The 2011-12 Boston Celtics

No one team had endured a worst offseason in the NBA than the Boston Celtics. Firstly, missing out on the Chris Paul sweepstakes and alienating their young point guard in the process, the relisation that a jam-packed 66 game season is going to play on a team with aging stars and most recently, losing one of their core players for the season to a heart condition. Even the most dedicated Celtics fan would start questioning the luck of the Irish.

When the media caught wind of the Celtics GM Danny Ainge offering trades, it was crazy to think that they would be actively shopping around one of the most talented and true point guards in the league. Ainge offered Rondo in numerous trades, most notably to Oklahoma City and New Orleans. Rondo’s trade value started dwindling with every rumoured deal and undoubtedly would have effected the 25 year old’s confidence.

It seems as though that Rondo is Ainge's only bargaining tool in rebuilding this team short-term. But did Ainge seem to forget that Rondo was the Celts hero last year in Game 3 of their series loss to Miami? He disclocated his elbow and came back on the court, where others like his playoff counterpart, Miami star Dwyane Wade would have called for a wheelchair and hysterically cried his way to the locker room, never to be seen again.  He came back on and steered his team to an improbable win for the down-and-out Celtics. It was like he was Verbal Kint walking around with that droopy arm, getting one handed steals and throwing down dunks, albeit softly and surprising the unsuspecting Heat, by turning into a Keyser Soze-type assassin. The Celtics, if not for Rondo’s heroics would most likely would have been swept in the series, on their own court, which could have started a cataclysmic chain of events, with Ainge's desk being the first to be cleaned out.  No Rondo trade was made and the Celtics go into the season with their big four intact: Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett with Jermaine O’Neal rounding out the starting lineup.

Ainge was able to eventually strike a deal, quite a good deal in fact, trading Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis and reserve guard Von Wafer to the Orlando Magic for the hardworking power forward Brandon Bass. Although undersized for a power forward (six foot eight) Bass can get some good position on the boards and has great touch in and around the basket. He has reasonable range on his jumper and is the type of player that will complement Garnett’s game, which is moving further away from the basket. He will be Doc Rivers’ best option off the bench.

They have added Keyon Dooling to backup Rondo and some defensive minded players in Marquis Daniels and Chris Wilcox. Wilcox is a bigger version of Bass and will bang around the basket. In limited time (17.5 mpg) with the Pistons, Wilcox put up modest averages of 7.4 points and  4.8 rebounds.

Just before the pre-season tipped off this week, the Celtics received the bad news that they will be without key reserve Jeff Green for the remainder of this season. Green, 25 was diagnosed with a aortic aneurysm, which will require surgery. It is an unfortunate reminder of the death of their former captain Reggie Lewis, who collapsed during practice in the off-season in 1993. Green is taking the necessary precautions and will hopefully be available in the 2012-13 season.

Pierce and Rondo will have to lead this team going forward. Both will need to continue to attack the rim as well as generating good shots to incorporate their aging bigs Garnett and O’Neal who are starting to slow and find it hard to generate their own shots other than a fadeaway jumper. 

This season could go either one of two ways for Rondo. Either he comes out and forgets what has been said about him and shows that he is the real deal, discovers his inner Tony Parker offensively and leads the team on a deep playoff run OR he keeps hearing Obama’s words play over in his head, starts getting resentful to Ainge, the President, Shaq and the world and is traded to the Mavericks for Brian Cardinal, Cherokee Parks, Popeye Jones and considerations.

Unfortunately age shall weary them this season.  The tight schedule and the East starting to get more competitive with New York, Indiana and Philadelphia getting bigger, more athletic and deeper should end their reign in the top eschalon in the conference. This is definitely the start of a rebuilding process with Garnett, Allen and Pierce within arms reach of passing their primes. They are nicely positioned to be active in next season’s free agent market and can be in a nice position to keep the Celtic Pride alive. One thing’s for sure, Greg Stiemsma could be bigger than Brian Scalabrine!

P.S. Does Brian Scalabrine moonlight as an actor called Michael Rapaport? 

The 2011-12 Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks have been one of the improving teams over the past few seasons. They got past the first round of the playoffs, dismantling Dwight Howard and their more fancied opponents, the Orlando Magic convincingly. They provided resistance against the number one seeded Chicago Bulls but eventually went down in six games.

Second year guard Jeff Teague was a revelation in the playoffs, especially against the Bulls where he put up 15.8 ppg on 55% shooting and four assist per contest against the highly fancied Bulls. He will be their wild card this season and will look to provide that sort of contribution consistently. His defense is questionable. He struggled with League MVP Derrick Rose who put up MJ averages against the Hawks getting a tad under 30 points a game.

Their lack of depth at the five could be crucial in getting back to the playoffs in a shortened season. However, I think their starting centre Al Horford will have a career year. The Dominican centre has great hands and is arguably the best passing center in the game today. The Hawks’ success will revolve around how well Horford plays and if he can take the next step offensively. If he can become a bigger presence down low, then the Hawks jump shooters, namely Johnson, Kirk Hinrich (the guy with the Lloyd Christmas haircut and the out of fashion Oakley's) and Marvin Williams will reap the benefits and make the squad more balanced that it was in previous seasons.

It's safe to say that Marvin Williams, to date, has been a major bust. The North Carolina star has not turned out to be the player the Hawks envisioned when taking him second overall in the 2005 draft. Hopefully his woeful playoff performance (4.5 ppg in 18 mpg) should trigger a revival of some sorts and provide some decent a presence at the small forward position. If not, then the old 'Amnesty' chestnut could be just around the corner.

With that in mind and the debilitating Joe Johnson contact (six-year, $119 million - yuck!), the Hawks have gone out and brought in some veterans, more importantly, cheap veterans for the upcoming season. Jerry Stackhouse, Tracy McGrady and Vladimir Radmanovic provide the squad with years of experience and with Kirk Hinrich will provide some decent depth, which could be a winner in a shortened season.

The acquision of Radmanovic, the Hawks could push Smith back to the three and have ‘Vlad Rad’ out on the wings. His high-arching jumper is nearly unblockable and that extra three-point shooting from a big man is something the Hawks could really use, especially with the loss of their sixth man, Jamal Crawford to Portland. He could provide an ‘x-factor’ to which Ryan Anderson does so well for the Orlando Magic.

The Hawks will definitely press for the playoffs, but it will be tough for them to get past the first round, if they make it at all. I can see the East coming down to a handful of teams jockeying for the last couple of playoff spots. They are probably a two-way small forward a la Gerald Wallace or a Wilson Chandler away from being a serious contending team. They will have trouble against the top teams of the Eastern Conference and I predict a first round exit, but not without a decent fight.

Leverage, Portfolio, Fiduciary

In what could well be the ad of the year, Scotch maker Johnnie Walker has brought out a tongue-in-cheek look at their own customers.

Its a hilarious insight into 'The Important Man's' life, with the main man giving Ron Burgundy and Don Draper a real run for their money in the art of cool.

Stanley Cup Playoffs: The Coolest Sporting Event in the World

Ice Hockey – a sport that is unfamiliar to most Australians. The climate and the total lack of frozen lakes in this part of the world, is a clear barrier to the sport thriving. Despite this, ice hockey has been played here for over 100 years and recently has become popular enough to establish a semi Ice Hockey League (AIHL) in 2000.

For a country that embraces the physicality of three football codes Rugby Union, Rugby League and Australian Rules, ‘Hockey’ as its affectionately known is as easy to pick up as Paris Hilton. If you give it a chance, you will be suitably impressed with the talents and abilities of one of the fastest and most physical sports on the planet and is now another sport to follow in the crazy sports month of April.

Witnessing players the size of prop forwards and full-forwards rhythmically skate up and down the ice, absorb hit after hit and have the ability to stop and turn on a sixpence will make any footy tragic appreciate the sport.

If you think that a football goalkeeper’s job is hard, spare a thought for the poor goaltender in ‘Hockey.’ You could imagine with all that protective gear that it would be like trying to catch or deflect a puck with a pillow on one hand and a broom on the other and keep your balance on a slippery surface whilst looking through a cheese grater. Some players, for example, Boston Bruins defender Zdeno Chara (right) can slap shot a puck or in this case a rubber missile to the goal at just over 160 km/h. In a recent match, one of his shots actually broke a bone in New York Rangers star forward Ryan Callahan’s leg.

If you feel that traditions are the most important part of sports than this Ice Hockey is a must. Players will have numerous battles with the opposition whether it be facing off for possession, getting position on the boards and ice and if lucky enough to aggravate certain members of the opposition, then they will be challenged into a fight - probably the only team sport in which it is condoned. Even the goaltenders will go at it although they play nearly 100% of the match some 40 metres away from each other.

The games will not stop until a team is victorious. Sudden death overtime will be played to all hours until an eventual winner is determined. After a team wins the four required games in each series, and when it is all said and done, then the players will line up and shake the hands of the opposition as a sign of respect. However loyal hockey fans are some of the most respectful and passionate in the world, when one of their 'boys' scores a hat-trick, the fans will literally throw all their hats onto the ice as a mark of respect for the feat and will even stay in the arena for the trophy presentation if the away team wins the Stanley Cup in their house.

You will also notice that the highly superstitious players will grow what is called a ‘playoff beard’ until they get their name on the Stanley Cup. The Stanley Cup was donated in 1892 by the then Governor General of Canada, Lord Stanley of Preston to be given to Canada’s highest ranking amateur team. Today, it’s the holy grail of the sport and over the next month, sixteen teams will be embroiled in the quest to win 16 grueling matches for the right to hold up the Stanley Cup.

Canada’s hopes will rest on two teams: The Montreal Canadiens, the last Canadian team to hold up the Stanley Cup some 18 seasons ago when they beat beloved Canadian Wayne Gretzky’s Los Angeles Kings in the 1992/93 season and this year’s Stanley Cup favourites, the Vancouver Canucks who led the entire NHL winning 54 of a possible 82 games.

Fox Sports in Australia has exclusive coverage of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs starting this Thursday with Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarter-Finals between the Western Conference first seed, the Vancouver Canucks and last years Stanley Cup champions, the eighth placed Chicago Blackhawks who scraped in on the final day of the regular season to claim the eighth and final position in the Western Conference.

A-League: A-Plan for longevity

Having watched the A-League over the past few seasons and speaking with friends and work colleagues, I couldn’t help but think that Australian Football has been losing its charm amongst Australian sports fans. The A-League was initially fuelled with Australia’s first World Cup qualification, with solid crowds supporting the inaugural season challenging NRL and Super Rugby attendance figures.

Unfortunately, the interest seems to have waned over the years and most teams are basically playing in front of friends and family. Two teams have folded since the inception of the league, not including an unsuccessful Sydney Rovers bid, and many are in dire financial circumstances, including the newly crowned champions, the Brisbane Roar. But after watching one of the greatest Australian football grand finals of all-time this past Sunday, I realised that there is definitely a place for this league in Australian sports. 

The scenes at Suncorp Stadium this past Monday were amazing - one of the best spectacles I have witnessed in the past 12 months. Ben Buckley said that there was considerable interest in the Roar franchise when being interviewed after the game. That's all well and good after winning a grand final but he FFA needs have a look at how the competition is structured. I think they are not harnessing the potential of what the league can reach.

To me, playing the game of Risk is similar to the Australian sports market - If you spread your men throughout the board, trying to branch out as far as possible then you are vulnerable to attacks from all players. When starting out, solidify the areas in which you control and strengthen your position by growing slowly.

Know where you stand in the market - The current season starts in August – not the best time when all eyes are on the NRL and AFL final series. With nine out of ten teams with AFL and NRL teams, (seven of these teams have two or more NRL/AFL teams) it would be smart to capture the audience of the fans in both codes in the off-season.

Season Length - Should be shortened from 30 weeks to 26 weeks. This would allow for an 18 week home and away season and continue the three week finals series.

Proposed season Breakdown:

-26 weeks between end and start of NRL – AFL seasons - play inside those dates

-18 week season

-3 week finals

-4 week FA cup style season (see below)

Shortening the season would let the A League link in with the Asian Champions league. The teams that play in the grand final could continue on their good form overseas giving Australian football a better reputation, keeping the bandwagon going after grand finals like Sunday night. 

Derbys/Utilising Public Holidays - The season should start with two big derbys utilising the Monday Afternoon (NSW Labour Day public holiday) after the NRL Grand Final with a NSW derby. (CCM, NEW or SYD). Victorian teams could utilise Melbourne Cup week and the tourism it brings - have Melbourne Victory play either Sydney, Adelaide or Brisbane or even the Heart which could give extra meaning to 'Derby Day'. Other regional derbies and other Grand final rivalries can be played at Christmas and on Australia Day.

Player retention - Its always going to be hard to retain standout players in the competition when there is Asian competitions with significantly bigger cheque books at their disposal. Teams should look to continue to lure big name players to play out the twilight of their careers in Australia.

Incorporate a knockout style cup - 22 team competition with a field of the 10 A-League teams as well as 12 state league teams.  First week have the two top teams from each state, NSW, QLD, VIC, SA and WA as well as NZ to playoff for six spots in the round of 16. Second week, The bottom two A-League teams square off, with the state league teams playing the other A-League sides in the round of 16. The top two A-League teams have the second round off - yada, yada, yada.

Having this competition will allow the FFA to grasp which areas they need to expand through the development of the state league teams. It will help develop solid supporter bases in regional areas that will be more than happy to have accommodate A-League teams playing in their region. It will also allow A-League teams to field junior players who will benefit from the extra experience in the competition and allow the teams to rest their A-league regulars.

The cup final could coincide with an A-League XI v All-Stars match (Rising Stars and International players) double header in one of the A-League cities. The All-star team could allow FFA to bring out the likes of Zinedine Zidane and promote the game and league within cities around Australia.

Free-to-air exposure -  This is a contentious one with Fox Sports owning the rights to all A-League games, but at the very least, there should be a highlights show which would be a great advertisement for the game especially with customers who do not have pay television.

Getting the juniors into the games  - Junior football players should be given season passes to attend their local A-League matches. With A-League crowds gennerally at low level capacity, bringing in the young players is a great bonus for kids to keep playing the game at the grassroots and should increase crowd figures. The A-League cops way too much bad press with regards to the crowd and getting better attendances may mae people start heading to games for atmosphere. Its just too easy to turn on Fox Sports and watch a game when you see poor crowd figures consistently. 

With that in mind, its your call Mr. Buckley. With the AFL, NRL and Super Rugby just about to start playing their turns, how are you going to play your pieces?

Who is the NBA's best all-round scorer?

Throughout the All-Star break, the title of the NBA's best all-round scorer was banded around the coverage by many of the analysts. Most agreed that Nuggets... well now Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony deserved the tag. Not since Michael Jordan has there been a clear choice for this title. From the 1986-87 season, Jordan won 10 scoring titles in 12 seasons (the two he missed out were during his first  retirement, where instead of working on his fadeaway jumper, he was out practising his strikeouts and pop-flys) and was not only the yardstick for shooting guards but for all players around the league, rarely averaging below 30 points a game. His percentages were outstanding - shooting over 50% from the field and 84% from the foul line. He tortured all the unfortunate bastards - big shout-outs to Craig Ehlo, Cliff Robinson, Bryon Russell, Shandon Anderson - that had the futile assignment of guarding him - especially when it counted the most, in the playoffs.

Looking ahead to the second-half of the NBA season, I have outlined what I believe is the NBA's top seven all-round scorers and their stats at this point of the 2010-2011 NBA season:

7. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

Source: Google Images

53 games, 2012 minutes, 1318 points

31.4 minutes per game

24.9 points per game (8th in the NBA)
31.4 points per 48 minutes (9th in the NBA)
481 field goals @ 45%
81 3-Pointers @ 35.5%
275 free throws @ 83.8%

A career year for Rose. Has become a legitimate scorer with a significant increase in his three point and free throw percentages. Dropped a career high 42 points against the league leading San Antonio Spurs last week. He has shown considerable leadership this season with injuries to both big men, Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer and shouldered much of the offensive workload. He was a little taken back with all the offensive talent in the All-Star game, but he really came up big in the second half. The Bulls are primed for a good shot at the playoffs this year which will only help establish Rose's leadership qualities. I think his position on this list could change in the next few seasons.

6. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

Source: Google Images

52 games
37.1 minutes per game
25.4 points per game (4th in the NBA)
32.9 points per 48 minutes (6th in the NBA)
466 field goals @ 49.7%
44 3-Pointers @ 31.4%
344 free throws @ 73.7%
67 dunks

The fact that he enticed LBJ down to South Beach effects both their value in this argument, he is one of the best guards at getting and finishing at the basket. In 2008-09, D-Wade led the NBA in scoring with an average of just over 30 per game. It was the only season in his career where he shot the three ball over 30%.

In last year's playoffs, he showed that he has the ability to put up crazy numbers, averaging 33.2 points per game on 56% shooting in a five-game series against the Boston Celtics including a franchise-record 46 point effort in Game 4 to keep the series alive.

If D-Wade can produce consistency and improve from the outside and the charity stripe, then he has the potential to test the top three on this list.


5. Amare Stoudemire, New York Knicks

Source: Google Images

53 games, 1949 minutes, 1,343 points
36.8 minutes per game
26.1 points per game (=2nd in the NBA)
34.1 points per 48 minutes (=4th in the NBA)
521 field goals @ 50.7%
9 3-Pointers @ 50%
333 free throws @ 78.9%
91 dunks

After leaving the Phoenix Suns this season, 'Stat' is thriving under his old coach, Mike D'Antoni's high-octane offense. Amare has a league-high 18, 30-point performances. His ranking as an all-round scorer is affected by his inability to shot the three pointer regularly. Although he has only made nine treys this season, he has shot them at 50%. But his inside presence and ability to knock down the mid-range jumper with regularity means that Amare is rarely required to venture out 23 feet from the basket.  It will be interesting to see how his numbers/percentages will be affected by the acquisition of Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups.


4. Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets/New York Knicks

50 games,
35.5 minutes per game
25.2 points per game (6th in the NBA)
34.1 points per 48 minutes (=4th in the NBA)
437 field goals @ 45.2%
42 3-Pointers @ 33.3%
343 free throws @ 82.3%
41 dunks

Anthony is now off to the Knicks and looking to provide a one-two scoring punch with Amare Stoudemire to challenge James and Wade in Miami. Melo had expressed this off-season that he would liked to be traded from the Nuggets, so it is no surprise that his numbers would be down. Now after five months of uncertainty, he now gets a chance with a fresh start in the Big Apple.

The 26-year-old is on target for his eighth straight 20 points per game season since being drafted into the NBA.  His quickness and explosiveness around the rim is rare for someone of his size (6'8, 200lbs). Melo can light it up. He shares the single-game NBA record (with Spurs great George Gervin) for the most points in a quarter with 33.

3. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

57 games, 1432 points
33.9 minutes per game
25.1 points per game (7th in the NBA)
35.6 points per 48 minutes (1st in the NBA)
511 field goals @ 46%
74 3-Pointers @ 31.5
336 free throws @ 82.6%

Interesting to note that Kobe is playing just under 34 minutes a game, his lowest in 13 seasons, but has still managed to put up 25 points per game and holds the best points per 48 minute average with 35.6 points. To put it in perspective, that is only 0.2 points higher than his monster 2005-06 season where he averaged 35.4 points per game, including the 81 point effort against the Toronto Raptors. Bryant led the NBA in scoring during that 2005–06 and the following 2006–07 season.

If this were five years ago, there would be no argument. He still demands his spot in this argument even if the Black Mamba is on a slow decline. If Kobe continues on at the same or better scoring pace this season, it will be his seventh consecutive season with an average of 25 points or higher.

Source: www.nydailynews.com

2. LeBron James, Miami Heat


54 games, 1408 points
38.3 minutes per game
26.1 points per game (=2nd in the NBA)
32.6 points per 48 minutes (7th in the NBA)
489 field goals @ 48.5%
68 3-Pointers @ 34.5%
362 free throws @ 76%
55 dunks

After an amazing seven-year career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James decided to head down south to the Miami Heat to join his pals Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in his quest for his maiden NBA Championship. By doing this, the theoretically becomes second fiddle to D-Wade and subsequently reduces his numbers.

His minutes, field goal and free throw attempts are down, but last years league MVP has still managed to be equal second in scoring average. The King has shown in recent performances that he can dominate on offense but his 26.1 points per game is his lowest points average since his rookie season (20.9) in 2003-04. It will be interesting to see if the 2008 NBA Scoring Champion can win another in Florida.


1. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

Source: Google Images

50 games, 1978 minutes
39.6 minutes per game

28.9 points per game (1st in the NBA)

35.0 points per 48 minutes (3rd in the NBA)

478 field goals @ 47%

91 3-Pointers @ 33.8%

397 free throws @ 88% (11th in the NBA)

88 dunks

At only 22 years old, Kevin Durant is yet to achieve his full potential. He became the youngest player in NBA history to lead the league in scoring and is currently on pace to make it back-to-back scoring titles. After spending the summer with Team USA at the World Championships, where he broke Team USA scoring records including most points in a tournament (205) and most points in a single game (38) on his way to winning the 2010 World Championships MVP award.

This season he is on pace to record back-to-back scoring titles and has scored 30 points or more 16 times and has scored 40 or more points five times. The Durantula's height and reach makes him active on the offensive boards and a threat even without the ball. With a grounded point guard in Russell Westbrook, who isn't to shabby himself when it comes to scoring, his numbers are only going to increase.

Dial into Radio Cairo

Location

83 Spofforth Street, Cremorne, Sydney, Australia

Phone 

+61299082649

Features

BYOB - $3.30 pp

Operation Hours

Sun-Sat 1800-2200

Situated just off Military Road at Cremorne, Radio Cairo is one of Sydney’s underrated restaurants. When you hear the name 'Radio Cairo', you think that you are in for an Egyptian/North African experience. However  the restaurant’s diverse menu resembles more like a culinary ‘Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego’ with dishes from areas stretching from Northern Africa, Asia, Carribbean and the Southern United States

When you arrive, you think you might have the wrong location. With abandoned shops and take-away pizza and Indian restaurants bookending it into alleyway, you start contemplating the rather attractive Thai restaurant, Papaya across the road as a better option.  If you push those feelings aside, your persistence will pay off. You are greeted by the friendly staff seconds after you slide the glass door open.

The restaurant layout is quite unique and it resembles the places it represents on the menu. It definitely takes you away from Sydney’s lower North Shore. Situated in the middle of the restaurant, the bar and kitchen put out distinct aromas making your mouth water and getting you in the mood for your pending meal.

Radio Cairo suits all types of dining. With the infamous Cremorne Orpheum across the road, it allows you to come in and grab a meal before you catch a flick and snack on a fitting starter like the popcorn shrimp. The restaurant links in well with the neighbouring cinema with discreetly situated televisions added to the decor, showing classic movies like 'The Party' and 'Tarzan'. You can sit at the bar for a quick meal or sit at high-tops situated under matured cacti for that ‘lazy meal’ feeling. The restaurant could be the perfect scene of a Wes Anderson movie. 

If you want a massive feast, where you can plant yourself down and hoover as much food as possible, then this probably the place for you. The starters are amazing, small in portions but large in taste. The South African lamb sosaties, Limpopo crocodile wings and the handmade Boerwors sausages come with sauces and marianades and are highly recommended.

A must from the mains are the Jamaican BBQ pork ribs and the Tunisian slow roasted lamb shanks (pictured, right). The Cajun ‘Blackened’ snapper fillets soaked in a Louisiana hot sauce is a definite podium finisher. Without the bones, they are unofficially the ‘Buffalo Wings of the Sea’ and are way too easily consumed. Make sure these three are staples of your platter, the recommended way to dine, giving you a taste of what this place can offer with the diverse menu.

The main menu also features an Hikkaduwa baby octopus curry, which seemed like an interesting choice, probably better left for the strong stomachs out there.

If you can’t handle spice, then Radio Cairo may just give you a personal case of Egyptian civil unrest. Lucky for you, the bar is well stocked with a plethora of exotic beers, wines and spirits to combat the spice and the deep burn.

The desserts are amazing featuring a tasty Blueberry Brulee, Chocolate Cake and a ‘little Portugese tart’. If you think that you might need to kick-start the digestion process, the peppermint ice cream is probably a smart choice.

The negatives are pretty hard to find. The parking can be frustrating but more often than not, you can jag a pole-position park during the week. A lengthy walk might just be what you need after a decent three-course feast.

Do yourself a flavour and head to Radio Cairo. This little jewel of the Nile will no doubt provide for an amazing night.

NRL - Champion signs with Storm, Inglis deal approved by NRL

Christmas Eve. South Sydney lose one of their upcoming centre-three quarters in Beau Champion. Christmas Day, South Sydney get a 120kg turkey named Greg Inglis.


Souths junior Beau Champion has signed a three-year deal with the Melbourne Storm allowing his now former club, South Sydney, to officially sign Australian International Greg Inglis. The NRL has given their approval for the Inglis deal to go through and put an end to the saga which has been ongoing for the last seven weeks.



Vote: Who will score more tries in the NRL in 2011? Make your selection!

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The original plan was getting Champion to speak with distant cousin Inglis to contempate a move north to the Rabbitohs. Inglis decided against a stint in Redfern and instead agreed to a deal with the Brisbane Broncos replacing ex-teammate Israel Folau. The Melbourne Storm then refused to sign off on release papers to allow Inglis to join the Broncos, unless Inglis paid back the $113,000 he allegedly owed in legal costs to the Storm. The Broncos, fed up with both Inglis and the Melbourne Storm, decided to pull the pin on the whole deal in early November. This led to Inglis becoming a free agent, leaving him open to new deals from other teams. 


As reported in numerous media outlets, Rabbitohs owner Russell Crowe and Ex-rugby League player and current boxing chump Anthony Mundine (yes, I meant chump - who loses to a reality contest winner ?) jumped at the opportunity for a second chance at Inglis and put the wheels in motion to pull off a massive coup and sign Inglis for the Rabbitohs in 2011.


After numerous discussions shortly after being released by Brisbane, the Rabbitohs signed Inglis to a three-year deal. It was reported the Russell Crowe used the help of mining magnate Andrew Forrest to sign Inglis and that in the deal, Forrest offered $100,000 for Inglis to promote employment of Indigenous Australians. 


Crowe has been the biggest advocate for Rugby League overseas, especially in North America and was  seen on Jay Leno gloating about the signing, calling Inglis 'the Lebron James of Australian Rugby League' and talking about specifics of the contract. Despite Rusty's good intentions, his appearance on American television signalled warning bells back in Australia. 





After investigating the deal, The NRL said the third-party agreements in the Rabbitohs deal with Inglis did not comply with the salary cap rules as they were not independent of the club. 


Souths had thrown too much into luring Inglis to Redfern and basically needed to do whatever it took to get him.  Names of current South Sydney players who had been told by Souths management to find deals at other clubs, started appearing in the media. This would give Souths the space in the salary cap required to sign Inglis and have him available for 2011.


One of the names that surfaced was Beau Champion. Back when Souths initially tried to sign Inglis, they saw that Champion and Inglis would potentially be one of the most potent centre pairings in the NRL.  Unfortunately for Champion, an injury late last year gave youngster Dylan Farrell an opportunity to impress and impress he did, scoring 5 tries in their last five games including a hat-trick on debut, the third of these a strong solo effort to win the game in extra-time.



This late form by the 19 year old rookie made Champion expendable if a deal Inglis was to be made. Ironically, the Souths junior has become Inglis' successor in Melbourne. Champion who saw himself as potentially playing for Souths for the entirety of his career, is now getting a fresh start with a team looking to re-build after the salary cap debacle of 2010.

Looking at the whole saga, it is clear that Souths fell in love with Inglis just like the Storm, Queensland and Australian Fans have over the past six years. Inglis, in off-seasons past has been notoriously big, but that doesn't mean he has been trying on a rap career, probably more like a 'wrap' career. Inglis has not been keeping in optimum shape after an operation on his shoulder and not being able to train with any teams. He is reportedly 120 kgs, 12 kgs over his optimum playing weight. At the end of 2010, Inglis finished in last place when put against the fastest runners from across Rugby League, Rugby Union, Football and Australian Rules.

Check out Inglis in the 2010 Footy's Fastest Man 100m sprint competition (in Red)



Weight aside he has been arguably the most feared attacking player in the NRL in recent times and has a try-scoring strike rate to boot. He has scored 78 tries in 118 games since debuting for the Storm in 2005. He has a decent record against Souths, scoring five tries against them in 7 games. It's no wonder that Souths wanted to sign this prolific scorer. Lets hope G.I. can shed the 'pre-Christmas' wrapping and help the Rabbitohs get to the finals. The Rabbitohs have only made the finals once since 1989 (2007). I can't help but think that Rugby League does need South Sydney to succeed. In such an important year for the sport with the introduction of an independent commission, the ideas that Russell Crowe has for not only his team but for Rugby League in general can only help the game progress both here and overseas.