Canberra Raiders v Canterbury Bulldogs
The Raiders' last home game of the season and one they
must win to stay in the hunt for the semi-finals. If that doesn’t set the scene
for the Green Machine, then their opponents this Friday night at Canberra
Stadium should definitely get the competitive juices flowing. The Bulldogs are
coming to town and bringing with them a travelling band of loyalists who won't
allow any sub-arctic temperatures to stop them.
Those who believe a loss, just before the finals, is good
for a club have probably never met Des Hasler. Nobody prepares more thoroughly
for each contest than the Canterbury coach and this will be the difference on
the night. The 'Dogs find enough weaknesses in the Canberra defence to win 13
straight and they look good doing it. Josh Reynolds and Mick Ennis the
standouts for the league leaders and Canterbury lock in the Minor Premiership.
My tip: Canterbury 24-12
Manly Sea Eagles v Brisbane Broncos
Call it a slump, or a rough patch, or dire straits, but
whatever is happening to the once mighty Brisbane Broncos does not look good
and might look a whole lot worse on Friday night. Sam Thaiday and his crew
bring their 5 game losing streak to Fortress Brookvale and if there was ever a
wrong place and a wrong time to turn your fortunes around, this is it. The
Eagles have won their past 4 and looked mighty fine in the process.
So, with two teams heading in opposite directions on the
competition ladder, you'd think the bookies would help the Broncos out a little
more than a 6.5 start. Alas, they know all too well how desperate the visitors
will be and as it has done over the past fortnight, this desperation will get
them off to a good start but won't get them any further. Tough to tip against
the Eagles at home with both Stewart brothers playing and a healthy forward
pack.
My tip: Manly 20-16
Penrith Panthers v Gold Coast Titans
One last home game for the tortured Penrith faithful.
Although, they will take a lot from the fact that their team, somehow, is still
playing with pride and commitment. They've won 3 from their past 5 matches
including a come-from-behind miracle in Auckland last week. They are still
fighting to the last man and can hold their heads high.... and they'll need to
on Saturday with the Gold Coast Titans coming to Centrebet Stadium.
Both defences should be cautious with the amount of speed
merchants on display in this game. The likes of Mead and Gordon are lightning
quick while Mick Jennings and the other Gordon, Michael, only need an inch of
space and they'll be gone. An entertaining Saturday arvo match with the
visitors too strong. Inspired by the Raiders' loss on Friday night, the Titans
see a window of opportunity and climb through it like a thief in the night.
My tip: Gold Coast 28-16
St George Illawarra Dragons v New Zealand
Warriors
For those of us still alive in the NRL Dream Team or
other Fantasy Rugby League competitions, this is a big one. For the Dragons and
Warriors, this is not a big one. A season of disappointment is over for these
two clubs but just before we give up on this match completely, a teary goodbye
looms for Dean Young and Ben Hornby. This is their last home game in the famous
red V and what better place to host the party than Wollongong.
So, if their departing Captain's farewell bash isn’t
enough to get them motivated, the Dragons will look to their emotional leader in
Dean Young for direction and inspiration, as they've done so many times before.
The visiting Warriors, with a new coach in charge this week, will give them a
good test but it won't be enough to halt the outpouring of sentiment and....
well.... more disciplined football from the home side.
My tip: Saints 24-16
North Queensland Cowboys v Newcastle Knights
So, with another semi-final tilt around the corner for
the Cowboys, the same questions are being asked. Can they mix it with the top
sides away from Dairy Farmers Stadium? Do they have enough weapons outside of
Thurston to share the load? Will Brent Tate throw a cheap shot at Timana Tahu
this week, like he did to Greg Bird in Origin 3? Is anyone actually asking that
last question or did I just get carried away?
The Knights have had their own questions to answer this
year and ignoring any Tinkler related issues, the one recurring query about
Newcastle is their forward pack. Whether you believe this is the problem or
not, they didn’t look like much of a pack at Brookvale last week and the same
problems with occur on Saturday night. Yardage and field position. The home
sides big men too tough for Mason, Snowden and the rest. Cowboys win 3 in a
row.
My tip: North Queensland 24-12
Sydney Roosters v Wests Tigers
These days, it’s easy for fans to criticise the NRL's
finest players without knowing the pressures they face - so here goes... Benji
Marshall's indifferent form this year, for the most part, has been ignored for
a number of reasons. The Tigers managed to win 7 straight midway through the
year; they've somehow managed to keep in touch with the top 8 and finally,
Robbie Farah is playing out of this world. These reasons have kept the wolves
at bay.
But now, a must win match for the Tigers against the
cellar dwelling Roosters at Allianz stadium on Sunday afternoon and Benji will
have no excuses. With Robbie injured, the Tigers stand-in captain has the fate
of the club in his hands as they cling to 8th position with two rounds
remaining. Benji will prevail. His forwards accept the challenge from a much
younger pack in the Roosters and experience outplays youth - but only just.
My tip: Tigers 24-22
South Sydney Rabbitohs v Parramatta Eels
Testing times at Souths; Losers of two in a row and
scoring a paltry 2 tries through both of these losses. This week, off field
dramas via the dropping of Issac Luke and nobody knows why. Such is the
craziness of the NRL. Last week, Luke donned the cover of a prestigious NRL
magazine with claims that he was the Bunnies best ever... now... he lines up
for the North Sydney Bears in Merewether on Sunday afternoon. Bizarre.
Luckily for the Rabbitohs, there is no better way to play
yourself out of a drama and into some good form than facing the Parramatta
Eels. A cure for the Bunnies' attacking woes, Parra will guess right a few
times and guess wrong plenty; such is the ad-lib nature of their edge defence.
Souths return home to ANZ stadium after 3 weeks on the road and add to their
remarkable record at the ground this year. Inglis the standout, again.
My tip: South Sydney 32-12
The Melbourne Storm v Cronulla Sharks
No quarter given and none asked for on Monday night at
AAMI Park. A defensive struggle between two teams headed for the semi-finals,
this will be intense and is your Match of the Round. After taking what was
essentially a third of the year off to deal with the Origin series, Paul Gallen
looked a lot less exhausted last week against the Rabbitohs and suddenly,
Cronulla looked the goods again. Controlled and calculated.
By no coincidence, these two words describe the Storm of
the past 5 years and Cooper Cronk, in particular, has become the master at it.
With Cameron Smith keeping opposition ruck defences honest, Cronk is free to
manage the rest. Their battle with Todd Carney and Jeff Robson for control of
this game will be a beauty and highlights some of the codes best and brightest.
Tough to go away from Melbourne at home in a close one.
My tip: Melbourne 14-12
for livr updates throughout the weekend, go to http://leagueunlimited.com/
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