Should Steve Smith Step Down as Captain of The Australian Cricket Team? (Up: 12 month playing ban/24 months no leadership roles)

sss333 on 25/03/2018 - 18:32
Last edited 28/03/2018 - 21:05

After the ball tampering incident in the 3rd Test of the South Africa v Australia series should Smith give up the captaincy of the Australian cricket team?

Update 1 (thanks to jackofspade):
BREAKING NEWS Cricket Australia announce Steve Smith has stood down as captain for the remainder of Cape Town Test. Warner stood down as vice captain too

Update 2:

Steve Smith and David Warner have been banned by Cricket Australia for a year for their involvement in the Cape Town ball tampering scandal, where it has been confirmed sandpaper was used in an attempt to rough up the ball.

…

Smith and Bancroft will be eligible to hold a leadership role in the Australian cricket team again, but not for 12 months after they have served their bans.

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/player-sanctions-steve-smith…

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Comments

  • pyramid on 25/03/2018 - 19:59
    +3

    Brain fade is taking over Smith..

  • 2jzzzz on 25/03/2018 - 20:26
    +3

    What about all the other previous ball tampered that got caught? Their punishments weren't as harsh as what you're suggesting.

    • havebeerbelywillsumo on 25/03/2018 - 20:42
      +2

      May be why there are multiple incidents.

    • titan0r on 25/03/2018 - 22:05
      +4

      Most of those incidents were isolated and done by individuals who had a brainfade or were stupid. This is much much bigger because it was planned by the captain and the team during the break.
      Lehmann needs to go as well because it looks like he was the one who told Handscomb on walkie to ask Bancroft to hide the tape. Shameful!

    • smuggler on 25/03/2018 - 22:33
      +23

      Who gives a shit about other countries? We deal with cheaters much more harshly. THis is Australia, not some 3rd world shithole.

      Send the dogs back to the pavilion on a one way ticket.

      • jackspratt on 26/03/2018 - 13:05
        +2

        Agreed. Just look at politicians' expenses claims if you need confirmation……….. oh wait!

  • Diji1 on 25/03/2018 - 20:43
    +1

    No man should have their balls tampered with.

    • smuggler on 25/03/2018 - 22:35

      My mum would disagree. She believes condoms are a waste of money when a dude can get a vasectomy.

      • jackspratt on 26/03/2018 - 13:06
        +3

        She obviously forgot to tell dad.

  • [Deactivated] on 25/03/2018 - 20:44
    +16

    Time to stop encouraging kids to idolise these "sporting heroes".

    • kiteo on 27/03/2018 - 12:41

      Few people in life are heroes worthy of emulating. I'm always more surprised when I hear that people in positions of power and influence get busted than for what they were caught doing.

  • Sweaty-penguin on 25/03/2018 - 21:04
    +17

    This should be his last test honestly.

    It's a weird feeling but I haven't felt this way with Australian sport ever. I kind of feel sick but its destroyed so much more than he realises.

    • snapper on 27/03/2018 - 21:18

      That is the feeling among most of us but is that punishment fitting? Have a look at the precedent - the punishment other convicted ball tamperers have received. In most cases not even a match ban, just a % of match fee. If you think about it, every side legally "tampers" with the ball (by shining it) but trying to rough it up is against the rules. If you watch any matches you'll see most teams throwing the ball in from the field to the wicket keeper on the bounce, in an attempt to rough up the ball (also not "in the spirit of the game"). I defer to Michael Atherton (former England captain, also guilty of ball tampering in 1994):

      "It has gone on since the year dot … the level of moral indignation is always slightly out of kilter with the offence. If the condition of the ball is changed, you get a five-run penalty and change the ball. That hardly sends the message that this is a heinous crime. The (International Cricket Council) code of conduct has four levels and this is level two. If the game thinks ball-tampering is a very serious offence, give it a level four."

  • [Deactivated] on 25/03/2018 - 22:06
    -6

    What does a little dweeby kid living under the roof of an ultra-conservative dad, pathologically passive mother, social justice bimbo sister, psychiatrically insane closeted homosexual illegal immigrant and a transpecies underachieving gold fish have to do with crickets?

  • Godric on 25/03/2018 - 22:10

    Wasn't all he did was clean a ball?

    • snapper on 27/03/2018 - 21:21
      +1

      In the laws of cricket you are allowed to "shine" the ball by rubbing on trousers, etc [but not with mints!]. What they tried to do was rough up the ball in the hope it might "reverse swing" (ie move in the air, making it hard to face as a batsmen). You aren't allowed to rough up a cricket ball (according to the rules).

  • vroomkroom on 25/03/2018 - 22:15
    +3

    Smith & other players who knew of the plan should be banned for at least one year by CA. Only something like this will stop players from overstepping the line in the future.

  • ProBoDoBo on 25/03/2018 - 23:07
    +1

    With so many allegations of match fixing and everything going around. I think what the "leadership team" did is not helping the game at all. If Smith, Warner and few others go away then the Australian team has no chance at next year's world cup which is sad but some strict steps need to be taken to set an example. While Australia is really strict about it, there are places where people would've got away with it with just a small fine. Eg Greats like Tendulkar and Afridi got away with it.

    Also, just a video of an obvious match fixing which had no consequences on any individual.
    https://youtu.be/SpvtpQrTwXk

  • horsome on 25/03/2018 - 23:23
    +3

    Amazing to see the pressure get to the most elite sportsman. Sign of the times on how this sport has been administered over the past ten years, without any class whatsoever.

  • pegaxs on 26/03/2018 - 00:12
    +4

    I don’t like cricket (and hear me out before you throw neg votes down my throat…) but I have to say, this caught my ear on the radio today and I have to say, I am really disappointed. While I don’t really care about the sport of cricket, what I do like is that Aussie sporting spirit of giving it our best and playing fair.

    When I heard this today, I initially though, those scumbag South African players… I never even contemplated that it could be the Aussie team cheating. It’s just not what we do or what we stand for. As I said, I’m not much into cricket, but I was a little gutted by all of this. Very disappointing display from a national, world class sporting team, let alone an Aussie team.

    I am glad though that these people have stood down. They don’t embody what any Aussie would consider fair play and no sport needs cheats of any kind.

    • Baysew on 26/03/2018 - 17:21
      +3

      ….oh no, I love it

    • kiteo on 27/03/2018 - 12:43
      +1

      Yeah I don't care about cricket as a sport at ALL, but this situation is just bloody stupid, a bloody waste, a bloody embarrassment. Why bother cheating, just play the game, ffs, let the most skilful team win.

  • ShannonN on 26/03/2018 - 00:37
    +3

    My opinion? Every player in the team should be sacked, it's a team so everyone was in on it! Everyone should be banned for life both here and worldwide.

    Everyone must be jailed for at least 12 months without any concessions

    Australia turns a blind eye to all sportsmen doing wrong because we are so desperate to win. Time to break the cycle and get tough, they broke the law by tampering with the ball its fraud and I'd look into betting as well. time to retire from cricket and tear up the script

    • Scrooge McDuck on 26/03/2018 - 13:26
      +2

      They should be hanged, drawn, quartered, ground into a paste and fed to bottom feeding fish!!

      • kiteo on 27/03/2018 - 12:44

        Then ::I:: would feel better, so there.

    • beathy on 26/03/2018 - 16:04
      +2

      Sums ups the media reaction.

      • Will Mcdonald on 26/03/2018 - 21:38

        yeh through the media in with the hanging aswell. For reporting useless news

    • SlickMick on 26/03/2018 - 19:43
      +1

      but with repentance comes forgiveness, right?

  • inherentchoice on 26/03/2018 - 02:18

    Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says that we put the Australian Cricket Team on a pedestal and he looks forward to Cricket Australia taking strong and decisive action.

    Steve Smith should be suspended from International Cricket, probably for 12 months.

    His IPL team should also drop him.

    Even Warnie was suspended for a year of his career.

    This leaves a sour taste in my mouth and makes me not want to watch cricket. I now feel like Australia deserves to lose and I don't want to cheer them on unless there's some tough penalties for all involved so that Cricket Australia can demonstrate zero tolerance.

    I vote Pat Cummins for Captain.

    • [Deactivated] on 26/03/2018 - 07:12
      +4

      I don't see Malcolm Turnbull jumping up and down when adverse findings are made against AFL players and players in other sporting codes; so much for dealing with the important issues.

      • macrocephalic on 26/03/2018 - 12:21
        +2

        I don't really care what Trumbles opinion on cricket is at all. He didn't jump up and down this much when his own deputy was found to have knocked up his mistress, who was also his employee, and then had her moved to a couple of other cushy jobs within the party to hide her.

      • inherentchoice on 26/03/2018 - 14:41

        Gillard was Prime Minister when the whole Essendon and ASADA thing came out. And she did jump up and down. In any case, it's apples and oranges. Essendon supplements was instigated by the team doctor/health professionals and was much more of a grey area. Whereas this ball tampering was premeditated during their break and the players have openly admitted to it.

      • arcticmonkey on 26/03/2018 - 20:49

        Or when adverse findings are made about Turdball's poor performance such as the impending 30 Newspoll losses.

    • buckster on 26/03/2018 - 13:15
      +2

      Trumbles can zip it and maybe try and focus his energies on actually running a coherent government for a change. There's no doubt that some decisive action is needed against Smith and possibly Warner. It seems like Lehmann is already on the way out.

      I feel bancroft should probably be given a bit of slack, there was probably undue pressure on him to do it (maybe they wanted to protect the bowlers from attention) as he's only just been welcomed into the test team, and sometimes you only get one chance to do so and you see a lot of good players miss their international chance (e.g. Brad Hodge who may have missed out more on political issues than anything else).

      Not that it justifies his actions, but I feel a lesser penalty might be appropriate

  • MrMcHairyHead on 26/03/2018 - 08:31
    +1

    Yes, but he should be fired before he has a chance to.

  • x2r9ypbj on 26/03/2018 - 08:50
    +11

    SACK THE WHOLE TEAM AND THE COACH CHEATING BASTARDS

  • Ryanek on 26/03/2018 - 09:12
    +2

    There goes their sponsorship money. These guys are earning 5+ million easy, tsk tsk.

    • Baysew on 26/03/2018 - 11:44
      +13

      Perhaps some sponsors will let them go, but I wouldn't think CBA would drop them. - They share similar values.

  • shaybisc on 26/03/2018 - 09:44
    +1

    He should lose the captaincy … for stupidity and for getting busted.

    "Since the 1970s, ball-tampering has been cricket's version of what Queensland police used to call "The Joke": an open secret, a form of corruption so endemic that few of the players regard it as morally illegal. The sin is being caught."

    https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/this-is-cricket-s-metoo…

    • Baghern on 27/03/2018 - 23:38
      +1

      more people/supporters are vested in it… more sponsors.. MORE money

      Its been estimated Cricket Australia was seeking 1b in TV right contracts coming up… now its already estimated to be $600-700m holy fk…

      Smith has already lost his IPL captaincy, doesnt mention if he'll be sacked… but thats potentially $2.5m fora 6? games…

  • Homr on 26/03/2018 - 10:09
    +13

    This one here got me laughing in the office all morning.

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DZJ7yRYW0AEvhqg.jpg:large

    • zeppeybabey on 26/03/2018 - 11:31

      LOL

    • FUZHA on 27/03/2018 - 10:10

      You certainly did home in on a classic… lol!

  • Dibbers on 26/03/2018 - 10:15
    +4

    If they are not publicly sacked you can say goodbye to Australian cricket team integrity.!

  • OldSchoolHarry on 26/03/2018 - 11:05
    +2

    Did they really think no one would notice such an act?

  • [Deactivated] on 26/03/2018 - 11:17

    Permanent ban for anyone complacent in this . They bought our most prestigious sporting team into disrepute, and not long after having a dummy spit that they are not being paid enough millions. We can rebuild.

    • [Deactivated] on 26/03/2018 - 15:07

      "our most prestigious sporting team"

      Haha good one.

  • zeppeybabey on 26/03/2018 - 11:33
    +9

    I've been following cricket and the Aussie team all my life.

    Unless they get rid of the "leadership group" I am giving up.

    It's hard to believe the coach wasn't involved as well.

    Bring in some Shield players, some youngsters, they might lose 20 test matches on the trot, but at least it will be a team that I will support.

    • doweyy on 26/03/2018 - 11:40
      +5

      Completely agree, better off giving some genuine young talents a chance to play for their country other than these jokers.

      Both Smith and Warner have tarnished the Australian image because of how big the sport is internationally and that is inexcusable.

  • Kamsi on 26/03/2018 - 11:34

    What can you say, cheating is cheating… damn what a disgrace.

  • coolhead on 26/03/2018 - 11:44
    +3

    1 match ban is a joke.. should be a harsher punishment..should be banned for atleast a few years

    • melbstheburn on 26/03/2018 - 12:30

      Faf du Plesis has been done for ball tampering twice, only got a one game ban

  • shaybisc on 26/03/2018 - 11:50

    Where did the ridiculous notion that cricket was more ethical than any other professional sport come from anyway? That was bulldust in 1660 when the first big betting on the game started, if not before.

    • Scrooge McDuck on 26/03/2018 - 13:20
      +4

      Sports have rules, cricket has laws.

      • inherentchoice on 26/03/2018 - 15:19

        So is there any imprisonment for breaking these laws?

  • Seraphin7 on 26/03/2018 - 11:54
    +1

    I'd like to understand exactly who "the leadership group" is. I've always know this to be the coach, captain, vice captain and maybe one or two others.

    In this instance the coach is apparently not involved. Interesting.

    One therefore has to look to who exactly is involved and therefore who should be copping any sanctions.

    So far as the ICC is concerned, the captain is responsible for the conduct of the team and the individuals are responsible for their own actions. Therefore, they have sanctioned Smith and Bancroft which is entirely appropriate from their perspective as there is no concept of a "leadership group" so far as they are concerned.

    In looking at things from a CA perspective, this is where this really get interesting. If "the leadership group" has jointly determined this course of action, all members of this group should be facing the same sanction. "The leadership group" has effectively played the role of captain in this respect and therefore must be accountable for in the same way as the captain is.

    I'll leave it for others to debate what sanction should be imposed, but the way I see it is that CA must now determine precisely who "the leadership group" is and determine what should be done. I would suggest that sanction needs to send a very strong message and be something that has a greater impact than just the remainder of this Test series.

  • melbstheburn on 26/03/2018 - 12:30
    +2

    Faf du plesis has been done for ball tampering twice, where were all these heroes calling for him to be permanently banned?

    • Baghern on 27/03/2018 - 23:39

      Ask the South African media/forums…

  • Jamiea on 26/03/2018 - 12:44
    +1

    Any bargains ?

    • DarkOz on 26/03/2018 - 13:03
      +3

      Yes, apparently someone sandpapered the cricket ball and ended up sandpapering his own balls as well. That's buy 1 and get another 2 free! BARGAIN!

  • shani123 on 26/03/2018 - 12:58
    +7

    This might be controversial but I think the whole incident has been blown way out of proportion. The South African captain (Du Plessis) has been found guilty of ball tampering, Tendulkar has been charged with tampering (but claimed he was cleaning the ball) and others have used sandpaper and bottle caps on the field.

    What strikes me as stupid is how the Australian management have handled this. They should have done what every other country did and said that Bancroft was cleaning the ball (like Tendulkar was doing with the grass). Then it would’ve played out like this:

    1) Bancroft shows the umpires the tape and says he was trying to clean the dust off the ball.
    2) Umpires inspect the ball and note that it’s condition hasn’t been changed.
    3) Play on and win the series.

    I note the umpires didn’t even change the ball or impose a penalty on Australia even after this all came to light because the umpires were of the opinion that the ball’s condition was not changed.

    I abhor what the cricketers have done but I feel it unjust the inconsistency on display here. It’s akin to two people shoplifting. The first one gets caught but says they put the item in their backpack but forgot to take it out. The second admits to shoplifting. The first gets off and the second goes to jail. Same crime, wildly different outcome.

    • addicted on 26/03/2018 - 13:58
      -1

      well said! exactly my thoughts. The real brain fade moment was accepting the tampering.

      • netpenthe on 26/03/2018 - 14:24
        +5

        i think putting a bit of spit on it with a lolly or a brain-fade bottle cap you found in your pocket is way different to having sandpaper

        its like the difference between pre-mediated murder and one-punch manslaughter laws.

        one's pre-meditated. what makes it even worse is there were a group of them in on it - conspiracy and huge cultural questions.

        these are much difference to a one-off brainfade

        • shani123 on 26/03/2018 - 14:47
          +2

          Just to be clear, the Australians didn’t use sandpaper - they used some tape found in a kit bag. I think having a bottle cap in your pocket requires some premeditation as in the usual course, you won’t find cricketers with a bottle cap.

          As to the pre-meditation, I agree it is absolutely stupid. However, I think in the case of the bottle cap being used or Afridi biting the ball, there was clearly also pre-mediation. Granted, it may not have been decided as a group but we don’t know because South Africa, India and England simply denied any ball tampering took place at all.

    • inherentchoice on 26/03/2018 - 15:23

      Why would Bancroft be cleaning the roughed-up side?

      Plus you don't need tape to clean or shine the ball. That way would make no sense.

      • shani123 on 26/03/2018 - 16:23

        I agree it would sound stupid but look at the excuses other teams used. Tendulkar said he was “cleaning” the ball with grass. Faf Du Plessis said he was probably “polishing” the ball with pants zippers. The English cricket team said they used a mint to help shine the ball. Afridi didn’t even offer a coherent reason for biting the ball. All these excuses make no sense but all these players still got away with it.

        The point is that the excuse doesn’t have to make sense - you just need an excuse instead of stupidly framing what you did as cheating.

        • inherentchoice on 26/03/2018 - 18:42

          That might have made him look even more stupid and could merit a stronger penalty.

      • carlJack on 26/03/2018 - 17:46

        He wasn't cleaning up the rough side. He was making it more rough for reverse swing. For a reverse swing one side needs to be really shiny and other side should be really rough.

        • inherentchoice on 26/03/2018 - 18:41

          Yes I know. My comment was in reply to this…

          They should have done what every other country did and said that Bancroft was cleaning the ball

    • SlickMick on 26/03/2018 - 19:50
      +3

      wow, the solution to getting caught cheating is to lie about it, and since others allow it we should allow it to??
      I'm glad that Australia holds a higher standard.

      • shani123 on 26/03/2018 - 20:14

        My issue is the inconsistency in the penalties applied. Going back to my shoplifting analogy, what you’re saying about Australian standards is akin to saying that if a shoplifter is Australian they should get a higher penalty than if they were English, Indian, Pakistani or South African. It’s like saying because you’re Australian you should get triple the penalty of an Englishman.

        • SlickMick on 27/03/2018 - 10:01
          +1

          That's not what I'm saying at all. In one country a shoplifter (of any nationality) might get a warning, in another they might have the offending arm amputated.
          Other countries can set whatever standard they like. I would like to think in Australia we have a high expectation.

        • shani123 on 27/03/2018 - 10:11
          +1

          @SlickMick: Well I don’t think that applies to this scenario. The laws we are talking about are the laws of international cricket, which apply equally to all countries. I don’t think it’s helpful to set an arbitrary and undefined “standard”.

        • Roman Sandstorm on 27/03/2018 - 11:25
          +6

          @shani123:

          Shani: one voice of reason and common sense in an ocean of outrage and hypocrisy.

          This misdemeanor is so routine that the ICC have a set penalty for it, and that penalty is in the 3-4 demerit point range. It is barely considered a suspendable offence.

          What pervades this whole issue is the assumption, the entitled belief even, that Australians are somehow different to any other nationality. That we are more virtuous, more decent, better sports, play harder, try harder, blah, blah, blah.

          Australia has just as many sportspeople suspended for drug cheating, (in cycling, athletics, etc), bad behaviour (tennis), whatever, as any other country does (pro rata). Of course, this may not fit the narrative of 'decent Aussie battlers'.

          But Australian humans are just as fallible, just as prone to bad behaviour as humans from any other country.

          Of course what Smith, Bancroft, and whoever else was involved, did was unacceptable and deserves sanction. Probably a sanction more severe that what the ICC has imposed. But this is not a hanging offence. Nor is it unique, or indeed, all that rare.

          It is the height of irony that former Australian players (who performed in times of extreme gamesmanship, severe sledging, etc), and current Australian politicians (of all people - extolling virtue!) are happy, in fact, delighted to leap on a bandwagon of condemnation. I think this says more about the 'Australian culture' than some stupid, dodgy and unlawful tactics on a cricket field.

        • Buckshot on 27/03/2018 - 12:07

          @Roman Sandstorm:

          You make..so..much.. SENSE. Dangit, I can't be outraged anymore :(

        • snapper on 27/03/2018 - 21:32
          +2

          @Roman Sandstorm: Voice of reason!

        • Roman Sandstorm on 28/03/2018 - 12:27
          +1

          @snapper:

          Thanks guys… but it does seem reason is still mostly in short supply.

          Only five upvotes… you two, me, my mum, and er…..

          :-)

        • SlickMick on 28/03/2018 - 17:13
          -1

          @Roman Sandstorm:
          Those who think cheating is okay, and is justified because "others are just as bad", are setting a really low bar. I hope you don't reproduce or have leadership positions.

        • Buckshot on 29/03/2018 - 17:51
          +1

          @SlickMick:
          Don't conflate us comparing punishments and the ICC's interpretation of the act with condoning cheating. The punishment for Smith & Bancroft probably sits somewhere in the middle, Warner-further towards the end of the spectrum.

          9, 12 + 12 months is unheard of in the history of the game. Ball tampering on the other hand, is by those standards- commonn and a minor offence in the eyes of the ICC.

    • Brianqpr on 27/03/2018 - 14:06

      "Play on and win the series". LOL.

      Yes it is a bit out of proportion, but that directly correlates with the out of proportion importance placed on cricket, a sport most of the world doesn't understand and has no interest in (please, no quoting the Indian population, its one country out of 200+), by Australia and in particular the media. Hence the consistently poor behaviour of the team, which goes back far further than recent years and was actively encouraged by the likes of Steve Waugh a long time ago, sledging etc is largely tolerated as long as they are winning.

      The problem you have when being very quick to come out and condemn wrongdoing by others is you have nowhere to go when something like this happens. Australia has painted itself into a corner. In a country that takes the game so seriously, and places a disproportionate amount of its national pride on the performance of the team, the reaction was always going to be big.

    • snapper on 27/03/2018 - 21:33

      Totally agree - and good analogy

    • Baghern on 27/03/2018 - 23:41

      The game continued on because when he was asked, he just pulled out his glasses cloth they accepted it.

      Of course with screen coverage they had to admit it.

  • [Deactivated] on 26/03/2018 - 13:06

    Grub

  • mkar18 on 26/03/2018 - 14:10
    +1

    Overseas conditions do not suit Steven Smith very well… Too many Brain fades… This time it faded too much to an extent to spoil his career and a choice to go out as a legendary player in history…

  • Will Mcdonald on 26/03/2018 - 15:08
    +1

    Can't believe he wrote a book about himself. He should have named it, "how to be a shit cricket player".

  • Looking4Bargians on 26/03/2018 - 15:16
    +2

    Who was Steve Smith & David Warner?

  • Slippery Fish on 26/03/2018 - 15:37

    Life time ban seems appropriate. Bet no1 risks their career for it again.

  • DingoBilly on 26/03/2018 - 15:55

    Eh, probably should for PR reasons.. but to think this doesn't happen on a daily basis within sport is naive.

  • BinnyC on 26/03/2018 - 16:33
    +2

    All those who are guilty, should be banned and not just suspended for few matches. Fines won't teach any lessons as they all have deep pockets.

  • quiteguy on 26/03/2018 - 17:31

    The pressure to win must have been too much on those guys to do something stupid like this.

  • [Deactivated] on 26/03/2018 - 17:32

    Should get treated for ball fondling addiction and allowed to safely return to cushy positions

  • kiwimex on 26/03/2018 - 17:36
    +1

    Im wondering for how long this has been going on…! what a bunch of flops

  • Neptunesblood on 26/03/2018 - 18:43

    FFS the bikie joke is done, finished, kaput. Let it die. And 5 people thought it was funny enough to click. Wow

  • pformag on 26/03/2018 - 19:19

    If you are going to cheat, don't use bright coloured tape. Use white tape, wrap it around your finger in reverse, so the sticky side is out, and then you have a perfect plan.

    • snapper on 27/03/2018 - 21:34

      That's how other, "smarter" teams are probably doing it

  • Toons on 26/03/2018 - 19:47
    +4

    If they were anyone else from another country, Majority of people would be wanting their heads, They broke the rules knowingly by admission so why should they be treated any different.

    Smith and the others who agreed should never be allowed a leadership role again in C/A and they should all take whatever ban or dismissal comes their way and be thankful thats as far as it possibly goes, the announcement on all their futures is going to be on Wednesday Morning.

    It was one thing All Australians were proud of, playing hard but fair.

    I've got no sympathy for them, pressure of expectation isn't an excuse.

    Time for a rebuild bring in the new blood throw them right in the deep end against the best and we will be right back there with them before too long.

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