Police battle lawyers in Pakistan

Oops sorry thats an actual news headline and not some oddball attempt to be funny.

Anyway fantastic match Man U v Arsenal, a draw was the only fair result and 2-2 is plenty of excitement for all the fans concerned. I watched at the Clapham North pub and was impressed with the local rastas dancing for the Arsenal goals as well as the rabid Man U supporters who must have thought they were at old trafford what with the songs and chanting.


We are headed to Old Trafford this coming Sunday for Man U v Blackburn so I will give you a full match report and some pics on that in due course.


In the NFL the Patriots squeezed out the Colts 24-20 in a superbowl preview.


As for the Kiwis I don't think they even deserve a mention. I have accepted the fact that international rugby league is a joke, its about time everyone else did as well. Willie Mason is a nutjob and the Warriors should not sign him no matter how cheap he gets.....Yours please...

Anticipa.............tion

Don't you think it is interesting how sometimes it is more interesting to think about things and anticipate them than to actually do them? Like for example isn't it more interesting to talk about playing Monopoly or Table tennis against your mates than to actually play those games?

Or to put it in context isn't it likely to more in large part more interesting to anticipate Man U v Arsenal than to watch Man U v Arsenal? Well I anticipate its going to be stunning game but that may not be the case and right now I am able to imagine an infinite variety of matchups and events that the actual team lists and the reality of the game and conditions will no doubt displace.

Anyway a massive game coming this UK saturday morning, with a 12.45pm kickoff time I may have to lever myself into the pub no later than midday Saturday, oh the hardship.

A quick wrap on the other sports interesting me at present:

NFL

Massive game in the NFL this week - kindof a mini-super bowl with the hot as fuck unbeaten New Patriots vs the super bowl champion and also unbeaten Indianapolis Colts this Sunday. Peyton Manning(Colts QB) is probably the best player of his generation chased closely by Tom Brady (Patriots QB) so a close one is in store. For a few years past the Patriots had a habit of knocking Indy out of the playoffs every year and Peyton and the Colts were accused of having big game-itis second only to the All Blacks.

Anyway Indy won the Superbowl last year so maybe Peyton and posse are over that but certainly a massive game in store.

NBA

A brand new season started yesterday so a world of possibililty awaits, will the big combo in Boston be able to deliver? My opinion, no, they won't, each of Garnett, Allen and Pierce are individually stunning players but all are too old and too used to losing to put it together. I predict a series of serious injuries leading to a cold towel to the lottery for Boston.

My love goes to Lebron, go and get it this year bro. Spurs have got to be too old this year - I have been saying that for about five years now - does Duncan not age?

Anyway I reckon Houston v Cavs in the finals, Cavs in seven.

We out, Bring on Cleary Year III

Post-RWC season overview and objective reflection

Hello people, I know it has been a while but I thought it was probably the right time to deliver a quick re-cap on the Warriors season. The All Blacks debacle just goes to show how fun it is to support a team like the Warriors, low expectations are a wonderful thing.

A Storm v Manly grand final was to my mind a fair representation of the NRL season 2007 with those two teams a step ahead of the chasing pack for the whole year.

Finishing fourth in a very even and tough 2007 NRL season is great acheivement by the Warriors, in fact placing Cleary Year II in elite company in respect of all-time Warriors seasons, with the second highest regular season premiership finish ever - behind only the 2002 golden team and a healthy fourth in all-time win percentage:

Year Coach Owner CEO W L D Win % Table Playoffs
1995 Monie ARL Robson 13 9 0 59.09% 10th* none (*2 point deduction for 14 players on field)
1996 Monie ARL Robson 10 11 1 45.45% 11th none
1997 Monie/Endacott ARL MacGowan 7 11 0 38.89% 7th none(SL)
1998 Graham Tainui+Lowe McKewen 9 15 0 37.50% 15th none
1999 Graham Tainui+Lowe McKewen 10 14 0 41.67% 11th none
2000 Graham Tainui/Watson McKewen 8 16 2 30.77% 13th none
2001 Anderson Watson Watson 12 12 2 46.15% 8th qualifying final
2002 Anderson Watson Watson 17 7 0 70.83% 1st grand final
2003 Anderson Watson Watson 15 9 0 62.50% 6th semi-final
2004 Anderson/Kemp Watson Watson 6 18 0 25.00% 14th none
2005 Kemp Watson Watson 10 14 0 41.67% 11th none
2006 Cleary Watson Scurrah 12 12 0 50.00% 10th* none (*4pt deduction - salary cap breach )
2007 Cleary Watson Scurrah 13 10 1 54.17% 4th - qualifying final and semi-final

So overall you have to be pretty happy with Cleary - he has this team on a positive track upward. Its a pretty fine margin between greatness and mediocrity - the margin vs Eels in the home semi only two points (same as ABs losing margin v France). Losing a home playoff game is pretty grim considering they come along once in a blue moon at this franchise but hey - its a lot better than waiting four years to be knocked out at the first elimination stage.

Clearly looks to be slowly building a team that can contend - next year could be the last for Price - so lets hope they can make the most of it.

Cardiff is now but a dim memory in my new and improved positive outlook on the months ahead - bring on Cleary Year III.

Season tickets are already on sale - get yours now!

End of season mode

Well the Warriors are out of the playoffs after what can only be described as a stunning and humiliating collapse in Townsville.

The blog is of course pretty horribly out of date as I have just been away in France for a week watching the ABs demolish Italy and Portugal. Nice weather there too.

So to summarise the Warriors are out, the blog is out of date and I am back at work in London.

Its not cool.

I will update the blog though, just give me time, and if you are looking for a silver lining, look at it this way, Cleary Year II still ranks overall as one of the top five warriors seasons ever, and you have the rest of the RWC to look forward to.

Countdown to D-day

Well only 24 hours to go until the biggest game in recent Warriors history and not a single comment on the blog? Where are you Warriors fans?

Hope someone of you managed to get tix to the game - I love the quote from the Mad Butcher ("Butch") saying that he would "spit in the faces" of scalpers denying true fans the chance to attend the game. Hey mate why don't you show a bit of emotion - its almost like you don't care enough about the Warriors....um.. not.

Anyway I am pretty pumped up - both about the Warriors and that this is my last day at work for a week as we are flying out tonight to Marseilles for the All Blacks first RWC game vs Italy on Saturday.

A massive sporting weekend awaits, if I can watch the Warriors in Marseille tomorrow morning I will do so - should be 10.30am kickoff by my reckoning.

I hope all of you have a great weekend - get yourself a slab of lion red and enjoy the big games!

Go the Warrriors!

Booyaka - Into the TOP FOUR!!!

A win over the Panthers and the boys have done what I had thought was unthinkable only a month or two ago. The top four, it does not seem real. A new golden era awaits!

Anyway so now we look forward to a home semi next week. Who will the opponent be - I am trying to figure that out now but if you know already let me know - Broncoes or Eels if they win tomorrow I guess?

Stunning stuff I am excited! Hit me with your thoughts Warriors fans.

A big apology by the way to all those readers who may have noted my rather slack posting over the last couple of weeks, its hard to keep up with the blog sometimes but I will try and do better during this crucial time.

Warriors in the playoffs Hooray!

Hello again - what can I say - Warriors back in the playoffs for the first time since the Anderson era. Feels good doesn't it! A win against Penrith and a top four spot with a home semi the following week - you lucky Auckland residents - better start queuing for tix at the Mad Butcher now! I officially announce that unrestrained gushing over the Warriors can begin. This team looks like they may have what it takes to go to the grand final.

Anyway I watched the highlights of the Manly game on TV3 website - you have got to love Wairangi Koopu - as I understand he has been injured for a large proportion of this season but I would have to say he is about my favourite all time Warriors player. Well maybe him and Mr Effective and Tookey.

Anyways Penrith game should be a win - if the Warriors want to go to the grand final they should consider this game a qualifying final and bag that top four spot which will give them a bye in the second week of the playoffs.

First round playoffs will likely be a tough match but a home game makes it much more likely to be a win. Keep me up to date with your texts.

Also I never heard from the Wellington Warrior re his trip to Auckland for the Manly game - did it all happen in the end bro? I recall on your last trip your airline went bust at the crucial moment and you had to buy a substitute plane ticket.

As an aside I note Andrew Johns has indicated he has been on drugs. This is a pretty strange story - first of all he manages to get busted in possession whilst in London and then goes on to admit to drug use "throughout his career" so as to escape from the high pressure as a player of his stature. It wouldn't surprise me if Johns has been on pretty heavy pain mediciation for much of the last ten years but why he would choose to make this kind of admission unprompted kind of escapes me.

Go the Warriors!