Why Queensland could come to regret hosting the 2032 Olympics

While for a city like Sydney to host it – looking for another return on infrastructure already built – just might be worth the trouble, one really wonders where the Olympics will be 12 years from now, and if they will come to regret it.

To defray the costs, it really would make sense for them to decentralise and, after the big opening ceremony – presumably cane toads cracking whips on wild brumbies, while Billy Moore leads the crowd in a chant of “Queenslander!” – use some of Sydney and Melbourne’s infrastructure, not to mention our natural resources. Surely the sailing regatta on Sydney Harbour makes sense.

Compromising position

TFF has been more than a little bemused this week at all the angst over the NSW government turning turtle and withdrawing what had appeared to be tacit support for Police Commissioner Mick Fuller to be a commissioner for the Australian Rugby League as well.

As I wrote on Sunday, the thing was an absurdity from the first. Extraordinarily, all those who supported it – from league and media identities to politicians to Commissioner Fuller himself – couldn’t see how hopelessly compromised Fuller would be to hold both jobs at once while making comment and decisions concerning league players who break the law, more often than not in late-night atrocities.

Even beyond the law-breakers, issues of public moment concerning league would have seen his comments in the cross-hairs. You will recall in May last year, the NRL constantly citing Commissioner Fuller as its authority for re-starting the competition in the Age of the Plague, ahead of the other sports. There was outcry enough at the commissioner being cited as an authority for matters of public health, but imagine if he had been on the ARL Commission as well at the time! The outcry would have been amplified by a factor of four.

The question would have been put: “Who is Fuller in it for, the public, or the league?”

Still the aforementioned supporters of the proposal didn’t get it.

“But he would have been great for the NRL!” they trilled. “And he could have helped stamp out crime among league players! So why wouldn’t the league get him?”

I give up, is it because the issue was always far bigger than whether Fuller would have been good for league? Is it because the NSW public has a right to expect that the highest-paid police commissioner in the country will give his full focus to stamping out crime and not be distracted by a game? Is it because when he handed in his resignation a fortnight ago from the board of the Police Bank because of his workload, it’s pretty obvious the bloke had a full dance-card?

Am I getting warm?

Shane Fitzsimmons was also extremely good at his job as NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner. And no doubt, he would have been great taking a job on the side, consulting to local businesses in his rural area on how to best fire-proof their premises. He had the expertise. He had the contacts.

But of course Fitzsimmons would never have taken on such a job, because the job description he signed up for was to do his best to protect all of NSW, undistracted by an added desire to give added protection to a small and favoured part of it.

Rugby is the winner

I know it is a bit embarrassing I don’t quite know what Stan is, but bear in mind I was 10 years behind everyone else in getting a mobile phone and I have equally only just discovered how extraordinarily brilliant Netflix is – why didn’t you bastards TELL me – but that is not the point.

The good news for rugby is that between Stan’s streaming service – whatever that is – and free-to-air coverage on 9Gem, the first round of the Super rugby last weekend, had 200,000 viewers, which is a neat three times the number who watched last year’s opening round on Fox Sports only.

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What does that mean, Gloria? Prima facie, though obviously early days, it means the money-bags that handed over the $100 million over three years to Rugby Australia for rugby coverage look like they might get a good return on their investment, heightening the chances it will continue. The next challenge for Rugby Australia will be to spend that money wisely, growing the game.

(And as to what Stan is, I am told it is Australia’s Netflix with sport on top, which makes sense. My own next challenge will be to get my son to show me where it is on our television.)

What They Said

Novak Djokovic on criticism he has received for often being more than a bit dick-ish: “Of course, it hurts. I’m a human being like anybody else. I have emotions.”

Deputy Carlos Gonzalez, from the LA County Sheriff’s Department on Tiger Woods’ car crash: “It’s very fortunate that Mr Woods was able to come out of this alive.”

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Australian T20 all-rounder Dan Christian reacts to the PM’s strange donning of a Cronulla Sharks jersey to send a cheerio to a favoured sports journalist last weekend: ″⁣@ScottMorrisonMP at a time our country (particularly our female population) needs you to lead, you’ve done absolutely nothing to inspire sexual assault victims to seek support or justice. Instead, you don your Sharks gear after saying sport and politics don’t mix. Read the room?”

Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley on organisers of the Tokyo Games reaching out to him for advice about how to stage the Olympics in the middle of a pandemic: “I just told them, ‘Good luck.’”

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Raiders recruitment manager Peter Mulholland tells Andrew Webster the key bit of advice he got from iconic league coach Warren Ryan many years ago on how to spot talent: “Look who’s on the TV screen first. Then watch them at the game and see what they do when they’re not in the picture.”

Aussie quick Jhye Richardson after the IPL auction where he was snapped up for $2.4 million: “The emotions take over, you double check it, triple check it, quadruple check it. It took a moment and it’s still sinking in. I was scribbling on papers, nervous hands and all that.” Has the IPL become so rich that the rest of the international teams have become farm franchises for the big show of the Indian comp? Discuss.

Naomi Osaka after winning the Australian Open: “You don’t go into a final wanting to be the runner-up. For me, I feel like every opportunity that I play a slam is an opportunity to win. So I think maybe I put that pressure on myself too much, but honestly, it’s working out in my favour right now.”

Josh Aloiai on leaving the West Tigers: “My character was assassinated.”

Waratahs coach Rob Penney when asked before the season how NSW could fare. Hasn’t aged well: “Well, we could win it.“ The Waratahs went down to the Reds, 41-7.

The ARLC in a statement on not appointing Commissioner Fuller: “Based on legal advice, both parties agreed that it was not legally possible to appoint Michael Fuller to the ARLC while he is the Commissioner of NSW Police.” Ummm, respectfully, I call bullshit. Did no-one really check the legal position before launching the all court press and radio campaign to install him? Or, was the outcry from the sane so great they had to bow to common sense?

Peter V’landys on players’ behaviour: “Out of every negative there’s a positive and the positive here is we’ve got the message out there that the one per cent that do the wrong thing are on notice.”

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner on Brisbane supposedly having the inside running to the 2032 games: “It’s very exciting. All three levels of government are on board and working feverishly. There was a lull for a period last year where there wasn’t so much talk about the Olympics, but that didn’t mean things weren’t continuing behind the scenes. Now, it’s just a matter of getting down to targeted discussions and hopefully make it a reality.”

Justin Harrison on his ancient nemesis from the 2001 Lions series, Austin Healey: “He’s got an inventive, envious streak going through him where he mentions me. It’s like a Mr Men character, where he can’t tell the truth. I think because he has a fear of losing relevance. Let it go champ, you were on QF2 flying home to London at kick-off.”

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein unhappy with AFL treatment: “After receiving our business case 12 months ago, it beggars belief the AFL has not been able to consider it fully over the last year and now, to add insult to injury, want to take up to another year before providing clarity on the future of a Tasmanian team. As a footballing heartland state we have paid our dues and deserve much better.”

Team of the Week

Naomi Osaka. Won her first four major finals, the first time it has been achieved since Monica Seles did it 30 years ago.

Novak Djokovic. Won six of the last 10 major tournaments and now has 18 majors, just two shy of the men’s record held by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Jack Nicklaus. In the wake of the grievous injuries to Tiger Woods in the wake of rolling his SUV on the outskirts of Los Angeles on Tuesday morning, Nicklaus’s record of 18 majors hasn’t looked safer in two decades. (Still can’t get my head around the iconic golfer endorsing Trump, however!)

Lleyton Hewitt. Set to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

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Joe Root. Cheapest five-wicket haul by a spinner in the history of Test cricket, taking 5-8 against India at Ahmedabad, albeit in a match which England lost in just two days!

America’s Cup. Believe it or not, the finals are happening with the Italian Luna Rossa winning the right to challenge the Kiwi Te Rehutai. And no, I didn’t know either. Not sure if there was an Australian contender, but I suspect not.

Waratahs. Prima facie, after their thumping at the hands of Queensland in their first time at bat, 41-7, it looks like being a long season for them.

Twitter: @Peter_Fitz