Round 17 kicks off on Friday night from Melbourne’s AAMI
Park with the Storm hosting the Broncos. Brisbane have only 1 win from their
past 5 and are suffering. By rights, they should have nabbed the two points at
Mt Smart last week but had their hearts ripped out by a Konrad Hurrell
intercept to lose in the final moments. Rugby League can be a filthy old
mongrel sometimes and the Broncos are carrying the fleas of that mangy old dog
as we speak.
The Storm are reaching a point they reach every year;
Dropping a few games around the origin period and simply biding their time
until the silly season ends. They are heavy favourites here and with Cameron
Smith returning from injury and Melbourne coming off a loss last week, they’ll
be dumping all over the Broncos from a great height. Brisbane’s attack not good
enough with Peter Wallace and Scott Prince doing it tough again.
My tip: Melbourne 18-4
Somehow, someway, the Tigers have won 4 from their past 5
and actually forced a desperate Sydney media to discuss whether they can make
the eight. This week, they travel to the Shire to face the Sharks but this one
won’t be easy. In round 9 of this year, Cronulla ripped the Tigers to shreds at
Allianz Stadium. Wests were in a very dark place at the time but now, on the
back of a magnificent victory against Melbourne, they’ll be out for revenge.
Pity that the NRL has banned the shoulder charge, banned
fighting, banned aggression and banned any type of violence whatsoever, because
there are a few ex-teammates facing each other here. Usually, that’s when fans
are truly entertained with some big hits and elevated aggression between old
friends. No malice – just mates keen to bash each other. What a shame. Moving
on, the Sharks get the chocolates in Wade Graham’s 100 first grade appearance.
My tip: Cronulla 21-14
Saturday night from Kogarah’s WIN Jubilee Oval. Usually a
momentous occasion between two giants of the NRL. Perhaps we can see something
of this rivalry here – but only if the Dragons find a spark from the muddy,
messy, ugly beast of a season they are having. Saints aren’t even waiting for an
official ‘performance review’ at the end of the season to clean house. They’ve
booted Jamie Soward and Steve Folkes and now, fans can only cross their fingers
and hope.
The Roosters, by contrast, are capable of anything. They
have weapons all over the park and a defensive structure that rivals the famous
Dragons brick wall of 2009-10. This could get ugly if the home side doesn’t get
their house in order. Steve Price’s very young forward pack from the South
Coast will do well to stay close to the all-star and all-time pack from Bondi.
Fingers crossed these kids don’t get embarrassed, but they may well.
My tip: Roosters 30-12
Gold Coast Titans v Penrith Panthers
The Titans delivered possibly the worst half of football
played this season against the Knights in Newcastle last week. They were not up
to standard and their right side defence looked like they’d never watched a
game of footy, or perhaps even met each other before. Now, with injury added to
insult, Gold Coast must name a couple of kids from country Queensland in
Jahrome Hughes and Hymel Hunt. Say that last name again….. Awesome.
So, just in case the Titans hadn’t been to enough remote
locations across the country, off we go to Darwin’s TIO Stadium on Saturday
night to watch them take on the Panthers. Could be hot, but the boys from
Penrith will be ready for this. They’ll be clinical and enthusiastic enough to
beat the Titans who will no doubt be motivated by last week’s debacle, but Ivan
Cleary’s men are well drilled. Plenty of young talent on show here for the
lovely people of the Northern Territory.
My tip: Penrith 32-22
God knows what dish the Cowboys will serve up here.
They’ve got all the ingredients and a chef in charge who can deliver an array
of the finest cuisine a rugby league menu can offer, but somehow it all leaves
a very bad taste in your mouth. Christ, I hope that sentence wasn’t as
exhausting to read as it was to write. Anyhoo – the Cowboys travel to our
nation’s capital on Sunday afternoon to face the Raiders who will be very happy
to come home.
They’ve lost their last two matches, both away, but now
have the advantage of a miserable winter, an inconsistent opponent and a
perfect record at Canberra Stadium in 2013. It must be said though, that since
rumours spread about Neil Henry’s demise, North Queensland have won two in a
row albeit against the Dragons and an undermanned Sharks. They’ll be brave
again here and if given the weight of possession, they’ll be dangerous, but you
simply can’t tip against Canberra at home.
My tip: Canberra 34-20
Sunday afternoon from Mackay. The success of the Bulldogs
trip north in the corresponding fixture last year has given ‘Dogs CEO Todd
Greenberg plenty reason to head back this year. The people of Mackay surely
deserve to see favourite son, Ben Barba, once again. However, they might not be
treated to the same level of 1st class footy as they were in 2012
because this year, the ‘Dogs have been inconsistent and the Knights are playing
Bennett ball. Ugh.
But I’m ready, so let’s hope the Bulldogs are out for revenge
after the butt-kicking delivered to them by the Knights in round 10 this year
and let’s hope Beau Scott is at his annoying best. Perhaps he and Mick Ennis
can just get mic’d up for the duration so we can be entertained by some A grade
sledging. The NRL are taking all the fun out of everything else so we may as
well get as close to the action as possible. ‘Dogs turn up here.
My tip: bulldogs 24-12
South Sydney Rabbitohs v New
Zealand Warriors
Off to Perth for Sunday
afternoon footy. The Warriors trip to our western capital in 2012 signified the
end of their season and the end of Brian McClelland’s career. They led, then
reigning premiers, Manly that night by plenty, only to lose in the most unbelievable
final moments you could see. They’ve come full circle since that night and are
now on a 5 match winning streak. The New Zealanders have been very, very good
over the past month.
Speaking of very good, guess
who’s waiting for the Warriors after a very long trip from Auckland to Perth?
That’s right… your table topping, pride of the league, 13 and 2 Rabbitohs.
Souths are favourites here and with the NRLs best attack in their holster,
ready to fire, it’s no surprise. With a dry track predicted and some of the
finest athletes you’ll see in any code in the country, don’t miss this one and
don’t blink. Greg Inglis continues his Dally M winning season.
My tip: South Sydney 24-18
Manly Sea Eagles v
Parramatta Eels
Round 17 comes to a close
with one of the great rivalries of the NRL. You’ve been all over the country to
watch footy this weekend but this match brings it back to the grassroots of the
insular peninsular and Brookvale Oval. Monday night football has the Eagles
hosting the bottom of the table Parramatta Eels in a monumental mismatch. Geoff
Toovey’s men are very short favourites even though they’ve struggled of late
but the Eels should prove no threat.
Especially with the Eagles
spine intact for the first time since round 8 when they won at Kogarah, this
should play the home side back into form and back into contention. DCE and
Kieran Foran should outplay the Chris Sandow / Joseph Paulo combination over
the 80 minutes. If they don’t, might be time to scrap the whole plan. Jarryd
Hayne returns for the Eels to add some flavour here but the Eels simply cannot
compete.
My tip: Manly 28-12
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