Melbourne Storm vs St George Illawarra Dragons – Thursday night – AAMI Park
Both teams lose plenty of troops to game three of Origin but the Storm look better placed to deal with it. James Graham is a collosus but he is just one man, and most of his usual forward pack won't be there with him. Ben Hunt was 'dropped', but stays on the bench for Queensland. The Dragons pack has been one of their key strengths this season, while the Storm will lose just the one back-rower to Origin duty (Kaufusi). The Dragons don't have a great record in Melbourne at the best of times. I'm no Charles Dickens, but this looks the worst of times for the Dragons to be facing off against the purple machine. The Storm get an opportunity to peg back the lead of the premiership front-runner, and they'll take it.
Verdict – Storm by 13
Result – Storm 52 defeated Dragons 30
Penrith Panthers vs New Zealand Warriors – Friday night – Penrith Stadium
Is Hook about to get hooked? The Panthers are undertaking the dreaded mid-year review even though they are in the top four. Some may see that as an over-reaction, but their last two games have been ordinary, their one point win over the Raiders was fortuitous, and 11 of their 15 games this season have been against teams outside the top eight. There aren't many teams in the top eight that look like they could slide out of finals contention from here, but the Panthers are a candidate. They'll be without much of their playmaking prowess on Friday night too, with Cleary, Maloney and Peachey on Origin duty. Meanwhile the Warriors are near enough to full strength, and showed enough last week against the Sharks to suggest they can get the job done here.
Verdict – Warriors by 8
Result – Panthers 36 defeated Warriors 4
Canterbury Bulldogs vs Canberra Raiders – Saturday night – Belmore Sports Ground
The Bulldogs showed some of that traditional Bulldogs spirit last week with a thumping win over the Knights. Unfortunately their best player in that game was Klemmer (who carted the ball for 200 metres and gave his all), and he won't be playing this weekend. The Raiders are losing plenty of close games this season, but games are (usually) won by teams that score the most points. Only the top two teams on the ladder have scored more points than the Raiders this season, while only two teams have scored less than the Bulldogs this season ( the Eels and the Tigers). Without Klemmer they'll have even less opportunities to be in a position to score points, and the Bulldogs need more opportunities to score than most.
Verdict – Raiders by 8
Result – Raiders 32 defeated Bulldogs 28
Gold Coast Titans vs Brisbane Broncos – Sunday afternoon – Cbus Super Stadium
The Titans probably can't make the top eight this season, but they're good enough to create nuisance value for every team they come up against. They lose a fair chunk of their engine room to Origin with Wallace and Arrow suiting up for QLD, although it looks like Ryan James will now be available. The Broncos lose Wallace and McCullough which weakens them in the middle and they also lose Oates – his runs and yards early in the tackle count will be missed too. I'm sticking with the Broncos who have plenty to play for and plenty of big game experience to draw on despite the absence of their Origin players. This should be tight though, and given the weather and timeslot I think this is the game of the round.
Verdict – Broncos by 2
Result – Broncos 34 defeated Titans 0
Wally Lewis - round sixteen selections (in bold)
Note: tips from Wally will be published on Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.
- STORM vs Dragons
- PANTHERS vs Warriors
- BULLDOGS vs Raiders
- TITANS vs Broncos
Comments
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Mary S, surely your coach has more reason to be whimpering than ours?
Submitted by Rocket Ryan on
That's good Christine I hope you get the next 3
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Gotta say that was a perfect example of a pass that was thrown backwards, makes no difference where it finishes up.
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Joey said it. The refs are looking at the lines, and the rulebook specifically tells them not to.
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Horribly forward from Hetherington. Embarrassed to gain 2 points out of that phase.
Submitted by Steel Panther on
There's a forward pass Coach your No 16 to the fullback. Missed off course by the refs
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Embarrassed to kick it or maybe watching his heroes Latrell, and Cherry-Evans too closely? Happy he missed it, so the after game stuff will less about two free points.
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Just not sure how anyone on planet Earth could not call that forward pass. Letting the short obvious ones go, and pulling up some longer ones thrown back out of the hands. Getting both sides of the coin wrong.
Submitted by The Annoying Devil on
Just get a feeling 2nd half Johnson will step up and get the ball to the wingers and the warriors will get home
Submitted by Steel Panther on
Your young lads are doing well stepping up. Warriors look beaten already...lucky not to be a man down after conceding six penalties in a row.
Submitted by Coach Potato on
I like your assessment better SP
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Super defence from our B team so far
Submitted by Coach Potato on
At what stage devil? Refs better do some WWE magic trick
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Once we get Mansour Peachey Cleary and Maloney will be happy not to be on anyone’s radar.
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Just wasn’t forward
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Any change of feeling devil?
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Silence not a good look
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Rocket and mark, we are Subcorp ready.
Submitted by Steel Panther on
Penrith outstanding tonight given how many out. Warriors simply embarrassing no one more so than Peta Hiku who has been a turnstile all season. Penrith almost unrecognisable from the performance they put in last week!!!
Submitted by Mary S on
Agree with you Steel Panther - looked like the Warriors didn't know how to play. Your Panthers certainly came out with a roar tonight Coach.
Submitted by Brad S on
Geeeez what a performance! Really didn’t see this coming after a flogging from the Roosters and a terrible game against Manly last week. Along with missing their stars and the whispers all week about Penrith looking to move Hook on.
Young Luai is a talent.
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Hang on. Here they come. Just need another try every half a minute.
Submitted by Coach Potato on
This team hasn’t been coaching itself.
Submitted by Steel Panther on
My prediction...Warriors will finish outside the 8!!!!!!!!!
Submitted by Coach Potato on
... and the other team?
Submitted by Coach Potato on
They only need two wins out of 8 SP. Will be hard to go worse than that.
Submitted by Coach Potato on
a and PBX, just 2 hours before quarter finals soccer tips close.
Very sporting if you’re letting me catch up.
My tips:
URU v FRA D
BRA v BEL A
RUS v CRO D
SWE v ENG A
Submitted by a on
Coach I have already done my tips
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Ha. I was just writing back that I saw your tips.
Submitted by christine on
Penrith played very well tonight I will give them credit for that , warriors on the other hand didn't even deserve to get one try but I do think it's souths year & I for one would like to see a souths / dragons grand final in fact I may just bet on it ...
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
Hello Coach.
Big Pete's World Cup 2018 - Qtr Final Tips.
URU v FRA A
BRA v BEL H
RUS v CRO A
SWE v ENG A
Keep well Old Son - Panthers played extremely well.
NZ not good travellers. Must have been sea sick coming across the ditch.
Bx
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Good stuff Pete. The other coach was just about to turn into a pumpkin. Cheers.
Very kind christine, Pete, Mary, Steel P, and Brad S (possibly related) to give their account and give credit for such a dominant display of footy. Penrith is not any of your teams, but you showed yourselves as unbiased and fair contributors to this page.
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Thinker, Panthers still on your candidate list of teams sliding out of the top 8?
They would have to lose 8 out of 8 to miss out.
Also our B team wasn’t rated against a full strength Warriors lineup. You got that more than a tad wrong.
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
Good Saturday morning to you Coach.
Aaah, me Samba Dancers are gone!
Own goal wasn't a good start!
Didn't watch game, as I had a lonnnggg week.
Belgium have some stars in that side and will be interesting to see how they approach and handle it, from here in.
The Panther "Kittens" really threw the ball around last night, much like it was a hot potato. As much as several of us tipped Warriors, one never knows what a team of relative young ones and unknowns can do. It was all in front of them and they succeeded.
Cheers and have a great weekend
Big Pete.
Submitted by The Thinker on
You're very chirpy after the win Coach.
They were good last night. It's always nice to see youngsters coming through and doing well when they get a chance.
And it looks like you have a few playmaking options once Maloney retires and Cleary signs with the Chooks
:-)
Submitted by The Thinker on
I'm tipping at 58% this season Coach. I get it a tad wrong almost half the time.
Submitted by Coach Potato on
He was always rated as better than Cleary. No way of telling yet, but he is a good one.
Speaks volumes for Panthers junior development and anti-volumes for Broncos junior development the latest forlorn bid.
Words not enough to gag on this page, but actions seem to be doing the trick.
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Pete if it didn’t go in off his arm, it was a clear penalty from 12 paces.
Hilarious to see Neymar tried to recreate his own penalty that he suddenly realised that when the ref asked for the video, that he knew he would be found diving, which would have been a yellow card, which because he had a yellow in a previous game, it would have suspended him for the semi-final. He was up doing hand springs in seconds. So funny.
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Sorry, Thinker rephrase. I wasn’t saying haha you got a tip wrong because that’s 100% human.
What I was seeing was your average opinion of both Panthers A and B teams.
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Although everyone has a right to their opinion.
Oops my mistake.
Submitted by NuL1F3 on
I bet on the Warriors (figuratively) because of the players Panthers lost to SoO, that turned out to be a very wrong bet! They absolutely flogged the Kiwis last night! Embarrassed the hell out of them! Wishing I had stuck with my original pick for Panthers but you get that sometimes. I expected both games so far to be close and I couldn't have been more wrong there either!! Will Bulldogs cause an upset tonight? My favourite game has to be the Storm v Dragons, so close till after the 66th minute and a tired Dragons side could do nothing to hold off the coming Storm! Couldn't help but feel sorry for Dragons as until then they were matching point for point, exciting game!
Submitted by mark ashford on
Coach winners are grinners and you deserve to be grinning.
Warriors gave away so many poor discipline penalties early it seemed to break their spirit. Not taking anything away from your win it was well deserved.
That young guy (Luai) is a superstar in the making, can't believe that was only his 2nd NRL game. I believe he is a product of your local development and baring injury will one day wear the sky blue.
If Nathan wants to go you have a ready made replacement.
Coach (for now) you are equal 3rd on the ladder (forget the differential)
Why is Cleary senior under threat...or is he.
We'll see about Subcorp soon.
Submitted by mark ashford on
One last thing can anyone tell me the penalty count in the Panthers/Warriors game last night. I missed most of the 2nd half,
Submitted by Coach Potato on
mark
Warriors won the penalty count 10 to 7.
Next question?
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Sorry stat was penalties conceded so Panthers got 3 extra, 10 to 7.
Was mostly due to relentless pressure, not favouritism.
Panthers did get a couple of calls go their way. Two backwards passed by Johnson in possible try scoring situations called forward. Two metre forward pass by Panthers Hetherington, let go - although it didn’t result in any extra points thank goodness.
I hear Mansour is awaiting a Subcorp return to the field.
Submitted by mark ashford on
Coach we will welcome Josh at the cauldron.
I have been an admirer of his style of play for some time.
If I remember correctly you accused me of a "man crush" quite a while back. I just admired his toughness and speed, if that's a "man crush" so be it. Sammy T has announced retirement so the boys will be keen to give him as many wins as possible. The black cats will be one of those.
Submitted by Coach Potato on
No worries.
Plenty in the Panthers lineup from last year that will be looking for revenge and closure from last years final, soured by an amazing no-try call. Will soon see whether wildhorse or wildcat is the hungrier.
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Next Wednesday at 4am, Origin day will kick of with another Origin of sorts.
Next door neigbours France and Belgium play in the first World Cup semi final. These two countries, from what I know don’t like each other, have had differences, do not get on so well. It will be very Origin-like in intensity - for a soccer game.
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
Coach - I check on highlights and that og of Brazils, could have been a mean call, had it reverted to a spot penalty.
I didnt look that intentional, but..........
Actors equity with the rest. Shits me to tears from 12 paces. Lot of time wastage goes with it all.
Oooh aaah - France and Belgium. No love lost Coach and other readers.
Me thinks it goes back, to the days of the war trenches.
I might try sit up for tonights "early" match and see how it starts off.
I'm off to Orange tomorrow - temps zero to maximum of 7. Very icy here, when I walked home in it tonight.
Cheers all and keep well - Big Pete
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
Coach - Panthers Junior Development Program is a plus to them.
I know it well as we have several of our Panthers young ones, get readily signed to junior contracts with the Penrith club.
The GM of our local Panthers licensed club, played 1st Grade with Parra Eels. Their eldest son is now down with Penrith.
If the Talent ID Coach is Matt Cameron, I've mentioned before, he loves the role and his mum is very good friends with a close relation of mine.
Matt did the rounds from Parra, to Penrith, then over to Campbelltown with Tigers and then Gus got him back to Penrith.
Cheers and keep well Coach
Big Pete
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