Well, Round 27 went pretty much the way it was expected to play out. In the first match, the Storm were way too strong for a very disappointing Broncos outfit. A very poor year for the Broncos and they will need more than club reviews to solve their issues!
The first Friday night game saw the Eels absolutely wallop the Tigers. I didn’t see that one coming and the Tigers were terrible. A full house at home for the Tigers in the Spoon Bowl and they played like deserved wooden spooners. The second match had the Roosters proving themselves too strong for the Rabbitohs, although they livened up with some points late in the game, which certainly didn’t look good for the Roosters going to the finals. Souths were also very poor this season again!
Saturday had three games. The first one saw a mighty Raiders comeback playing well to knock the Dragons out of final eight contention, allowing the Raiders to sit hoping for the draw in the final game on Sunday. The Cowboys proved too strong for the Bulldogs and the Panthers were too strong for the Titans. The Titans ended up again outside the 8 and, as per always, we look forward to what they might be able to do next year. Meanwhile, The Panthers look set for the final series.
On Sunday, there were two games that were both important. The Sea Eagles were poor against the Sharks and once again the Sharks, my bogey side, proved to be way too strong. If only I could tip the Sharks with confidence. In the final game we had the one that everyone was waiting for, the Knights up against the Dolphins. Whilst it wasn’t the highest quality match of the year it was a good match because it was tight from start to finish. The Dolphins did their best and certainly looked better when Nikorima came on late in the match, but the Knights proved to be too strong in the long run. However, I don’t think it’ll help them too much going into next week’s games.
That leaves us with the final eight in the order of the Storm, Panthers, Roosters, Sharks, Cowboys, Bulldogs, Sea Eagles and Knights. And of course, this means that this week we go into our first round of finals games. As we head into Week 1 of the finals, we have our first game which sees the Panthers up against the Roosters. This is the 2 versus 3 match, and I think the Panthers will be too strong, especially as we’re expecting Cleary to be back, and the Roosters have been affected by injuries. I think the Panthers will get over the Roosters fairly comfortably in this match and the Roosters have only won three of nine games against the Top 8 sides. The second game, of course, sees the top placed Storm against my bogey side, the Sharks. But I don’teven think my poor tipping can help the Sharks this weekend. The Storm have been too good, their players are in form and they’re nearly at full strength. The Sharks were good last week but I felt Manly let them play better than they were. The Sharks (and this is a major concession from me) have a much better record against the Top 8 sides this year but I can’t see them winning.
The knockout games start on Saturday evening with the Cowboys at home up against the Knights. I’m sure the Cows will be too strong for the Knights and the Knights’ run will come to an end. The Cowboys have the most current Origin players in the 8 and, as I wrote earlier this year, that is a factor. The Knights equal Ponga. Finally, the Bulldogs take on the Sea Eagles in the 6 versus 7 clash and I think the Sea Eagles will be too strong in this one. Whilst Manly were poor last week, they tend to mix their form and I think the Bulldogs’ run, as gallant as it has been, has just about run out of puff. They have been the surprise packet this year, but I can’t see them progressing any further.
So, my selections are Storm, Penrith, Cowboys, and Sea Eagles.
My final pre-season prediction ladder at the end of the season was: Penrith 2nd, Broncos 12th, Melbourne 1st, Souths 16th, Roosters 3rd, Cowboys 5th, Newcastle 8th and St George 11th. So, I managed to pick 5 of the 8 and that’s a pass!
I was able to attend the NRL Schools final today at C Bus Stadium. What a terrific game it was. We had a great day which started off with the team at Struddy’s cafe to discuss all things Rugby League before the match. Grubby Half back played host, and he had Master Splinter and the Matriarch keeping an eye on him. We had a great breakfast before heading off to the games. Palm Beach Currumbin played Patrician Brothers Blacktown and the boys from PBC ran out winners, scoring an excellent try through winger Beau Hartmann off a Zac Harrison kick in the dying minute of the match to run out the winners. If you get the chance, the game was telecast on 9 Gem and it’s well worth a watch as a great exhibition of schoolboy rugby league. The girls’ final was played after that with Ipswich High defeating Hills District for a Queensland Quinella.
Odd Rugby League facts!
Whilst on schoolboy football, there have been 47 winners in 48 years (Ben Elias won it twice) of the Peter Sterling Medal. Of those Peter Sterling has played in four winning grand finals and Paul Langmack has played in three. Other winning Peter Sterling Medal grand finalists are Greg Alexander, Paul Osborne, Ben Te’o and Adam Reynolds. The only Peter Sterling Medalist with a chance of winning a grand final this year is the Cowboys’ Tom Dearden.
Peter Sterling Medalists who have lost Grand finals are Ben Elias (twice), Greg Alexander, Jason Taylor, Nathan Cayless (twice), Adam Reynolds, Jordan Kahu and Payne Haas. Two other players, Beau Champion and Ivan Henjak, were in grand final winning teams during the season but didn’t play in the grand final.
Prop In the Canefield’s Season Awards – (to be known as The Props – Ed)
I have decided to award a number of Props (akin to the Dally Ms or an Oscar) for the season thus far.
The first Prop is the Grubby Half Back ‘quickest concussion of the year’ which goes to Moses Suli of Saint George, knocked out in 10 seconds on Anzac Day.
The second Prop is the Oracles ‘wait until next year and watch this boy play’ award, which goes to Ethan Saunders who is moving to Canberra in 2025.
The third Prop is the Prospector’s Most Improved Player of the Year and that goes to Tyrone Wishart from the Melbourne Storm.
The 4th Prop is the Investigator’s OB (Origin Bolter) 2025 Award which goes to Max Plath from Redcliffe.
The 5th Prop is the Councilor’s ‘which team am I coaching today?’ award which goes to Ricky Stuart who in some of his press conferences was unsure which team he was coaching that day.
The 6th Prop is the Analyst’s ‘best move by a coach throughout the season’ and it goes to Wayne Bennett in Round 9 when he put on a bit of Saturday Night Fever dancing in the sheds.
The 7th Prop is the Guido, which goes to the greatest capitulation of a team in Season 24. It goes to Parramatta for their complete capitulation to the Dolphins in Darwin.
The 8th Prop is the Slugger’s ‘I’ll never give up until the last moment’ Tackle of the year which goes to Tom Dearden in Round 4 for his tackle on Cobbo.
The 9th Prop is the ‘most correct technique tackle of the year’ and it goes to Samuela Fainu for his copybook tackle on Oates in Round 8. Only one problem, Corey was just returning the ball from catching it in goal.
The 10th Prop is the Uncle Gilbo ‘I could have done that’ Try of the Year. It goes to Xavier Coates for his magnificent try in Round 2 against the Warriors in the 79th minute to win the match.
The 11th Prop award is the Green Keeping Fireman’s Dinosaur Play of the Year and again this year it’s been won by JWH, firstly for his 10-minute sin binning in his 300th game and then coming out and getting another 10-minute sin bin in his first game back to miss the last 3 rounds for the Roosters.
Finally, the 12th and most prestigious Prop, The Neil ‘Bing’ Pringle Player of the Year for the 27 rounds of the competition goes to the Melbourne Number 7 Jerome Hughes.
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The Props is a great innovation. I can see being awarded the ‘Bing’ becoming almost as prestigious as the Dally M, and former Titan Jahrome collecting the pair this year. Always interesting to wonder what impact he or DCE may have had on the Titans’ results over the recent fruitless seasons.
Thanks again Prop for another great read.
I can’t help but wonder why the award named in my honour goes to a bloke that has been sent off more times than I’ve had hot dinners when I only ever faced the judiciary the once (and a gross miscarriage of justice it was too). In the words of Pierre the great French athlete, “You suck one c$&k…….”
Grubby half back marker of 10 out of 10 Prop, a fantastic read and I feel every one, including me thinks the 4 x games this weekend will all be one sided affairs but with so many upsets throughout the season, I’m predicting there will be at least one shock result. And I like the award in my honour as I did have a few sleeps in my playing career doing all you forwards tacking at times. Max Plath origin player 2025, certain starter, made for it. Take care Prop and no sun on me this weekend as I’ll be wearing your Southport Yatch Club cap that you left at Cbus
Classic stuff prop, but as it is Friday the 13th today, and rugba league is a 13 man (and woman) game, can we make room for:
The 13th prop – ‘The Kevin Proctor’ award for best suspicious white powder scandal of the year. This one goes to Latrell Mitchell who has had an up and down year but capped it off with one of the best mysterious white powder photos since Val in 23.