Broncos Bookie Busters! Well, the Courier Mail says it all in its headline. One round completed and the Broncos have the Bookmakers facing a million dollar wipeout! That will just about do me. They easily beat the Roosters relatively new lineup, and if you had read that great Tabloid for the last two weeks, it was the walk in the park their journos suggested. The Roosters were poor, and the loss of Radley was a killer blow. Hunt was very good and I thought Cobbo was back to his best. The faithful of course almost have the premiership trophy at Red Hill but as Samuel Butler said, “what is faith but a kind of speculation after all.”
The two games on Friday night were both entertaining because of the score but neither were of great quality. The first match had the Tigers up against the Knights and it was an entertaining game because of the closeness of the score but it is difficult to see these two sides troubling some of the top sides given this performance. The Tigers did give some hope to their supporters and will be a better side when Bula and Koroisau return this week.
The second game saw the Rabbits take on the Dolphins and again it was a close game. Realistically, the Dolphins should have beaten the Rabbits but their execution was poor. It was a shame to see young winger Munro injured because he certainly looks like an excitement machine and knows how to get to the try line. I was wanting to see how both Gray and Hubner went and both performed very well for the Rabbits. The Dolphins, on the other hand, looked disjointed at times and I don’t think their halves controlled the game to win at this level. Humphries certainly had a good game for Souths and that puts pressure on their big offseason signing, the Englishman Dodd, who will spend the week in NSW Cup.
Saturday’s doubleheader saw the Bulldogs too strong for St George and the four tries they scored between the 30th and 50thminute meant the game was all over. Again, I think it will be a long season for St George and I’m still not sure, as I continually say, about the Bulldogs in the middle of the field.
I thought the Manly and Cowboys match would be the game of the round but what a mistake that was. Manly were outstanding in this match and their big names all performed well. If the Turbo can keep that form and stay injury free he will trouble every side in the competition and DCE was running around like a 19-year-old. Add Olakau’atu to that list as he was very dangerous on the Manly right edge. At the same time the Cowboys were very, very poor and have a lot of work to do. Neither Purdue or Duffy had game to remember and Nannai has been dropped after a sub-par performance.
On Sunday Melbourne completely blew Parramatta off the park. Melbourne, as always, were very good first up and certainly they are in the calculations for September even at this early stage.
Round 2 starts start off on Thursday with the Knights up against the Dolphins. Given the short turn around for the Dolphins and the problems they have encountered over the last week in terms of travel, training and turmoil, I think the Knights will be too strong for them.
On Friday night there’s a double header with the first game being the Warriors up against the Sea Eagles. I can’t see how it’s possible for the Warriors to win, even though they’re at home. The Sea Eagles, based on their first round performance, will be too strong. Likewise in the second match, it’s impossible to see the Roosters beating Penrith at home (even though they’re playing at Comm Bank stadium for the next 2 years). The Roosters were just too poor last week, and the Panthers won’t take lethargy into this game.
Saturday has three matches, the first of which has the Dragons up against the Rabbitohs. Even though the Rabbits were good last week they will have to play to that form, or they may struggle against the Dragons. Worrying for the Dragons were the soft tries Canterbury were able to score. The Rabbitohs are in with a big chance if they play with the commitment they did last week and could start the season 2-0. The Cowboys play in the second game against Cronulla and given the Sharks’ performance, which I thought was very good in Las Vegas, I can’t see how the Cowboys, even though there at home, can turn this around. I think Cronulla may be way too strong and the Cowboys will be winless. The last game on Saturday has the Raiders at home to the Broncos and of course the headlines have told us what’s going to happen. The Broncos have their eyes on premiership glory. I hope Madge has let them know it’s a long season and this is a game they have to put away.
Sunday has two matches, the first of which has the Eels up against the West Tigers. This may be a chance for Wests to show their supporters that they are going to get off the bottom of the ladder. As I mentioned before, with Api and Bula back they are close to putting their strongest lineup on the field. May looked good for the Tigers and the Roosters fans must wonder what went on there. They should be able to get over Parramatta who were woeful last week against Melbourne. Moses is still out, and Dylan Brown has announced he will be leaving the club on a massive deal at the end of the season. The 2022 beaten Grand Finalists looked and played like a rabble. The final match has the Titans in their first game of the season up against the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs are a side that don’t make mistakes, and they defend well even though they leaked late points against St George. The Titans on their day can beat anyone so this is an interesting game, but I think the Bulldogs, given that they are at home and started well last week may be a bit too strong. But with the Titans you just never know.
Top Eight (in order): 1 Melbourne, 2 Brisbane, 3 Manly, 6 Penrith, 8 Souths, 12 Cronullaargh, 15 Cowboys, 16 Roosters.
The Prospector sent me this little gem for thought after the first round:
Halfbacks.
I know the Prop, regardless of whether he is looking at the sea, the canefields or at coal mines at Blackwater (note, looking not working) only acknowledges the existence of 3 sports, only two of which involves humans as the main players. Rugby League and to a lesser extent cricket. So, to compare the two.
The great batsmen, Bradman, Ponting, Border could all play off the back or the front foot. They could pulverise the opposition with devastating pulls and cuts when the ball was short. Halfbacks, it seems, cannot play off the back foot. Not even the greatest of them. Average ones and inexperienced ones seemingly have no chance.
You had to feel for young Volkman as his team was swept away by a purple wave on Sunday. The few opportunities he had, he squandered with poor choices and kicking. Young Duffy met the same fate as the Turbo-charged Eagles ran roughshod over the Cowboys. The same for Metcalf at the Warriors, Townsend at the Roosters and Hynes at the Sharks. The worry was that it was an even contest , unlike the others.
The good news is that it is only Round 1. History (and Crash Craddock) suggests that no team is as good, or as bad, as they appear in Round 1. Hopefully, for these guys, no halfback is as bad as they appear in Round 1.
Premiership winning teams invariably have a great halfback. Cronk 6#, Cleary 4 and counting, Sterling 4, Langer 4, Stuart 3, Johns 2. Throw in Thurston, Cherry Evans, Prince, Sherwin, Brandy Alexander to name a few. The outliers are few, Shane Perry (Brisbane 2006) and Chad Townsend (Cronulla 2016) come to mind.
Nice work Prospector and I assume my third sport is Horse Racing. The problem is, the ones I’ve been backing lately have been coming home so late they are tiptoeing into the stables!
Fact Stat for the day
An odd fact was pointed out to me the other day. No NRL player has had Alfred as a Christian or Surname. Looking to see if anyone can list some famous Alfreds. I threw up Alfred Songoro but he never played NRL for the Broncos.
I started the Almanac Tipping comp with a solid 7/8 which puts me in the top 46,000 Tipsters. It’s not too late to download the ESPN tipping app, find the Almanac 25 tipping comp and use the password Sattler.
You will only be 1 behind Mattress’s Mum and 3 behind former Brisbane Brothers half Grubby Half Back, Blackwater Centrals wing ¾ The Crabman, and Bundy Brothers tough as teak forward smithy_65. They hold positions 36, 37, 38 and 39 in a 39-person competition! Good news folks – the only way is up!
You gotta love footy!
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The Prospector makes a good point, Prop. If your pack is going backwards, the poor old halfback will always be scrambling. It’s one of the axioms of the code. On the flip side, a dominant pack can make even an average No. 7 look good. Hence that other iron law of rugby league, ‘forwards win matches’.
The top 4 of your top 8 look most likely to share the spoils this year, especially after round 1 performances.
Great start to the year prop, grubby half back marker of 10 out of 10 mate, keep up the good work and loved the prospector’s column and fact . Half backs get all the glory, all the criticism, and all the money. Lastly I feel bad I am beating your mum in the tips but I’ll take it lol
Look on the bright side GHB- my mum is about to turn 85 so you are going all right and readers will be able to follow your progress. In Dylan Browns case he really is getting all the money and he is about to get the criticism and I’m not sure about the glory! Maybe the Rat could give us an insight!
Something I have often wondered whenever i stray into listening/reading about this competition. Why are Souths referred to as the Rabbitohs, and the Rabbits (or even Bunnies)? Surely they are the Rabbitohs in all contexts?