Broncos at home, enough said
Posted: April 29, 2011 Filed under: NRL round 8 | Tags: Brisbane Broncos vs Bulldogs, Broncos at home, footy tips round 8, nrl footy, NRL news, nrl round 8, rugby league blog, rugby league tips, Six More Tackles, Souths vs Cronulla Leave a comment »
The big one tonight is Brisbane against the Dogs, and it’s fairly safe to say the Broncos at home should dispose of a feisty Canterbury outfit.
All we really need to know is that Darren Lockyer looks like Dally Messenger out there right now. According to NRL.com.au, the legendary half had 46 touches last week and no errors. That’s just nuts. That’s hard enough to do with the lights off.
…huh?
Plus, Lockyer made 10 kicks for 376 metres . Go outside and try cover that amount of ground with twenty kicks. Honestly.
In the second Friday game, the bookies are giving Souths the edge over the Sharks, at a $1.40 for the win. That sounds a little like an enticement bet. The Rabbits, strong favourites…really? Next thing they’ll be telling us James Cameron is an amazing movie director. Oh wait, they already fed us that line.
Bennett’s decision lingers over Knights
Posted: April 12, 2011 Filed under: NRL round 5 | Tags: Brisbane Broncos, brisbane defeats newcastle, footy, footy blog, footy news, league cores, league news, Newcastle Knights, NRL blog, rugby league blog, South Sydney rabbitohs, wayne bennett Leave a comment »
Brisbane put the sleeper hold on the Knights last night, lulling them into a soft surrender. The Knights, though they tried several times, couldn’t post any points in the second half – a testament to the lock down Broncos defence.
Brisbane controlled possession, which meant when they were on the back foot, they had enough petrol in the tank to thwart the Knights. That’s just sensible football.
But maybe Newcastle was distracted by Planet Bennett, who the entire sports world currently revolves around. Will he coach the Knights? Won’t he coach the Rabbits?
Who cares.
The season 2011 season is still in progress and Newcastle should keep that front of mind. Though it doesn’t help when the media is obsessed by Bennett. When are they going to realise fans care more about what’s happening on the field than off it?
They won’t. Stay tuned for a report on Wayne’s favourite movies in this week’s footy lift-out.
Footy tips: round 5
Posted: April 7, 2011 Filed under: NRL round 5 | Tags: footy tipping, footy tips, nrl round 5 picks, NRL tips, rugby league picks, rugby league tips Leave a comment »
Some quick tips for round 5:
- The Titans have struggled, so it’s hard to see them trouble the Cowboys at home. The Boys lead the league in line breaks. Could be a long night for the Gold Coast.
- Warriors against Roosters should be a good contest Saturday. While smart money is with Sydney, the Warriors will be at Mt. Smart. So, the Kiwis might just lodge back to back wins here.
- The Panthers are at home too, which is never an easy trip for the opposition. But Canberra half Matt Orford has something to prove this week, meaning it won’t be surprising if the Green Machine fire up behind him.
- The Sea Eagles need to overcome a rough start and the Sharks like their home crowd – a compelling match-up awaits. Cronulla haven’t looked too shabby and they’ll be pumped for this Saturday night North vs South fixture.
- Just 9% of tipsters are taking Parra over the Storm on Oztips.com. This wreaks of an upset waiting to happen.
- The Broncos should dominate the Knights, especially with their stellar defence that allows just ten points per game.
- Yes the Dragons are the attractive tip here. But the Bulldogs have had plenty of bite this year. It’s a prime time game and the Doggies like the SCG. Throw them a friggin bone.
- And as per our previous post, the Tigers enjoy a little Rabbit stew. Who doesn’t really?
Tigers on pre-Easter hunt
Posted: April 7, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: footy blog, footy round 5, footy tipping week 5, Friday Night Football, nrl at sfs, NRL blog, nrl footy week 5, NRL round 5, NRL tips, nrl tips for week 5, rugby league blog, SFS, South Sydney rabbitohs, souths vs wests, tigers vs rabbitohs, Wests Tigers Leave a comment »
It’s the heritage round of the NRL this weekend, and you couldn’t ask for a better match up on Friday night: Tigers v Bunnies at the SFS.
These games in Sydney city are always colossal, buoyed by a solid fan base for both clubs. No doubt Souths will have the edge in support and possibly a stronger connection to the heritage theme, but it seems a little premature to write-off the Tigers at this early stage.
Sure, Wests posted a dismal six points last week. But as Gus Gould alluded to in his Monday column, an under strength side performed well and deserved more. Furthermore, logic says it’s crazy to go against Benji Marshall and Robbie Farrah on the big stage. And accordingly, the TAB are doing their best to tempt some sneaky bets, posting the Tigers as $2.45 outsiders.
Maybe the Souths Bandwagon has finally reached tipping point. Maybe it’s because it’s Easter. Whatever. This game has potential to leave experts with a little festive egg on their faces.
Bears need to be in NRL
Posted: April 3, 2011 Filed under: NRL round 4 | Tags: eels vs cowboys, luke burt, newtown jets, north sydney bears, north sydney oval, norths bears, norths vs newtown, nrl heritage clubs, nrl history, NRL round 4, Parramatta Eels, queensland cowboys Leave a comment »
The North Sydney Bears may have lost to Newtown on Saturday afternoon, but they certainly showed they are worthy of inclusion in the NRL.
Forget the fact that the Bears are one of League’s heritage teams, or that they have a superbly loyal fan base, or even that their home ground is one of the oldest and greatest parks in New South Wales – top flight footy just isn’t the same without the Bears.
The Jets were too fast and strong for a seemingly smaller North Sydney side in round 4, carving up the middle of the park with darting runs and quick offloads. The Bears played well, however, with some crafty play making from the backline and a decent kicking game. The final score was 34-24, though Norths gave their fans plenty to cheer about on what was a chilly afternoon.
Bottom line, there aren’t many community-based footy teams like the Bears and so, if their Central Coast proposal can garner more support, it’d be beaut to see them in the NRL mix. Let’s face it, do we really need more Queensland clubs?
In other news, the Eels got back on track with a thrilling win over the Cowboys, buoyed by Luke Burt’s 111th club try, a new record. Brett Kenny, the previous record holder, still retains Parra’s best ever moustache award.
Will the Dragons win one for the Gipper?
Posted: March 30, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Darren Lockyer retires, footy tips, Knights vs Dragons, league tips, Newcastle Knights, NRL picks, NRL round 4, NRL tips, rugby league round 4, st george dragons, Wayne Bennett retires Leave a comment »
This week, Wayne Bennett said 2011 will be his last year with the Dragons. So now, in the space of a few days, we have the great player Darren Lockyer calling it quits and the great coach calling it quits. Whos’ next? The great commentator – Rabs?
Everyone loves a timely retirement. There’s no point in over staying your welcome, or waiting until the magic turns sour. But what’s with retirement announcements three weeks into a new season? Are these things spur of the moment or preconceived for dramatic effect? Why not wait until season’s end?
Makes you think. Perhaps it’s all about inspiring the club to loftier heights. The old, “win one for the Gipper” routine. Who’s the Gipper? Well, back in 1920s Indiana, football coach Knute Rockne rallied his underdog Notre Dame to a famous victory over Army by telling them their ill teammate Gipper had made it his dying his wish the team win one for him. So in this analogy, yes, Bennett is the Gipper and he wants the team to win a Grand Final for him. (Basketball fans may prefer the Gene Hackman – Hoosiers version of the story).
This week the Dragons face the Knights in Newcastle and look favourites. But will they have enough against a Knights side, who despite a loss to Manly last round, have piled on the points in the first three weeks of the season?
Panthers tamed by Sharks
Posted: March 28, 2011 Filed under: NRL round 3 | Tags: Cronulla Sharks, NRL news, NRL round 3, NRL scores, penrith panthers, sharks beat panthers, sharks v panthers Leave a comment »
You either love or hate the fact that NRL teams can be so up and down these days. On the one hand it’s an even competition; on the other, it’s a tipsters nightmare.
It’s definitely not like the glorious Eighties when Manly and Parra walloped everyone, or the real old days when you could bet the farm on Saints and Souths. It’s a new era, where parity is the norm and every bloke on the field has a tattoo.
Look, it’s well and good to have the NRL’s talent spread around evenly, and to have fan bases in every pocket of the country – everyone loves a good contest and to have their team in the mix. But is it really worth having such erratic performances? Case in point: the Panthers took it to the Eels last week – just tore them up. This week they fell apart against a Sharks club that hasn’t done much of anything in, well, a while. There’s just no logical reason a side sticks it to a team as talented as Parra and then mails it in against Cronulla for a total of 12 points. It’s almost as inconsistent as the Police Academy series, where I and II were solid, III tapered off, IV was decent, but V never stood a chance without Mahoney. (Who even saw VI and VII?)
A quick look at the stats reveal a mostly even contest Saturday, especially in time of possession. And the Sharks only marginally out ran the Panthers in total metres and overall hit ups. The most telling stat is the line breaks, 11 to 2 in favour of Cronulla. That just translates as poor frontline defence for Penrith, which appears to be the underlining factor for unreliable teams. Tipsters take note.
Bon Jovi NRL post has 10,000 fans
Posted: March 25, 2011 Filed under: NRL Bon Jovi | Tags: 2011 NRL ad, Bon Jovi Facebook, Bon Jovi song for NRL, bon jovi This is our House, NRL ad, NRL promo, NRL theme for 2011 Leave a comment »
It’s great to see that Bon Jovi posted the new NRL promo on their Facebook page this month and received almost 11,000 “likes” for it. Now the NRL just needs to lock them in for a live rendition of “This is Our House” at the Grand Final. Worst case, Tina Turner fills in. Absolute worst, Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
Broncos v Titans: it’s on for young and old
Posted: March 25, 2011 Filed under: NRL round 3 | Tags: Anthony Laffranchi, Brisbane Broncos, Darren Lockyer, Esi Tonga, footy tips, gold coast titans, gold coast vs brisbane, NRL blog, nrl friday night footy, NRL round 3, NRL tips, rugby league blog, Six More Tackles, six more tackles blog Leave a comment »
Just about everyone has written off the Gold Coast Titans after only two games. So you’d have to think it’s a perfect scenario for a resurgence this week against the Broncos.
So what have they got going for them, aside from very, very colourful uniforms?
Well, the papers are calling the Titans old, but maybe they’re just experienced. You don’t write off Michael Douglas movies just because he’s gone grey, do you? The man can still carry a flick folks.
Secondly, they’re welcoming back Anthony Laffranchi, Brad Meyers and Esi Tonga to the line-up. That’s a big boost right there, if only because it’s fun to hear Laffranchi’s name belted out during a telecast.
Thirdly, they’re at home and desperate for a win (not that this helped last time they met the Bris Vegas crew). But home is home, and the fans will be behind their boys for a Friday night derby.
Yes, the Broncos are looking good but can they back up on the road? Not sure. Darren Lockyer, some might say, is “old”.
Can the Eels loosen up against Souths?
Posted: March 24, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Eels v Souths, Eels vs Rabbits, Friday Night Football, jarryd hayne, league 2011, league news, NRL blog, NRL March 25, NRL picks, NRL round 3, Parra vs Souths, Parramatta Eels, rugby league blog Leave a comment »
The Eels were pretty awful last week. Mostly because their footy was so one dimensional, so direct. Charging at the defender in front of you might be effective against smaller, inexperienced front rowers but the Panthers hardly suffer from such shortcomings.
Why did Parramatta coach Stephen Kearney think his guys could bust through the likes of Petero Civoniceva and Tim Grant from dummy-half? Each had 24 tackles on the night.
Kearney’s all about mistake-free footy and that means fewer offloads – or even better, no offloads. But the new toned-down Eels are playing too conservatively, which is – let’s be honest – uninspiring for fans used to the razzle dazzle of recent years.
The grind-it-out style might help the Eels in the long term but when you’re in a hole twenty points against an above par squad like Penrith, how are you supposed to make up the difference? The answer is you can’t, especially when your best player had no line breaks and just two offloads against the feisty Mountain Men. Jarryd Hayne’s contribution may need to change against Souths this week if the Eels hope to tally more than six points.
