The first ball of the fourth Ashes Test hadn't been bowled in anger at the time of writing, but if Australia has its foot on England's throat, you can put it down to the magical healing power of going to the pub.
Former Test opener Michael Slater, who is in England calling the series for Channel Nine, told the Big Sports Breakfast on Thursday that coach Darren Lehmann had instructed his players to join him for a few pints at a Nottingham pub after the Edgbaston disaster.
"A pub lunch," Slater said. "A bit of old school and a couple of pints to discuss things. I don't think it's the worst thing … The dynamic of the modern day [team] is that the families are here, but it makes for a disjointed tour. We're hearing that Michael Clarke is not spending any time socialising with the team. When you're losing, those issues can become big quite quickly."
Hopefully, by the time you read this, Clarke has scored a career-saving innings at Trent Bridge.
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http://www.edigitalplace.com/amember/aff/go/rowshanarakhatun/?i=113Clarke was furious at your humble correspondent and others for daring to suggest his Test career end was near, moaning on in his News Corp column about attacks on his hunger.
"I've heard there have been a few articles questioning me for not having that hunger inside me," wrote Clarke, who is renowned for reading every syllable written or breathed about him.
Nobody has ever questioned Clarke's hunger, although you would think he has a mortgage on hard work the number of times he refers to it.
It's just the lack of runs, Puppy. That's all.
Goodes full of beans
SPOTTED: Man-of-the-moment Adam Goodes having a laugh and coffee with Roosters legend Anthony Minichello, along with retired Swans star Michael O'Loughlin at the Allianz Stadium café this week.
According to those who have been around him this week, Goodes has been buoyant since returning to the warm bosom of the Swannies on Tuesday.
Questions certainly remain about the AFL's response to the matter.
"We took a highly combustible situation and I think we sit here today with a united industry," said AFL boss Gillon McLachlan.
In other words, we took a bet each way, because we didn't want to upset the bigoted masses who follow the code.
While the AFL and Prime Minister Tony Abbott sat on the fence, taking a bet each way, the country was waiting for someone of eminence to come out swinging for Adam Goodes.
It came in the form of billionaire James Packer, who said he was "ashamed as an Australian" to hear Goodes booed.
Final under threat
Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk was in Sydney this week, grandstanding about pinching the NRL grand final after the deal between the NSW government and ANZ Stadium expires in 2019.
There are some genuine concerns about the future of the showpiece event in Sydney as the state government delays an announcement about the redevelopment of stadiums.
On Wednesday night, the ARL Commission flew to Brisvegas to meet with Queensland government and sporting heavyweights about securing more of its headline matches.
