Boomers have a Ben Simmons headache; Mark Waugh weighs in on the Super Over; Roosters blasted by coach

A former Boomers skipper has been left baffled by a decision from Ben Simmons which he says could derail Australia’s World Cup.

With $240 million under his belt, Aussie NBA gun Ben Simmons can do just about anything he damn well pleases — but his decision to dodge the World Cup has baffled a former Boomers captain on the eve of basketball’s international showpiece.

Simmons confirmed he’d be sitting out of the World Cup in China, insisting he needed to “use the time in September to return to Philadelphia to acquaint myself with my new teammates”.

The 22-year-old however did confirm he’d take the court for the Boomers in four exhibition matches against Canada and the USA in August.

Shane Heal, who represented the green and gold at four Olympics, says the superstar’s decision to play a handful of games would severely hinder the Boomers’ World Cup preparations.

“I’m not surprised he’s not playing the World Cup after signing a $240 million deal because he’s got to work on his jump shot, I don’t blame him for that,” Heal said. “I am surprised, though, that he’s playing in these exhibition games. I understand we all want to see him play but I’m worried. These games are critical — that’s four games Australia is playing against USA and Canada in the lead-up to the World Cup.

“If he’s playing, it totally changes the way everybody else plays; their roles and what they have to do to prepare for when it gets to money time.”

The first of Australia’s exhibition matches take place on August 16-17 in Perth before two matches a week later in Melbourne on the 22nd and 24th.

WAUGH ON WORLD CUP DRAMA

Love it or hate it, cricket’s contentious Super Over is here to stay.

Kiwis remain furious about the result of Sunday’s World Cup Final, which saw England claim its first crown on home soil, sending the Black Caps to second place for the second World Cup in a row.

The match sat on a knife’s edge until the very last second when Martin Guptill was run out on the last ball of the Super Over. The problem was the Black Caps weren’t necessarily defeated in the final, perfectly matching England’s score in the deciding Super Over — but a clause in the competition’s rule book deemed the team with the most boundaries (England) left Lords the victor.

It was enough to make even Aussies across the Tasman fume, if just for 15 minutes.

Mark Waugh weighed in on the conundrum after a week of fire directed at the ICC, who were pressured to review the rules regarding ties by Black Caps coach Gary Stead.

Waugh wasn’t against scrapping the explosive Super Over from limited overs cricket but said the boundary metric should be swapped for something simpler.

“I think they need to tinker with the rules for the next World Cup,” Waugh said. “I think make the Super Over (becomes) two or three overs just so there’s a bit more leeway if you have a bad couple of balls.

“Secondly, I think England deserved to win it because they were on top of New Zealand before the preliminary round — if it’s a tie, just go back to that.”

Ouch.

FLETCHER ON NRL CARNAGE

Bryan Fletcher has revealed what went down in the Roosters’ sheds after the Bondi unit’s shock 15-12 loss to the Cowboys on Sunday.

Beaten in five of their last seven matches, the Roosters have dropped to fourth ahead of Saturday’s home game against Newcastle — and coach Trent Robinson is not a happy man.

“I heard that Trent Robinson didn’t let anyone in the dressing room after the game and that you could hear him in the Hawkesbury,” Fletcher said. “He was tearing strips off not only the junior players but a couple of the senior players — so expect the senior players to shape up this week.”

Fletcher said even senior players were put under the pump.

Fletcher turned his gaze to the Dragons, who went down in a brutal 36-14 thrashing to the Raiders on Sunday.

After hearing coach Paul McGregor’s claim they could still win the premiership from 14th on the ladder, the former NSW star scoffed at the camera.

“He must be pissed again,” Fletcher said. “They were dreadful. Their last win was against the Bulldogs.”