Round 7 began with another Thursday night horror show with Manly applying the blow torch on an almost pathetic Cowboys at home. It is difficult to believe the Cowboys could play so poorly given their performance the week before, and it must have their administration pulling their hair out as it made No Sense. They offered little resistance and made Manly look like a top four side. Guess what? That is also hard to believe given the situation Manly found themselves in just three weeks ago. Foran has completely turned that ship around for the moment. The injury to Turbo will not help them, but they are certainly playing with spirit right now. Rethink Cowboys almost pathetic statement. Drop the almost!
There were two games on Friday night with the first one being another upset where the Raiders beat the Storm 26 points to 22. We all keep expecting the Storm to win, but they just have not shown the form and look Lost. Canberra can consider themselves a little bit lucky as I felt Young could have been put in the bin late in the match with his high shot on Sua who had to leave the field and was the Storm’s best attacking player. Nevertheless, all credit to the Raiders at home for winning that match. In the final Friday night game, the Panthers ran out winners 23-22 over a very game Dolphins in hot Darwin conditions. The Dolphins looked much better than the rubbish they served up two weeks earlier, and the bye certainly helped them recharge. They certainly did not turn Water into Wine but showed that they can match it with the top sides. Gilbert was very strong and seems to be getting back to his best. I am a bit concerned about the Redcliffe’s halfback’s ability to close the game out. They certainly had opportunities. Jenkins continues on his try scoring way with another double and has become a real crowd pleaser, and Farnworth was outstanding for the Dolphins.
There were three games on Saturday with the first one seeing the Warriors too strong for the Titans who fell back into some of their old patterns of play. That is, get behind early and flash home late to make the score respectable. The Warriors looked better, but I really cannot see either of these sides being in the competition at the end of the Long Dark Road. I am aware the Warriors are currently sitting in second place but I just do not think they have enough stiffness in their defence against the top sides. The second game on Saturday saw the Rabbitohs run out convincing winners over the Dragons to further deepen the hole that they find themselves in. Valentine Holmes is a shadow of the player he once was and desperately needs to find some form as Mitchell made him look like a Choirgirl. In my view, Holmes is a much better winger than centre and Mitchell sure proved that. Su’a being sent off had a real impact and that play had no logical reason. It was a high-risk play and he was deservedly sent from the field. As a result, Flanagan is now in the unemployment queue as the Dragons said Goodbye to him. The final Saturday Night game saw the Broncos just get home over the Tigers in an entertaining match. The Tigers looked slightly disjointed compared to the last two weeks. With Madden not being in there taking control, they just did not click. The Broncos were solid, however, and their injury toll continues to grow, and it will be a while before Maguire is Getting the Band Back Together. All in all, it was an important victory for the Broncos.
There were two games on Sunday. The first saw the Knights get off to a good start but could not keep Shippin’ Steel as the Roosters completely dominated the rest of the game to run out very comfortable winners. Again, the Roosters – if they can play 80 minute footy – can account for and trouble the top sides. Finally, we had the Eels up against the Bulldogs in a game only the most ardent Parra supporters would have thought they had a chance of winning. In what was quite an amazing match, an almost Eels reserve grade side ran out comfortable winners over the Bulldogs who have promised so much this season but have not really delivered. The Dogs languish outside the 8 now, and I am eagerly awaiting Gus’s spin on this one. The Eels were recognising their 1986 Grand Final team and the All for You attitude came through. Whatever the 1986 boys said to them, it needs to be bottled because they were certainly a completely different side to the team that completely submitted to the Titans last week. Once again, the Merry Go Round of tipping is alive and well.
Round 8 starts off with a Thursday night home game for the West Tigers against the Raiders. This is a very interesting matchup with the Tigers are at home at Leichhardt, so a full crowd will be in attendance. Both sides will be looking for a win. For the Tigers, it will really establish them in the top four, something their supporters have had a fair wait for. For the Raiders, they need a win to stay in touch with the top 4. This should be a highly entertaining game as both sides have plenty of speed and do like to throw the ball around. Home ground has me leaning towards the West Tigers.
The first Friday night game has the Cowboys at home to the Sharks. Who knows? What Cowboys team will turn up? If they play anywhere like they did last week, the Sharks will be in Killing Time, but the competition is very topsy turvy at the moment. Drinkwater has to play better than he did last week, and their forwards need to lay out some sort of platform if they are to beat the Cronulla Sharks who are coming off the bye. The second Friday night match has the Broncos at home to the Bulldogs. The Broncos are leaking injured players galore but, on last week’s Canterbury performance, you would have to think at home the Broncos will trouble the Bulldogs. Several of the Broncos squad players are getting their chance to show what they have. And Reynolds, even though he is a week-to-week proposition, certainly gives them great direction. The loss of Haas is massive for the Broncos, whilst the Bulldogs are close to full strength, and Crichton is a big in.
The traditional ANZAC Day clash is on Saturday with the Dragons at home to the Roosters, albeit at Alliance Stadium. The Dragons, with a new coach, will need to conjure up the spirit of the ANZAC if there to be any hope against the Roosters, who should put them away comfortably. The Illawarra Flame Trees represent passion and fire, so hopefully the fire breathing out of the Dragons will appear in this match. The Warriors are at home to the Dolphins, and it will be interesting to see if the Dolphins can back up last week’s better effort against Penrith. It is One Long Day for teams travelling to NZ and the Dolphins are going from the 30-degree heat of Darwin to the 14 degrees of Auckland. I am not sure about the Warriors even though they sit in the top 4. But this would be a game that they would expect to win. The last Saturday night game has the Storm at home to South Sydney. I guess there is a case that we just must stick with the Storm because we cannot see them losing 6 on the trot. However, the Rabbitohs last week made a complete mess of St George. Mitchell of course was very good, but he does have to cut out some of the unnecessary nonsense in his game because Souths cannot afford to not have Mitchell on the paddock.
Sunday has the Knights at home with the Panthers, and I would think that the freewheeling Panthers would be too strong in this match. Cleary would clearly be thinking You Got Nothing I Want when he compares the rosters. They have had their little hiccup this season and things seem to be back on track now. The interest will be whether ‘Milky’ Jenkins can make it 8 games in a row to score two tries. I think that is a real possibility. Finally, the surprise packet of the Sea Eagles over the last three rounds plays the absolute surprise packet of the Eels from Round 7. The Eels certainly got up for the game last week and played extremely well against a disappointing Canterbury. But I think Manly will just have a few too many guns this week. It is hard to believe but When the War is Over, or seemingly over, Manly could be in the top four at the end of next week. And when you consider where they were three weeks ago, that is quite an amazing turnaround.
Last week’s embedded music clue was off from the great Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel. I used the song Four Walls. It is a melancholic song about the daily grind of prison life and I thought it fitted with the mood of the Storm dressing shed after their loss to the Warriors Four Walls was off Cold Chisel’s third album – the classic ‘East’ and the song is a fan favourite late in concerts. See if you can find this week’s clue.
The Jimmys First 13
1 Jimmy Tedesco 2 Jimmy McManus 3 Jimmy Roberts 4 Jimmy Lisle 5 Jimmy Grant 6 Jimmy Maloney7 Jimmy Craig (Captain Coach) 8 Jimmy Morgan 9 Jimmy Sedaris 10 Jimmy Graham 11 Jimmy Patterson12 Jimmy Leis 13 Jimmy Dymock. Manager Keith Barnes
Round 8 Tips
Wests Tigers, Sharks, Broncos, Roosters, Warriors, Storm, Panthers, Manly.
I beat the Prop Tipping Comp Leaderboard
1 Gerry (35) 2 Gladstone (34) 3 Souffs, Flying Mattress and Banksy (who clearly is still not tipping his Dragons) (33).
Keep it up Gerry, and Gladstone45 (better known as The Ox). The top ESPN score at the end of Rd 6 is 42 which 5 tipsters have.
My Pre Season Top Eight
1 Penrith, 4 Rabbitohs, 5 Roosters, 6 Cronulla, 9 Brisbane, 10 Bulldogs, 11 Cowboys, 15 Melbourne.
Odd Fact
I couldn’t have Cold Chisel as the band and not use their most famous song, The battle at Khe Sanh (one of the largest US bases in South Vietnam near the DMZ on the border of North Vietnam and the Laotian border) was a siege that took place from 21st January to the 9th July 1968 and Australian involvement was predominantly through the RAAF 2nd Squadron providing air support, Many young Rugby League players were sent to Vietnam. Some notables include Newtown’s Bill Ryan, West’s Alan Keato, East’s Harry Dalton and Billy Thomas, and St George’s Spencer Walklate.
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Prop, how can you tip the Storm? Equally, how can you not tip them to break this crazy streak? Like you, I’ve gone with Melbourne because I simply can’t conceive of them losing six on the trot. Is there a shrink in the house?
Murray (my golden retriever, named after Cameron) has tipped with his heart – tipped South Sydney
I think it’s a huge mental hurdle for South Sydney in Melbourne.
I hope my pooch is right …
South record against Melbourne is abysmal and storms. Recent performances have been poor so I was left with no option but to take the storm apologies to your pooch RITV.