Almanac Rugby League – NRL Round 6: Tipping is a breeze!

 

 

 

This tipping business is a bit of a breeze really, says he coming off a perfect 8/8 in Round 5. Looking ahead to Round 6, there’s only one game that looks like a toss of the coin but more on that later.

 

Round 5 featured a much better, but ultimately insufficient, effort from the Broncos, a long term injury to Latrell Mitchell, a magical try to David Fifita (when he chose to impose himself on the game), a homophobic slur controversy, and the inability of the Cowboys to find a knockout punch against the Warriors who refused to give in. Otherwise it was pretty much business as usual. The main team concerns continue to be the poorer than expected form of both the Dragons and the Knights, the struggles of the Bulldogs to find their best combination, and the miasma that is the Wests Tigers. Then there’s the ongoing confusion about the place of the captain’s call and its misuse to get an earlier refereeing decision reviewed.

 

Up at the top of the ladder, the Panthers roll on even if not at their best, the Storm put in one of their better efforts, the Roosters showed their class when it mattered, the Sharks were clunky but still more than good enough, and the Eels were never really in any great danger against the Titans. The Sea Eagles are also 3-2 but I doubt that too many punters are salivating to get on them.

 

Player of the week: Ryan Papenhuyzen.

 

So we move on to Round 6. The Raiders open the weekend against the Cowboys in Canberra where I think it will be a case of a team that’s good at home showing the way over a team that doesn’t travel all that well. Not much more to say than that. Tomorrow evening, the Rabbitohs, even without Latrell Mitchell, should have too much talent to be troubled by an earnest but undermanned Bulldogs. The main interest will be to see if Cody Walker can regain some form after a couple disappointing outing of late. In the later game, the Panthers will have far too many guns for the Broncos. I felt a bit sorry for Corey Oates last weekend – a hat-trick of tries but still on the losing side. Now that doesn’t happen very often.

 

On Saturday evening, the Sea Eagles are home at ‘Brookie’ (I can’t get used to 4 Pines Park) hosting the Titans. Look, the Titans are not without ability but struggle to put it all together. I can’t see Manly being too troubled, especially with their fanatical supporters in full voice. Later, the Storm take on the Sharks at AAMI Park in the match of the round. The Sharks have been the surprise packet so far with a slick attack (courtesy of buy-of-the-year Nicho Hynes) and a solid defence (based around ironman Dale Finucane), both of who return to their old stomping ground. The Storm seldom lose at home and showed good form last week with Ryan Papenhuyzen in scintillating form. How would you like to get in the way of Justin Olam in full flight? I think the Storm will win the day.

 

Come Sunday and the Roosters will take on the worthy Warriors at the SCG. I’m sticking to my prediction that the Bondi boys will be around when the whips are cracking even though they have yet to be really consistent. With Sam Walker growing in stature every week and an array of talent across the park, I can’t see the Warriors getting a sniff here. There could hardly be a worse choice for the free-to-air TV game than the Dragons v the Knights! Both are well down on form, major disappointments to their fans and desperately in need of premiership points. In their favour, the Dragons are playing at home – but that’s about all there is to recommend them. The Knights look good on paper and have power up front, classy halves, with Best and Ponga waiting out wide. So why aren’t they doing better? With no great confidence I’ll go with the Knights.

 

Easter Monday sees the Eels and the Wests Tigers battling it out. Well, it will be one hell of a battle for the Tigers to make any impression but, in all probability, it will be little more than a run in the park for the Eels. It brings up images of a slick, souped up, white-wall tyred Cadillac convertible up against a clapped out, rust bucket, bald-tyred jalopy. It’s sad, really.

 

So my winners this week are the Raiders, Rabbitohs, Panthers, Sea Eagles, Storm, Roosters, Knights and Eels.

 

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