Ok gentlepeople we are down to the final 6. Where do you see it going and who is going to take the title.

Current prices from Sports Bet

6005 MELBOURNE $2.65
6004 MANLY $2.85
6001 BRISBANE $6.50
6012 CRONULLA $6.50
6007 NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS $15.00
6014 SYDNEY ROOSTERS $17.00

Melbourne have blown out beautifully since their loss to the Warriors and a part of me thinks that Smithy and the boys lost on purpose just to secure a new house for themselves.

I am a little disappointed that the Storm lost though as I was hoping to see a Melbourne V Brisbane final again with the Broncos continuing there ‘unbeaten in a grand final’ winning streak. Unfortunately the Broncos face the ‘toughest test’ in the second round of the finals.

I think the market is pretty much the way it should be now and may have a big go at the Storm to win and a little sneaky at the Broncos to cover this bet. If the Broncos win through I think they will be in with a massive chance to win and if the Storm go through I think the will win.

$200 bet on the storm at $2.65 = $530 WINNER!!!!

$75 bet one the Broncos at $6.50 = $487

$275 outlayed with a $212 minimum profit…… assuming either Melbourne or the Broncs win….. easy money really isn’t it?

I was lucky enough to receive tickets to the Tri Nations final between Australia and NZ on Saturday night. The package included pre game drinks and dinner at the XXXX brewery which was most enjoyable especially with the entertainment provided by MC David Fordham and comedian Paul Martell. A comedian who can do excellent impressions always gets a thumbs up from me. Dinner as per normal in these situations was pretty ordinary but the beer was the ‘right price’ which more than makes up for it.

After dinner we were given our tickets and made the trek from the brewery to Lang Park. Once in the stadium we had just enough time to purchase a few beers and sit down to watch the anthems. The Haka is always entertaining only to be topped in comedy stakes by the singing of Waltzing Matilda, a tradition that makes no sense to me whatsoever.

The game was ok and pretty exciting during the parts we were winning but in the end we copped a pizzling, luckily I was able to secure Australia with a 4.5 point handicap so I wasn’t totally disappointed. I was surprised at the cheering from the 52000 who packed out the stadium. I am not sure if it was the section I was in or whether it was my imagination but the Kiwis drowned out the Aussies in the cheering stakes. I would be interested in your thoughts and impressions on this if you saw the game but it was very noticeable to me.

After the game I made a quick escape back to the brewery for, well, a few more brews, at the right price of course.

All in all not a bad Saturday night. Oh, almost forgot, my appologies to about 30 pogs who walked through the Caxton in the hours from 11:30 till 2. When I ask you about the weather I would expect almost any reaction other than the typical rolling of the eyes you all seemed intent on providing. Perhaps if I asked you about your shoes you would have been more receptive……

Why the hell do they wrap these bastards in clips, trace paper, ribbons, bits of string, plastic covering, plastic button clips, cardboard collar supports and worst of the worst those freaking little pins!!!!

Surely pins in stuck in random areas of newly purchased clothing is a huge safety factor? Its just a matter of time really until some poor unsuspecting bugger pokes and eye out with one when he goes up to scratch his ear. Where the hell are those precious workplace health and safety people when you have a real problem? Probably at the pub giggling at how much they can charge the government per hour for consulting fees that’s where.

Just when you have sorted through all the BS and beaten the maze of wrapping/packing crap you try it on and it doesn’t fit. “Oh” says the niff sales assistant “yes, that shirt does have a small cut, that’s right”. Smaller cut!!!!!!????? Why the hell do these show pony good for nothing clothing companies want to be different and have a different sizing regime to the industry standard.

Note to clothing industry, sort yourselves out and standardise on a world wide universal sizing methodology or I will walk store to store and introduce your staff to the universal version of PAIN!

I spent the day in the city yesterday and noticed that a lot of the Solicitors and Barristers still wear the old gown and wig set up. I guess this makes sense to keep in with the tradition of our nations courts and I understand this is only a requirement in the higher courts. What I don’t understand is why these dudes wear them outside of the court room.

I was sitting in a hotel lobby waiting for someone for about 20 minutes and saw three separate Wiggers walking down the street in their get up. What for? Do they not realise that the look completely stupid? If I ever get to a position in life where I have to wear one of those wigs the second item I would purchase would be a bag to carry it around in.

I have two theories as to why.

1. They are too lazy to take the get up off and would prefer to ignore the fact they look like niffs.

2. They are proud of the look and think that it may assist them in other areas. I can’t say that I have ever seen a Wigger get car jacked, robbed or even dacked….. maybe there is something in the wig now I think about it.

Does anyone know or can explain this to me please? Is it laziness or status…. or is there another reason.

Much obliged.

Just another example of the 150000 people that leave us each day Evan Tanner left us this weekend. No Evan wasn’t some worthy Hollywood superstar, nor was he some political marvel. He was just a regular dude, like you or me…. Well not quite…

As he described himself

College dropout, adventurer, seeker, traveller, ditch digger, dishwasher, cable tech, concrete worker, steel worker, salad prep, busboy, ski resort security, ski resort rental shop technician. I’ve worked in a slaughter house. I’ve been a landscaper. I’ve done drywall, tile, countertops, wood flooring, roofing. I have been a plumber, worked as a bottle collector at a bar, a bouncer, a doorman, a head of a security team. I have been a basket room clerk, a carpenter, a framer building beach houses, a truss builder. I’ve lived on a farm. I’ve lived in the city. I’ve earned money mowing lawns, selling on ebay, and fighting. A teacher, a trainer, and a coach sometimes. There was a time when I was younger that I didn’t know any better than to be a liar, a cheater, and a thief. I have since learned to despise those things. I have had great friendships. I have had great loves. I have been a lover, I have been a son, a brother, and a friend. And I was once a world champion.

He was special without fan fare or a requirement for us to acknowledge his achievements other than a note to say what he was up to. He didn’t ask for us to know what he was doing or ask us to support him. He came to the octagon, fought then left. His time was truly his….. now its his for all eternity ….. depending on your thoughts on the matter….

Either way I am left saddened with the knowledge of his passing while still admiring the medias ability to publicise Britney Spear’s latest MTV award…… but maybe that is what is truly important.

It won’t be up for long but here is a quick clip yesterdays main envent at UFC 88 between Chuck Liddell and Rashad Evans. As I suspected, Evans was the underserving underdog and he took the underdog title and crammed straight up Liddell’s clacker.

nite nite Chuck, you ok mate?

Rich Franklin also taught a deaf wrestler that know matter how strong you are, getting kicked in the liver hurts like hell.

Dan Henderson also won in the octagon for the first time in 10 years in a pretty slow fight. It was technically pretty interesting so I still enjoyed it.

Overall while there were no titles decided I really enjoyed the show and found all of the fights entertaining.

8 stars.

I am still not sure on the NRL’s salary cap idea. I am one for an open market type philosophy normally but on the salary cap in the NRL I am a little different. I don’t really want to see teams going broke season after season as I don’t think it adds to the ‘look’ of the game and pulls at the heartstrings of fans.

This may be an existing idea, I don’t read newspapers word for word so as far as I am concerned this is a new idea. To free up money for the clubs to keep some of there younger talent and for clubs to be able to afford keep some of the older brigade who are looking for a bit more of a ‘pay day’ for there last few seasons I propose the 8 year rule.

Quite simply, 8 years to the day after a player debuts for the one NRL club (without leaving) this player is excluded from this clubs salary cap. He is then free to negotiate any price with the club to retain his services and is given a real choice when faced with the possibility of moving overseas to play English league or French Rugby or whatever else can afford him. But if he wants to stay in our game and the club can afford him (with sponsorship assistance) then he should be able to get full ‘market value’.

This rule also means that some players may consider the ‘loyalty’ side of the equation a little more thoroughly. Not to say that players will always get what they want and not to say that a club.

What are your thoughts?

What are the negatives that I haven’t considered yet?