The Man In The Stand

It's time to "Stop the Clock" in rugby

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:26:30 -0800

While in the Land of Oz, I've gleaned plenty of the pre-season and pre-tournament gossip and goings-on in the three codes that we have fierce, upcoming involvement in.

Rugby takes precedence in this blog simply because the Super 14, as opposed to the NRL, gatecrashes summer in its usual, premature manner this weekend. ...

Australian Open: The good, the bad and the unfair

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 04:14:41 -0800

The Roger Federer show has left town and as I've experienced for the last four years, Melbourne suddenly feels a tad sad because of it.

My mission to make the Australian Open my annual holiday again paid off hugely.

That's because my biggest sports hero on the planet, Roger 'the Fed' Federer again showed how he has elevated tennis to such giddy heights, the like of which have never been seen before. ...

Get your predictions in to win!

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 03:57:54 -0800

Two finals are upon us and promise aplenty.

The men's clash is everybody's dream. The best player ever versus the best currently playing who hasn't won a Major.

Roger Federer is radiating happiness in everything he does and says here in Melbourne this time around.

His bubbly after-match interviews sum up exactly his head space. ...

From the Open: Relaxed Roger in career form

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:26:37 -0800

My annual pilgrimage to the Australian Open never fails to delight and this year is no exception.

I have an admission to make. I'm a complete Roger Federer addict. So much so, I've made this special sports event my yearly holiday and will continue to do so, as long as the Swiss magician and his rare genius are involved.

This is my fourth visit and I reckon this is the most relaxed Aussie Open I've attended.
I put this down to the following factors. ...

T20 is here to stay, Shane Bond isn't

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 03:00:46 -0800

The 20/20 phenomenon has certainly kicked off the 2010 year with a bang.

That's because most local cricket stories in the year to date have emanated from this comparatively new and abridged version of the game.

From the widely popular HRV series to the recent IPL auctions, highlighted by the fortune that Shane Bond has landed, the 20/20 game completely dominated throughout the whole of January. ...

Let's call fulltime on this and start all over again

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 06:27:41 -0800

If there's one sporting event that bows to excessive, politically correct behaviour more than the Halberg Awards, then I've yet to encounter it.

In fact, I reckon that in regards to the lists of finalists, the occasion is becoming more flawed and out-of-kilter every year. ...

Pakistan loss points to match fixing

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 02:09:39 -0800

The more I contemplate that truly bizarre Australian victory over Pakistan in the second cricket test at the SCG, the more I’m reminded of that proverb… “If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck. ...

The Man's Moments of 2009

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 05:08:50 -0800
Every year, we fans inevitably ride an emotional roller coaster.

From the highs to the lows, there is no escaping the full gamut of reactions that such a ride guarantees.

And so at the end of every sporting year, it's always intriguing to reflect on the highlights and lowlights.

Let me stress that these are my personal recollections which obviously reflect the events that impacted on me the most. ...

He's a fool, but we need him

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:06:50 -0800
I've held off but I can resist no longer.

Let me assure you that having resisted the urge to devote a blog to the greatest sporting soap opera in recent times hasn't been easy.

That's because Tiger Woods' traumatic fall from grace is the sort of story that anybody who speaks or writes about sport in any capacity is grateful for a zillion times over. ...

Are we heading for another pay dispute?

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 03:18:49 -0800
If cricket in New Zealand was as awash with talent as its governing body currently is with cash, it would be broad smiles all around.

But that can only remain a forlorn hope given the staggering amount of cash that has dropped into the coffers of Justin Vaughan and co, thanks entirely to the broadcasting rights windfall that the Indian tour of New Zealand delivered earlier this year. ...