Watched it...plus another 2 stories about it...! Great.

So how many cases of beer....er covid.....er beer did we have today?

It might sound like a stuff-up by the SydPath lab on incorrectly messaging covid positive cases that they are negative, but i reckon it could be one of the best things to have happened in our quest to "live with the virus".

Its obvious as anything that Omikron is nowhere near as dangerous as previous strands, and this kind of stuff up and allowing the virus to spread as a mistake seems like the only way to prove to the so called medical professionals that we can allow it to circulate and not result in high death rate or hospitilisations.

The only thing we can do better now is completely abandon testing altogether unless it is required in a hospital ICU.

Thats called living with the fekking virus...

And if we allowed around 200k new cases a day, we could infect the whole AUS population by next Easter (April) and achieve herd immunity.

At that point, the government can offer boosters only to those who feel they need it. The rest of us can get on with life

I surfed to another one. They bring Willies guitar out on a pedestal 30 mins before the show so everyone can get their photos. 

Very exciting day of test cricket.

The game was in the balance at the start of the Pom innings.

As things stand it will take an epic performance from the Poms to make a game of it.

Now the game is all about the first hour tomorrow.

If as Chant says 80% of  cases are omicron and 20% are delta, won't  delta also increase? We're talking about covid as a whole aren't  we?. Not just omicron.

Amazing day. Test cricket really is the greatest.

They seem to be thinking that Omicron will squeeze delta out. But IMO delta also spreads unless unvaccinated catch Omicron first and that gives them immunity.

For the vaxxed they can catch both, but typically stay out of hospital.

Sooner or later we have to open up and live with covid, 90% double-jabbed should keep ICU numbers down.

You do know who’s on the board of SydPath?

The one & only… Dman!

He had a few too many on Xmas, and was testing samples to see if patients we’re positive to VB instead of Omicron. 

The problems we have is that the effectiveness of the vaccine is reduced with time and each mutation, variant, strain or whatever you want to call it.  The more the virus replicates the greater chance of mutations. They are inevitable. Will they be more or less viralent, more or less deadly or more or less resistant to our current vaccines. Who knows? That is the risk with letting it run rampant. It's hard to put the genie back in the bottle. 

The answer is that if you catch Omikron, you are more than likely not going to be adversely impacted by catching delta down the track.

Omikron is like a flu vaccine. Its a small (hamless) version of covid that builds up your immunity to it.

At least thats what i think....

I don't  know the significance of the figures but since omicron raised its head at the start of December, NSW hospitaiisations have increased 238%, ICU 140% and ventilations 54%. Is it because Delta is also expanding with the relaxations or is it the "harmless" omicron variant. I Don't  know, but the number of people vaccinated aint getting any less.

It’s Hamless? So what you saying is it’s Halal

If you haven't heard it check out Willie's album "Spirit" ...all acoustic affair.

It is because there are too many morons out there. They go to the mass dance parties...and other social gatherings as if they are ten foot tall and bulletproof. Precaution is the best defence.I don't know about harmless...I for one would certainly not wish to be a test case.

Some rare Rugby League albums from the past :

https://www.discogs.com/release/7058105-Various-Tooths-Hotels-Present-Footy-Favourites

https://www.discogs.com/release/7478954-The-Scrum-Rugby-League-Club-Songs

https://www.discogs.com/release/19019782-Jim-Haynes-That-Rugby-League-Album

https://www.discogs.com/release/7689276-The-VeeBees-Lumber-Off-Side-Grog-Squad

Lol. You're acting like a pork chop!

For the time being -yes.
Precaution is best form of defence. But we need to ease our way back into normality. And that requires an acceptance of both a death rate, hospitalisation rate and ICU occupancy.

We simply cannot continue with the current definitions of "casual" or "close" contact. You either have covid and need to isolate or you dont and you can return to work.

We cannot sink businesses on precautionary measures only because we dont havevan exit plan.

There are a myriad amount of hospitaitlty businesses that are hamstrung coz 1 of their staff has caught covid and the whole business has to shut coz they are all deemed close or casual contacts. -Ridiculous.

I see us lasting another week or two and just about every hospitality business will be affected.

I find it extroardinary that the statisticians at the close of voting count only 10% of the votes and pretty much make a call on who wins the seat (and are almost always correct) and yet here are listening to a bunch of medical doomsdayers who probably failed statistics at uni anyway.

The proof is already in the pudding. Omikron is not dangerous and if infected systematically can lead to herd immunity. Delaying its spread could be worse than letting it infect everyone.

Hazzard has already said it, but for some unknown reason the government is still hesitant.

Well it did last longer than 1 hour. 

Root actually batted very well, until he got a good ball.

Still a better game than a boring draw on a flat deck.

With the benefit of hindsight, they could have trimmed the grass on the pitch a bit.

Root's ranking thoroughly deserved. Normally performs well under pressure, which he gets a lot of with this mob. The guy I worry a bout is Green. He has enormous potential as an all rounder, but he is holding down a top six spot and getting no runs. Not really looking like getting any actually. Worth persevering with though 

Green's bowling is really good.
He is young enough to improve with the bat.

Batsmen in both sides struggled with seam and bounce.
A lot of hit-and-giggle cricket played on flat pitches these days, batsnen rarely face quaility bowling on a pitch wuth bounce and seam.

The innings from Harris combined with late hitting ftom Stark and Cummins was the difference.

Also good depth in fast bowling Bolland and Richo looking good.

Big tests for us will be playing India, SA and the Poms on their home turf.

Beating the Poms is always enjoyable, more so when we do it in England.

A big problem for the longer forms of the game. The core of the cricket season is taken over by the shorter formats. The development of the next generation is stunted. Not only here, it's  happening all over and it hinders rather than promotes development.

From Bulldogskennel (instagram) :

We mourn the passing of Bill Noonan. A former Kiwi International, Canterbury- Bankstown and Newtown RL player. In 2004, Bill was nominated for the Berries to Bulldogs 70 Year Team of Champions. He played 161 games for the club including representing New Zealand at an international level. He was Peter Moore's first signing for the Bulldogs. He also played for Canterbury-Bankstown in their loss in the 1974 NSWRFL season's grand final - the first New Zealander in rugby league history to play in a Sydney premiership game. Noonan will be remembered as a hard hitting forward and true gentleman of the game who always gave his all and our condolences go out to his friends and family during this difficult time. RIP William Patrick Noonan

Bill is one of my all time favorite Dogs players, easily top 5.
RIP Bill.

Bill Noonan ran on for Canterbury (I think with Phil Charlton as his front row partner) in the first match I saw at Belmore.
If the reports are correct, it happened on Dec 14, so the news was a little late getting through to some of us.

Same here.

Infact I remember and early game, maybe my first live game...

Bill lead a solo kick chase caught the opposition player in the in goal, picked him up and dumped him, causing the opposition player to drop the ball resulting in an easy try.

That play sums up Bill, him leading the kick chase wasn't unusual.

Bill was like a smarter, tougher, faster version of Jimmy Graham, 100% effort was the bare minimum for both.
Bill wasn't as skilled as Jimmy, the memory is hazy here, but I can remember that Bill might have thrown a few good passes and even kicked occasionally. But his strong point was competitiveness and work rate.

Competitiveness and work rate. The best players in the game have those two traits. Wally. John’s. Thurston. Cronk. Cleary. Burton. 

Frank Pritchard in hospital with Covid, get well soon Frank, you are a true legend.

Marki... U hussy...