Smithy's Sermon: 'Cringeworthy' Warriors, 'underwhelming' All Blacks round out lacklustre weekend

Well, isn't a week a long time in life?

A week ago, Donald Trump gets a shot in the ear. Today, he gets a shot in the arm, as Joe Biden says enough is enough. And the Democrats are in a mess - leadership is rudderless and Trump smells blood.

A weekend of All Blacks rugby seems like a long time as well. They beat Fiji 47-5 in a largely underwhelming game of rugby at San Diego's Snapdragon Stadium.

Let's be perfectly honest - if that fixture was the highlight of your Saturday afternoon, you've got to find something else to do.

What do we learn or can confirm from this latest All Blacks win? Well, not much if we consider that was pretty much the freebie game for the year. Yes, there were nice signs from a couple of the debutants, and a couple of new combinations. They're all All Blacks now - so they can tick off that boyhood dream.

Razor Robertson fans will cut him plenty of slack, maybe years of it. Ian Foster was never that lucky. What would be saying about Fozzie off that performance? The former is three-from-three - Scott Robertson, he is the best coach in the world after all.

What is the price of a quality goalkicker or a drop-kicker in the NRL?

Nathan Cleary kicks a 45-metre field goal for the Penrith Panthers, cashing in two points in a 28-26 golden-point victory over the Dolphins. Chanel Harris-Tavita couldn't hit the side of a barn, flying low, right in front.

One team will be in the playoffs and could win it all again, for a fourth consecutive premiership, the other destined to be watching them. It was cringeworthy, wasn't it?

One NZ Warriors head coach Andrew Webster says 'don't blame the goalkicker' - I don't either, not Harris-Tavita because he clearly isn't one. It's all about attention to detail, gentlemen. Cover all your contingencies.

And let's all go to goalkicking practice at Mount Smart this week. If we can't kick them, at least we can say something about it. Because if you say something about it, apparently that's not the right thing to do.

Don't blame a goalkicker? Hell no! Don't ever blame a goalkicker.

Never blame a wicketkeeper for dropping a catch, missing a stumping, or a run out. If it's your job, do the damn thing. If you're getting paid, do it better.

And the question in the New Zealand thoroughbred racing industry this week is not what horses will win races, more how many race meetings will go ahead?

There's no point in raising stakes if you can't race for them. There's no point in appealing for new owners and patrons to go along to the races, if the show doesn't go on.

A week is a long time, okay? It's hope for a slightly better one this time around.

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