WHAB's Weekly Wrap

First things first. Since news broke that Sonny Bill Williams has wiped his ass with the contract he signed with the Bulldogs, we at WHAB realised that we have long overlooked something. SBW plays a handful of games every year. In those games he sometimes puts on a big hit or two. Sometimes he scores a try out wide. Never does he hit the ball up as much as a second rower should. Never has he rattled off 50 plus tackles in a match. His Test performances for NZ have been largely mediocre. The guy comes up well short on his reputation as one of the game's great players, a reputation which has been built around numerous trips to see Phil Gould and the Footy Show and numerous other interviews and press conferences. For someone who claims to be shy and reserved he's turned into quite the media whore. And as such, for all the above reasons, I induct thee, Sonny Bill Williams, into WHAB's Hall of the Over-rated (a hall within the Hall of Shrutebaginess), where he joins 2008 player of the year leader Johnathon Thurston.

What a Test match on Saturday night. Not just because the Wallabies were victorious but for the standard of play. Two teams with a positive approach = great rugby! Some outstanding attacking play in the backs and some gutsy play from the Wallabies pack, particularly the front row. Deans is a Supercoach! We don't like to bandy that word around here too often but New Zealand now fully realise the extent of their stupidity in re-signing Graham Henry. Let's hope for more of the same this weekend.

I have never seen a side with twice as much talent as their opponents play as negatively as Parramatta did against the Cowboys. On that performance they are not even a chance to make the top eight.

Despite Melbourne and Manly losing on the weekend, there shouldn't be alarm bells ringing in either camp. The Storm found their attack blunted by the conditions in Auckland while the Sea-Eagles were down on muscle and had an off day against the Roosters.

Geelong knocked off third placed Hawthorn...without their best player.

Rafael Nadal continued his quest for the number one ranking by winning the Toronto Masters. Federer was a first round casualty. Rafa is now only 300 points behind Federer and if results go his way, he has a chance to take top spot in Cincinnati this week. In past U.S. hardcourt seasons, Nadal has looked tired and off the pace but he looks in good shape, both physically and mentally at the moment, and continues to firm in U.S. Open betting.

Last but not least, the Cadel Evans tilt at Le Tour is over with another second place finish. Sastre and his big budget CSC team proved to much for Evans and his team of sprinters and climbing riff-raff. Maybe next year...