Wednesday, March 20, 2013

a deplorable state of affairs




Fellow Flabbergastee's,

There's been a small forest felled to provide the newsprint for the goings on in the Australian cricket team of late, so there's no need for me to add to it.
It seemed fairly clear cut.
Skipper makes a few simple team rules, some choose to flaunt the rules; ok, fair enough, rules are made to be broken, but after the Horror of Hyderabad, in any sort of workplace, you'd expect to be asked to explain yourself viz a viz why you farked up so badly.
And in the modern workplace, almost everyone is subject to performance review from time to time, especially if your performance is patently manifestly not up to scratch.
Three of the four copped it on the chin for the final infraction of the rules - mea culpa - to try to avoid being told that they are now no longer popular with the selectors.
The other one, SR Watson, accepts no such fate.
What abysmal behaviour by FIGJAM - surely any lingering respect that there might have been at-large for the little turd has now been competely wiped away by such an appalling performance.
Fancy hopping on the next flight out after being told you won't be considered for the third test, without even telling your Captain that you are quitting the tour [never mind the impending birth of the first child - a very handy coincidental sideshow]?
Such a dismal course of events would have normally prompted a sharp rebuke by the cricket heirachy at the very least, but strangely, not in this case.
The prick could clearly see that he had got off Scott free, and so the minute he landed at KSA, he started bagging team management and anyone else he could think of, from here to breakfast.
Under normal circumstances, that would be viewed by the authorities as disloyalty of the highest order; but no.
And yet, even after all that, much to the general public's disgust, FIGJAM gets back on the plane to Delhi - by all reports at the behest of Pup - who for some unknown reason appears to want to smoke the peace pipe with the puffed-up jester, even when he is under absolutely no obligation to do so.
Inexplicable.
What on earth happened to "the line in the sand", drawn just a week ago?
To make matters infinitely worse, MJ Clarke contines to struggle badly with his chronic dose of Shaggers Back, and at 0-3 down and the series long lost, you would have thought he'd be reluctant to risk himself further by playing in the deadest of dead rubbers, given that a five test tour of Engerland looms large.
So, if he doesn't play, does FIGJAM become the 44th Strayan Test Captain, straight after putting on an entirely uncalled for, unacceptable, unforgiveable, simply unbelievable hissy fit?
Lord help us.
Perish the thought.
Even the possibilty affronts everything about it.
Surely, if MJ Clarke is ruled out, even if MS Wade is fit after his basketball accident, BJ Haddin should be named as a batting captain, a la JM Brearley?
Nothing said more clearly that the selectors are clutching at straws when the Chairman Himself said in public mid-week that he'd wholeheartedly welcome back Mr Cricket, if he decided to come out of retirement.
This, of a bloke, who very cleary said on retirement that he never ever wants to go to India again.
What the?
The only lure for MEK Hussey to return for a one-off arms-length appearance would be the promise of being named Straya's 44th Test Captain, aka JM Brearley.
Stranger things have happened.
Every man for himself, anything goes, appears to be the deplorable state of affairs at the minute.
But, you'd have to worry about the physical and mental health of the 43rd Strayan Captain - he'd have a fair bit on his mind, you'd imagine, as he lays on the work bench with a four and a half foot Indian woman walking up and down on his back.
The look on his face would likely be troubling.
Joisus.

Monday, March 18, 2013

give him some slack




Forever Hopefuls,

It'll do.
Rusty, at best.
A win is a win.
Better than last week's complete capitulation.
Mighty Tiges shook off the cobwebs and the awful bereavement, showed the template of what they could be this season, pointed out to Coach Harry that he still has a helluva lot of work to do with them, and, as they say in the classics, "got away with the two points".
Fairly indicative of the play was that the clear best on ground came off the bench - Aaron Woods, an unsung try-scoring forward with a few hard yards in him, dogged defence, and a streak of mean.
You need blokes like him in the pack, and Keefy "Bludnut" Galloway looks to be on song from the off.
There's plenty who'd say whoever it was who decided to buy Braith Anasta was off their rocker, but it's way too early to pass judgement.
Shocker first week, not too bad in the second.
And in any case, here's a bloke in the twilight of his career who will be wheeled into the Sunset Home at the end of the season; and he did say that the only reason he moved to the Tigers on a one-year contract was on the condition that he didn't play in the second row [where is he playing? In the second row], so he must have come cheap.
Certainly not a patch on That Pom Ellis, who will be sorely missed in retirement.
Adam Blair was possibly the worst marquee player buy of last season, comp-wide, but you have to give him some slack in a new year, parked as he is at lock, and hope against hope that he actually does something this season.
The Miller kidder at half-back has some big potential for mine, but looks a little brittle in defence at present, however he's got a fairly good football brain on his shoulders for a yoof, and appears capable of developing a clever partnership with The Great Benji.
The centres and full-back are solid, very experienced first grade players, and there is Chris "The Try Scoring Freak" Lawrence among them.
The young bloke plucked from some Fijian village by the name of Marika Koroibete looks to be the genuine goods on the wing at age 20.
Probably the fastest man in the caper over 30 yards, and makes line breaks aplenty with explosive speed from a standing start.
Likely to be the new Lote Tuquri [who remains on the books at age 33, but with a glittering career that appears to be finished, having been finally cruelled by chronic injury].
And the bench is deep; you'll need that as fellows fall by the wayside with various mischiefs in the course of 26 weeks.
So, on paper, it looks a reasonably classy football team with the right mix of Yoof and Experience, but as always, the proof will be in the pudding.
In the end, all they have to do is win at home and bag a few away.
Yeah, yeah, easier said than done, you say.
No need to mention the referee's just as yet - plenty of time for that - the Bamford's will look after it themselves.
The very poor home crowd represents a loss of faith after last season that will take some restoring.
And, people will boycott Leichhardt Oval next Friday night in protest at no Sunday afternoon games being programmed there this year - me among them - but that's another story...

WESTS TIGERS 28. Tries: Woods (2), Marshall, Miller, Koroibete. Goals: Marshall (4).
PENRITH PANTHERS 18. Tries: Manu (2), Simmons. Goals: Walsh (3).
At Campbelltown Sports Ground.
Crowd: 9,715.