If I was going to rate the footy shows, NRL on Fucks is my pick as they actually spend most of the time talking about footy. As does Barefoot Rugby League on NITV. Both are streets ahead of The Footy Show which is just in a long, sad decline. And after watching uneven, occasionally amusing but often forced The Matty Johns show, free to air TV is still waiting for a decent TV show about the NRL.
Which brings us to round 3 where things are still unsettled. An almighty round of footy awaits. Onto the tips!
Wests v Parramatta, Frinday 7:35pm, SFS
Whereby I attend my first NRL match of the season with Bismark O’Measles. We’ll be in Bay 35 so if you see us on TV, be sure to wave. Two of most entertaining sides on the comp who both like to go for the miracle win. It should be an exciting game. But the Eels have the better defensive structure and will be riding some emotion for this game. The Eels will have 14 players on the field and that will be too much for the Tigers.
St George Illawarra v North Queensland. Friday 7:35pm, WIN Stadium
Can Jonathan Thurston engineer another come from behind performance? He has been amazing the past two games but surely this casts doubt about the over all commitment of the Cowboys for the full 80 minutes. Unlike the Dragons who have started the season controlled and ruthless. Which will be too much for the Cowboys. All one-man shows have their off nights.
Penrith v Melbourne, Saturday 5:30pm, CUA Stadium
What does a Panther fan do? A side with definite talent that still has trouble comprehending that game goes for 80 minutes. The Storm will be a stern test as the Storm are showing early in the season the qualities that have made them the grand finalists for the past five seasons. I’d love to see an upset to rattle the competition but the Storm are too well structured for Penrith to overcome.
Manly v Newcastle, Saturday 7:30pm, Gosford Stadium
Manly are favourites for this game which is a little surprising. The Knights have played far more committed footy this season and $2.30 (at time of writing) is a good price. But the Knights like to play tricks on me. I write them off, they win. I tip them, they lose. It will be tough game. But Manly will be suffering from last week and another door tearing spray from Dessie may not be enough for the Knights enthusiasm.
Gold Coast v Canberra, Saturday 9:30pm, Skilled Stadium
The Raiders can be too polite for their own good at times. On Monday, they did everything they could to let Brisbane back into the game. Lucky for them, the Broncos proved just as talented in dropping the ball at the wrong time. The Titans haven’t been exactly brilliant this season but at home, they are good odds to get the points.
Brisbane v New Zealand, Sunday 2:00pm, Suncorp Stadium
With Corey Norman out, the Broncos are really struggling at the back. Fullback is a key position as in the past Hunt would work beautifully off Lockyer and Norman was showing signs he had the goods. The Broncos are ripe for the picking as apart from Lockyer, they lack attacking options. Not to say the Warriors are much better. And being on the road they are usually a safe bet for the loss. The Warriors could spring an upset but play is safe with the Broncos.
Canterbury Bankstown v Easts, Sunday 3:00pm, ANZ Stadium
The Bulldogs are a better side with Ennis back but even then, their game has been slow and predictable. A contrast to the Roosters who have found new life under coach Smith. Pearce and Carney are playing great footy and I can’t work out why the punters have the Dogs slight favourites. Easts deserve your money as they have the form. I sense the Bulldogs are starting to slide.
Cronulla v South Sydney, Monday 7:00pm, Toyota Park
While John Morris has been a decent player off the bench, long time students of the game will understand why having him at half back is a sign of desperation. Maybe Stuary is justified in dropping the players but the Sharks sides still looks week. Another half back in trouble is Chris Sandow. He has the talent but yet to show anything this year that justifies his spot in first grade. And the Souths’ forwards are also having a hard time justifying the money paid for them. But this game will be one where Souths start repaying the long suffering faithful. And if they don’t, a long season looms for the cardinal and myrtle.
The Sure Thing: The Dragons.
The Roughy: Try the Sharks. Souths seem to be back into old habits.
11 responses so far ↓
Bismark O'Measles // Mar 26, 2010 at 12:01 am
Like them all except the Tigers (derrrrr) and fancy the Raiders having a dip against the Titans who, I think, played crap last week and were lucky to sponge a win against the Buns who really should have taken their chances when they had them.
Tell you what Shaun, let’s torture ourselves by running around the Domain for best part of an hour tomorrow in order to build up a thirst for the big game.
Little Pixi Frou-Frou is looking forward to it!
BOM
Mountain Boy // Mar 26, 2010 at 8:31 am
Tigers – Parra 14 players ? The ref is will actually don blue and gold this week? In a similar vein, I think the NRL is well known for their return favours to even things up. They will try for the result, this week, which in their eyes, makes up last weeks blunder – *and no team gets more second half ball than the Tigers.
St George – I cringe every time I pick this team. A game plan based on doing nothing exciting, and all 13 on the paddock coached in the art of pulling penalties. It’s difficult to watch. I would have much more respect for this team if they weren’t so set on milking penalties every time they are tackled. It shows year in year out, it takes more than this to win a comp. but is effective in winning a fair share of club matches.
Melbourne – I can’t pick Penrith here. They proved last week, the simple dummy – is still some kind of magic trick in the face of a Panther. Simple solution: tackle the player in front of you, regardless of whether the player shapes to pass or not. Wingers don’t come in off your wing, mark your opposing winger and back yourself. Do this Panthers and you have a big chance. Otherwise, its Melbourne.
Newcastle – I know I said favours get returned, and don’t be surprised if Manly get lots of favours here. I still don’t think it will be enough though to beat Newcastle – that club in crisis.
Canberra – The Coast a lot like the Dragons, don’t play real flash, but effective. Problem I see is the unpredictable Raiders can cause grinding teams problems (making them play flashier than they want to, and bringing about errors). Canberra to capitalise. (Pardon the pun)
New Zealand – Broncos showed they are not impregnable, and the big men in black to continue where the Raiders left off.
Easts – Bulldogs are the rabble I thought they would be last year. I still have difficulty knowing where their success came from. The team certainly hasn’t changed except for a winger who kicks goals – that shouldn’t decide games week in week out. Someone is not telling that the family club is having a few domestic problems.
Cronulla – Local derby of sorts and sharks to finally break through for a well deserved win in 2010.
Senexx // Mar 26, 2010 at 11:29 am
Regrettably the Eels
Dragons
Storm
Sea Eagles
Titans
Broncos
Bulldogs – roughie
Sharks to break the 9 month duck
Mountain Boy // Mar 26, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Only 71,764th in fantasy comp. Sounds like I qualify to be an NRL coach.
Bismark O'Measles // Mar 26, 2010 at 4:49 pm
Roy Masters on J Hayne :
“Hayne can elude a tackler in a phone booth. He wrong-foots defenders, plunging them in some unseen white water that leaves them at war with their own momentum, groping desperately upstream. He is the bus passenger who does not like the look of his stop and keeps going.”
Good luck tonight Shaun!
Senexx // Mar 26, 2010 at 9:28 pm
Never been happier to get a tip wrong. Just wished I changed it in the tipping comp once I heard Mortimer was out.
Bismark O'Measles // Mar 26, 2010 at 10:47 pm
Yep and Burt.
Great game. Very happy, not only do I get the tip, I won $50 on Centrebet and Shaun now owes me lunch! He he.
I thought JH was flat tonight. The Tigers effectively shut him down but he looked … ill.
Benji and Lote rock & Lawrence C lost an ear – suspected chewed off by FuiFui
I hope Shaun hasn’t fallen asleep on the train to Gosford…..
BOM
Shaun // Mar 27, 2010 at 2:04 pm
I did not fall asleep but seems there was some commotion on the trip home. The police met the train at Gosford and someone was escorted off by the guards. Apparently whatever the incident was happened in my carriage. I didn’t hear a thing as I was listening to my iPod.
Back to the game, I watched the replay on Fox and still the same result. Full credit to the Tigers as they out enthused the Eels. A great defensive display to set up Benji’s brilliance.
A consolation is that Benji is the captain of my fantasy team.
Bismark O'Measles // Mar 28, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Stupid game football.
Started the weekend three from three and have ended up three from seven!
I’m not watching the Roosters any more. They’re soft in the middle and timid on both wings – I’ve not seen a wing defender take a forward step all afternoon.
Stupid game tipped by stupid people (eg: me)
Bismark O’Stupid
Shaun // Mar 28, 2010 at 8:50 pm
C’mon Souths. Grab your first win and at least allow me to break even for this round.
The Dogs were good. Even the ball bounced their way on a couple time. Which makes me wonder how the game would have turned out if Pearce’s 40-20 in the 2nd half had found the line. The Roosters were on a roll, just scored two tries and behind by 16 pts – nothing these days. It would have given them a great chance to attack.
But the ball landed on it’s point and bounced away from the line and the Dogs went back up field and Idris was over a few minutes later.
It is a funny game.
Shaun // Mar 29, 2010 at 9:02 pm
The Bunnies open their account. But Souths fans should not take to much away from the game. The woeful Sharks disguised some very ordinary play by the Bunnies.
Sutton should have carved the Sharks up but was very quiet and Sandow didn’t really spark much in attack. 5th tackle options were still poor. Much of the game plan seemed to be try and barge over the line. No good against better teams.
I did feel sorry for the Sharks’ Albert Kelly. He had a horror night under the high ball. And then after dropping about three copped a hit without the ball from Sandow for his troubles.