Penrith Panthers vs Canterbury Bulldogs – Thursday night – Pepper Stadium
Some positive signs from the Panthers in their narrow loss to the Raiders, but that form looks shy of what the Bulldogs took to Brookvale. The Panthers are on the quick back-up from a game played in stifling conditions, and there's a risk they'll be on tired legs at the back end of this game. Both sides lost their first choice hooker last weekend, with the injury to Segeyaro likely to have the most impact. Tyrone Peachey pulls on the nine jersey for the home side - he's loaded to the gills with speed and agility but the additional workload in defence could prove telling. I was optimistic about the Bulldogs prospects this season - I suppose I should start tipping them.
Verdict – Bulldogs by 10
Result - Bulldogs 18 defeated Panthers 16
Brisbane Broncos vs New Zealand Warriors – Friday night – Suncorp Stadium
I don't even know what the Warriors are anymore? I've been calling them enigmatic for about 20 years but it's more than that. I don't have the words. The Broncos approached game one of the season like a reticulated python - strangling the life out of the Parramatta Eels to ensure the final outcome was never in doubt. I expect more of the same. The Broncos will keep plenty of tricks in their back pocket until late in the season, but for now they'll keep on doing what needs to be done. Jack Reed returns in the centres to replace the injured Kahu. Onward and upward.
Verdict – Broncos by 8
Result - Broncos 25 defeated Warriors 10
Canberra Raiders vs Sydney Roosters – Saturday afternoon – GIO Stadium
I spoke of the Raiders depth last weekend, and we're already pulling out the fathometer on the green machine. Aiden Sezer and Blake Austin are hitting the benches for a while, and both looked good pre-injury last weekend. Lachlan Croker, nephew of Jason and some sort of distant relation of Jarrod, makes his NRL debut alongside Sam Williams. Daniel Tupou replaces Joe Burgess in an otherwise unchanged line-up. Burgess may have scored two tries in his NRL debut but to my eye the Englishman has some work to do on his defensive reads - let's call him a work in progress. You could hardly tip the Roosters with any confidence after the first round loss but those key injuries to the Raiders have me leaning ever so slightly their way. How about that? I got to use the word 'fathometer'.
Verdict – Roosters by 2
Result - Raiders 21 defeated Roosters 20
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Newcastle Knights – Saturday afternoon – ANZ Stadium
Three NRL coaches made their debuts for their new clubs in round one - and they all lost. Knights coach Nathan Brown was one of them, and the sleepless nights may have already started given their demoralising loss to the team most have tipped for the wooden spoon this year. The Bunnies were better than I expected last week, and sometimes you just have to believe your eyes. Reynolds and Sutton are injured (again), but the home side should be too good regardless.
Verdict – Rabbitohs by 10
Result - Rabbitohs 48 defeated Knights 6
Parramatta Eels vs North Queensland Cowboys – Saturday night – Pirtek Stadium
The Cowboys record at Pirtek Stadium is, let's be blunt, pretty crap really. Six wins from 17 games is a poor return by any standard, but when you consider how good some of those Cowboys sides have been and how poor some of those Eels sides have been...it beggars belief. Keiran Foran puts his hand up for the Eels for the first time, and he stands alongside one of the better Eels line-ups we've seen in quite a while. The Eels never looked likely against the Broncos, but that form may stand up this season. They showed some weaknesses on the edges in round one which need addressing. Jonathan Thurston and Michael Morgan have the game to make them pay if they haven't. The Cowboys did enough to beat the Sharks last weekend, but their form was well shy of what we saw from them at the back end of season 2015. It's a genuine upset, and it's not for everyone, but the Eels for mine.
Verdict – Eels by 4
Result - Eels 20 defeated Cowboys 16
Cronulla Sharks vs St George Illawarra Dragons – Sunday afternoon – Shark Park
Two sides returning from losses on the road but it's the Sharks I'm keen on to atone here. They get an extra couple of days to recover and you'd expect a bumper crowd at Shark Park for what is one of those bitter local derbies. Paul Gallen and Chris Heighington are unavailable but the Sharks are never short of firepower up front. The Dragons bumbled their way around AAMI Park on Monday night in what was arguably the poorest quality game of the round. How long they persist with Dugan in the centres is anyone's guess, but it looks like the wrong move to me.
Verdict – Sharks by 8
Result - Sharks 30 defeated Dragons 2
Melbourne Storm vs Gold Coast Titans – Sunday night – AAMI Park
Some of you may remember Brad Gilbert, the American tennis player who made a career out of winning ugly. Even at their ugliest, the Storm still seem to find a way to win. Coach Craig Bellamy, once a great female tennis player himself, would have saved some of his swearing on Monday night for the dressing room. I expect the Storm to respond, but even if they don't they'll probably win ugly anyway - particularly at home where the Titans have won just once from five attempts.
Verdict – Storm by ugly
Result - Storm 34 defeated Titans 16
Wests Tigers vs Manly Sea Eagles – Monday night – Leichhardt Oval
The Sea Eagles were clunky in round one, and it may take them some time before these new combinations gel...if they ever do. The addition of Starling and Lawrence to the forward pack is a good thing but I'm not sure that's where the problems lie. The Tigers started well in season 2015 and they've come out of the blocks again this year. Keeping it up for 26 weeks is the challenge, but I'm prepared to tip them at pretty decent odds to win again. Take note of the Sea Eagles uninspiring record at Leichhardt too.
Verdict – Tigers by 2
Result - Tigers 36 defeated Sea Eagles 22
Wally Lewis - round two selections (in bold)
Note: tips from Wally will be published on Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.
- Panthers vs BULLDOGS
- BRONCOS vs Warriors
- Raiders vs ROOSTERS
- RABBITOHS vs Knights
- Eels vs COWBOYS
- SHARKS vs Dragons
- STORM vs Titans
- Tigers vs SEA EAGLES
Comments
Submitted by Pvt Vasquez on
I was lucky enough to get 8/8 for my multi for round 2 - was very lucky to not lose the first leg.
Thanks to all for your tips and information. You're an integral part of my research!
Submitted by Baggy_Gee on
Ok on the Lance thing, even without the juice, he worked harder than everyone else. He would have been great without it, but with it he was streets ahead. But that was my point, the Sunday Mail up here in QLD ran a piece about how the Cowboys are going to keep the team together after this season. They have to be on the raggedy edge of the limit as it it. Does anyone believe that JT, JT, and JT are all there for love and not a fat pay check? Before the question of signed for a 3 year deal when they were cheap, their MANAGERS, would have been in the office to get a bonus/increase the moment they thought that they could get away with it. 1% of 300,000 is better than 1% of 100,000. So yes Lance cheated, yes Parramatta have broken the cap rules, with the boxes for sponsors, but show me one team who doesn't do grey things to keep the people with the money happy, and I'll show you another Lance Armstrong before he admitted he was on the gear.
Great stat as usual Coach, now out of the 6, I think that the top four might be, Bunnies, Ponies, Bulldogs, Raiders. Raiders won ugly, and still have some great talent to come back, the other 3 are self evident.
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Not here to say that's how the 4 will finish. Look at Dragons and Knights start last year.
On performance enhancing drugs Baggy, most if not all are designed so the user can train harder, and longer than anyone else. Steroids are obvious, bigger muscles, lift heavier weights blah blah blah. Armstrong would have trained harder and longer because the drugs enabled it to happen. Had more power, more endurance because the drugs enable it to happen.
Sharapova and Meldonium. It apparently increased circulation, therefore oxygen to the body, enabling the taker to train longer and harder, to have more energy when the non druggy is absolutely cactus. Was she just trying to level the playing field herself? Who knows. I hope not.
Bottom line. I think there's better analogies to compare with Kieran Foran's hamstring.
Submitted by tigerholic on
Coach, how do you find the time to post all of these stats and opinions. I barely have time to have a look at the games, check what people are tipping and "bam" the first game is upon us.
Are you trying to come last in the tipping, if I can give you some advice, tip with your head for a bit and leave the sentiment behind.
Where is Sea eagle47, he seems to go missing especially when the sea eagles have had their wings clipped in a big way.
Rocket Ryan is AWOL as well, I miss their attempt to antagonise the group.
Good luck this week Coach, get on the Tigers against the Titans, I am going to go out early and say that they will do enough to beat them on the Gold Coast.
Cheers
Submitted by Baggy_Gee on
Actually the analogy to Lance was that he didn't allow time for his body to recover after blowing himself out to win a lead up race, Maybe Foran needs to lessen his work load through next years off season and see if that give the leg a chance to rebuild/repair.
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Or take steroids + masking agent to speed up the healing process?
Submitted by Baggy_Gee on
Not sure on the science, but the human body is amazing at looking after itself. A pre season and time quite possibly would see him make some sort of recovery.
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