David Warner: Weak or wonderful?
Is the Australian cricket team suffering from premature jubilation? While the Aussies' joy and relief after the first Ashes Test win was understandable, the concern is their actions may have put a burr under the Poms' saddle. David Warner's comments about their batsmen being 'scared' and describing Jonathan Trott as 'poor and weak' were naive and stupid. No one who faces up to 150km/h thunderbolts should have his courage questioned. England is a proud cricketing nation and they'll be hurting badly. The Australians have given them plenty of ammunition to make amends in Adelaide. Beware the wounded Lion.
Have you heard the news?
While we're on the Ashes, Channel 9 purports to be the home of cricket but treated its viewers with contempt as the Test came to a thrilling conclusion. Why did it not tell its Sydney audience during Sunday night's news that the cricket was back on at the Gabba with Australia closing in on a famous win? The only clue we got was during the sports report when the scorecard read nine down instead of eight (as it stood before the second rain break). TRS had to take to Twitter to work out the cricket was being telecast on GEM, which was no help to those who can't pick up the digital station. Surely Nine wasn't worried about a ratings drain if people switched off the news for the cricket? Poor form.
Delivery day
It took five weeks but we finally got a high class game of rugby league at the never-ending Rugby League World Cup. The England-New Zealand semi-final was a classic, keeping us enthralled right to the last second. What a pity we have to sift through all those garbage games to get to it. Australia-Fiji was predictably lopsided and did nothing for the image of international rugby league. But at least we've got the final most of us wanted (well, those in the southern hemisphere).
Bozza's blast
It's fair to assume Lucas Neill and Mark Bosnich won't be exchanging Christmas cards this year – or ever again. The Neill camp is filthy Bozza had a shot at the Socceroos skipper for mouthing off at the crowd during last week's friendly against Costa Rica. Bosnich said the crowd was fully entitled to vent their views and Neill shouldn't have reacted. Those close to Neill want to know what right Bosnich has to talk about crowd engagement after his infamous Nazi salute to Tottenham fans during his EPL days.
One drink too many?
Ewen McKenzie's gamble to stand down half a dozen players for disciplinary reasons only just paid off as the Wallabies held on for victory against Scotland. But whether McKenzie's hardline stance pays off in the long run remains to be seen, with several members of the camp still seething over the action he took.
Ballboy made good
Mark Webber's Formula One career may have ended without a world title but he certainly deserves the plaudits coming his way. Luck deserted the Australian driver numerous times over his decade-plus at the wheel, while the presence of Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull certainly did him no favours. The former Canberra Raiders ballboy finished with nine races from 215 starts.