Inside Sport August 2015

THIS is a special month in the life of the magazine: this issue we launch the inaugural Inside Sport/CAS Clubbie Awards. We make our announcement on page 50, but I’m beating the drum here because these are BIG. The Clubbies are a series of awards in six categories, with major prizes, to recognise the fabulous contributions made to grassroots sport by enthusiasts around the country. There’s more than a fair chance that if you’re reading this magazine, your interest in sport extends well beyond elite sport to community sport, whether it’s you playing, your kids, or someone you know. I implore you to get across what is on offer here, because these awards boast serious prizes that can be a massive boost to your sports club. For The Clubbies, we’ve…

DISREPUTE AND DISRESPECT As a passionate supporter of rugby league, I was shocked and disillusioned by Paul Gallen’s recent lack of respect for the honour of being captain of New South Wales. His comments prior to State of Origin II (“We have been used to their grubby tactics for years now” etc) belittled the dignity and respect brought to this position by previous great incumbents like Daley, Gidley, Buderus, Sterling, Mortimer and Pearce. These great, passionate leaders recognised the honour and esteem bestowed on them by history and previous incumbents ... I do wonder what they thought of Mr Gallen’s oafish comments ... I am also disappointed by the disrespectful journalistic style of some major print media from both states during the State of Origin series. Why, as rugby league…

LOSER If we thought that Daly Cherry-Evans’ turnabout would be the final straw for the NRL’s archaic system of player movement, the Kieran Foran contract controversy proved to be the aftershock that rumbled louder. The debacle at Parramatta – which had agreed to the demands of Foran’s management for an escape clause, then angered the Kiwi playmaker by trying to change the dubious terms of the deal – had figures such as Phil Gould lamenting the sorry state of rugby league governance. Gould is right. This situation reflects so poorly across the whole of the game, calling into question the NRL’s standing. What modern, professional sport would conduct itself like this? That the player manager felt they had to ask for such a clause is the worst kind of entitlement…

WIN Think you can write a funnier caption for this pic than our humour-challenged Inside Sport staffer? Check out page 83 for your chance to prove your wit and win stuff.…

“The guy that kicked Hazard three times in ten minutes impressed me, because I like that. No friendlies.” – Jose Mourinho, on what stood out to him during Chelsea’s game with Sydney FC. “The way they’re going on the road we’re on, in 20 or 30 years’ time rugby league will be as slow as an NFL game. We will stop the play after every tackle and review what’s happened. That’s what referees will end up doing.” – Rugby league thinker Phil Gould, bunker buster. “When you’re on, no one is going to slow you down. When you’re off, no one is going to pick you up, either ... This is a lonely sport.” – Tiger Woods, after some career-worst scores at Jack Nicklaus’ tournament. “When we thought about Luis…

AUSTRALIA’S LATEST WORLDBEATERS Andrew Bogut became the latest Australian to claim the greatest prize in basketball, an NBA championship, after the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015 Finals series, four games to two. The 30-year-old from Melbourne, the first Australian to be selected no.1 in the NBA Draft when he entered the league in 2005, had been an integral part of the Warriors’ dream season, providing the defensive presence and big-man savvy to a team that had been seeking exactly that when it acquired Bogut via trade three season ago. The drift of the Finals, however, saw Bogut relegated to the bench, as Golden State opted to go with a speed-oriented, “small-ball” line-up, and it was compatriot Matthew Dellavedova who became a sensation with standout performances…