The Courier Mail Bronco headline last week read ‘Head Hunt! It Ain’t Half Bad’ – after the disaster from Thursday night. The Councilor was on the ball as by 9.45pm Thursday he had sent me ‘Hopes Hamstrung’. But the real headline came from the much-maligned Crabman who, as soon as the Cowboys try was disallowed late on Sunday arvo, fired in ‘Crabman Conquers’ as he tipped the perfect round. I would normally say ‘well done’ but it moved him into 27th place out of 35!
Round 23 started off with a match between the Storm and the Broncos at AAMI Park which is always a difficult ground to win at. The Broncos certainly started off well and looked like they would be very competitive until the double injury in the first half where they lost both Reynolds and Mam to hamstrings in the same play. Mam threw an intercept which could have been a Brisbane try in the right hand corner. Coates took off and in the ensuing chase both hamstrings were gone. But for the injuries which, in a sense, ended the game, the Broncos did stick on and the 22 points to 2 scoreline was most probably reflective of the match. It does ask big questions, however, for the Broncos going forward.
The two games on Friday night both went the way they were expected. The Panthers were far too strong for a very ordinary Knights team and it is hard to see where their next win is going to come from. Penrith, on the other hand, are looking ominous. The Sea Eagles were very disappointing against the Raiders who were just too sharp for them. It was a shame to see Jake Trbojevic knocked out again and, clearly, he has to be very careful going forward as I think it is the third time this year he has suffered concussion.
Saturday had three games, the first of which was the local derby between the Sharks and the Dragons and credit to the Dragons for sticking in and winning this game. For the Sharks it was a critical match which, if they lost, would see them fall out the Top 4. The Dragons are most probably getting a pass mark for this season and whilst mathematically they can’t make the 8, they will finish just outside in what has certainly be an improvement. The Roosters were way too strong for the Dolphins and you’d have to feel for Dolphin because they are down on troops. The Roosters ran riot and are looking like a top eight side. They have now joined the Dolphins on 26 points but I think they have some wins ahead of them as they push towards September. The final game had the Bulldogs at home to the Warriors and they were too strong which has seen the Warriors drop out of the top 4 for the first time this season, allowing the Panthers in, and that’s a concern for everybody.
There were two games on Sunday, the first highly entertaining with the Rabbits running out winners over the unlucky Titans (although we say that nearly every week), 20 points to 18. Mitchell back for the Rabbits was certainly a massive plus and Johnson scored two more tries to edge ever closer to Ken Irvine’s long-standing record. The final game had two disappointing teams playing each other and the Eels certainly showed more character than the Cowboys. The Cowboys did come back from 18 points to 8 down so they showed some fight but a poor play by Nanai running an obstruction when the Cows were set to score snuffed out a try that would have my certainly won them the match.
Round 24 begins on Thursday night with the blockbuster between the Panthers and Storm at Comm Bank Stadium. This is a game of much interest for all of us because it will give us an idea where these two sides are at. The Panthers have an incredibly tough run to the finals but one thing for sure is they will definitely be battle hardened come mid-September. It’s a game I’m really looking forward to and it will interesting to see who takes the points in what is a very crucial match.
There are two games on the Friday night, the first of which has the Warriors at home to the Dragons. The Warriors really seem to have lost their mojo but should be better at home whilst the Dragons are coming off a couple of good performances and may just challenge the Warriors. It really is D Day for the Warriors because they have slipped out of the four and are in trouble of falling out of the top eight if they cannot arrest their current slide. The second match is another blockbuster with the Roosters up against the Bulldogs. This is the test for the Bulldogs as the draw has favoured them in terms of playing top 8 sides. Even though the Roosters aren’t in the top 8 at the moment, they do look like a top 8 side. This game will give us a gauge on where the Roosters are at on the one hand, but also where the Bulldogs are on the other. The Roosters do have to tone down some of their nonsense because they are a heavily penalised side and you can’t win games giving away soft or stupid penalties.
On Saturday there are three games with the first game seeing the Sharks at home to the Titans. The Sharks should be too strong for the Titans who have been unlucky over the last two weeks. The Sharks played poorly last week and will be looking for a much better performance at home in front of the faithful. The second game has the Broncos up against the Dolphins and it’s very difficult to see the Dolphins winning this match even though the Broncos have their own injury concerns. It is a home game for the Broncos and they will certainly be out to show that they are still a premiership force even with the injuries to their two halves and Cobbo. The final Saturday game has the Rabbitohs up against the Eels and if Mitchell is on song the Rabbits are a chance of winning and pushing themselves further off the bottom of the ladder. Parramatta have been playing well and are expected to win the game, and it’s one that they should win, but the Mitchell factor is very big.
On Sunday, the first match has the Tigers up against the Sea Eagles. Manly should win this game but they have been so unpredictable. Meanwhile, the Tigers are fresh off the bye so I’m sure they’ll be really champing at the bit to get out and prove that the win over Canterbury last week was not a one-off performance but the start of a broader future for the long-suffering Tigers fans. The final game has the Cowboys at home to the Knights. Two very disappointing sides playing each other, both desperate for a win. Cowboys at home should be enough to see them over the line. Even a win will not stop the questions asked about the Cowboys’ performance this year, and last year, where they looked so promising so but have delivered so very little.
Top Eight (in order)
2 Melbourne 4 Panthers 6 Broncos 7 Cronullaargh 9 Roosters 10 Manly 14 Cowboys 16 Rabbitohs
Fact / Stat for the day– From the RLW
I found this gem about one of our readers – the great Neil ‘Bing’ Pringle and so I sent it to him. Neil’s response was – “Prop, sadly I think most of those lovely ladies would now be pushing up daisies. The best job ever. Morning tea -home made scones – and a bed in my shed so I could have a siesta before training. Right on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour. What a great memory!”
Neil was the head Greenkeeper at the Northbridge Women’s Bowling Club.
Tipping Stats – WelI done, Crabman, with a perfect score from the round which you can dine on for a week, but I have to stress you need to have a sneaky look at the leaderboard and see who is behind you! I ended up with 6, moving back to 6th spot, but will have to take some risks to get in the medals. I won’t be seeking Crabman’s advice that is for sure!
You gotta love footy!
Photos provided by Matt O’Hanlon.
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Classic photo, Prop! No doubt ‘Bing’ milked it for all he could – and who would blame him?
I tipped 7/8 last weekend thanks to the Rabbitohs getting up on the toss of the coin. Here’s hoping that strategy works again this round as well – I’ve resorted to it a few times. My wild card this time had gone to the Dolphins who seem to have few friends among the bookies.