Historically for Ratten, he'd lost a bunch of our better players the year he got the chop, but fans said injuries were no excuse before MM took over and Ratten got the chop. Ratten himself sat at his presser and said he accepted AFL and Carlton was ruthless and that is just the way it is.
A few years later, MM offered injuries as an excuse for poor performances, and then he got the chop although I'm not sure the results being different would have saved him.
If BB lost Kreuzer and Kennedy, or any of the other key players, then finds himself on the bad end of some results, will he get a leave pass or will he get the chop?
England found mints worked very well on the ball in 2005...lol. Can really lacquer up the shiny side.
I can't help the fact that England are idiots who managed to convinced themselves of something that contradicts reality.
Saliva breaks down leather, it softens it because saliva contains enzymes like lipase and amylase, two ingredients used during the tanning process to soften and de-hair hides. It might make it look shinny at first, but it will break down the surface faster.
Any serious swing bowler will go troppo if they see someone using saliva in any mixture on the ball, the two smart things to use are sunscreen and perspiration. Perspiration is perfect because as it evaporates it forms crystals from the trace minerals and urea content which act like a varnish.
The classic vintage footage of Lillee wiping his finger across his brow then polishing the pill is no accident.
A caller on SEN about 30mins ago rang in with a story about Warner from a few years ago, I think before he played for Aus. I won't repeat the gory details but it showed the kind of attitude he had then and it was quite shocking. He was banned for his actions but when he was called up for national duties shortly afterwards the ban apparently was immediately lifted. Mmmm, bit of a problem there I think.
The factional movements behind the scenes in and around CA are far worse than CheatsFC, some will see the current events as an opportunity for a power shift.
But is it good or bad timing for CA, does the ratings spike and intense media interest reduce or increase the value of the sport to potential broadcasters?
I don't see a clear answer on that, it could go either way based on the number$.
If CA come out and whack Smith and Warner too excessively, relative to earlier cases which can be considered precedents, it'll end up in the CAS.
Some wealthy supporter will fund Smith and Warner to fight the charges, and then people on the CA side lose more than they already have.
CA will not want the penalty challenged, it will cost them too much. I'll be shocked if on top of someone like Lehman losing his job Smith or Warner are banned for life as some want.
I'm happy to see our country's administration being the first to properly that ball tampering seriously. Problem is the ICC only grade it as a level 2 offence same as dissent towards an umpire. All it means if someone gets caught they just give away a 5 run penalty and change the ball if needed. The player gets a fine or one match. Not a real disincentive. It's been going on since the day dot and only the dumb ones get caught.
I'm also glad out administrators went to South Africa as it might send them a message too after they just bitched and complained when Faf got caught, which is now twice, and is STILL captain, not to mention Philander in 2014. Let them know what they are supposed to do when the system is cheated.
The ball tampering itself is not a big deal, it's not like it offers a clear benefit.
I see the current events as being more politically motivated, it's about the hypocrisy!
Even so there is no defense for Smith and Warner, but the penalties need to be proportional to du Plessis and Philander or CA will legally shoot itself in the foot!
btw., A while back the BCCI funded a university to look into the aerodynamics of a cricket ball. They spent a lot of money trying to find the formula that makes a ball swing and a bunch of very smart people drew a blank trying to establish a repeatable and reproducible regime!
I have a problem with that stance, it's the same reason I wasn't taking a carpet bombing approach to the whole CheatsFC list.
If you some CheatsFC beginner, and Hird comes up to you and pressures you to join in, some of them will be swayed. They become members of the Dirty34 without really contributing at all to the act.
Bancroft it appears was under the influence of Smith and Warner, they held significant sway over the beginner, Warner was acting as a mentor!
They were not asking him to kill somebody, it was something others had done before and been slapped on the wrist for being caught. The current problem comes about because the earlier penalties have been too soft. But that doesn't mean you throw everybody under a bus.
Some are still of the opinion the CheatsFC penalties were too soft, if they recover to compete at the pointy end in 2018 as quickly as it appears they haven't really suffered enough.
It's disappointing that the AFL are bringing James Hird back into the fold. Fitzpatrick was correct, he should never have been involved in AFL again. But it appears for some the carrot is too great!
But the ball tampering thing, is not the same scale as Roiding Up 34 players with illegal substances.
Not yet, and we shouldn't rush him into the center square, but he does take some ruck duties in F50.
However, I would also question the value of McKay taking ruck duties inside F50, a unique part of his game is his mobility and clean hands at ground level, not something 200cm types normally exhibit. We'd be better off if he was roving the stoppage!
Right! So if he Carlton got done for PEDs this year and everyone including Mark Robinson and Tim Watson wanted us expelled from the competition for good you wouldn't care?
Flubbo is slime.
From the weekend he ignores reports that CheatsFC played Merritt under a concussion cloud, and instead writes a diversionary article about SoJ.
Flubbo's behaviour is so transparent, I'm not sure how his contemporaries can keep a straight face when they talk with him!
Past him? Based on what output exactly and when the NBs season hasn't even started?
That's silly.
But yes, Harry needs to perform this season....
I haven't attended any NB practice games but friends tell me Kerr has looked pretty good in the practice matches despite just returning from injury and needing to build his fitness. Although I believe Kerr only played partial game time, but then apparently McKay, Phillips and De Koning also only played partial game time.
Obviously Kerr is not an AFL level ruck option, despite rucking in the VFL last season. But I'd also prefer McKay not to ruck given his recent history of stress related injuries, he needs to stick to the KPP stuff for a season or so. Like Sansmere I hope McKay eventually comes into the seniors after a bag of at least 4 or 5 VFL goals, arrive in AFL with some VFL confidence! We saw last season how doing this benefited Jones.
For VFL Rnd 1 we should have a super-side, Rowe, ACoS, Williamson, Shaw, Philips, Lang and Lobbe are all expected back from injury.
I find it hard to believe the bowlers didn't know what was going on, what sort of test bowler doesn't notice the condition of the ball changing? Normally, if there is so much as a thread out of place the bowlers will complain to the umpires.
Even if they were not in on the scam, they must have noticed something!
Wouldn’t mind seeing one of Plowman or Weitering moved up to the wing and through the middle and bring in someone like O’Shea for Kennedy. Maybe even move Mullett into the middle for a bit.
Yes, it seems a reshuffle is the best option given a lack of in form ready-made replacements.
btw., lots of not too good SpecialK rumors floating around, hopefully they are just rubbish, but there's a lot of them and it's often a bad sign because the rumor mills often get the result right but the reason wrong!
