This week, however, was weird. On Thursday I put out the view that while the NRL does appear to have a bit of a problem with recreational drugs, with no fewer than four episodes in a week of major rugby league identities in trouble with the police over allegedly having cocaine, it was nothing compared with the problem they have with the rather more common drug, of alcohol. My central point was:

Number of alcohol-induced atrocities in NRL that we know of = 10,000.
Number of cocaine-induced atrocities in NRL that we know of = ZERO.

This is not to minimise the dangers of cocaine - it poses serious risks to your physical and psychological health - so much as to focus on how bizarre it is to see all the public handwringing over a drug where damage appears to be so limited in the public domain, compared with the devastation wrought by the very drug that the NRL does so much to flog.

I concluded:

"So if the NRL is really serious about limiting the damage done to their people, their 'brand', then the obvious first step is to stop taking all alcohol sponsorship."

Otherwise?

"Otherwise, it is the equivalent of Rome burning, and the NRL sending their fire trucks to one tiny back street called cocaine, while sending tankers of fuel everywhere else, to make the flames go higher still."

Know how much flak I took? Just about none apart from those astute observers who note TFF's newly strong stance since totally giving up the grog. (Guilty. But its because I've been a pisshead, committing atrocities of my own, I claim credibility on the dangers of it and the virtues of just stopping outright.)

Still, in expressing those views in the paper, on Twitter, TV and radio I was overwhelmed by a flood of public support and not one angry shaking fist along the lines I was expecting: "How DARE you minimise the problems of recreational drugs, etc?"

Rather, there was boiling resentment at the NRL having turned itself into a marketing machine for a product that devastates so many lives - and having that marketing take in not just adults, but kids. People are jack of it, and seriously jack of the hypocrisy of the NRL so publicly posing as being concerned on health issues with one drug, when making hundreds of millions of dollars by promoting the other.

So yes, Houston, we do have a problem. It's just not the one you've been wringing your hands over.

Breaking the code

This week, Cooper Cronk was mooted as a possible solution for the woes of the Waratahs. That's an easy one - no. Rugby union has tried that for about two decades now, pouring huge resources into short-term fixes in the form of rugby league players who convert for a short time, before inevitably returning to their own code.

Big no: The Waratahs and Cooper Cronk have poured cold water on a switch to rugby. Photo: Getty Images

Of them all, Lote Tuqiri and Israel Folau made the most impact, both in their early years of union, before fading from being superstars to merely very good players. But, ultimately, at a time when the game is on its knees and only 11,000 people can be bothered to see the Waratahs play, can we not say that short-term fixes have done their dash, and it is time to focus on long-term rebuilding, to catch and kill our own superstars instead of raiding the leaguie ranks.

(Though I do admit to wry amusement at the NRL's squealing when it happens.)

Crazy milestone

For after all, who are the actual heart and soul of the game, the ones who provide the lifeblood that keeps it going through even the most bitter of winters, warms the soul and on a good day thrills the spirit?

It ain't the Wallabies, nor the Waratahs, nor us in the media, nor the administrators. It is the grass-roots players and fans who are the true torchbearers and of them all, there is surely no better example, than a bloke by the name of Bruce "Crazy" Leigh, who at the age of 64, this afternoon at 12.55pm at Wills Ground, Earlwood, will run out for the Canterbury Rugby Club, for the - count 'em - 800th time!

Can anyone, I wonder, in the history of the world, beat that? Has anyone, ever, in a strong contact sport, turned out for the one club for 44 years? Bravo, Crazy. And well done, oh good and faithful servant of the game.

Debut of dreams

Meantime, right at the other end of the sporting generation, we have young Patrick Miholic who, earlier this year - I've just been informed - turned out for the St Patricks College mighty 5B cricket team, against their Knox Grammar counterparts.

Though Patrick had played his fair share of backyard cricket, this was his first formal match and he was understandably a tad nervous when the captain tossed him the ball, to open the bowling.

But, wouldn't you know it - his first ball was a cherry that knocked over the stumps! Ah, you shoulda heard the cheers, seen the beams! And then he did it again, with his second ball! And then - are you way ahead of me? - did the same with his third ball!

Yes, folks, you thought you'd seen it all, and heard it all, in cricket. But have you ever heard of a cricketer getting a hat-trick with the first three balls of his career? No, me neither. Congratulations to him and, meantime, you gotta love this city!

GOATs amazeballs

TFF has long decried the poor state of nicknames in Australian sport, where the best most teams can do is add a vowel sound to the end of a player or competitor's first or last name and call it a day.

Nickname for the ages: Kelly Slater. Photo: Morgan Maassen

Still, a reader was watching the tube the other day, and noted Mick Fanning discussing his upcoming heat against Kelly Slater at Bells Beach, maintaining, "It's always good to go up against the GOAT". Huh? At this point Barton Lynch broke in and explained that Fanning was referring to Slater's nickname, short for Greatest Of All Time.

What they said

Paul Roos on what has gone wrong with the Swans this year, with just one win from seven starts: "If you go after a player like Buddy your list becomes skinny." Oh go on with you - you know I have to say it. Told yers!

On the Sunday Footy Show, the hosts were asking the Canberra Raiders captain, Jarrod Croker, if any of the players can understand their hooker, Elliott Whitehead, due to his strong northern English accent. The inimitable Freddie Fittler chimed in, saying "You need an interpretator!"

Damien Keogh in the wake of his arrest for alleged possession of a small bag of cocaine: "It's obviously been a very distressing time personally and for the family. I've just been bunkering down and trying to register things. I've stood down as chairman of the Sharks to try and distance myself from that at this stage. The club's in great shape and they'll move forward ..."

Eddie McGuire on the death of Lou Richards, 94: "We've got a statue for him at Collingwood, Channel Seven and Channel Nine should have one, the Herald Sun should have one and the AFL should put one right out the front of AFL House and the players association should bow to it every day."

John Grant talks about his role as chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission with TWO Michael Clarke nominations: " 'John Grant trying to save his skin', it's just rubbish really. It was a commission decision, the com??mission entered the process of negotiation. That John Grant is still here as chairman is a good thing ..."

Where will Chicago Bull Dwyane Wade play basketball next year: "It is a Dwayne Wade decision. At the end of the day, it is a me decision - it's weird talking about yourself in third person sometimes - but it is a Dwyane Wade decision ..." Got it.

John Daly on winning his first PGA Tour Champions title, his first win on PGA Tour since 2004: "It wasn't pretty at the end. But I got it done and that's all that matters." I'd dinkum like to do a biography on Daly, and those two sentences could close out the final chapter, perfectly.

Graham Arnold after Sydney FC's victory: "The premiership, you win and you don't get a medal, you don't get nothing. It's like you play 27 rounds for nothing. Obviously the grand final is the main thing, that is what the Australian way is. So it was good just to finish it off." Speaking of the trophy they won, however, people are right - it really does look like a toilet lid. Odd.

Eugenie Bouchard trashed the return of Maria Sharapova and then defeated her at the Madrid Open: "I had a lot of players coming up to me privately wishing me good luck, players I don't normally speak to, getting a lot of texts from people in the tennis world that were just rooting for me ... it showed me that most people have my opinion, and they were just maybe scared to speak out."

A handful of Dragons fans on the fence at WIN Stadium as Cameron Smith lined up a sideline conversion. "Lollyyyyy legs!" Inevitably, Smith slotted it. My question: what is the etymological origin of that strange call? And what is the etymology of "etymology", while you are at it?

Eliud Kipchoge on running a marathon in 2 hours and 25 seconds: "We are human. We are going up the tree ... I have lifted a branch and I am going onto the next one." Nup. I don't get what he's on about, either.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino: "There are a lot of fake news and alternative facts about FIFA circulating. FIFA bashing has become a national sport in some countries. It was right but FIFA has changed now." Calling public criticism "fake news" has become the knee-jerk reaction for fools and demagogues the world over. Discuss.

Team of the week

Sydney FC. Won the A-League grand final, over the Victory in what I'm told was a fabulous 1-1 draw, finally decided by a penalty shoot-out. And I gather they had a full house, which is more than the Waratahs have had in YEARS, do you hear me, so yers can all get nicked!

Graham Arnold is hoisted by players with the A-League trophy. Photo: Getty Images

Port Adelaide and Gold Coast. Contesting a game this weekend in China.

Easts v Gordon. Contesting a game in Orange, Saturday arvo, broadcast live on 7TWO.

Eliud Kipchoge. To promote a brand of shoe, the Kenyan ran a special kind of marathon last weekend, where he had a series of pacing runners in front to break the wind and suck him along in their wake, while also chasing a green line projected from a car, to show him what pace he needed to crack two hours. He got to within 26 seconds of doing it.

Sydney Swans. Seventh time lucky - won their first game of the season with Buddy kicking eight goals.

Australian Croquet team. Won the MacRobertson Shield, the most coveted international trophy in the game, for the first time since 1935.

Outrun Cancer. An organisation that encourages people to take action against cancer, broke three world records over the weekend all in the name of charity, in this case, Camp Quality - all of them for the furthest distances run on a treadmill in 24 hours.

Luca Turrini. The mastermind behind the above event, ran a staggering 261.18 kilometres over the 24 hours, solo, beating the previous record of 240.4 kilometres. Anyone wants to support this cause and donate to Camp Quality, they can go to www.outruncancer.com?

Eddie McGuire remembers the life and career of Lou Richards.

RIP. Lou Richards. Premiership captain of Collingwood, media superstar, the original "Kiss of Death", died on Monday aged 94.

RIP David Hall. The much-loved president and great servant of the Bondi Icebergs Club died a fortnight ago after a short battle with cancer, aged 53, and was farewelled by hundreds at the Bondi Pavilion last Friday week.

Twitter: @Peter_Fitz