Canberra Raiders vs Manly Sea Eagles – Friday night – GIO Stadium
Manly have built up quite an imposing record over the Raiders in recent years - winning 10 of the last 12 and the last five in a row in Canberra. While they haven't won a game for a while their last three opponents have been the Sharks, Broncos and Cowboys. This game will feel more winnable, and they've had an extra week to prepare. The weather in Canberra will be crisp but not unbearably so, and I'm prepared to take a punt on the visitors at very long odds. Jamie Lyon swaps with Dylan Walker and moves into the halves with Cherry-Evans. On paper it looks a well-balanced side, and it just might work.
Verdict – Sea Eagles by 2
Result - Raiders 30 defeated Sea Eagles 18
New Zealand Warriors vs Brisbane Broncos – Saturday afternoon – Mt Smart Stadium
The Broncos have lost two games in a row which is unusual, and even more unusally the scores in both games were identical. Four of their six Origin stars return on Saturday, with Oates and Gillett getting a break as part of some sort of list management program at the Broncos. The Warriors were put on notice after their big loss to the Raiders two weeks but how many times have we heard that now? I've stopped listening and it feels like the Warriors aren't listening either. In recent weeks the Warriors have been conceding more points than almost everyone, and I'll be backing Milford to wreak havoc on Saturday and pick up a four pointer at some stage of proceedings. This is the time of year the Warriors usually get on a bit of a run, but I won't be tipping them until I see some vigour and spirit.
Verdict – Broncos by 10
Result - Warriors 36 defeated Broncos 18
North Queensland Cowboys vs Newcastle Knights – Saturday night – 1300SMILES Stadium
I was lucky enough to be at SMILEY Stadium for this clash in 2015. The Knights won, and it beggars belief when you look at where these sides are right now. The Knights were unlucky to lose in round 12, but all the luck in the world won't get them over the line in round 13...unlucky for some. The Cowboys have named all five Origin players in their starting thirteen. I expect them to ice this game early, and rest some of their stars in the last 15 minutes when the result is no longer in doubt.
Verdict – Cowboys by 28
Result - Cowboys 46 defeated Knights 16
Melbourne Storm vs Penrith Panthers – Saturday night – AAMI Park
The Panthers have never beaten the Storm in Melbourne, but they've been given every chance this Saturday night. Bellamy has left Cronk and Smith out of the line-up entirely. A couple of big Kiwis step into the pivotal roles with Tohu Harris joining Green in the halves and Kenny Bromwich taking on the dummy-half duties. No rest for the Origin debutants in Moylan and Mansour. The Storm haven't lost since round six and their pack of forwards are as tough as ever, but if the Panthers pack can hold their own that spine of Wallace, Soward, Peachey and Moylan can get them over the line. History says no, but I could back the Panthers at $2.20 or thereabouts.
Verdict – Panthers by 2
Result - Storm 24 defeated Panthers 6
Sydney Roosters vs Wests Tigers – Sunday afternoon – Allianz Stadium
I'm going to tip my poor old chooks this weekend but I don't feel at all good about it. The Tigers actually played well to beat the Broncos and with Tedesco, Woods and Farah all returning I am somewhat stunned you can get more than $3.00 about them winning on Sunday. Roosters coach Trent Robinson extended his tenure at Bondi Junction this week and that's the crazy mad reason I've tipped them. Here's hoping his squad of flip-floppers and tickle-merchants can demonstrate a similar commitment to the cause and the jersey. I'll be watching, but I'll be holding my breath throughout.
Verdict – Roosters by 2
Result - Roosters 32 defeated Tigers 18
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Gold Coast Titans – Sunday night – NIB Stadium
The Titans begin the first leg of an epic clockwise adventure around the continent. The Rabbitohs have been taking a game to Perth for years now, and it's usually worked out pretty well for them (mind you they used to make the Warriors travel there which is a little harsh). Inglis and Reynolds back up from Origin but the Bunnies will be without one Burgess brother as baby George recovers from groin surgery (no photos thanks George). Both sides are coming off the bye and chasing three wins in a row, and while the Titans have impressed me this season the Bunnies should be used to the routine of the Perth trip by now.
Verdict – Rabbitohs by 2
Result - Titans 29 defeated Rabbitohs 28
Canterbury Bulldogs vs Cronulla Sharks – Monday night – ANZ Stadium
The Sharks are perched at the top of the tree and have already beaten the teams in 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th this season. They haven't lost since round three and they've scored 20 or more points in every game since round five. The Bulldogs got run over by the Raiders last weekend, a team the Sharks beat comfortably (40-16) in Canberra a few weeks earlier. All Origin players return for both sides and even if this is close I'll be relying on the kicking boot of James Maloney to get the Sharks home. Surely he takes the conversion for NSW in game two. Surely.
Verdict – Sharks by 8
Result - Sharks 20 defeated Bulldogs 18
Wally Lewis - round thirteen selections (in bold)
Note: tips from Wally will be published on Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.
- RAIDERS vs Sea Eagles
- Warriors vs BRONCOS
- COWBOYS vs Knights
- Storm vs PANTHERS
- ROOSTERS vs Tigers
- RABBITOHS vs Titans
- Bulldogs vs SHARKS
Comments
Submitted by a on
We'll done Cowboys for winning
Submitted by Rocket Ryan on
Handling errors big petebx! i guess we are just lucky that was all that cost you ,and bigpete you have you forgot to whinge about the referring as your coach did.
Submitted by Rocket Ryan on
Impressive win by the storm, cooper cronk and Cameron smith put on a clinic for the panthers who had no answers, second week in a row the broncos were flat, big game coming up against the raiders, feels like a must win all of a sudden for the broncos, I will be sticking and tip them to bounce back .
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
Certainly Rocket - ok a try disputed. You haven't really met me here - yet. Mark A and Fortress get on well with me, that well, that I will eventually meet them in person- one day. I don't whinge and respect sport, as it is played, but often wonder about highly paid mgt and Board Members!
Been involved with sports coaching and admin for over 40 years.
Refs are only human, but one mistake NRL made, was with two refs on the field (in the middle). Each on our own thoughts on that.
Soccer still only has one and that game is faster. The ball goes from one end to the other,as quick as in ping-pong.
Get the NRL refs extra fit (to keep up with it all) like Bill Harrigan was.
Ok, his career in Police TRG helped him, but The Bunker seems to be the issue, with a time limit on them, to make a decision. That, or they are three parts under the weather up in there.
Wherever u r, live or reside - have a nice Sunday and keep dry, like us here in NSW.
Submitted by christine on
Who's done what to annoy coach ...
Submitted by christine on
C'mon coach don't let them get the better of you , bring back coach & jr .
Submitted by a on
Yes Bring Back Coach
Submitted by The Thinker on
NSW and Penrith lost in the same week. He's hurting.
Let's just give Coach some time.
Submitted by Dragonsfan4ever on
Yes thanks we did need the break after a tough game against the Cowboys last week. BigPete your bunch got the free two points last week.
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
We did too DragoF4E!
For a moment there, I thought we were suffering burnout.
We have Panthers at Brooky next week, so maybe Fortress and Coach P will rise from their caves and get into it and bring us everlasting peace, from our worries, of trying to track them down. Even a Cave Man or Extinct Dragon, wouldn't find them.
You lot have Bulldogs next week, in the arvo session.
Cheers mate and keep warm if u r feeling like it is up here at present.
Big Pete in Bx (NSW and West of The Sandstone Curtain)
Submitted by christine on
I can assure you coach is checking the website & reading the comments , he'll be back when he's good & ready to ...
Submitted by mark ashford on
Hey Big Pete
If it's any consolation it's bloody freezing up here in sunny QLD at the moment. The rain finished overnight but replaced by a 40 knot freezing westerly. Got jumpers, jacket and a beanie on!
Rocket is a passionate young? man and has fired a few shots at Coach sure but you must remember Coach gave him plenty to start with.
I'm sure it'll sort itself out.
Just watched the Tiges/Chooks game and take my hat (or beanie) off to the 3500 odd fans that turned up.
Thought both teams played well in the woeful conditions.
Chooks forwards had the better of it. Would love to see man mountain Woods charge the line like Hargreaves, Moa or Napa.
He's such a big bloke but just seems to lumber up and get tackled.
You can hold your head up Tigerholic no disgrace in that loss.
Wish I could say the same about my Broncos.
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
Hell Mark - u guys must be getting the rough end of the pineapple today.
Yes mate, I've seen and read a few good broadsides in exchange to each other there. This site certainly has some talent in the cross-border firing lines.
A. Woods appears a very robust forward, but lacks a bit in the legs. He bounces more than he busts.
Yeah Mark, agree on that with Tiger. TigPies played well and really put it up to The Saturated Chooks. Really only 6 pts diff in the match, most of the way through. Then Chooks took control in last 15, in case TigPies had thoughts of a late charge.
Cheers mate and have a good week.
Big Pete
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
Evening "a" - lot of rain coming down in Sydney today and prior.
Don't know exactly where Coach P lives, if in Sydney or outer West, but it is absolutely pelting down there, since Friday afternoon/evening and some areas in lower lying have been reported, to get to higher ground, due to flooding. I have a cousin in Toongabbie gave me the run-down on it, this evening.
Cheers mate and have a good week.
Big Pete in Bx
Submitted by Baggy_Gee on
Was I the only mug to tip the Warriors? Just need the Sharks to get up in the wet to get 6/7. Finally a round where I make ground back.
Submitted by a on
Yes what about the Rabbitohs and Titans game it was good and conversial
Submitted by christine on
Titans were the better team
Submitted by tigerholic on
Still no Coach, the longer you leave it the harder it will be for you to make a come back. Your bloody Panthers cost me this weekend, they were there but not there.
I am really worried about the next SOO game in Brisbane, are we heading towards another series white wash:(
Submitted by Tailspin on
I am going to find it hard to back panthers again, they have let me down too many times
Submitted by Tailspin on
C'mon coach I find it very hard to believe that you would stop posting after NSW lost again, you should be use to it by now :)
Submitted by mark ashford on
Hi Big Pete
We've had over 6 inches in the old scale here on Bribie Island but being a sand island with no rivers it all just drains away with no flooding.
Not so lucky in your state mate with I believe at least 4 fatalities.
In a country that's needs rain so much this is a great shame.
Titans/Rabbits was as even a game as I've seen.
Didn't agree with the Rabbits field goal being disallowed.
1 Ryan James would never have got to Adam Reynolds.
2 Bunker should not rule on this. Ryan took a dive.
Have another look at it. Rabbits player makes some contact and James falls to the ground. One of the Titans toughest? He dived.
Rabbits should have won.
Anyway that's what we have to live with. Feel for the Bunnies.
Submitted by mark ashford on
Hey Tailspin
Mate your Cowboys are the real deal this year.
I know it was only the Knights but I thought they played tough and with all those players backing up and no Morgan did well.
Don't worry too much about the Panthers, they are a good team and will be there when it counts.
With regard to Coach and this is the last thing I will write re Coach.
2 years ago we had a disagreement about Goodes.
Coach accused me or this site of being racist.
Which was not at all true.
Coach left the site but returned after I apologised if Coach thought I was being racist in any way.
Coach has left the site again after perceiving QLD bias here.
Which of course is nonsense.
There are as many NSW supporters as QLDers.
The fact Thinker is a QLD man means nothing.
We all have our say and that's what this place is all about.
So as Thinker says Coach will return when he is ready.
I sincerely hope his absence has nothing to do with his sick daughter.
Submitted by a on
Come on coach please comment again
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
Evenin "a" - I'll get Coach posting.
Manly are going to run Panthers ragged this week, even with three guns out. Panthers wont need to return to the foot of the mountains, they'll only need escorting back to Mosman (Taronga Park Zoological Gardens).
Now, where the bloody hell is Fortress. Maybe both Fortress and Coach P are in deep recess together.
Maybe, they cant handle the rain we sent down from this way, as it was only very light and soaking what we received.
Like all Thinker site tippers/posters and bloggers - we are all a team together and kept in high spirits as one.
Cheers all - Big Pete in Bx
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
Hey Mark - that means you cant be up a creek, without a paddle mate.
Heaps of rain in NSW - Bro. Sydney looks like being washed away. Erosion bad on coastal lines and several Nth Shore Sydney homes, just hanging in there.
I tipped Rabbits but had this feeling Titans might come down with guns blazing. I dread the golden point mate. As bad as Soccer's golden goal.
Penalty shootouts are better.
Hey mate - suggestion: why doesn't NRL cut the extra time golden point bit out and have each goal-kicker take 5 shots at goal from varying angles.
Then if equal, bring another five shooters in and see how they go. I reckon it would be a draw-card, if it came off.
Oh well - kick it out - nothing like ideas and a laugh mate.
Big Pete in Bx
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
That's ok Tailspin - back Manly at Brooky, this week, even with three guns out.
Big ask that was in Melbourne for Panthers mate.
Storm are usually home and hosed in Melbourne, rain, hail sunshine or even after backing up from SoO. Storm just seem to plod along and get a sniff of The VB and do the simple things extra right.
Submitted by The Thinker on
Evening football fans,
I've updated the tipping comp and the NRL ladder. Baggy Gee topped the round with 6 from 7, plenty of people got 5 from 7 and the less said about my effort the better.
As for the NRL ladder, all three QLD teams are in the top eight this week...Five of the top eight are teams outside NSW.
I'll have the preview page for round fourteen published as soon as I can, and I'll have my previews and tips published by lunchtime on Wednesday.
All the best
Submitted by mark ashford on
Big Pete I love the idea why not give it a try.
JT will get his 5 as will Reynolds and many others.
Corey Parker and Cam Smith might struggle.
Interesting thought.
Just watched the Dogs/Sharks incredible game of Rugby League.
Both deserved a win.
Have never liked Josh Reynolds (the grub) but he has turned his game around and is now IMO a great player.
Since Ennis left the dogs he just plays good hard football.
Ennis too seems to have left his grubbiness behind.
Thought Gallen was ordinary. Maybe Laurie could pick another starting forward and QLD will be in trouble. Just a thought.
Good night all....enjoy your week.
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
Evenin Baggy - no mate - I backed Warriors as well mate.
Cronulla up by 2 pts in a very close, late one, as Dogs led most of the way, although I didn't watch on tv.
The Slippery's have got Titans this week. Watch out for sharp-shooters. Not Steve either!
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
You know Mark - the real gun-toting goal kickers cant always be assured when taking 5 in succession, with hardly a rest in between.
Ennis is still a niggler mate, he just has that trait within him. Good in some ways, but baiting players, isn't always my go. I think u r right in Gal, as he is a stop-starter and the times are catching up with him and slowing him.
There are good players, but to be great, you have to be always great, good, fair and clean. Also need to carry a good exhibit (clean respectful image) off the field.
Enjoy your week and back into Thinking Thursday, this week.
Big Pete
Submitted by christine on
I'm on 65 even though I was ahead of rick to start with by one1 point , i'll get back there ...
Submitted by a on
Here is the updated ladder for the tipping comp
Islander 63
Dragonsfan4ever 55
BigPeteBx 54
This is catch up round as Islander lead is cut back to 8 with half of the season gone it still anyones game
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