishcultures_) August 9, 2020
With the ball on the string and a preternatural understanding of how to get the defense off-balance, Doncic always seems to have the game in the palm of his hand. Combine his anytime scoring ability with elite vision, rare passing ability, and the moxie to believe he can only be limited by his imagination, and you have the recipe for an all-time great.
As the game went into overtime, Doncic delivered a signature highlight of his career. Trapped by Antetokounmpo and Eric Bledsoe out of a pick-and-roll, Doncic threw a between-the-legs pass to teammate Maxi Kleber for a dunk and his 19th assist of the night:
THIS LUKA DIME pic.twitter.com/L94BcqX4zz
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 9, 2020
Doncic looks nothing like the point guards who perfected the position 30 years before he arrived in the league, but he offers the ideal template for how the position will be played moving forward. At 6’7 and 230 pounds, Doncic is in total control of the game, blessed with the size and vision to make any pass, the skill to put pressure on the defense as a scorer, and the IQ to constantly make the right decision with the ball in a split-second.
For decades, the big man was always viewed as the most valuable piece to any basketball team. Not anymore. The first thing any NBA team needs now is a dynamic offensive initiator. Doncic is the template for how the league will look in the near- and medium-turn future.
Doncic is already one of the best players in the NBA. He’s only going to get better.
Doncic is one of the very best players in the NBA already by any measure. If he isn’t at the level of LeBron James and James Harden just yet, he’s already scary close for a player who wasn’t legally able to buy a drink until February.
For as dominant as Doncic is, there’s still so much room for improvement in his game. Start with his three-point shooting. Doncic is hitting only 31.6 percent of his three-pointers this year, a below average number that doesn’t capture the true impact of his shooting. Because Doncic takes so many attempts — nine per game — largely with an incredible degree of difficulty, his outside shot forces defenses to protect the arc, which only opens up the rest of his game. It’s a similar idea to the one that has made Harden one of the greatest shooting guards ever. Now imagine Doncic’s impact if he can get his three-point percentage up to 35 or 36 percent, where Harden has comfortably sat throughout his career.
Doncic’s conditioning can get better, too. When that happens, his defense will get incrementally better, even as head coach Rick Carlisle says he’s playing better than ever on that end.
There has been this strange idea that Doncic is already a finished product following him throughout his young career. All it takes is to look at his leap from his rookie season to his second year to see how wrong that is.
It’s no slight to today’s current stars — most of whom are on the wrong side of 30 — to say Doncic will be running this league soon. As Antetokounmpo has risen to become the best player in the NBA at just 25 years old, Doncic is right behind him as someone who can be the future face of the NBA.
Don’t take my word for it. Listen to Giannis:
Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo on Mavericks’ Luka Doncic (36 points, 14 rebounds, 19 assists): “Makes his teammates better. Talented. Really talented. One of the most talented players I’ve ever played against.” pic.twitter.com/AC6nKc42rz
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) August 9, 2020
When the next superstar prospect hits the draft — whether it’s inbound Oklahoma State recruit Cade Cunningham or whoever follows after him — evaluators will be asking different questions than the ones Doncic faced. Chiefly: can this player be the next Luka?
Schools are making tough decisions. Here’s what we know.
With the scheduled start to the college football season fast approaching, schools are making the decision to cancel, rather than wait to see how Covid-19 plays out inside the sport.
Over the weekend school presidents, conferences, and players met separately share their concerns for re-starting — now teams are taking action. Here is the complete list of schools who have already announced their intentions not to play this fall.
FBS
University of Akron
Ball State University
Bowling Green State University
University at Buffalo
University of Connecticut
Kent State University
Miami University (OH)
Central Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University
Northern Illinois University
Ohio University
Old Dominion University
University of Toledo
Western Michigan University
FCS
The FCS has already cancelled its playoffs in preparation for Covid-19. In addition, numerous conferences have announced their intentions to cancel the season. These include:
Big Sky
CAA
Ivy League
MEAC
MVFC
NEC
Patriot League
Pioneer Football League
SWAC
We will continue to update this list as more schools announce their intentions.
Encouraging players and coaches to work on broadcasts and then giving them tampering fines for doing their job is silly.
On Saturday night, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green made a seemingly innocuous comment about young Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker. It proved costly.
Working as an analyst for TNT’s Inside the NBA, since his Warriors were not good enough to earn an invite to the NBA bubble, Green said, “Get my man out of Phoenix. It’s not good for him, it’s not good for his career… I need my man to go somewhere where he can play great basketball all the time and win, because he’s that type of player.”
Draymond Green wants Devin Booker to leave Phoenix
Ernie: “Are you tampering?” Draymond: “Maybe.” pic.twitter.com/gtWnEyr50n
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) August 7, 2020
Host Ernie Johnson responded to Green by asking if the three-time All-Star was tampering, doing so in a teasing tone that suggested such an accusation was silly.
It turns out he was tampering, and it was silly.
The NBA came down hard on Green the next morning, fining him $50,000 for the comments.
It’s not the first time a team employee-turned-analyst got hit with a fine for tampering. During ESPN’s preview show ahead of the 2019 NBA Finals, Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers said that then-Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard was, “The most like [Michael] Jordan that we’ve seen.”
The league handed him the same $50,000 bill that they later gave Green.
OFFICIAL #NBA | The League has fined Los Angeles Clippers $50,000 for these comments (tampering) in which Doc Rivers compared Kawhi Leonard to Michael Jordan in an ESPN show | The comment occurs in the second number 49 of the video | pic.twitter.com/LHBkNxuUSl
— Basket Flow (@RealBasketFlow) May 31, 2019
Never mind that Rivers clarified that Leonard wasn’t the best player since Jordan, just the most stylistically similar. Never mind that the conversation started when ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith asked if Leonard was the best player in the league, and Magic Johnson asked for Rivers’ opinion. And never mind that the salary cap-exceeding Warriors have no path at acquiring Booker, who won’t be a free agent until 2024.
Rivers, a coach, said something good about Leonard, a player, and was fined. Just like Green, a player, said something good about Booker, a player, and was fined.
The desire to quell tampering is understandable (albeit silly and futile), but the NBA is censoring the broadcast work that they’re allowing — no, encouraging — players and coaches to do.
Green appeared on Turner Sports, an NBA partner, presumably in exchange for money. Rivers appeared on ESPN, the NBA’s biggest broadcast partner, presumably in exchange for money.
They were speaking as analysts, not players and coaches, yet the fines do not reflect that. Green the player was punished for completely appropriate remarks by Green the analyst, just as Rivers the coach was reprimanded for completely appropriate remarks by Rivers the analyst.
Had any full-time analyst made those remarks, no one would have batted an eye. But because Green and Rivers have day jobs with teams, they get a slap on the wrist and a withdrawal from the wallet.
If the NBA doesn’t want their players and coaches to offer analysis, maybe they should stop letting them work as analysts.
London: England’s all-rounder Ben Stokes will miss the remainder of the Test series against Pakistan for family reasons and will leave for New Zealand later this week.
He will miss England’s two Test matches against Pakistan at the Rose Bowl, Southampton starting on Thursday 13 August and Friday 21 August.
JUST IN: Ben Stokes will miss the rest of the #ENGvPAK series due to family reasons. pic.twitter.com/4oCbjiKVdS
— ICC (@ICC) August 9, 2020
The England and Wales Cricket Board in its statement said that ECB, along with the Stokes family, requests that all media respects the family’s privacy at this time.
On the other hand, England has included Ollie Robinson in the squad for the second Test against Pakistan after he was withdrawn from Sussex’s squad for their Bob Willis Trophy match against Kent at Canterbury.
It must be noted that England currently leads Pakistan 1-0 in the three-Test series after claiming a three-wicket win, chasing 277, at Old Trafford in Manchester on Saturday.
Read also: Ben Stokes becomes number 1 Test all-rounder
Karachi: Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has shown his support to current captain Azhar Ali after losing the first Test against England at Old Trafford, Manchester.
“Bhayya stay strong, InshaAllah, we will bounce back Pakistan zindabad,” Sarfaraz tweeted for Azhar Ali.
The 35-year-old Azhar has been under immense criticism from fans and former national cricketers on his captaincy after losing the first Test from a winning position. England defeated the visitors by three wickets.
“It will hurt the Pakistan team and the cricket lovers in Pakistan,” former captain Wasim Akram told Sky Sports.
“Winning and losing is part of cricket, but I think our captain missed a trick quite a few times in this game, as far as his leadership is concerned,” he added.
It must be noted that Pakistan will now travel to Southampton, where the remaining two Tests will be played.
Everytime you can’t blame captaincy, credit must be given to England: Azhar Ali
Karachi: Former pacer Shoaib Akhtar has criticized Pakistan’s team batting and Babar Azam in particular, after a poor show with the bat in the second innings against England at Old Trafford, after having a 107 runs lead.
Pakistan lost the Test by three wickets after England wrapped the visitors’ batting on 169 in second innings, and chased down the 277 run target on day four.
Speedster on his youtube channel said that Babar has to come out with something good to become a match-winner.
“If you’re not capitalizing on a 107-run lead, however big a batsman you may be, you’re of no use. Babar has to come out with something good because you can’t make a name for yourself like this. You are a good player but you got to establish yourself as a match-winner,” Shoaib said.
Read also: Wasim Akram disappointed with Azhar Ali’s captaincy in Manchester
He further identified the mistakes, skipper Azhar Ali did and couldn’t take advantage of Naseem Shah when Chris Woakes came to the crease in final innings.
“I have no problem with Naseem Shah but captain should have used him well, by showing aggressive approach while bowling to new batsman Woakes,” he added.
“Excessive length bowling, no approach to bowl bouncer which could have created chances. We lost due to aggression,” he maintained.
Read also: Dean Jones has a message for Pakistani fans after first Test loss
Karachi: Pakistan’s former captain Wasim Akram thinks that the team management should include left-hander Fawad Alam in the middle-order in the second Test at Rose Bowl against England.
While speaking to a local news channel, The Sultan of Swing said that Pakistan will not find the same wicket as Manchester Test.
“In the next match, you will not find a turning wicket. You will play with one spinner and you will have to play with an extra batsman,” the former captain said. “If I was the captain, I would include Fawad Alam in the middle order,” he added.
It must be noted Pakistan lost to England by three wickets in the first Test at Old Trafford.
Read also: Woakes, Buttler drive England to three-wicket victory
London: England’s most successful bowler James Anderson says he is not pondering his test retirement but conceded the decision to step away could be taken out of his hands if he continues to underwhelm.
The 38-year-old has endured a frustrating summer, managing just six wickets in his last three tests, fuelling speculation that his 17-year test career could be drawing to a close.
Anderson struggled for rhythm in England’s three-wicket win over Pakistan in the first test at Manchester but the Lancashire pacer confirmed that while he was disappointed with his effort, the thought of hanging up his boots had never crossed his mind.
“There’s no truth to that. It’s been a frustrating week personally, I felt out of rhythm and probably for the first time in 10 years I got emotional on the field and let that get to me,” Anderson told reporters on Monday.
“I think after one bad game, there are some whispers that go around but I don’t really think that’s fair. I’ve just got to work hard and hope I get the nod for the next game.”
Anderson, who has picked up 590 test wickets, said earlier this year that he was hungry to keep playing for England and on Monday he reiterated his desire to carry on until next year’s Ashes series in Australia.
“I want to play as long as I possibly can. If I keep bowling the way I did this week, the opportunity to retire will be taken out of my hands. It will be a selection issue. But, for me, I’m still hungry,” he said.
Anderson is on the brink of becoming the first pacer to pick up 600 test wickets but he admitted his focus was not on personal milestones.
“It’s not a huge incentive for me really. I want to be bowling well and contribute to winning,” he said. “If I get 600 wickets then great, if I don’t, I’m happy with what I’ve got.”
The second test will begin on Thursday at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.
Read also: ‘Coronavirus break may extend my career’ James Anderson
Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to file an appeal against reduction of Umar Akmal’s ban in the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), in Lausanne, Switzerland.
According to the details, ex-Supreme Court judge Mr. Justice (retd) Faqir Muhammad Khokhar, in his capacity as an independent adjudicator had reduced Akmal’s ban to 1.5 years from 3 years.
Now, PCB, after reviewing the detailed order of the independent adjudicator, has decided to appeal against the decision as they think the cricketer violated anti-corruption code despite knowing its consequences.
“The PCB takes matters relating to anti-corruption very seriously and firmly maintains a zero-tolerance approach. The PCB believes a senior cricketer like Umar Akmal was aware of the consequences when, after having attended a number of anti-corruption lectures at domestic and international level, having witnessed the consequences of indulging in corrupt conduct, still failed to report the approaches to the relevant authorities,” read PCB’s statement.
Read: Just-in: Independent adjudicator reduces Umar Akmal’s ban to 18 months
“The PCB doesn’t take any pride in seeing a cricketer of Umar’s stature being banned for corruption, but as a credible and respectable institution, we need to send out a loud and clear message to all our stakeholders that there will be no sympathy whatsoever for anyone who breaches the regulations,” it added.
“The PCB, in its commitment and drive against corruption in sports, has already submitted a draft proposal with the relevant government authorities around legislation on criminalising corruption in sports and has also reviewed the existing legislation enacted within Pakistan whilst noting that the same fail to adequately target and address corruption/illegal manipulation in sports,”
“In the draft paper, the PCB has proposed severe sanctions pertaining to corruption, illegal manipulation, betting, match and spot-fixing as well as aiding and abetting such conduct; and proposes the penalties to be imposed on individuals found guilty of engaging in such offences,” it concluded.
It must be noted here that under Article 7.5.4 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code, an appeal against the decision of the independent adjudicator lies exclusively before the CAS.
Read Also: Umar Akmal banned from all forms of cricket for three years
Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to file an appeal against reduction of Umar Akmal’s ban in the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), in Lausanne, Switzerland.
According to the details, ex-Supreme Court judge Mr. Justice (retd) Faqir Muhammad Khokhar, in his capacity as an independent adjudicator had reduced Akmal’s ban to 1.5 years from 3 years.
Now, PCB, after reviewing the detailed order of the independent adjudicator, has decided to appeal against the decision as they think the cricketer violated anti-corruption code despite knowing its consequences.
“The PCB takes matters relating to anti-corruption very seriously and firmly maintains a zero-tolerance approach. The PCB believes a senior cricketer like Umar Akmal was aware of the consequences when, after having attended a number of anti-corruption lectures at domestic and international level, having witnessed the consequences of indulging in corrupt conduct, still failed to report the approaches to the relevant authorities,” read PCB’s statement.
Read: Just-in: Independent adjudicator reduces Umar Akmal’s ban to 18 months
“The PCB doesn’t take any pride in seeing a cricketer of Umar’s stature being banned for corruption, but as a credible and respectable institution, we need to send out a loud and clear message to all our stakeholders that there will be no sympathy whatsoever for anyone who breaches the regulations,” it added.
“The PCB, in its commitment and drive against corruption in sports, has already submitted a draft proposal with the relevant government authorities around legislation on criminalising corruption in sports and has also reviewed the existing legislation enacted within Pakistan whilst noting that the same fail to adequately target and address corruption/illegal manipulation in sports,”
“In the draft paper, the PCB has proposed severe sanctions pertaining to corruption, illegal manipulation, betting, match and spot-fixing as well as aiding and abetting such conduct; and proposes the penalties to be imposed on individuals found guilty of engaging in such offences,” it concluded.
It must be noted here that under Article 7.5.4 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code, an appeal against the decision of the independent adjudicator lies exclusively before the CAS.
Read Also: Umar Akmal banned from all forms of cricket for three years
Karachi: Young cricket fanatics in Pishin, city of Baluchistan, contributed Eidi collection worth PKR 15,000 to construct a tennis ball pitch.
A twitter user named Asfandyar Khan posted a video seeking attention of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) towards no cricket facilities in Pishin.
“There are no grounds in Pishin, no pitches too where the young kids can play and polish their skills,” he said in the video. “Here, a tennis ball pitch is in the making which cost PKR 15,000, an amount which was ‘Eidi Collection’ of young kids,” he added.
Children collected 15k of eidi to make pitch yet they're unable to play professional cricket as they'll play soft ball cricket on it .@TheRealPCBMedia should care of pishin kids.@Shoaibkhan2008 @mak_asif @iMehakShahid @Shoaib_Jatt @SaeedCricky @farhanwrites @leokhanasim pic.twitter.com/zyccm6pnLD
— Asfandyar khan (@Asfandyar46071) August 10, 2020
Asfandyar urged authorities to look into this matter and provide young talented cricketers in Pishin with the best possible facilities to showcase their talent.
“There is a lot of talent in Pishin but there is no facility available to groom these youngsters. If PCB provides a platform to these youngsters, they can represent Pakistan at a higher level,” he concluded.
Read: Babar Azam needs to establish himself as match-winner: Shoaib Akhtar
Lahore: Ramiz Raja suggested Sarfaraz Ahmed to retire from Test cricket gracefully after experiencing four years of captaincy across three formats.
Speaking on a YouTube channel, Ramiz said Sarfaraz should have taken retirement from Test cricket after being removed from captaincy. “Sarfaraz should have taken retirement from test cricket after captaincy. He should have focused more on white-ball cricket in which he has the potential to do well,” he said.
“For me, you better take retirement gracefully after captaincy. Because from captaining a side to sitting on the bench is not an easy task for a player, especially for a player like Sarfaraz who has represented Pakistan in all three formats,” he added.
It must be noted here that Sarfaraz was removed from captaincy and dropped from the team too in 2019 after poor form. He recently made a comeback for an ongoing England tour as a second-choice wicket-keeper.
Read: Wasim Akram wants Pakistan to include Fawad Alam in second Test
Southampton: Pakistan’s squad has reached to Southampton for second and third Test against England, starting from August 13.
According to the details, after resting for a day, the Pakistan team traveled to Southampton where they will play the second Test against the home side.
The green shirts will resume training from tomorrow in Southampton.
It must be noted here that Pakistan lost the opening Test by three wickets against England in Manchester.
Read: Stay strong, we’ll bounce back: Sarfaraz backs Azhar after first Test loss
Southampton: Pakistan’s squad has reached to Southampton for second and third Test against England, starting from August 13.
According to the details, after resting for a day, the Pakistan team traveled to Southampton where they will play the second Test against the home side.
The green shirts will resume training from tomorrow in Southampton.
It must be noted here that Pakistan lost the opening Test by three wickets against England in Manchester.
Read: Stay strong, we’ll bounce back: Sarfaraz backs Azhar after first Test loss
Cagliari: Cristiano Ronaldo’s hopes of finishing the season as top scorer in Italy’s Serie A faded away on Wednesday as he failed to find the net when champions Juventus slumped to a shock 2-0 defeat away to Cagliari.
The 35-year-old Portuguese attacker is on 31 goals for the season, four behind Lazio’s Ciro Immobile with only a home league game against fifth-placed AS Roma left to play.
Cagliari, who are 13th in the table, shocked the newly-crowned champions in the eighth minute when 20-year-old striker Luca Gagliano reacted quickest, stabbing home Federico Mattiello’s pass across the box to net his first goal for the club.
Things went from bad to worse for Juve in first-half stoppage time as Giovanni Simeone smashed a right-foot shot across keeper Gianluigi Buffon and in at the far post to put Cagliari two goals up.
With a first-half goal chalked off for offside, Ronaldo had plenty of chances as Juve dominated, but he found his efforts smothered by the Cagliari defence.
When his team mates did manage to get a shot on target they found keeper Alessio Cragno in superb form as Cagliari held on to win.
Read also: Ronaldo scores, misses penalty as Juventus win ninth straight Serie A title
Paris: UEFA is “confident” the final stages of the Champions League and Europa League will go ahead without problems despite recent cases of coronavirus at Real Madrid and Sevilla, a spokesperson told AFP on Thursday.
Real, who announced on Tuesday that forward Mariano Diaz had tested positive for COVID-19, play at Manchester City in their Champions League last-16 second leg on August 7.
Sevilla, who said Wednesday an unnamed player had contracted the virus, take on Roma in a single-game Europa League last-16 tie in the German city of Duisburg the previous day.
“We are confident these cases will not affect the matches in question, in Manchester and Duisburg respectively,” the spokesperson said.
“UEFA is in contact with Real Madrid and Sevilla FC and is monitoring the two situations and the decisions of the competent Spanish authorities.”
The Champions League is ending with a ‘Final 8’ tournament in Lisbon after the completion of the last 16.
Man City lead Madrid 2-1 after the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, which was played in February.
Sevilla have halted training as a precaution, but Spanish champions Real are preparing as usual because Mariano has had no recent contact with his teammates.
Read also: Real Madrid forward Diaz tests positive for COVID-19, says club
Bern: Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has called for his successor, Gianni Infantino, to be suspended by the global soccer body after criminal proceedings were opened against Infantino in Switzerland.
Swiss authorities said on Thursday that proceedings had been launched against the current FIFA boss by a special prosecutor looking into meetings he had with Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber. Lauber and Infantino have denied wrongdoing.
“For me, the situation is clear, that the FIFA ethics committee has to open a case against Mr Infantino and so it has to suspend him,” Blatter, 84, said in a statement to Reuters.
FIFA did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Blatter’s statement.
Blatter, who was FIFA president for 17 years, himself was suspended and later banned by FIFA’s ethics committee after he became the subject of criminal proceedings in Switzerland in 2015.
The investigation is still ongoing and Blatter, who has denied wrongdoing, has not been charged. It centred on a payment of two million Swiss francs (1.6 million pounds) made in 2011 to then UEFA president Michel Platini with Blatter’s approval for work the Frenchman had done a decade earlier.
Blatter was banned for eight years, reduced to six on appeal, and Platini also for eight years, reduced to four. Platini denied wrongdoing.
The FIFA ethics committee is divided into an investigatory and adjudicatory chamber, which since 2017 have been headed by Colombian Maria Claudia Rojas and Greek Vassilios Skouris respectively.
They replaced Swiss Cornel Borbely and German Hans-Joachim Eckert who were ousted when the decision-making FIFA Council decided not to renew their mandates.
Manchester City have signed defender Nathan Ake from Bournemouth on a five-year deal, the Premier League club announced on Wednesday.
Financial details of the transfer were not disclosed but British media reported City paid Bournemouth 40 million pounds ($52 million) to sign the 25-year-old with an additional 1 million pounds to be paid in add-ons.
“City have been the best side in England over the course of the last decade,” Ake said in a statement. “Coming here is a dream for me. This is a top side full of world class players.
“Pep (Guardiola) is a manager admired across the world – what he’s done in the game speaks for itself. The success he’s had is unbelievable and the style of football he plays really appeals to me.”
Bournemouth were relegated from the Premier League on the final day of the season and Ake is one of their players who was expected to leave to continue playing in the top flight.
The Netherlands international, who has also played as a left back, came through Chelsea’s youth system and was initially loaned out to Bournemouth before he signed permanently for the south coast club in June 2017.
Ake had loan spells at Watford and Reading before making 121 appearances for Bournemouth across all competitions, scoring 11 times and playing more minutes in the Premier League than any other player at the club.
City, who finished runners-up in the Premier League to Liverpool, are looking to strengthen their central defence as Guardiola aims to improve his squad for a title challenge next season.
Ake is City’s second recruit in the off season after the club signed Spanish winger Ferran Torres from Valencia on a five-year contract on Tuesday in a deal reported by British media to be worth 23 million euros ($27 million).
Read also: Manchester City Club offers Etihad Stadium to help combat coronavirus
Manchester: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has revealed Gareth Bale chose not to travel to his side’s Champions League decider against Manchester City because he did not want to play, signalling the latest rift between the club and their joint-record signing.
Bale barely featured for Zidane’s side in their run to the Spanish title when the season resumed after the COVID-19 stoppage, starting only one game and was visibly subdued during their celebrations.
He was left out of the squad for the final league game of the season against Leganes and was also absent from the squad for Friday’s last-16 second leg, where Madrid must overturn a 2-1 deficit to progress to the last eight.
“Many things have been said, there is a respectful relationship between the club and player but all I will say is that he preferred to not play, the rest is between us and him,” Zidane told a news conference on Thursday, adding the forward had been left out for personal rather than technical reasons.
A source close to the player said Bale did not wish to travel to the game because he believed he was not going to play any part in it.
Bale, 31, has won four Champions League titles with Real, scoring crucial goals in the 2014 and 2018 final triumphs over Atletico Madrid and Liverpool respectively.
But a trophy-laden career at Real appears to have grinded towards a sad end, with the distance between the Wales forward and Zidane growing ever greater.
Zidane, who returned to Real in March 2019 after resigning from the role 10 months earlier, has not tried to hide his lack of warmth towards Bale, saying in pre-season last year that he wished the player would leave the club as soon as possible.
Spanish media reports said Bale was on the verge of joining Chinese Super League club Jiangsu Suning in July 2019 but Real blocked the move at the last hour because they were not going to receive a transfer fee.
Read also: Manchester City sign Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake
Turin: Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace, including an unstoppable long-range goal, to give Juventus a 2-1 win over Olympique Lyonnais in the Champions League on Friday but it was not enough as the French side reached the quarter-finals on away goals.
After both sides converted contentious penalties in the first half, Ronaldo struck from out of the blue on the hour but Lyon clung on for a 2-2 aggregate draw to set up a quarter-final with Manchester City in next week’s Final Eight tournament in Lisbon.
The defeat left Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri in an uncomfortable position as the Champions League title eluded the Turin side for another season.
Although Juventus have won Serie A for nine seasons in a row, they have not been able to get their hands on the Champions League trophy since 1996 when they won it for the second time.
Despite continuing the domestic run, Sarri failed to give Juventus the flamboyant touch the club had been looking for as well as missing out on their main goal.
“We knew we needed courage, talent and a little bit of fortune,” said Lyon coach Rudi Garcia. “We played a very good first leg as well but, with Cristiano Ronaldo, we knew we could have been knocked out at any moment.
“We don’t need to put limits for us,” he added. “We are one of the best eight teams in Europe, we know Manchester City are a better team but it’s just one game, so our goal is the semi-final.”
It was an uphill struggle for Juve from the moment they conceded an away goal in the 12th minute, albeit in controversial circumstances.
Rodrigo Bentancur appeared to get the ball cleanly off Houssem Aouar but referee Felix Zwayer pointed to the spot and chose not to look at the incident on the pitchside monitor.
Dempay converted with a cheeky Panenka-style penalty which sent Wojciech Szczesny the wrong way.
Ronaldo saw a free kick palmed away by Anthony Lopes but it was another controversial penalty which provided the hosts with their equaliser.
Miralem Pjanic’s free kick struck Depay’s elbow in the wall and, although his arm was close to his body, the referee gave another penalty, again without consulting the pitchside monitor. Ronaldo converted.
Juventus seemed to be making little progress after halftime until Ronaldo found space for a shot and blasted the ball past Lopes from 25 metres on the hour.
After that, it became almost a Ronaldo one-man show as he set up a chance which Gonzalo Higuain headed over, then headed over himself and drilled a free kick into the wall. But even he could not find the winner.
The three-month stoppage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic means that the remainder of the Champions League will be played at neutral venues in one-legged showdowns.
Manchester: Manchester City eliminated Real Madrid from UEFA Champions League and advanced in the quarter-finals, beating 2-1 on Saturday due to two shocking errors by Raphael Varane.
City defeated the 13-times UCL champions at home and away. City will now head to Lisbon for the ‘final eight’ tournament where they will face Olympique Lyonnais, who progressed on away goals against Juventus.
Real, trailing 2-1 from the first-leg, were without their captain Sergio Ramos as they look shaky at the back throughout the game.
Varane, having received a pass inside his own area from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, was robbed by Jesus and the striker slipped the ball to Sterling who scored his 100th goal for the club.
Real, in the 28th minute came back in the match, by a powerful header by Frenchman Karin Benzema. Poor headed backpass attempt gifted by Varane allowed Gabriel Jesus in the 68th minute to score and gave City a convincing win.
Read also: Ronaldo brace not enough as Lyon knock out Juventus
Former Italy legend Andrea Pirlo has been appointed as Juventus’ new manager on a two-year contract just hours after Maurizio Sarri’s sacking.
The 41-year-old Pirlo was promoted to the senior job one week after being named coach of Juve’s under-23 side, who play in the Italian third tier, and without having taken charge of a match.
UFFICIALE ✍️ Andrea Pirlo nuovo allenatore della Prima Squadra ➡️ https://t.co/gFxYuC28cj#CoachPirlo pic.twitter.com/6xWUAJ5u19
— JuventusFC (#Stron9er ) (@juventusfc) August 8, 2020
The 61-year-old Sarri leaves Juventus after just one season in charge. The decision came a day after the Italian giants crashed out of the Champions League in the last 16 to French club Lyon.
Ufficiale | Maurizio Sarri sollevato dall'incarico. https://t.co/rYAzQtGAg9 pic.twitter.com/oOYWGJGM4Y
— JuventusFC (#Stron9er ) (@juventusfc) August 8, 2020
“Today’s choice is based on the belief that Pirlo has what it takes to lead from his debut on the bench an expert and talented squad to pursue new successes,” Club said in a statement.
“Today begins a new chapter of his career in the world of football, as it was said almost a week ago: from Maestro to Mister,” it added.
He Pirlo won the Champions League twice with AC Milan, Serie A twice with Milan and four times with Juventus, the Club World Cup with Milan, the Coppa Italia with Milan and Juve plus Serie B as a youngster with Brescia.
He spent most of his time at Milan and then Juventus but also had a short stint at Inter Milan, also played on loan at Reggina and finished his playing career at New York City in Major League Soccer (MLS).
Read also: Ronaldo brace not enough as Lyon knock out Juventus
London: Brazilian midfielder Willian has confirmed he will leave Chelsea after seven ‘wonderful’ years at Stamford Bridge.
The 32-year-old, linked with a move across town to Arsenal, posted a farewell letter to the club’s fans on Twitter.
Thanks for everything @chelseafc and Chelsea fans!!! #CFC #thankyou #chelseafc pic.twitter.com/bi9yKzOiU0
— Willian (@willianborges88) August 9, 2020
“The time has now come to move on. I am certainly going to miss my team mates,” he said. “I leave with my head held high, safe in the knowledge that I won things here and always did my best in a Chelsea shirt!”
Willian, who began his career with Corinthians in Sao Paulo, joined Chelsea from Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013 and made over 300 appearances for the club, winning two Premier League titles.
He was out of contract this summer and had failed to agree a new long-term deal with the club.
“In August 2013 when I received the offer from Chelsea, I was convinced that this was where I had to play,” he said.
“Today I am certain that it was the best of decisions. There were so many happy times, some sad, there were trophies and it was always very intense.”
Spanish midfielder Pedro also announced he was leaving the club on Sunday after five years.
The 1960s were the decade of the North Devils. They won six titles in a row between 1959 and 1964 to rival St George’s dominance in the south.
They won again in 1966 and 1969 to claim eight premierships in 11 years and were also runners up in 1967 and 1970. There has never been a period of dominance like it in Brisbane club football. With 8 titles from 11 attempts and a further two grand finals, it was as close as anyone has got in top tier competition to matching the great St George side of the era.
For previous articles in this series, please see here.
In 1960 Redcliffe were admitted to the competition. They would become a financial powerhouse (if not always reflected by premierships) and formed a healthy rivalry with their fellow Baysiders, Wynnum-Manly. They established their big spending credentials early securing Wests international fullback Ken McCrohon for 1,000 pounds to lead the Dolphins in their first season.
While Norths dominated, two other traditionally strong clubs also found success. Valleys were Norths’ great rivals in the early part of the decade, going down to the Devils in three consecutive grand finals between 1960 and 1962.
Brothers emerged in the mid 1960’s going down to Norths in the 1964 and 1966 deciders, before finally defeating the champion side in the 1967 grand final, the first to see a crowd over 30,000. A whopping 36,000 turned out the following year to see the Brethren make it back to back titles.
By the end of the decade Valleys re-emerged, losing the decider to Norths in 1969 before dominating the league in the early 1970s.
It all started in 1959 when Norths pulled off an absolute coup. Australian captain-coach Clive Churchill was in dispute with South Sydney and the Devils swooped with a 1,000 pound offer.
This was sensational for the competition and nearly 10,000 fans turned up for the club’s first trial match. Churchill was gone to England on the Kangaroo tour by finals time but Norths surged on to take the title.
Wynnum enjoyed some success that year, finishing third and winning their first ever semi-final on the back of sensational new winger, 19-year-old Indigenous player Lionel Morgan. Norths and Brothers contested the decider, with Brothers making their sixth grand final appearance in a row.
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However a hard campaign saw the Brethren forced to field a number of injured players and Norths took the match 24 to 18 after trailing 8 nil early on, to secure their first premiership since 1940.
Brothers subsequently sacked coach Bob Bax despite having appeared in six consecutive grand finals. In a move with long-lasting ramifications, Bax replaced Churchill as coach of Norths.
At this time, Brisbane still was not the undisputed centre of rugby league in QLD. North Queensland was in the middle of a strong era boasting state players like Jim Paterson, Elton Rasmussen and Bobby Banks. In a challenge match in 1959 North Queensland easily defeated Combined Brisbane by 36 points to 17.
1960 saw contrasting fortunes for the prior year’s grand finalists. Brothers dropped out of the finals entirely for the first time in seven years, while Norths went from strength to strength with their new coach, despite losing 13 players from their victorious 1959 squad.
The Devils started poorly winning only two from their first eight, but then went on a ten-game winning streak. They defeated Valleys 18 to 15 in the decider to claim back to back premierships, the first club to do so in over 30 years.
In 1961 Norths became the first team since Valleys in 1919 to win a premiership hat trick. They were challenged firstly by Redcliffe in only their second season. The Dolphins, led by star captain Ken McCrohon, finished the regular season in second position. However their lack of finals experience told and it was Valleys who lined up for their second successive grand final.
Norm Pope, the Diehards’ veteran fullback, brought Valleys from 14 to 7 down to defeat the Dolphins in the preliminary final with three second half try assists, this after being dropped to reserve grade midway through the season.
It’s hard to believe, but at one point North Queensland rivalled Brisbane as a rugby league powerhouse in Queensland. (Credit: Queenslandgovernment)
In the grand final Norths ran away with the game 29 points to 5 after leading only 3 to 2 at half time, Their 21 year old winger Jimmy Sutton scored three tries to make it seven from his two finals appearances.
Sydney club Balmain toured Brisbane at season’s end and Norths thumped them 42 to 10 to enhance their reputation. 1961 also saw Brisbane win the Bulimba Cup for the first time since 1950, in a tight encounter against Toowoomba.
1962 was a repeat of the previous two years, a dominant Norths defeating Valleys comfortably in the decider to become the first club in Brisbane history to win four consecutive titles. The 22 to nil thrashing in the grand final left Valleys as the first team in 50 years to fail to score in a decider. Cult hero Fonda Metassa, ‘The Golden Greek’, scored two tries and powerful prop Jim Weier scored from a bullocking 50 metre run!
Norths made it five in a row in 1963, this time defeating Souths by 18 points to 8. Australian prop Henry Holloway joined Redcliffe as captain coach and helped the Dolphins to third place. Wynnum won their first 8 games after signing international five-eighth Johnny Gleeson from Toowoomba but faded and missed the finals once he left for the Kangaroo tour. The tour also dashed Wests’ hopes as they crashed out of the semi-finals without test stars Barry Muir and Ken Day.
Instead, Souths stepped up to challenge the champions and they produced a massive upset to belt Norths 23 to 3 in the major semi-final, with international fullback Frank Drake starring for the Magpies.
Norths bounced back to knock Redcliffe out of contention and then their forwards got over the Souths pack to win a tight grand final. Long term Captain and centre / five eighth Bill Pearson left for Bundaberg at the end of the season.
The Norths juggernaut kept rolling in 1964, although finally some cracks were starting to show. Valleys returned to form and won the minor premiership ahead of Brothers, with Norths relegated to third. But the Northsider’s big match experience prevailed in the finals.
Brothers met them in the grand final, with club legend Brian Davies returning for a final season after years at Canterbury and St George. Unfortunately Davies was injured in the major semi-final, which would not have helped The Brethren’s chances of an upset.
Norths nearly fell in the preliminary final, only winning 9 to 7 after Valleys captain Des Mannion missed four shots at goal. The winning try was scored by new recruit Elwyn Walters, who would end up at South Sydney. Then in a dour grand final, a single try scored by Norths’ Fonda Metassa was enough to seal a sixth consecutive title.
1965 is a year close to my heart. After only five years in the competition the mighty Redcliffe Dolphins won their first premiership. Included in their side was a talented youngster from Roma, Arthur Beetson and a speedy winger, Kevin Yow Yeh.
Of course, after winning their first premiership it was inevitable that the floodgates would open … but in fact that was the last title for Redcliffe for nearly 30 years, well after the BRL had lost its top tier status. I guess it’s some compensation that the Dolphins have won a further eight titles since then, with the next best in the post 1987 era being Wynnum and Burleigh with four each.
But back to 1965. Coach Henry Holloway switched young Arthur Beetson from the centres to the pack and in a season where the top four teams were very evenly matched, it was the Dolphins who emerged victorious. Brothers, led by test forward Peter ‘Pedro’ Gallagher, finally ended the Norths dynasty in the minor semi-final. Meanwhile Valleys advanced to another grand final with a tight win over Redcliffe despite trailing with only four minutes to go.
Redcliffe then turned on the class, with Kevin Yow Yeh scoring two tries in each of their preliminary final and grand final victories. The preliminary final win over Brothers with a man down for most of the second half was brave. The grand final victory was even better after they lost both starting props to injury during the week. In front of a record crowd of over 25,000 Redcliffe held Valley’s try-less to win 15 to 2.
The Dolphins’ success in 1965 was short-lived. Their two stars, Beetson and Yow Yeh were both snapped up by Balmain the following year. 1965 also saw three Brothers players taken by Wests in Sydney, while the QRL took rep players Ken Day and Mick Veivers to court to try and prevent their defection south, to no avail.
Norths returned to winner’s circle in 1966 but it took a mighty effort to defeat Brothers in the grand final. The Devils bolstered their stocks in the offseason, signing QLD representative Bob Duncan from Toowoomba plus others from Ipswich.
Just as Sydney’s rise damaged the BRL, the movement of funds towards the cities harmed country football. Brothers matched this offseason drive, nabbing test players Johnny Gleeson and Dennis Manteit from Toowoomba. That year, Gleeson captained Brisbane to victory over the touring British, their first since 1932.
Rugby league looks different in Brisbane in the modern era. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Norths advanced to the grand final in a close win over Brothers. One of those Ipswich imports, fullback Peter ‘The Boot’ Lobegeiger, kicked a 55 yard penalty goal to put Norths in front. The finals were all close affairs that year.
Valleys knocked defending premiers Redcliffe out in extra time and were then themselves defeated by Brothers by a single point, with the Valley’s winger pulled down 5 metres from the line as the full time siren sounded. In the grand final, Norths scored in the first five minutes and that was the only try as defence ruled the day, The Devils winning 9 to 6.
It was later alleged that coach Bax had issued instructions to his team to take out rival star five-eighth Johnny Gleeson, who was knocked unconscious by a late, high tackle in the 30th minute. It was a controversial match all round with two players sent off and a spectator attacking the referee before being hauled off by two of the players.
In 1967 Norths finally lost in a grand final, to their great rival Brothers. It coincided with the end of the unlimited tackle rule, which also ended the run of the great St George side in NSW. The QRL also continued to look at ways to prevent their best players heading south. Players representing QLD had to sign a contract to not take up a Sydney offer for 12 months.
Coach Henry Holloway left Redcliffe for Valleys and brought the minor premiership to the Diehards. But finals specialists Norths and Brothers were too strong at the business end of the season. Norths advanced to the grand final over Valleys in a match where Norths winger Fonda Metassa scored the only try. Brothers joined them, leaving Valleys to go out in straight sets.
The grand final in front of over 30,000 was won by the Brethren 6 points to 2 with no tries scored. No quarter was given in a match described as “gripping” and “one of the hardest and closest grand finals in history”, with Brothers’ star number 6, Johnny Gleeson having 6 bottom teeth broken off by an opposing front rower but playing on.
Brothers went back-to-back in 1968 in a season overshadowed by controversy. Boasting two Australian representatives and a number of QLD players, the Brethren were in the midst of a strong period. They dominated a rising Easts side in the grand final winning 21 to 4.
But this was overshadowed by 25 test veteran, Wests’ halfback Barry Muir being ejected from the BRL competition. Firstly Muir took his team off the field in a game against Valleys after being set off, forfeiting the match. He was suspended for four weeks as a result.
In August Muir was dismissed again and this time spat on referee on his way off. This was beyond the pale and he was banned for 12 months and the Brisbane referees association further banned him from playing for life and coaching for five years in any match they officiated.
After serving his ban Muir returned to coaching in Brisbane. He later put some steel into an outgunned QLD team during the 1970s, coining the term Cockroaches for the men from the south.
In 1969 Norths closed out the decade and also their golden era with one final victory. The league was now a TV product with replays on Saturday and Sunday nights and in an early bit of brand awareness teams first adopted standardised nicknames and logos.
Norths recognised the importance of field goals in the limited tackle era, when they were still worth two points. They found an Australian Rules player, Barry Spring, who was signed for $200 after putting them over from everywhere in a pre-season training session.
The contract was written up on the back of a beer coaster! Field goals were the order of the season, including five in one game.
Wests returned to the finals with Australian second rowers Richie Twist and Ian Robson, while the champion Brothers side missed the finals. Valleys proved to be the surprise packets, but were shut out of the grand final by a dominant Norths forward pack led by Peter Hall.
Veteran Fonda Metassa scored a try in his fifth title with the Devils and his last game of football. With ‘The Golden Greek’ moving on the Norths era was finally over.
A Team of the Era (1959 to 1969) (finals appearances, grand finals, premierships) Fullback:
– Peter “The Boot” Lobegeiger (Norths, Easts) (QLD 7 games) – 10,4,1. 1 try, 30 goals and 2 field goals in finals.
Three quarters:
– Fonda Metassa “The Golden Greek” (Norths) (QLD 13 games) – 18,6,5. 13 tries in finals. 2 tries in 1962 grand final, 2 tries 1964 minor semi-final and one in the grand final, 2 tries in 1968 minor semi-final, try in the 1969 grand final.
– Bill Pearson (Norths) (QLD 5 games) – 11,4,4. 1 try in finals. Captain 1960-1962.
– Mick Retchless (Valleys) – (QLD 3 games) 19,5,2. 11 tries and 2 field goals in finals. Captain 1969-1971 Man of the Match 1970 and 1971 grand finals.
– Henry Hegarty (Norths) – 16,6,5. 5 tries in finals. 2 tries in the 1961 grand final. Man of the Match 1966 grand final. Captain 1968. Came down from Cherbourg to play with Valleys but they didn’t pick him up from the train so he went home. Came down for Norths the next year and lived with Bob Bax’s mother. Played in 5 out of North’s 6 straight premierships.
Halves:
– Johnny “Swivel Hips” Gleeson (Brothers) (10 tests, QLD 20 games) – 8,3,2. 1 try in finals. Went on two Kangaroo Tours and only ever lost a single test match. In 1966 captained Brisbane to their first win over Great Britain in over 30 years.
– Ross Threlfo (Valleys) – 21,5,2. 3 tries in finals. Captain 1965. BRL Best and fairest in 1965, tied with Arthur Beetson. They shared 50 pounds.
Forwards:
– Peter “Pedro” Gallagher (Brothers) (ARL Hall of Fame, 17 tests, QLD 12 games) – 17,6,2. 2 tries in finals. Captain 1964-1967. Captained Australia in 1 test and went on two Kangaroo Tours.
– Les “Bowser” Geeves (Norths, Easts) (QLD 4 games) – Hooker. 17,6,4. Captain 1966-1969. Man of the Match 1966 grand final. Later became a QLD and Australian selector.
– Lloyd Weier “The Kilkivan Colossus” (Norths) (3 tests, QLD 1 game) – 9,3,3. 1 try in finals. Man of the Match 1962 grand final.
– Arthur Beetson (Redcliffe) (Immortal, ARL and QRL Team of the Century, ARL Hall of Fame, 29 tests, QLD 3 games, NSW 17 games) – 6,2,1. Captain 1981.
– Dennis Manteit (Brothers) (4 tests, QLD 15 games) – Forward. 8,3,2. Man of the Match 1967 grand final. 1967/68 Kangaroo Tourist.
– Ian Massie (Norths) (QLD 5 games) – 13,5,4. 6 tries in finals. Man of the Match and 2 tries in 1963 grand final.
Reserves:
– Bob Poulsen (Norths) (Brisbane rep) – Forward. 9,4,4. 2 tries and 1 goal in finals. Man of the Match 1959 grand final.
– Des “Big Red” Mannion (Valleys) – Forward/Half. 20,4,0. 2 tries, 12 goals and 2 field goals. Captain 1967-1968. Played for QLD schoolboys in cricket but chose rugby league. Another player described him as “He was just a complete footballer he played lock as well as five-eighth, he could kick the ball, had a great step and wonderful timing with his passes.”
– John Bates (Norths) (QLD 1 game) – 13,4,4. 4 tries in finals. Man of the Match 1961 grand final.
– Wayne Abdy (Brothers) (QLD 3 games) – Lock. 8,1,1. 2 tries and Man of the Match in 1968 grand final. Considered one of the fastest forwards in the game and scored a try in Brisbane’s famous 1966 victory over Great Britain.
Other notables: Clive Churchill (Norths), John Wittenberg (Wynnum), Lionel Morgan (Wynnum), Ken McCrohon (Redcliffe), Henry Holloway (Redcliffe), Frank Drake (Souths), Elwyn Walters (Norths).
What are the NRL doing with the $45,000 (and counting) they received in fines last week? I reckon they should give the money to Dylan Napa.
Seems every time there’s an off-field incident in rugby league, the governing body find new ways to be inconsistent.
When we first went into COVID lockdown, Latrell Mitchell, Josh Addo-Carr and Nathan Cleary got busted for flaunting social-distancing rules.
The punishments for the former two were $50,000 fines, while Cleary was whacked with ten grand – although 60 per cent of all three were suspended.
The trio also received one-match bans, with that also suspended for the rest of the year.
Cleary’s punishment shifted as the full extent of his breach was made public and I wrote at the time he received a manifestly unfair punishment – just two weeks on the sidelines – for lying to the Integrity Unit when compared to the four weeks Payne Haas copped for essentially the same misdemeanour.
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But back to the fines meted out to the three players who failed to stick to social distancing, Peter V’landys said of the punishment at the time, “The next one will be harsher. We’ve given them the benefit of the doubt in this instance.”
So late last week, as coaches, players and support staff left, right and centre failed to respect the integrity of the bubble, what “harsher” penalty did the NRL hand down?
A $20,000 fine to Souths coach Wayne Bennett, a $10,000 fine to Dragons prop Paul Vaughan and $5000 to each of Allan Langer, Ryan Whitley and Blake Duncan, who are support staff at the Broncos.
The fines are to be paid in full – no suspensions this time – but how is that a reasonable reaction after Mitchell and Josh Addo-Carr paid $20,000 each and still have a further $30,000 hanging over them for the rest of the year?
Acting NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said when handing down the original punishments back in April that matters needed “to be handled on individual merits”, which is fair enough.
So how come Wayne Bennett – who helped create the rules regarding rugby league’s bubble – ends up with a total financial sanction equal to that of the Souths and Storm players’ unsuspended amount?
For the record, the guns and motorbikes in Mitchell and Addo-Carr’s cases were not noted in the NRL’s official media release regarding the sanctions, which instead said the players “have each shown a blatant disregard for public health orders, guidelines and advice and in doing so have brought significant reputational damage to the NRL.”
Bennett has also shown blatant disregard and brought about significant reputational damage – he’s arguably the elder statesman of the game, yet can’t stick to rules he helped create?
And he admitted his lunch at Grappa wasn’t the only time he went outside the bubble. How have they let that go without further investigation?
Last time out, the NRL preached harsher penalties handled on individual merits. Bennett has admitted to ignoring the rules he helped form on multiple occasions. As a minimum penalty he should have copped the full $50,000 handed down to Mitchell and Addo-Carr, and been suspended from coaching for two weeks.
Instead, all financial penalties handed down for last week’s indiscretions are lighter than the high watermark set by the first incidents.
What’s more, none of the latest lot of social-distancing flaunters are technically being suspended for games. Granted, they aren’t allowed in their teams’ bubbles until they have undergone a fortnight of isolation and returned negative tests for coronavirus, but that’s a health measure.
By comparison, Cleary missed two games as punishment and had six Dally M points stripped from his tally, because players lose three points per game missed for suspension.
Vaughan is no threat of claiming the game’s most prestigious individual award but he isn’t losing points, because technically he isn’t suspended. Likewise, Bennett has been coaching his team via Zoom because he’s on COVID hold – he hasn’t been suspended.
If I was Mitchell or Addo-Carr, I’d be filthy on this outcome. What they did was stupid, sure, but they were the first ones caught and their punishments were supposed to be a warning shot: “If we do this to the first two, just imagine what we’ll do to anyone dumb enough to do it after them.”
And now we know what happens to those dumb enough to breach the bubble – smaller fines and no suspension.
So what’s all this got to do with Dylan Napa?
So, does someone owe Dylan Napa an apology? (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
It’s essentially been forgotten in the midst of all the drama in Brisbane – Darius Boyd quitting the leadership group, Anthony Seibold now in his own two-week exile after breaching the bubble (albeit with his employers’ blessing), Tevita Pangai Jr also busting the bubble to be at a bikie-barber shop, the aforementioned trio of support staff copping fines for hitting up the Caxton Hotel – but the big story out of the Broncos early last week looked like being Kotoni Staggs.
The young centre was caught up in a sex-tape scandal, with Queensland police having since charged a woman for distributing the footage.
I’m going to be crystal clear about this: Staggs has been the victim of a crime. He obviously deserves no punishment from the NRL after what must have been a mortifying week for a young man.
So how come early last year, when footage of Dylan Napa involved in various sex acts were leaked to the public, the Bulldogs prop was slapped with a huge fine?
Specifically, Napa lost ten per cent of his 2019 wages – somewhere in the vicinity of $60,000 – after a number of “lewd videos” were made public.
“It was decided not to suspend him because this is an historical incident with the videos dating back five years and due to the player’s incorrect assumption that the material would not reach a broader audience,” the NRL said when announcing his sanction.
“However the NRL has warned that any video damaging to the game which is filmed and date stamped from today will incur significant penalties, including suspension.”
Napa was a willing participant in at least one of the videos, but then so was Staggs. Neither of them wanted the footage in the public domain.
So how can the NRL say one bloke is a dickhead who deserves to lose ten per cent of his livelihood for the year, while the other is a victim?
And what about Nathan Cleary? (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
Again, to be clear, I’m not saying Staggs deserves any kind of punishment. Of course he doesn’t. But Napa was a victim as well, primarily of timing, because his videos came out during the NRL’s 2019 summer of hell.
He did some weird shit on some tapes but didn’t ever intend for it to be made public – as Kane Evans, who appeared in one of the Napa videos, told AAP last February, “If we knew it was going to get leaked, no one would make those videos.”
It’s time the Integrity Unit start acting with, y’know, integrity. Consistency in punishment would help with that, as would making amends for past mistakes.
They’ve got a fresh injection of at least $45,000 coming into the coffers – probably more given we are yet to discover what Pangai and Newcastle duo Starford To’a and Simi Sasagi will cop for breaching social distancing rules.
The Integrity Unit could do worse than reimburse Dylan Napa for the unnecessary and inconsistent penalty he received after he was the victim of a crime.
But more importantly, the people supposedly looking after the comp’s off-field integrity could start drawing up a framework for how they punish those who bring the game into disrepute.
Because at the moment the whole thing is a crap-shoot and the ongoing ‘line in the sand’ moments are a convenient excuse for the fact there is zero consistency.
And you can’t preach integrity if you’re consistently inconsistent.
With fans around the world having risen as one to demand the excommunication of ‘Sweet Caroline’ from the match-day experience, the eclectic music selection at Leichhardt Oval on Friday night featured gems such as the theme from the US quiz show, Jeopardy.
It was an apt choice given how many questions the Rebels asked of the Brumbies, who frankly, never looked like coming up with the right answers.
There were more questions asked the following night at the SCG. Where had this Waratahs side been hiding all year? How could the Reds, so full of endeavour and energy the week before against the Brumbies, be so reluctant to tackle and appear so disorganised?
For the answer to those and other questions, who better to turn to than Rugby Australia’s Director of Rugby, Scott Johnson, for his thoughts.
“Yes, there were a couple of surprises this weekend,” he told The Roar yesterday, “but what we’re really liking, particularly in both first halves, is that we’re seeing some high-quality rugby being played, and it’s obvious that the skill levels are improving.”
Johnson is clearly delighted that the competition continues to gain momentum. “We actually expected things to start slowly, considering what we went through to get to the start line, compliance with bio-security aspects and so on, which hindered teams in their ability to prepare and train properly.”
“What’s pleasing for me is the amount of new talent, and the way some of those kids have stepped up. And the expectation from here is that these lads will only get better. I think this has been a really good period for us, and as a result, we’re going to see a lot of names that are new to many fans in this competition, become household names.”
Scott Johnson. (Photo by Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images)
So, what are Johnson’s expectations for the balance of Super Rugby AU? “We’ve set a bar now, and what we’re seeing with the entertainment levels increasing, more ball-in-play, better quality passing, better accuracy in the tackle area, everyone getting used to the new laws, that has to become the norm. It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely improving, and we need to keep getting better again, from there.”
Looking beyond Super Rugby, how difficult is it to plan ahead, not yet knowing what the program and the opposition will be? Johnson explains how, “we can only control what we can control. Now that Dave (Rennie) is on the ground, the coaches are starting to get together more regularly, and we can start to drill down deeper into the detail of how we want to play.”
“But as far as the actual schedule goes – whether it’s a Rugby Championship format with South Africa and Argentina involved, or a series of matches against New Zealand, that’s in the hands of others. We’ll just get on with having the best preparation we can.”
That preparation will include a camp that will – in the first stages at least – include a wide range of coaches and players, including contenders for the Test match 23, plus a number of promising players and some from the Under 20’s program.
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“It’s important at this stage,” says Johnson, “that we don’t get hung up about who is in the run-on Test side, but rather that we introduce a wide range of players, and get them used to how we want to go about things. This isn’t just about what happens this year, but it’s about taking Australian rugby forward over the next few years, and more.”
“That said, there’ll be no stone left unturned in us having a complete preparation for whatever matches lie ahead this year. There will no doubt still be grey areas around exactly what we will and won’t be allowed to do, but whatever we are allowed to do, we’ll take it to the utmost.”
As for fans who focused in on which players might have made Rennie’s April list of ‘players of interest’? How have things changed since then?
“The thing for people to realise is that assessment and development of players is a moveable feast. We develop plans for certain players and work together with the franchise coaches on areas of their game where we’re looking to see further development. And obviously while that is ongoing, some new players come into view, lads who put their hand up just through the strength of their performances in Super Rugby.”
“But the other thing for people to realise, is that most of these players, they might look like they’ve come out of nowhere, but they’ve been in the system and on our radar for some time, and have been working very hard with the franchise coaches. So for some of them, guys like (Harry) Wilson, (Hunter) Paisami, (Jack) Ramm, (Trevor) Hosea and a few others, it’s more that they’re just getting regular football at this level, they start to get more comfortable and confident, and so everyone can start to see the talent that is there, starting to come through.”
Hunter Paisami of the Reds. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Johnson stresses the importance of the Wallabies selectors and coaches working closely with the franchises, so that the players aren’t given mixed messages, and can continue to play with confidence, within the whole system.
“The dialogue is really good, and we really can’t afford to have a silo mentality. If we do happen to disagree on something, well we know that those coaches have a competition to win, but as long as everything is out in the open between us, we’ll continue to get the best out of the players, and they’ll be more ready if and when they get the opportunity to take the step up.”
And what about overseas based players, will they come under consideration this year? Johnson, understandably, plays a very straight bat to that question.
“There’s a regulation in place (the so-named Giteau Law) and that’s what we’re working to, and will continue to work to, until things change, if they do. But obviously, there’s so much up in the air right now, in terms of rugby overseas and here, and nobody really knows what’s possible until there’s more clarity around schedules and so on.”
That’s definitely a ‘we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it’ answer, which is typical of Johnson. He and his coaching team are clearly well attuned to the importance of a deep and thorough preparation, but he is also pragmatic and versatile, knowing that there will be more hurdles and obstacles to overcome over the coming weeks and months.
It’s a challenge that you sense he and Rennie are well up for. And while the future of rugby in Australia doesn’t sit solely on their shoulders, there is also a sense that they not only relish that challenge, but also the opportunity to take the Australian rugby public along for the ride.
The Rebels may have surprised a few people with their four-try, first-half blitz against the Brumbies, but not themselves. Now having gone four matches without defeat – a franchise record – they are enjoying the touring experience and have been building nicely.
Coach Dave Wessels explained to me before the match how his selection of Andrew Deegan at 10 was designed to give them two dual-footed, kicking playmakers on a wet night, and that’s exactly how things panned out; the Rebels superior kicking game helping them dominate the territory battle throughout.
Of course, it was much more than that. They also played with enthusiasm, won the collision, and showed much improved connectedness and accuracy in the defensive line.
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie. (Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images)
Brumbies coach Dan McKellar was prepared to write things off to the opposition playing better on the night, and it’s far from a despondent ‘back to the drawing board’ situation in Canberra. That said, this competition is far from the foregone result many people thought it was, a fortnight ago.
The Waratahs enjoyed a huge night out at the SCG, Jake Gordon all zip for his three tries, Ned Hanigan all hustle and bustle in the pack, and Michael Hooper clearly relishing his role as stand-in skipper.
If 38-0 at halftime was an outcome nobody saw coming, what was more predictable was the Reds lineout – five throws lost in the first half alone. No team can continue to give up possession to that extent, and expect not to go unpunished. In that respect alone, the Reds got everything they deserved.
They were of course without Jordan Petaia, whose father Tielu suddenly passed away on Wednesday. Coach Brad Thorn would never grasp at such an event as an excuse, but in a young, tightly knit side, one can only imagine how that sadness will have impacted on his side’s preparation.
As Super Rugby Aotearoa draws to a close the one big question remaining is whether or not New Zealand Rugby pulled the wrong reign in determining that no final series would take place?
Certainly, the Crusaders don’t believe so – predictable and deserving winners despite a rare home loss to the Hurricanes along the way. And a straw poll of players would show that, no matter how much they have enjoyed the intensity of the competition, its freshness, and the way the games have been embraced by fans, another two weeks of finals would be a bridge too far.
George Bridge of the Crusaders (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
There is the secondary matter of who will finish second, a consolation prize that you get the feeling is anything but a consolation for the Blues and Hurricanes. The Blues sit one point ahead on the ladder, but the Hurricanes get first crack next week, a trip to Forsyth Barr Stadium to face the fourth placed, and highly entertaining, Highlanders.
In the absence of a true grand-final, next Sunday’s concluding match, the Blues at home versus the Crusaders, shapes as a fitting finale, with the Blues desperate to confirm their credentials as a resurrected force in New Zealand rugby, and reward what should be another bumper home crowd.
Ahead lies the intriguing prospect of a North versus South fixture – essentially an All Blacks trial match, but another opportunity to showcase New Zealand rugby and recover some lost revenue.
Beyond that, attention will again turn to the make-up of next years’ competition. Cue again the Jeopardy theme music, and today’s final question, bought to you by our sponsors, New Zealand Rugby and Rugby Australia… what will Super Rugby look like in 2021?
It’s no sure bet, but my money is on a few more hand grenades being tossed back and forth across the Tasman, with increasingly less ferocity, before both parties shake hands like old friends and agree on a ten-team competition, comprising five sides from each country.
Rugby Australia has today outlined a comprehensive offering to take to the broadcast market, from familiar domestic and international fixtures to brand new club and state-based competitions which would begin next year.
Of particular note are the proposed “State of Union” competition, a Queensland versus NSW clash with eligibility based on a player’s state of birth which is clearly modelled on rugby league’s State of Origin, and “Super Eight”, a Champions League-style competition to run at the end of the regular domestic season featuring the top two franchises from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and a single entrant from both Japan and South America. Both would be new additions to the rugby calendar.
The offering acknowledges the ongoing negotiations around what format Super Rugby takes on next year, with both a five-team Australian competition or a trans-Tasman tournament listed.
“We will do whatever is in the best interests of Australian rugby and we’ve been working hard on a variety of competition models, not just for Super Rugby but for every level of the game,” Rugby Australia interim CEO Rob Clarke said.
“We have a whole range of new rights that we’re including into this package and we’re very excited by some of that new content. At Super Rugby level for 2021, we have incorporated two options, one is a domestic-only model and the other is a trans-Tasman model.”
Rob Clarke. (Hugh Peterswald/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
While the State of Union series has been introduced by RA chairman Hamish McLennan, the rest of the proposal largely built on the package former CEO Raelene Castle took to market prior to the COVID-19 pandemic hitting and her subsequent resignation. The top-to-bottom offering included both Shute Shield and Premier Club Rugby, the rights to which Castle secured earlier in the year.
The only notable missing piece from the offering is the 2025 British and Irish Lions series in Australia, but the structure of that tour won’t be finalised after the side’s trip to South Africa next year.
There’s no mention of the NRC, already shelved for 2020 and seemingly consigned to the scrapheap for good. In its place is a national competition after the existing club competitions finish their seasons. As is the case with Super Eight the public details are light, with “short-form” the only further description of the tournament.
While the proposal will go some way to mollifying Rugby AU’s clubland critics, the new competition will struggle to have the same developmental benefits that the NRC provided, the fruits of which are only just starting to properly emerge in Australian rugby.
With the current broadcast deal expiring at the end of the year, Rugby Australia have put a September 4 deadline on broadcasters’ submissions for the offering.
That places a tight timeframe not just on potential broadcast partners, but also on New Zealand Rugby in regards to the format Super Rugby takes next year.
NZR have been bullish about their preferences for 2021, but with their model not including enough room for all five Super Rugby AU teams and Clarke unequivocal about whether RA would cut any sides (“No, we’ve been very consistent on that,” he told the Daily Telegraph today) it leaves the two governing bodies less than a month to organise a trans-Tasman competition before Australia decide to go it alone.
The full offering from Rugby Australia contains:
The Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup for the Wallabies
International Tests for the Wallaroos
A ‘State of Union’ competition between New South Wales and Queensland, with players to play for their state of birth or where they played their club rugby
An Australian domestic Super Rugby competition including five Australian teams, or, a trans-Tasman Super Rugby competition that includes five Australian teams
A four-week Super Eight competition, to be played at the conclusion of the respective domestic Super Rugby competitions, and be a cross-over championship between the top two teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa as well as one team from Japan and South America
A short-form National Club Championship between the top premier club teams in Australia following the completion of the respective club competitions
New South Wales’ Shute Shield competition as well as Queensland’s Premier Club Rugby competition
A showcase of the best schoolboy rugby in Australia
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote of Round 3 being the weekend that made Super Rugby AU, the round in which Queensland and the Western Force played out a belter on the Friday night, and New South Wales and the Brumbies followed up with a one-point thriller on the Saturday night.
It was probably the weekend where the penny dropped in some ways; where if worse comes to worst around the trans-Tasman talks and Australian rugby does need to continue down this same domestic route for 2021, the quality of the rugby being served up is actually pretty bloody good.
And it’s only got better since.
So it was oh, so appropriate that the weekend just gone – Round 6 – was the one that turned the competition on its head. Everything we thought we knew has to be questioned going into this weekend coming’s Round 7, and the competition’s remaining rounds are now in a complete state of flux.
Everyone’s tipping took a hit, but the competition itself is the big winner.
For one thing, we now definitely have four teams eyeing off the three playoff spots, and you don’t have to go back too far at all to recall a time when it was more about which order were the Brumbies, Reds, and Rebels were going to finish in.
The Waratahs’ handsome win over Queensland at the SCG dropped the Reds from second to fourth in forty minutes of first half destruction that I’m not sure even family and friends saw coming. And now, the Waratahs, Reds, and Rebels are separated by just three points.
The Western Force aren’t entirely out of the equation, but their objective is pretty simple. The only team with four games to play, the Force would need to beat all four teams to get to at least 18 points, and then rely on two of the Reds, Waratahs, and Rebels directly above them on the table winning only one of their remaining three games.
Can the Force turn things around? (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
A loss this weekend to the Waratahs up on the Gold Coast would just about consign their finals aspirations to the too hard basket.
The Waratahs’ big win jolted them ahead of the Reds ahead up to third on the table on for-and-against, and will undoubtedly be eyeing off more table movement over their remaining games, starting with the Force on Friday night.
After that, the Tahs face the Brumbies in Canberra in Round 8, and the Rebels at a venue yet to be determined, but likely to be in Sydney again. They have a bye in Round 10, and will have to sit back and watch final round games to know whether or not they’ll be required for the second versus third playoff.
But as impressive as their win was over Queensland, it almost feels like it has glossed over the magnitude of their comeback, having been totally outclassed by the Rebels at the SCG a fortnight ago.
Going down 29-10, and being held scoreless by the Rebels for the last 58 minutes, there was a real concern in the aftermath just how the Waratahs were going to find points, never mind challenge the three teams above them.
A bye week and a red-hot first half put paid to all that, and all the very valid questions that existed about creating opportunities without front-foot ball have for this week at least been shifted north of the Tweed River. I don’t think we can overstate the confidence boost that comes with a win like that one on Saturday night.
Two wins out of their next three would get NSW to at least 19 points, but any bonus points accumulated along the way will come in very handy.
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That same equation applies to Queensland, who host the fired-up Rebels this weekend followed by the Force on the Gold Coast next weekend. They have a bye Round 9, before facing the Brumbies in the final round before the playoffs.
The Reds’ biggest question remains around their set piece, and specifically their lineout throwing, where in recent games they’ve shelled five of their own throws against the Waratahs, and another five against the Brumbies. As good as they might be around the breakdown, no-one can be affording to give up that kind of ball at set piece.
A win over the Reds this weekend would push the Rebels to at least 18 points and could well put a toe in the playoffs door, though if this last weekend taught us anything, it’s that there’s plenty of life in Super Rugby AU yet.
No doubt, Dave Wessels will give plenty of thought around keeping Matt To’omua at inside centre – To’omua himself conceded that might happen, such was Andrew Deegan’s game at 10 – but the Reds’ biggest challenge is going to be containing Matt Phillip, who was outstanding in the Rebels demolition of the Brumbies pack.
The Brumbies themselves have probably gone into a bye week at precisely the right time, and will be hoping they can turn their form around in a similar fashion the week after the next.
The Brumbies in good times. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
They’ve got a big question on their hands ahead of their next game, against the Waratahs in Round 8: with Noah Lolesio still likely another month away, what can they do find some spark in their attack again?
Bayley Kuenzle found the going tough behind a well-beaten pack last week, and there was an evident disconnection with the midfielders in attack. But with Lolesio out, the only other option to Kuenzle would be to start Mack Hansen. And the Brumbies don’t strike me as a team to make knee-jerk reactions after a loss.
The bye this week will probably help this. And so will a bit of remedial tactical kicking work over the next week or so, because this was arguably the Brumbies biggest failing on a wet night at Leichhardt Oval. While the Rebels were hell-bent on pinning the Brumbies back in their 22, the Brumbies kept putting up poorly placed kicks in midfield that weren’t chased particularly well either.
It all produced a set of results that no-one tipped but everyone enjoyed, simply because of what it’s done for the competition going into the last four rounds.
What originally looked reasonably obvious suddenly looks anything but. And that’s not a bad thing at all.
Spain’s and Italy’s champions are eliminated from the major European competition.
The 2017 finalists did not qualify for the quarter-finals in Lisbon. Winning on home soil may not be enough for Real Madrid’s and Juventus’ coaches, as their glorious clubs demand them to be successful on the continental stage. These losses can cost Zinedine Zidane and Maurizio Sarri, despite both winning their national title.
Real was outclassed by Manchester City, months after the first leg 2-1 defeat at home. Los Blancos lost by the same score, also in England.
Gabriel Jesus was the standout player for Pep Guardiola’s team, with a score and an assist. The Brazilian international was instrumental for the Premier League runners-up to keep his team’s dream alive.
After Raheem Sterling’s early score, the Sky Blues had the upper hand in the match, forcing the visitors to score three times to advance on aggregate.
(Photo by Matt McNulty – Manchester City/Manchester City FC via Getty Images)
Madrid’s Karim Benzema scored in the 28th minute, but it wasn’t enough. Jesus’ goal in the second half sealed the deal for the home team.
After the match Real’s coach Zidane was asked about his future at the club and answered with pride: “I am the Real Madrid manager until something happens out of the ordinary, you don’t need to ask any more question about my future. We will all have a rest and come back again next season.”
For sure volcanic president Florentino Pérez will have the last word.
In the other match played overnight, Lyon lost in Turin 2-1 versus Juventus. Nevertheless the 1-0 home win was enough for the French team to advance on aggregate.
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Despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s double, Juventus again failed the European objective of their season and head coach Sarri may be in trouble.
Memphis Depay put the French team in control of the game 12 minutes into it. Referee Felix Zwayer awarded Lyon a questionable penalty for a Rodrigo Bentancur tackle on Houssem Aouar. The Dutch captain didn’t miss from the spot.
Juventus was also awarded a less than clear penalty by the German referee. Depay was punished for a touch with the arm when standing in the wall and Ronaldo converted the penalty kick minutes before halftime.
Ronaldo’s score in the 60th minute gave the home team some hope, but the Old Lady wasn’t inspired and wasn’t able to score again to book a ticket to Lisbon.
The last two quarter-finalists will be decided tonight when Bayern Munich will host Chelsea and Barcelona will receive Napoli.
The Germans hold a 3-0 advantage and are almost certain to qualify, while the match at the Camp Nou is less than a done deal. The first leg resulted in a one-all draw in Italy.
Manchester United’s defence is one of the best in Europe in terms of depth.
From the experienced Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, Eric Bailly, Phil Jones and Harry Maguire to up-and-coming Diogo Dalot, Brandon Williams, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Teden Mengi, Axel Tuanzebe and Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Manchester United have options.
However, particularly with the more experienced defenders, they lack a sense of wow factor evident in the midfield and the attack via players like Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.
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Tactical analysis: Western United 5-3 Western Sydney Wanderers
Football
Don’t get me wrong, Victor Lindelof is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League. This is backed up by the statistic that not one player dribbled pass him this EPL season as of 13 January, 22 games in (there are no stats available after that point).
However, the defensive unit as a whole needs a bit of reinforcement provided by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Despite being one of England’s most expensive defenders of all time, Maguire’s not worth the A$143 million the club acquired him for last season. Nonetheless, he’s still a good player, with a tackle success rate of 68 per cent for United and winning 51.64 per cent of his duels – but $143 million is just too much for a player who has a current value of $92 million.
So the big question: who should Manchester United buy to help strengthen the defence?
The answer: former Tottenham and current Belgium centre-back and occasional left-back Jan Vertonghen. Having played 232 EPL games, he has 72 clean sheets to his name. Although he is 33, he had a tackle success rate of 75 per cent and, in 2018-19 and played a massive role in helping Tottenham reach the Champions League final for the first time in the London club’s history.
(Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
In terms of price, as he is recently a free agent, no signing fees are necessary, so if the Red Devils cash out on Jadon Sancho or Jack Grealish, Vertonghen would still be within the price range.
Due to his age (33), if United were to acquire him, he would be at the club for only around two to five years. This is fine, as in that time youngsters like Williams, Wan-Bissaka, Tuanzebe and Fosu-Mensah would have played many more first-team matches and be top-level, experienced players in their own right.
Signing Belgian Jan Vertonghen would be a good purchase for the club because he provides over seven years of experience playing at the top level in the EPL, he would be something of a role model for younger defenders coming through and he comes with no signing fee, leaving room to spend money elsewhere too.
Manchester United’s defence is one of the best in Europe in terms of depth.
From the experienced Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, Eric Bailly, Phil Jones and Harry Maguire to up-and-coming Diogo Dalot, Brandon Williams, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Teden Mengi, Axel Tuanzebe and Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Manchester United have options.
However, particularly with the more experienced defenders, they lack a sense of wow factor evident in the midfield and the attack via players like Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.
More Football
European heavyweights through to Europa League semis
Save the Mariners or it just ain’t the A-League
Brisbane Roar FC vs Sydney FC: A League live scores
Sparkling Diamanti reminds us the A-League can still shine
Tactical analysis: Western United 5-3 Western Sydney Wanderers
Football
Don’t get me wrong, Victor Lindelof is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League. This is backed up by the statistic that not one player dribbled pass him this EPL season as of 13 January, 22 games in (there are no stats available after that point).
However, the defensive unit as a whole needs a bit of reinforcement provided by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Despite being one of England’s most expensive defenders of all time, Maguire’s not worth the A$143 million the club acquired him for last season. Nonetheless, he’s still a good player, with a tackle success rate of 68 per cent for United and winning 51.64 per cent of his duels – but $143 million is just too much for a player who has a current value of $92 million.
So the big question: who should Manchester United buy to help strengthen the defence?
The answer: former Tottenham and current Belgium centre-back and occasional left-back Jan Vertonghen. Having played 232 EPL games, he has 72 clean sheets to his name. Although he is 33, he had a tackle success rate of 75 per cent and, in 2018-19 and played a massive role in helping Tottenham reach the Champions League final for the first time in the London club’s history.
(Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
In terms of price, as he is recently a free agent, no signing fees are necessary, so if the Red Devils cash out on Jadon Sancho or Jack Grealish, Vertonghen would still be within the price range.
Due to his age (33), if United were to acquire him, he would be at the club for only around two to five years. This is fine, as in that time youngsters like Williams, Wan-Bissaka, Tuanzebe and Fosu-Mensah would have played many more first-team matches and be top-level, experienced players in their own right.
Signing Belgian Jan Vertonghen would be a good purchase for the club because he provides over seven years of experience playing at the top level in the EPL, he would be something of a role model for younger defenders coming through and he comes with no signing fee, leaving room to spend money elsewhere too.
The A-League’s second eight-goal game in nine days came as Western United and Western Sydney Wanderers played out a crazy game of football which saw two chipped goals, a 3-0 lead thrown away by Mark Rudan’s side, and JP de Marigny’s side throw it away with two late goals.
For this analysis, I’m going to be taking a look at all eight goals of the game.
The first goal was a bit of a sloppy error from the Wanderers, with Tate Russell and Keanu Baccus both drawn to the ball.
Max Burgess then had time to measure a cross that Josh Risdon attacked in front of Daniel Georgievski.
Goal 2 – WUN 2-0 WSW: Wanderers picked apart
The second goal is a perfect example of some of the frailties of the Western Sydney defence that they’ve had most of the season:
The wingbacks have a responsibility to come out to press on the flanks. Tate Russell, Daniel Georgievski and Bruce Kamau are all more offensive players and they’re not especially good at defending, which means that…
…the outside centre-backs must cover the flank behind them, coming forward and out wide. Matt Jurman is a great stopper, but he can easily be pulled out of position and beaten for pace.
Patrick Ziegler is more of a ball-player than a defender, and he’s definitely not as strong as a pure defensive option.
Dylan McGowan acts as a sweeper/covering defender behind the other two, but he struggles when the opposition attacks him directly.
So it can be easy for a team to pick them off methodically one at a time – draw out the wingback (opening the flank), draw out the outside centre-back who’s covering the wingback, and attack the centre (which is now undermanned and scrambling to reorganise).
Let’s look at it in the context of the second goal:
The wingback, Georgievski, is slow to react to the lost ball and Josh Risdon sprints ahead of him
The outside centreback Jurman comes out to Besart Berisha, opening up a huge gap in the defensive line
The covering defender McGowan is deepest, and ends up playing Risdon onside (although he does try to play him off)
Risdon plays in a perfect ball for the onrushing Besart Berisha to score
Goal 3 – WUN 3-0 WSW: Another clever set piece from Western United
Following the two creative set-pieces Western United had against Melbourne Victory that resulted in goals, they came out with another fantastic corner.
At first glance, it might just seem that Alessandro Diamanti hit a fantastic shot that the goalkeeper Tristan Prendergast messed up, but Western United choreographed this one perfectly.
Western United attacked corners with five players in the box, who would crowd the inexperienced Predergast, a strategy that almost worked for Central Coast Mariners two weeks ago. Burgess would either join them in the box or offer a short option, with two players scattered around the edge of the box.
Burgess was covered by Russell, and as Burgess would usually be the short corner option, so when he came short, Russell would come across to help, joining Jordan O’Doherty and making sure they wouldn’t be outnumbered. Crucially, Russell would switch to cover Diamanti, while O’Doherty would switch to Burgess.
Western United versus Western Sydney Wanderers: WSW’s corner assignments
The goal seemed like the standard setup, with Western United crowding the goalkeeper and Burgess in the box.
The players then backed off, coming deep, with Connor Pain coming up as the short option and Alessandro Diamanti feigning confusion by putting his hands up. Simon Cox has been distracted by the Western United players dropping off, and doesn’t notice Pain shifting over. O’Doherty has him covered to begin with, but when the short corner is played it becomes a two-on-one.
Tate Russell (who would usually come short) is occupied with Max Burgess in the box, while Kwame Yeboah (marking the front of the six-yard box) sees Steven Lustica on the edge of the box and looks to cut that pass off, instead of coming out to support Jordan O’Doherty. He’s probably used to someone else coming out to support O’Doherty, so didn’t expect that he had to be the one to do it.
Diamanti and Pain play the one-two against the overloaded O’Doherty, and Diamanti is afforded a free run into the box, scoring with a neat little chip that Tristan Prendergast gets a hand to but can’t push out. Prendergast’s footwork is not great and doesn’t give him much movement across his goal, with his feet coming together on the third step and he’s not able to get much power into his jump.
As Diamanti walks into the box untouched, the inquest already starts behind him:
O’Doherty: Why aren’t you challenging him?
Yeboah: He’s not my responsibility!
Goal 4 – WUN 3-1 WSW: Wanderers substitutes create an overload for Kamau
The Wanderers introduced four substitutes:
Mohamed Adam (on for the out-of-shape-looking Cox) brought in a lot more energy by providing the dynamic movement that has been missing from Nicolai Muller’s absence, running into the channels and popping up on the flanks.
Tass Mourdoukoutas provided an assured presence on the ball (for now), and stepped forward, almost acting as a right-back/midfielder. He helped provide an outlet to retain possession.
Pirmin Schwegler came on to provide his playmaking ability, frequently finding himself on the right flank to link play with neat passes and flicks, and also brought bursts of energy with penetrating runs.
Finally Bruce Kamau, who’s really more of a winger than a wingback, came on to provide more of a direct attacking threat than Russell, and he showed it with his trickery and deliveries.
All four combined to create an overload down the right for Kamau to cross to Duke.
From the right flank, they passed the ball back to Mourdoukoutas to draw out the defence, and with Burgess out of the right flank, they overload Pain two on one and managed to work their way neatly through the defence to find Kamau in space to deliver a perfect cross for Duke.
Goal 5 – WUN 3-2 WSW: Set piece organisation?
After returning from his argument with the referee, Pain takes up a position in front of the first attacker. Someone tells him to instead shift over to mark Kamau on the edge of the box, with Burgess instead moving forwards.
It ends up being a fantastic finish from Mourdoukoutas, but maybe if Pain had not been told to move from his first position, Schwegler might not have played the ball on the ground, and it could have been easily cut out.
Goal 6 – WUN 3-3 WSW: Duke’s pulling power
This is a relatively simple one. With Western United dropping back deeper, the Wanderers are able to get more men forward without having to worry about the transition. Mitch Duke is the main goal threat for Wanderers, and his movement pulls out Aaron Calver (probably unnecessarily with Tomislav Uskok covering) from the right side, creating space in the channel for Georgievski to receive a great ball from Schwegler.
Yeboah scuffs it to Duke, who scores with a good strike.
I said Mourdoukoutas was assured in possession earlier right? Oops. An uncharacteristic fumbled touch allows Burgess to win the ball and go one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
Watch Prendergast’s movement as Burgess comes towards the box – he takes small hops, shuffling forwards, with his hands going all over the place as he moves, rather than down low by his sides.
When he opens up for his block save, his hands are actually still on their way down, and he doesn’t manage to spread them out effectively until the ball is already past him. To be fair, it may have not made too much of a difference as Burgess finds the corner.
Goal 8 – WUN 5-3 WSW: Diamanti wraps it up
It’s a great goal from Diamanti, but it could equally be chalked down to Prendergast being at fault for this one. It’s important to note that his vision of the shot is blocked by the players in front of him, and by the time he sees it, the ball is almost halfway to the goal.
He’s a bit slow with his feet again and doesn’t manage to get any power into his jump and just misses the ball as it sails over him and into the net.
Prendergast’s view of the shot is blocked by the three players in front of him, resulting in him reacting late
Summary
This will go down as a classic A-League match, a truly entertaining and absurd game of football.
Western United managed to survive their capitulation and kept their march towards finals alive, and were probably quite lucky to do so with the error from Tass Mourdoukoutas gifting them the chance to regain the lead.
They’ll certainly hope that Andrew Durante recovers quickly to help them keep the defence organised, while Diamanti and Burgess have hit excellent form for the final few games and hopefully finals.
Western Sydney Wanderers’ finals dreams, on the other hand, were shattered. Their defensive frailties were on show again, followed by a tantalising display in the second half which shows what they’re capable of. With Schwegler retiring, rumours of Duke heading to the Middle East, and a leaky defence, the Wanderers have a huge task to rebuild.
This performance will have also unfortunately blemished the A-League career of Tristan Prendergast. Being lobbed twice in one game will destroy any goalkeeper’s confidence, especially when both were fairly saveable.
Their upcoming opposition will definitely be targeting how they can take advantage of him, but I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Nick Suman play the next game.
The A-League’s second eight-goal game in nine days came as Western United and Western Sydney Wanderers played out a crazy game of football which saw two chipped goals, a 3-0 lead thrown away by Mark Rudan’s side, and JP de Marigny’s side throw it away with two late goals.
For this analysis, I’m going to be taking a look at all eight goals of the game.
The first goal was a bit of a sloppy error from the Wanderers, with Tate Russell and Keanu Baccus both drawn to the ball.
Max Burgess then had time to measure a cross that Josh Risdon attacked in front of Daniel Georgievski.
Goal 2 – WUN 2-0 WSW: Wanderers picked apart
The second goal is a perfect example of some of the frailties of the Western Sydney defence that they’ve had most of the season:
The wingbacks have a responsibility to come out to press on the flanks. Tate Russell, Daniel Georgievski and Bruce Kamau are all more offensive players and they’re not especially good at defending, which means that…
…the outside centre-backs must cover the flank behind them, coming forward and out wide. Matt Jurman is a great stopper, but he can easily be pulled out of position and beaten for pace.
Patrick Ziegler is more of a ball-player than a defender, and he’s definitely not as strong as a pure defensive option.
Dylan McGowan acts as a sweeper/covering defender behind the other two, but he struggles when the opposition attacks him directly.
So it can be easy for a team to pick them off methodically one at a time – draw out the wingback (opening the flank), draw out the outside centre-back who’s covering the wingback, and attack the centre (which is now undermanned and scrambling to reorganise).
Let’s look at it in the context of the second goal:
The wingback, Georgievski, is slow to react to the lost ball and Josh Risdon sprints ahead of him
The outside centreback Jurman comes out to Besart Berisha, opening up a huge gap in the defensive line
The covering defender McGowan is deepest, and ends up playing Risdon onside (although he does try to play him off)
Risdon plays in a perfect ball for the onrushing Besart Berisha to score
Goal 3 – WUN 3-0 WSW: Another clever set piece from Western United
Following the two creative set-pieces Western United had against Melbourne Victory that resulted in goals, they came out with another fantastic corner.
At first glance, it might just seem that Alessandro Diamanti hit a fantastic shot that the goalkeeper Tristan Prendergast messed up, but Western United choreographed this one perfectly.
Western United attacked corners with five players in the box, who would crowd the inexperienced Predergast, a strategy that almost worked for Central Coast Mariners two weeks ago. Burgess would either join them in the box or offer a short option, with two players scattered around the edge of the box.
Burgess was covered by Russell, and as Burgess would usually be the short corner option, so when he came short, Russell would come across to help, joining Jordan O’Doherty and making sure they wouldn’t be outnumbered. Crucially, Russell would switch to cover Diamanti, while O’Doherty would switch to Burgess.
Western United versus Western Sydney Wanderers: WSW’s corner assignments
The goal seemed like the standard setup, with Western United crowding the goalkeeper and Burgess in the box.
The players then backed off, coming deep, with Connor Pain coming up as the short option and Alessandro Diamanti feigning confusion by putting his hands up. Simon Cox has been distracted by the Western United players dropping off, and doesn’t notice Pain shifting over. O’Doherty has him covered to begin with, but when the short corner is played it becomes a two-on-one.
Tate Russell (who would usually come short) is occupied with Max Burgess in the box, while Kwame Yeboah (marking the front of the six-yard box) sees Steven Lustica on the edge of the box and looks to cut that pass off, instead of coming out to support Jordan O’Doherty. He’s probably used to someone else coming out to support O’Doherty, so didn’t expect that he had to be the one to do it.
Diamanti and Pain play the one-two against the overloaded O’Doherty, and Diamanti is afforded a free run into the box, scoring with a neat little chip that Tristan Prendergast gets a hand to but can’t push out. Prendergast’s footwork is not great and doesn’t give him much movement across his goal, with his feet coming together on the third step and he’s not able to get much power into his jump.
As Diamanti walks into the box untouched, the inquest already starts behind him:
O’Doherty: Why aren’t you challenging him?
Yeboah: He’s not my responsibility!
Goal 4 – WUN 3-1 WSW: Wanderers substitutes create an overload for Kamau
The Wanderers introduced four substitutes:
Mohamed Adam (on for the out-of-shape-looking Cox) brought in a lot more energy by providing the dynamic movement that has been missing from Nicolai Muller’s absence, running into the channels and popping up on the flanks.
Tass Mourdoukoutas provided an assured presence on the ball (for now), and stepped forward, almost acting as a right-back/midfielder. He helped provide an outlet to retain possession.
Pirmin Schwegler came on to provide his playmaking ability, frequently finding himself on the right flank to link play with neat passes and flicks, and also brought bursts of energy with penetrating runs.
Finally Bruce Kamau, who’s really more of a winger than a wingback, came on to provide more of a direct attacking threat than Russell, and he showed it with his trickery and deliveries.
All four combined to create an overload down the right for Kamau to cross to Duke.
From the right flank, they passed the ball back to Mourdoukoutas to draw out the defence, and with Burgess out of the right flank, they overload Pain two on one and managed to work their way neatly through the defence to find Kamau in space to deliver a perfect cross for Duke.
Goal 5 – WUN 3-2 WSW: Set piece organisation?
After returning from his argument with the referee, Pain takes up a position in front of the first attacker. Someone tells him to instead shift over to mark Kamau on the edge of the box, with Burgess instead moving forwards.
It ends up being a fantastic finish from Mourdoukoutas, but maybe if Pain had not been told to move from his first position, Schwegler might not have played the ball on the ground, and it could have been easily cut out.
Goal 6 – WUN 3-3 WSW: Duke’s pulling power
This is a relatively simple one. With Western United dropping back deeper, the Wanderers are able to get more men forward without having to worry about the transition. Mitch Duke is the main goal threat for Wanderers, and his movement pulls out Aaron Calver (probably unnecessarily with Tomislav Uskok covering) from the right side, creating space in the channel for Georgievski to receive a great ball from Schwegler.
Yeboah scuffs it to Duke, who scores with a good strike.
I said Mourdoukoutas was assured in possession earlier right? Oops. An uncharacteristic fumbled touch allows Burgess to win the ball and go one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
Watch Prendergast’s movement as Burgess comes towards the box – he takes small hops, shuffling forwards, with his hands going all over the place as he moves, rather than down low by his sides.
When he opens up for his block save, his hands are actually still on their way down, and he doesn’t manage to spread them out effectively until the ball is already past him. To be fair, it may have not made too much of a difference as Burgess finds the corner.
Goal 8 – WUN 5-3 WSW: Diamanti wraps it up
It’s a great goal from Diamanti, but it could equally be chalked down to Prendergast being at fault for this one. It’s important to note that his vision of the shot is blocked by the players in front of him, and by the time he sees it, the ball is almost halfway to the goal.
via u/dboyr, Reddit /cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/21727230/p56wsqn8b7g51.jpg)
via u/dboyr, Reddit 
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Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images 
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