Tag Archives: nrl

Sportzfan Radio #183.2

@SportzfanRadio now available on iTunes!12 December 2010 183.2 – Mark Fiorenti continues his discussion of the A League looking at Sydney Rovers dropping their bid to join and also reviews at Premier League and Champions League. John O’Callaghan and Nicole Chvastek return to discuss a number of sporting topics including the World Cup bid fiasco which highlighted the lack of leadership by those running the bid process for Australia and the secrecy of surrounding money spent on the bid. Daniel says that it was OK for Elle MacPherson to be involved with the bid….he wouldn’t complain about that. Nicole queries the cost benefit analysis of spending so much money for one vote. The Professor eblieves the money paid to consultants was an absolute waste.

John also looks at the ‘rivalry’ round in the ABL and he believes after four weeks that is an absolute nonsense idea. Sean says Brendan Fevola smashing a car windscreen in a baseball promotion gave the ABL some main stream press during the week but for all the wrong reasons. Daniel talks about the stupidity of one match last week being called a tie becaue of the time curfew restrictions at the stadium.

Nicole starts off a discussion with the Panel about Shane Warne – his suntan, his eyebrows and his teeth, the mediocrity that is Australia cricket and whether or not Warne will make a comeback. She also believes that Geelong officials should be deemed to be ‘negligent’ for allowing Bomber Thompson and Garry Ablett to not talk to each other for about eight months. She says whoever oversaw such a debacle should be kicked out of the Club.

Daniel and the Professor discuss the NBL, particularly the new imports with both the Adelaide 36ers and the Sydney Kings. They also talk NBA and the improvement of the New York Knicks this season after recruiting Amare Stoudemire.  Daniel wonders if Carmelo Anthony will sign soon with the Knicks.  He talks about Julius Hodge who says he has finished with Australia and won’t be back to play in the NBL.

Paul Dalligan also wants to talk ABL and he was impressed with his first game watching the Melbourne Aces. He also has NRL mail that Wayne Bennett will coach the Rabbitohs in 2012.

Sportzfan Radio #182.2

@SportzfanRadio now available on iTunes!5 December 2010 182.2 – Daniel and the Professor talk ABL and in particular the ‘rivalry’ round and ask how you can have a rivalry after three weeks of a new league. The Panel talk about whether the ABL will be a success. Stan is not so sure as there have been six or so attempts at starting a league over the years. The Professor believes with the MLB putting money and young talent in, it has its best chance. Some of the up and coming players include Quincey Latimore.

The Panel also discuss emails including the Gabba’s entry restrictions for bags.  Daniel wants to know how Wayne Bennett won the coach of the year award over Mick Malthouse.  Paul Dalligan weighs in with his opinion and believes Wayne Bennett is not only head and shoulders above all other coaches in the NRL, but he also gives his team an ‘x’ factor, so much so that he would love Wayne to coach the Rabbitohs.  Paul believes that Benji Marshall deserved his Golden Boot award and whilst the Professor queries whether the NRL are serious about arranging a World Club challenge in Las Vegas Paul thinks it is a good idea.  Although Paul yet to get to a Melbourne Aces game due to wash outs, he thinks it is a bit early for a rivalry round in ABL. 

Dr Leslie follows Paul’s segment this week and leads into a discussion of the NBA by the Professor and Daniel.  The Professor is amazed that the Knicks are 11-9 and struggles to remember the last time they started a season so well.   Axel is a huge fan of David Robinson…the General….no make that the Admiral.  Daniel believes the Knicks may make the playoffs but it depends on whether they go after Carmelo Anthony.  Daniel finds a way of bringing his team the Clippers into the discussion even though they are on the bottom of their division.

Sean Callanan looks at how social media was used in the World Cup bid and whether Australia used it effectively.  He believes it worked engaging fans but not in getting votes.  Sean reveals he did the ‘shimmy’ at the U2 concert and was rcognised as ‘the shimmy guy’.  The twitter handle ‘the Ashes’, is owned by a US woman who doesn’t know anything about cricket and she is getting cross about people tweeting her about cricket.  Sean will pluck the best three or four tweets he sees over the coming weeks to talk about on Sportzfan Radio.  He is considering bringing out a ‘how to’ shimmy dvd for Christmas.

Sportzfan Radio #181.2

@SportzfanRadio now available on iTunes!28 November 2010 181.2 – Daniel wants the Tigers to get rid of their white alternate strip. Stan adds that the Tigers are hopeless at 1-7.  Mark Fiorenti talks up Australia’s chances for the 2022 World Cup and thinks the bid looks a lot better than it did three or four months ago. He also thinks the USA are favourites.  Daniel believes if Julia Gillard writes a letter of support that will sink the bid. The Professor thinks Bob Hawke should have been asked to write a letter.  Mark also wraps up A League and Premier League matches of interest.  He thinks it is Chelsea’s title to lose.  Dr Leslie’s CSA returns to the show after a few weeks off.  Daniel is not happy that the Professor signed off with “We all hope we get the 2022 World Cup”…this then promotes a discussion as to who actually wants the World Cup.  Stan and Daniel don’t want it.  The Gelding hopes we do get it.  Suitably chastened, the Professor re-announces “The Gelding and I both hope we get it, Daniel and Stan definitely don’t”.   The Panel then discuss emails about the Australian Test selections.  The Gelding thinks the role of wicketkeeper has changed over the years as we now pick a wicketkeeper that is an allrounder.  Stan believes it is no good trying to make a batsman into a wicketkeeper.  Paul Dalligan is back to talk rugby league….didn’t the season finish eight weeks ago?  He talks about Russell Crowe leaking details of Greg Inglis’ contract on a US talk show.  The NRL are now looking more closely at the deal.  The Professor asks why this deal is different to the Mark Gasnier deal.  Daniel thinks it would be good for Crow to team up with Inglis at the Rabbitohs.  Paul then goes on to talk baseball and the ABL.  Unfortunately, the Melbourne Aces first three home games have been rained out.  We give a shout out to a new listener…Lisa Haye’s husband.  The Panel talk about Mark “Choco” Williams appointment as Kevin Sheedy’s assistant at Greater Western Sydney.  This leads into a discussion of whether Sheedy will actually coach the team in 2012.  Stan decides to swing the axe and believes Mick Malthouse and Kevin Sheedy have reached their use by date and should retire as the old guys are keeping the younger coaches out of jobs.  Sean Callanan comes on to talk social media and discusses the Dallas Cowboys forgetting to renew their domain name so they were left without a website and thinks the IT man at the Cowboys may be out of a job.  The Denver Broncos have been fined $100,000 for filming the 49ers at practice.  Sean talks about Vince Young apologising to his coach Jeff Fisher by text and says it is probably not the most effective means of doing that.  A listener queries why Young didn’t call Fisher as he had the phone in his hand sending the text.

Sportzfan Radio #178.2

@SportzfanRadio now available on iTunes!7 November 2010 178.2 – The Panel welcome the return of John O’Callaghan and reveals he is a Green Bay Packer fan. The Panel talk about athletes who keep on getting into the news for all the wrong reasons – Favre, Fevola, Warne, Newman. Nicole thinks it is “younger man approaching middle age trying to hold on to youth”. John discusses the AFL Grand Final and thinks it now should be an extra time game and not a replay. The Panel again take Mark Fiorenti to task again about the FFA bidding for the 2022 World Cup and the money that looks like it is wasted on a probable failed bid. Nicole thinks Ricky Ponting needs to get some emotion back into his captaincy of the Australian cricket side as he is too full of management speak. The Panel aren’t excited about the coming Ashes series. The Panel ask Paul Dalligan what Joel Monaghan’s scene is… Paul is enraged about the response and believes people shouldn’t be blaming social media. Paul breaks that Greg Inglis may be going to the Rabbitohs instead of the Broncos. Sean Callanan comes on to talk social media who thinks it was apt that his lead in was the theme from Minder as some pro athletes need minders. He says social media is ubiquitous.

Sportzfan Radio #174.2

@SportzfanRadio now available on iTunes!10 October 2010 174.2 – Paul tells the story of a Yankees pitcher who made his displeaure known by taking all his gear out on to the field and setting it on fire.  The Professor poses the question – Is this the end of the Commonwealth Games? with attendances non existent, star athletes staying away and TV ratings down.  Paul believes the organisers should be building on it for the coming 2014 games in Glasgow.  The Gelding believes that athletes are more interested in World Championships.  Paul wraps the 2010 NRL season, talks about his experience at the NRL Grand Final and the great second half by eventual premiers St George.  He thinks the Sydney Roosters panicked in the second half.  He also highlights an NRL match being investigated with players allegedly betting on a penalty goal to start the game.  Dr Leslie comes along and cleans up after the NRL segment.  Mark Fiorenti talks soccer and chats about the Heart v Victory local derby and the Socceroos great 1-0 win over Paraguay.

Sportzfan Radio #173.2

@SportzfanRadio now available on iTunes!03 October 2010 173.2 – Mark Fiorenti tells the Panel that he has deserted Melbourne Heart and is jumping back on the Melbourne Victory bandwagon. Via twitter, our US listeners indicated they had not caught up with the change to daylight saving in Australia and missed the start of the show. Daniel talks about the NBL pre-season matches being played in Darwin and the Panel query why the games are hidden so far away from the rest of the population. He also talks about NBL games being over 40 minutes instead of 48 minutes and gives an example to prove his point that less is less when people want more. Stan thinks the NBL is on its last legs. Paul Dalligan is in Sydney to watch the NRL Grand Final and is pleased it is an all Sydney affair. He also gets to see his beloved Rabbitohs play in the Under 20’s. The Professor says that if St George score more than 15 then that might be curtains for the Roosters. The Panel talks to Lisa Szatsznajder from the VIS about VIS athletes who will be competing at the Delhi Commonwealth Games. She thinks the Aussies will go well and should win at least as many medals as they did in Melbourne four years ago. Daniel thinks Richmond’s player list is better than Essendon’s whilst Stan thinks James Hird has the job ahead of him as coach of Essendon. Daniel “tries” to sing the Collingwood theme song and Sean talks about his shimmy versus the Didak shimmy. He also thinks Julie Anthony should be wheeled out each year to sing the National Anthem.

Sportzfan Radio #172.2

@SportzfanRadio now available on iTunes!26 September 2010 172.2 – Mordiboy thinks this is a great chance for the AFL to play a night Grand Final. The Professor suggests the AFL could use Mark Seymour for entertainment at the GF replay. Paul says if they used INXS again, ‘New Sensation’ would be ‘Old Sensation’. The ‘F’ word is worried that the first A-League Melbourne soccer derby between Victory and Hearts is going up against the AFL Grand Final replay. He thinks 20,000 will be there to see the game and tips a draw. Mark has jumped off the Heart bandwagon and is heading back to the Victory. In Premier League Mark was surprised Arsenal lost at home to West Brom, shocked Liverpool lost mid week in the Carling Cup and doesn’t look good for Everton on the bottom of the League. Paul talks NRL with the preliminary finals having been completed with the Sydney Roosters belting the Gold Coast Titans and St George getting over Wests Tigers. He will be at the Grand Final next week via a ticket from a friend from another team. Sean joins in from the Royal Show and discusses the problems created for Collingwood and St Kilda by the Grand Final replay and was thrilled to be at his first ‘live’ Grand Final. He also discusses the Commonwealth Games problems in Delhi. Daniel believes if security can’t be improved they should be called off. Paul worries that Todd Carney may miss the Grand Final due to a high tackle. Stan thinks he will get off though as contact was first in the chest region.

Sportzfan Radio #170.2

@SportzfanRadio now available on iTunes!12 September 2010 170.2 – Paul Dalligan discusses NRL and laments that his Rabbitohs missed the finals when they couldn’t beat St George last week after the Canterbury Bulldogs opened the door for them by beating Manly. He also discusses the NRL finals and tells the Professor of a the recent stoolgazing episode engaged in by two Sydney Roosters players. Daniel reviews the FIBA World Basketball Championships and the Boomer’s fortunes finishing a creditable (?) tenth. He also wonders why noone worked out till recently that one of Greg Oden’s legs was shorter than the other. Sean Callanan thinks Social Media can be a ‘danger zone’ for athletes with both Stephanie Rice and the Matilda’s Lisa De Vanna getting into hot water on twitter and facebook during the past week. Sean never thought Sportzfan Radio would be compared with Saturday Night Live but Lisa Hayes wasn’t going to watch SNL until our show had finished. A listener suggests the syndicate race horse should be named ‘Professorial’. The Panel discuss the state of Etihad Stadium’s surface (again) and the Gelding feels the AFL should bring back Waverley Park.

Sportzfan Radio #169.2

@SportzfanRadio now available on iTunes!5 September 2010 169.2 – The Panel talk NRL with Paul Dalligan.  He says Rabbitohs supporters are never on the knife edge as they aren’t usually even in the kitchen.  He says the Melbourne Storm have really played well and given everything since the salary cap problems.  The Gelding  likes Typhoon Tracey to win the Horse of the Year award.  Sean Callanan discusses the poor crowds at the MCG for both finals matches played so far.  Sean believes a lot of it has to do with the way tickets are released to the public and an inability for the public to choose where they would like to sit.  He says that “single ticket” sales aren’t handled by the AFL very well.  He also discusses the Boomers progress at the FIBA World Championships and wasn’t surprised that they beat Germany.  For the tournament to be a success they need to win the next game at least.  The Professor and the Gelding discuss Matthew Knights shabby treatment by the Essendon Board and the Professor wonders what ever happened to the review that was to be undertaken.

Sportzfan Radio #168.2

@SportzfanRadio now available on iTunes!29 August 2010 168.2 – Daniel and the Professor continue their discussion about the Boomers.  The Panel talks Rugby League and NRL with Paul Dalligan who is venturing out to Clayton to see the VRL Grand Finals.  We give a shout out to some of our twitter contributors and the Panel discuss whether Tiger Woods golf improved after he was divorced.  Sean Callanan talks social media and explains all about the “Digital Dragon”.  Sean tells Daniel he has nothing to do with “MT unofficial” on twitter and that a lot of problems on social media comes down to execution.  The Panel discuss whether inserting cameras in goal pads will assist goal umpires in AFL matches.