Full-time: Manly Sea Eagles 40, Melbourne Storm 0. Never mind analysis of the game, analysis of the Storm press conferences when available.

Item One - Newtown 8 Wentworthville 12. After a record 24 minutes of sudden-death extra-time and nineteen missed attempts at golden point field goals by both sides, the Maggies ended it with a try. For the second time in three years, the Bluebags have lost the NSWRL Cup GF in extra time after falling for a kick-a-field-goal-from-anywhere-on-the-ground strategy. Credit where it's due - Wenty dominated the second half and the bulk of the extra time.

The only game that matters today kicks off at 12.15pm. Newtown will face Wentworthville in the NSWRL Cup (Reserve Grade in a past life) Final. It's revenge time for the Jets, having lost a golden-point Grand Final to Parramatta in 2006. The Wenty Magpies are the Eels' proxy in this year's reserve grade comp.

My pick: Newtown by 14.

As I predicted, the composition of Marrickville Council was unchanged after the September 13 elections, despite the increased primary vote to the Greens. Still Greens 5, Labor 4, independents 3, though there are six new faces (three Greens, three Labor).

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"She started with nothing, and put the house on the line 20 years ago to get a sufficient loan from the bank, initially it was a private loan and then she had to put the house on the line later on, in order to build up the business.... So, she started from scratch. Built it up. Good on her. And she’s done that, I’ve got to say, without any help from me, which is probably why she succeeded."

- Therese Rein's husband, 18.9.08 (source: www.pm.gov.au)

"I know what it's like to be very short of money. I know what it's like to live in rented flats. I know what it's like to grow up with a single parent, with no support other than a devoted and loyal father." And with that, the Honourable Member for Wentworth, 20th century internet millionaire, barista barrister, BRW rich lister and merchant banker Malcolm Bligh Turnbull announced to the plebeians that he is just One Of Us.

Make no mistake, Brendan Nelson has been a brave man. He took over the leadership of the Liberal Party last November when it was at a low ebb. It had been decimated in the federal election, the previous leader had lost his own seat, and the man many thought to be the natural successor (Peter Costello) wanted to move on. It was Dr Nelson's task to rebuild the party's stocks and to make it a competitive policy force for the future.

If ever there was proof needed that the Large Hadron Collider is destabilising the remnants of New South Wales politics, comes today's email from ex-Health Minister Reba Meagher to Australian Associated Press, confirming that she made no attempt to inform Premier Rees on Saturday before telling the media of her intention to quit politics.

Said media outlet takes up the story.