NRL Round 6: Is Trump to blame for chaotic results in the NRL?

 

 

Six games into Round 5 I had a tipping score of 2 out of 6. Thank goodness the Storm and Bulldogs brought a bit of common sense back into play on Sunday afternoon. What is causing the chaotic nature of results so far this season? How can both the Roosters and Penrith be 1-4? Why can’t any number of teams string together consecutive wins? How did the Rabbitohs get even close, let alone win their game given both those players out injured before the game + losing three more during the game? And the Cowboys away from home against the defending premiers with Cleary aboard? The Eels and the Dolphins got their first wins of the year against more highly rated teams. Please explain!

 

But didn’t you like the just desserts that came Canberra’s way after the rub of the green (no pun intended) went against them so much in the second half of their game against Cronulla? The outcome cost me a tipping point but, in the end, I thought justice was done, not that such a thing necessarily exists in elite sport. And how about that magical 15 minutes of a raging Storm outfit in which they piled on 30 points? The only saving grace for Manly was that they didn’t concede 50 points and therefore become ‘ineligible’ for the premiership – but only because Storm rested several key players for the last 15 minutes. The Broncos might have piled on 46 points of their own but Madge would be less than I’m pressed that they leaked 5 tries to the Luai-less Wests Tigers. And Reyno is lame again!

 

Pundits who predicted a weekend sin bin blitz were on the money with some very, very dodgy calls (and one particular non-call) that saw several players undeservedly given time out, some of whom will now cop bans for a week or two. Knee-jerk reactions to make it look like officialdom cares; confusion and frustration for everyone else.

 

Ain’t footy grand?

 

Let’s move along and have a look at Round 6. Tonight the Dolphins are at home to the Panthers, with both teams at 1-4. The Dolphins showed glimpses of form against the Titans (who were very poor); the Panthers look tired and out of sorts for long periods of most of their games. Surely they have to ‘click’ soon! Perhaps the Lang park setting will fire up the visitors. Something, anything from their perspective. The Dolphins will want to build on last week’s win and will have the extra motivation of meeting the defending premiers when they are down on confidence. Nevertheless I’ll go with Penrith.

 

Tomorrow night the Dragons take on the Titans, both surprising last round losers. Anyone feeling confident about their tip? Me neither. The Dragons  build leads and then get run down in the home straight; the Titans can’t find consistency in spite of their ‘look good on paper’ forwards. Tino is out suspended, so I’ll go with the lacklustre Dragons. Later the Broncos take to Lang Park against a Roosters outfit that must still be scratching their heads over how they lost to Souths. You can’t go past the Broncos but you also can’t help but feel that, sooner or later, the Roosters have to put a good 80 minutes together.

 

Saturday afternoon footy gets underway with two last round losers, Cronulla and Manly, fighting it out at Optus Stadium. The Sharks look disjointed generally but especially in the halves where they can’t seem to decide who the chief playmaker is, Hynes or Trindall. Sort that out and they’ll be on their merry way. Manly simply had a bad day on Sunday, but wouldn’t have against such a ferocious Storm? Still no Turbo, which is a worry and, surely, Jurbo can’t have two such poor games in a row. Or has the speed of the game caught up with the veteran? I’ll go with the Sharks. The twilight game between the Rabbitohs and the Cowboys should be a beauty and is, arguably, the match of the round. Can Souths overcome ongoing injury issues with another consummate team effort? Can the Cowboys roll on after rediscovering some of their mojo last time out? The Cowboys are always a risk away from home; but can Souths maintain the belief against the odds for yet another week? I’m thinking Cowboys. The late game has the Eels up against the Raiders, a game between two last gasp winners last week. The Eels are at home, Lomax is inspirational and Dylan Brown is regaining form but they still don’t look like a team. The Raiders will have taken lot of self-belief out of their win against the odds over Cronulla. Watch them sparkle this week. Get on Canberra.

 

On Sunday afternoon the Storm are home to the Warriors. Is Luke Metcalf the rising star of the year? With experience he may well fill the Shaun Johnson-shaped hole at the Warriors. But the Storm are irresistible, even more so at home. I’ll be on Melbourne who must be one of the two or three leading candidates for the premiership. Finally it’s the Knights at home against the Wests Tigers, both last round losers. The Knights looked unusually inept while the Tigers, although they lost by 20+ points, still put on five tries against the Broncos. But at Newcastle, it’s hard to see the visitors taking this one. I’m on the Knights.

 

The unbeaten, ladder leading Bulldogs have the bye.

 

Bloody Donald Trump has a lot to answer for!

 

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Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

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