Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What is discussed at the start of this section?
This is an ABC podcast. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, jet ski loons looking for a picnic to splash and fat tyre e-bike rodeo clowns creating untold mayhem on footpaths across the nation. Our great code stands on the precipice of international sporting greatness.
So, with soul in the shorts, feeling in the feet, and joy in the jumper, it's time to bump, it's time to thump, it's time to sink the slipper. Let's pull the cord on the Evinrude two-stroke and set off for the far horizon.
It's another blast of bludgeoning on the blindside with the master of midfield mayhem, rampaging Roy Slavin, and the man with a fistful of bait and burly, Captain Flathead, HG Nelson.
Yes, TF much. Cedric Espen Sump, AO, aka The Drain, torching the World Cup blindside blue paper for another week. Yes, that's the familiar sound of the Sumpster camped in the ABC spot. ABC soundproof booth on ABC local radio. And remember, this is the home of ABC Rapid. Ah, yes, and remember, Friday night is dog night here. Hello, Australia.
HG Nelson lifting the lid on another magnificent week of consenting concussion magic. And what a week. What an incredible week. A week when too much sport is barely enough. We join you with the second half about to get underway in the World Cup. USA 3, Paraguay, blot. And blot is the theme of the day. It's another super set day here on ABC Sport. Aussies from start to stumps. It'll be fantastic.
Fully sick! Bludgers, remember, this is still the trip of a lifetime. And so did The Greatest Game of All, and what a week. The scores tell one story, but again, the code is chock-a-block full of subplots groaning with scheming trickery as silly as the Witch's Coven, who we've referred to in other episodes of The Bludge.
Witch's Coven's, you know, camped under the black dot, being hit by a UFO from the planet Coosbane. We haven't mentioned that before, so that's a new plot detail. Releasing hundreds of nude aliens running amok. Well, that is one reading of the events of the week. There's nothing so far in season 2026 that stretches the bounds of good taste and plausibility.
But if you want another dose of surreal, you've certainly come to the right place. You know, this week it's been melting time pieces draped over the branches, the leafless branches of a tree and technicoloured dreams that make no sense in a space patrolled by the sheriff of nothing. And speaking of the big nothing, the King's birthday weekend was a festival of human zeros.
It produced the bizarre from a reality beyond the fifth dimension. We don't often go there, beyond the fifth dimension. I'm not sure what's out there, but I'm licking the lips in anticipation. In two matches, one side scored literally nothing. Last week's fixtures, look up the scores for yourself. That's after 80 minutes of rocking and rolling rugby league, two sides scored nothing.
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Chapter 2: How is the state of rugby league in Australia described?
It's a hell of a record, the Duplantis record. 40 streak winning pole vault competition. The champ struggled to get the 5.8 mark. For those interested, oh, NBA, what about those Knicks, eh? Talk about talk of the town. I've said enough already. You can look it up yourself. AFL in a desperate bid to keep up...
With the weirdness of rugby league, the Dockers kicked 24-11, clobbering the North Melbourne side, who managed 4-7. The Purple Haze won the match in a club record score of 124 points and they managed to kick, wait for it, the last 19 goals of the game. without being bothered, without, you know, the haze bothering the scorers for the majors. 19 goals in a row. I can never remember that happening.
Others listening will know, of course. I'm sure the Tigers did it at one stage. There must have been something really balmy in the rotation of the planets to produce these results. And news from Tassie. and the big hole in the ground, and there have been some ill-informed comments about the budget blowout on the Macquarie Point build.
On behalf of the bludge, I spoke at length to Apple Isle Czar of Cement, Erica Betts, this week. Czar of Betts made two points clear. The lid is on as the roof is non-negotiable in any budget rejigging. It's... You know, he said to me, and tears in his eyes when he said this, he wasn't being, you know, he wasn't winding me up.
Eric suggested the Stumpy Boone stand that will seat 60,000 may not be built in time for the opening ball up, but the foundations will be laid with this build, and when money becomes available, the Oval Authority will complete the Stumpy, and that'll complete the correct, you know, attendance number of, I think they can get the number over 150,000 for that Macquarie Point build.
Eric suggested umpires change rooms, goal posts, video screens, scoreboards, pie warmers and car parks could be casualties in any budget rejig in the short term. But the lid, he said, meaning the roof, is on. Now to the World Cup. And in coming months, this magnificent sporting fixture will generate memories that will last a lifetime.
For all right-thinking Australians, for right-thinking Australians who are living here at the moment, their families and their pets who love watching football on television and don't write in saying they don't because they do. Dogs love it. It doesn't matter what code you support, where you are, when these will be forever memories. They cannot be erased.
Magic Moments from Action in Mexico, Canada and the US will define our lives, our romances and our very future. Aussies today, well, tomorrow, will gather at all hours of the day or night and celebrate as only Australians can and simply marvel at what the Socceroos are doing for us. It's a fearless squad. It's a new style of Socceroo. None of that tippy-tappy stuff from the past.
It'll be full on, 100% football. According to the gaffer, no fear is our winning edge. None of the players have ever been to these altitudes before and that is our greatest secret. Last weekend, in a magic day and a final hit-out before the World Cup kick-off, our plucky Socceroos drew 1-1 with the European powerhouse and the home of cheese, should I say, Switzerland.
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Chapter 3: What are the implications of the recent rugby league scores?
I can't wait. I think it's going to be fantastic. It's just the shot in the arm that supercars has been crying out for of late. The supercar scene's been very quiet. You know it. I know it. Quiet Australians know it. And all of a sudden, everyone's talking, thinking, breathing, supercars, Aussie supercars. Keep the war going, lads, I say. Now, Germany's Zverev. Oh, yeah, Zverev.
He wins his first major. That is the French Open. Look, really, a lot of good players fell away, so Zverev could sort of sneak his way through. He just got there and took five sets. But the big hitting German has... Well, he's got a major, let's face it. Now, the big news, however, is that Nick Kyrgios had a win in Stuttgart.
This is amazing.
It is amazing and it's great for, I think, not only Australian tennis but world tennis. And he handled himself very well. I mean, he lost the subsequent match in Stuttgart. Round two. It must have been in the second round. But he lost it in very good spirit. As he said to us, just privately, it was great to be back.
And speaking on behalf of all quiet Aussies, I'm prepared to say, well, good to have you back, Nick. Yeah.
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Chapter 4: What issues are raised regarding the Macquarie Point development?
And in good health. And in very good health. Yeah, you seem to be hitting the ball very well and moving. Moving. Very well. For how long this lasts, I don't know, but let's enjoy it while it's there. Yeah. It's good news. And in other good news, Serena has recorded a doubles win at Queen's.
This is a fantastic achievement because you will recall that the last time she was defeated and when she walked away from the game, she was defeated by an Aussie, that is Tom Janovick. It would appear now that that particular adventure... Her final defeat will not be at the hands of an Aussie now, it would seem. Isn't that great news?
It is good news and takes a lot of pressure off Tom Janovic, who was, you know, reeling in depression, being known as the person who finished the career of Serena Williams. Well, she hasn't. She isn't. She's relieved of that. Mm-hm. Now, the Alcaraz wrist injury is getting very, very serious.
As I said earlier, when this first broke the story, I don't like wrist injuries when it comes to tennis players. This is a result of what we call RSI. Ah, yeah. He's got tendinitis. and it's very, very difficult to... Well, I don't know if you can cure it. That's the issue. Are we going to see Alcaraz back on court again? I don't know. But it's not a good story.
No, because he's sort of just at the start of his career. He is. His whole run of winning slams.
I know, I know. I know, it's very disappointing. I've sent our best wishes to the Alcaraz team.
Have you looked at the x-rays?
No, I haven't. No, I haven't. No, no. I did ask. Yeah. They said none of your business. I thought, well, fair enough. But you'll get them eventually, won't you? Oh, eventually. They'll be out there on the web.
Yeah. You'll be able to have a look.
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Chapter 5: What possibilities are there for a cafe at the new venue?
Now, and the other thing, of course, is that would there be a possibility for the kitchen to make, say, a cup of coffee for people?
Well, you can see how Wayne and before him, Keith Barnes. He lived in there as well. I believe so. You can see how they would have made a cup of tea back in the day. Right, isn't that great? You can see where the kettle was. Landshut tea, I suppose. I suppose, yes, or Billy. Billy, yeah, yeah. God, they don't make tea like that anymore, do they? No, they don't.
Built for Aussie conditions, wasn't it, Billy T?
It was. It was.
Chapter 6: What unique food options might be available at the new facility?
Now, one thing is could you see a cafe being part of the experience there? I'm talking about, you know, maybe saying, you know, might be able to serve, you know, six baristas and, you know, be able to serve the vast hordes who would be coming there. And, you know, once the influencers get hold of the address, I mean, it'll be a queue out the front.
That's true. I think you'll find a lot of what I call pop-ups happening around it. Around, yes, yes. You know, so if you want to get some, oh, I don't know, falafels or hamburgers orā¦ Or one of those hot dogs with onions. Hot dogs with onions and tomato sauce perhaps. Mustard, you know. All of that sort of stuff you could get there. I mean, it's a very exciting possibility.
And will this be something owned by theā¦ By like a council, I believe. Yeah, or the Inner West Council.
The Inner West Council, yeah. Yeah, I believe it is owned by them.
Chapter 7: How does the Inner West Council influence the new venue?
Isn't that great?
It is great. It's sad to see it go. The toilets of interest.
But then maybe if they could get out a couple of pieces of Fowlerware that they could be installed into the Wayne Pearce house and so you have a usable echo of what the toilets were like.
That's not a bad idea. Yes, yes. Yes, you could build an extra toilet onto the back. of Wayne's old house housing the toilet of interest. Toilet of interest. It's a perfect idea. It's very elegant. I'll suggest that to Inner West Council. I don't think it would add much to it. I mean, people would volunteer.
They would. They would. I mean, they're not expecting a great schmick thing.
No, no. Well, if Steve from Hornsby is going in with his socket set, maybe he could help out. Now, Lisa from Newtown has been in touch. I don't know if this is our Lisa who does the artwork. Well, now, the artwork, could that find a home in the museum? Yes, my word it could. My word. It's just up to Lisa to reach out to Darcy Byrd, I suppose.
Well, each council now has an arts officer pretty much who looks after the artistic experience in the country and so maybe that's a pathway.
That'll be the approach. Anyway, Lisa of Newtown, who may or may not be our artist, Lisa.
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Chapter 8: What are the implications of the new rugby league developments?
Lisa. Says, has there been a thawing in the Channel 9 commentary team's relationship with Danica? I heard four thank you Danicas last Thursday night.
Isn't that great?
Well, it is good, but like last Thursday, this week, HG, there were a couple of thank you Danicas, but the you is unnecessary and it's like it's pointed.
Oh, no.
It sounds sarcastic.
Oh, no.
That's as I read it. So I don't think there has been a thawing. I think there's obviously management has spoken with the commentary team and said, lookā¦ People are complaining. People are complaining that you're not acknowledging Danica.
Yes, yeah.
So would you please acknowledge him? Oh, okay. Thank you, Danica.
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