Hey Tiger
Enjoy that trip out to Gordon Country. As Thinker said it'll be cold so make sure you rug up. Saw on the news a while back that there had been "big cat" sightings out that way, so I guess you'll be in good company.

Mary's gone round, is over.

Rd 14 was a ripper for the tipping enthusiast. The Guru had a few close calls, big Thanks to the Thinker...appreciate the thoughts mate : )

2020 Premiers The Covid Stormers were brilliant. Totally outclassed the Chooks, as they will with the Eels this week. In other Storm related news, Craig Bellamy has the boys doing a spot of after dark water sports this week on the Sunshine coast...whispers are saying Todd Carney has shown an interest in this new coaching method, Carneys agent apparently said, this activity is one of his clients favourite pastimes, "He has great aim and delicate touch" the agent said. No reply on intent from the Storm.

Mary's last dance was toooriffic. Not only did the Dragons boys defend the line of +10.5, they actually won, netting the G a very very nice multi.
It was interesting to see The Dragons playing with maximum attack were too good for Para, and The Eels were not playing badly, they are just not better than how they played, thats them at their peak. If The Covid 19ers had been the opponent instead of the floppy Eels, the Guru feels its Mel by 20+. Next lvl The Storm.

Bit of nibble in the Sharkies victory..Probably cost the Titans a real chance of winning. The Guru has a solution, a new rule is introduced. During the game, the referee can put an incident on report under the 'new DH rule', this will be represented by a stop game signal, instead of doing the arms crossed signal thing for a regular report, the ref will take one hand, palm up, as though there was something in his grasp and then vigorously move the hand back and forth, telling the player, you have been reported under the DH rule, it will be investigated by an expert team midweek, and if you are found to have been a DH, then you will get a minimum 1 week suspension and a 1k fine. At seasons end there will be a new award, similar to 'The Daly Ms', called 'The Golden Dick' for the Seasons Biggest DH, the winner will be awarded a large golden phallic statue with their face on the top. Genius!...The final design of the statue is still being decided as competition for sponsorship is raging, with several of Canberra's adult toys companies said to be locked in a fierce bidding war for naming rights. Unconfirmed rumours have said the statue will have Rabbit ears?

Souths...OMG. During this game, The Guru was starting to get the feels there was something fishy going down...Latrell had a shocker, but many other Souffs players had the butter fingers...The Guru was checking up close for Bronco's jerseys, it was that bad!

Newcastle were shockingly bad....They did manage to save the Guru's house though, so i suppose we should not be too rough. Still, plenty of things to be worried about come September, Knights wont feature too much the G feels.

Sa-wat-dee krup,

No mucking around tonight. Let’s do this thang…

Eels vs. Storm 55-45 @ Bankwest
Ladder Position = Storm
Bookies Favourite = Eels

Eels
Terrible conditions again last week and the Eels managed to score first but the Dragons scored a couple of tries in that first half to edge ahead. The conditions as well as the way the Dragons were playing was always gonna make it tough for the Eels. In the end the Eels lost 14-12 in a semi-upset. On paper the Eels should’ve won that but things don’t always go to script and the Dragons got up for a well deserved win. The Eels didn’t appear to handle the wet weather conditions as well as the Dragons did and to me, their defence wasn’t as “desperate” as the Dragons’ was. Unfortunately they were unable to withstand the finish from the Dragons. The Eels did mount a late comeback of sorts but the Dragons held them off. In a losing side, Clint Gutherson ran an “insane” 367 metres 🤪. Stats worth a mention:

Possession (52-48)
Missed Tackles (33-18)
Ineffective Tackles (11-18)

Storm
The Storm were simply too classy for the Roosters last week and they were on top from basically the very start. They did get some help from an error riddled Roosters side but all of that aside, they were just too switched on with their bigger forward pack doing all sorts of damage through the middle. The anticipated problems with Smith and Munster being missing didn’t eventuate and Jahrome Hughes put in a great effort in organising the Storm play. When it mattered, guys like Brandon Smith, Papenhuyzen and Olam simply stood up. At times it appeared like the Storm were just toying with the Roosters. It must be said that it was a thoroughly dominant and deserved win to the Storm. Stats worth a mention:

Possession (52-48)
Completion Rate (86-66)
Line Breaks (6-1)
Offloads (14-8)
Kicking Metres (790-465)
Missed Tackles (34-32)
Ineffective Tackles (14-26)
Errors (10-17)

Verdict: No disrespect but I just can’t believe the Eels are favourites and are slightly ahead in the ratings. Really? Regardless, I’m on the Storm.

Panthers vs. Sharks 60-40 @ Panthers Stadium
Ladder Position = Panthers
Bookies Favourite = Panthers

Panthers
A fairly dominant game (sorta) from the Panthers last week but they were made to work hard for their 18-12 win. While they did exert a lot of pressure during the match, the Warriors’ defence stood up well. So much so that the Panthers’ only second half points came from a single penalty goal. The Panthers did have more possession and enjoyed better field position but couldn’t find a way through the Warriors’ defence enough times to rack up a score. Their own defence was good however and they managed to hold the courageous Warriors out for long enough. This is becoming somewhat boring 😁 but yet another great game from Cleary. The Panthers wouldn’t have been too pleased by their attacking effort (by their standards at least) but would’ve been happy to take the win. Stats worth a mention:

Possession (58-42)
All Run Metres (1861-1260)
Post Contact Metres (783-485)
Kicking Metres (658-446)
Forced Drop Outs (10-1)
Missed Tackles (10-42)
Errors (5-12)

Sharks
The Sharks had a battle on their hands in the first half last week against the Titans. Both teams seemed to have control in various stages and they were all locked up 12-12 at the break. After Proctor got sent off for that “incident”, the Sharks got right on top, took advantage of the “extra man” and scored some quick tries, eventually running out semi-comfortable winners 30-18.

Stats worth a mention:

Possession (50-50)
Line Breaks (5-9)
Dummy Passes (43-18)
Missed Tackles (45-28)
Ineffective Tackles (9-26)
Errors (10-15)
Penalties Conceded (6-9)

Verdict: Until they start losing, I’m sticking with the Panthers.

Broncos vs. Dragons 35-65 @ Suncorp
Ladder Position = Dragons
Bookies Favourite = Dragons

Broncos
Seriously, things were looking pretty rosy for the Broncos at half time last week against the Raiders. They went into the sheds 8-6 ahead and they must’ve thought they had a chance. They had more possession, they were making plenty of metres and were handling the Raiders pretty well. Then the wheels fell off in the second half. The Raiders kept them scoreless and ran in 5 converted tries and the poor ol’ Broncos lost another one 36-8. On the bright side, they know they can match it with the good sides but just have to maintain it for more than 40 minutes. Hopefully these painful losses will stay with the young fellas long enough to spur them on in the future. As soon as their mindset changes to a “never give up” one, the success will come. As long as their attitude and belief changes, it’s guaranteed. Stats worth a mention:

Possession (50-50)
Line Breaks (3-7)
Missed Tackles (28-32)
Penalties Conceded (5-2)
Ruck Infringements (1-7)

Dragons
Not a huge upset win from the Dragons in my mind considering their recent efforts, Mary’s last game as coach and the Eels’ form of late. Most pundits would’ve expected the Eels to win at home (including me) but the Dragons had other ideas and fully deserved their hard fought 14-12 win. They handled the wet weather better than the Eels and their defence refused to allow the Eels any easy points. The Dragons looked a lot more switched on and desperate to me. You could see that when they went into attack. They ran the ball with so much vigour and were always striving for the extra metres. Yeah, everyone’s asking the same question … where have these Dragons been for the last year and a half? Last week’s effort against quality opposition was their best of the year in my opinion. Maybe the trick is to have their coach resign each week 😁. In another mindboggling example of metres run in the Eels-Dragons game, Pereira ran an “insane” 263 metres 🤪. Stats worth a mention:

Possession (48-52)
Missed Tackles (18-33)
Ineffective Tackles (18-11)

Verdict: Don’t know why (I might be crazy) but I’ve got a feeling there could be an upset here. I’m so close to tipping the Broncos but I’ll stay with the Dragons here.

Titans vs. Raiders 35-65 @ CBUS
Ladder Position = Raiders
Bookies Favourite = Raiders

Titans
The Titans started well last week against the Sharks. They were dominating territory and looked enthusiastic. They kept in touch with the Sharks and headed to the sheds all square at 12-12. Obviously that second half Kevin Proctor “incident” had a huge impact. Thanks largely to Proctor’s sending off and being a man down, the Sharks got on top and the Titans lost a disappointing one 30-18. Up until the send-off, the Titans were looking pretty good and the injuries to Copley and Arrow certainly wouldn’t have helped their cause. Apparently Proctor and Johnson both shook hands and had a chat after the game and everything’s been sorted. From what I’ve seen of him over the years and going by what those who know him say, this was totally out of character. I’ve watched the Proctor video a number of times now and I’m not sure if it was actually a bite or not. Regardless, he got 4 weeks and the Titans will miss him. Maybe they’ll lift for this one. Who knows. Either way, not a great way to celebrate his 250th 😥. Stats worth a mention:

Possession (50-50)
Line Breaks (9-5)
Dummy Passes (18-43)
Missed Tackles (28-45)
Ineffective Tackles (26-9)
Errors Sharks (15-10)
Penalties Conceded (9-6)

Raiders
In my mind the Raiders were a bit uninspiring in the first half last week and were behind 8-6 heading to the break. The Broncos came out and took it right up to the Raiders in the first 40 and I reckon that worried them a bit and was the reason a completely different Raiders came out in the second half. Either that or the Broncos simply faded, not sure. Five converted tries in the space of 20 minutes basically blew the Broncos away. The Raiders were at their clinical best (in the second half at least) and were easy 36-12 winners in the end. Stats worth a mention:

Possession (50-50)
Line Breaks (7-3)
Missed Tackles (32-28)
Penalties Conceded (2-5)
Ruck Infringements (7-1)

Verdict: Yeah, gotta go with the Raiders here.

Tigers vs. Roosters 35-65 @ Leichardt
Ladder Position = Roosters
Bookies Favourite = Roosters

Tigers
Not quite sure what to take from the Tigers’ effort last week. They led by 16 points early but they let the Doggies get within 6 points at the half-time break. They were actually behind with 8 minutes to go but somehow awoke from their “slumber” and managed a converted try and a field goal from Brooks with a couple to go and they scraped in by the slenderest of margins 29-28. They showed lapses defence-wise from time to time and their sometimes recurring “fade-out” nearly cost them. Different story had it not been for Marshall, Garner and Doueihi. I note the Bulldogs scored 22 unanswered points which must be a worry for the Tigers. OK, their season is still alive but with their remaining draw, are they just delaying the inevitable I wonder. Stats-wise it was so close there’s not much point mentioning the differences.

Roosters
As I mentioned last week, I couldn’t see how the Roosters were favourites to beat the Storm as all things considered, it made no logical sense to me. Unfortunately (for me at least) my assumptions were proven correct. To say the Roosters were below par would be an understatement. Far too many basic errors made and penalties given away. They were dropping the ball cold inside their own half and the Storm made them pay. It was schoolboy stuff at times. Down 14-0 at half-time I thought they were gonna get “smacked silly” but the Roosters’ effort in the second half was better but they still fell 24-6. Thanks to Tuipulotu’s consolation try the Roosters were saved the embarrassment of a nil scoreline. While one of their worst performances in a long time and not trying to make excuses (there are none), they were savaged by another 3 injuries in the game and with just Faamausili on the bench for the final 20 minutes of the game, they did pretty well in defending their line against a far superior opponent. I wasn’t that disappointed all things considered. The truth was that the Roosters simply got out-gunned last week and it pains me to admit it but they didn’t even deserve to get close, let alone win it. You know what they say, “there’s always next week” 🙏. Stats worth a mention:

Possession (48-52)
Completion Rate (66-86)
Line Breaks (1-6)
Offloads (8-14)
Kicking Metres (465-790)
Missed Tackles (32-34)
Ineffective Tackles (26-14)
Errors (17-10)

Verdict: Yay! We’re getting 3 blokes back this week 💪. Roosters. Begurk! 🐔 Begurk! 🐔

Rabbitohs vs. Manly 60-40 @ ANZ
Ladder Position = Rabbitohs
Bookies Favourite = Rabbitohs

Rabbitohs
The first 10 minutes were pretty good for the Rabbitohs but the Cowboys came back at them and were actually leading the Bunnies14-12 at half-time. They slugged it out in the second half and a boilover looked imminent when the Cowboys got 6 in front with 6 to go. But the Bunnies never gave up and just kept at it and with a minute to go Reynolds drills a field goal and they scrape in 31-30. Just goes to show it’s never over until the final siren sounds. It’s amazing to think that without the superb kicking from Reynolds (including the field goal, he missed just one from 7 attempts), the Rabbitohs more than likely would’ve lost that. Against a switched on Cowboys, they did pretty well in the end and never gave up. Stats worth a mention:

Possession (43-57)
Kicking Metres (413-622)
Forced Drop Outs (1-3)
Kick Defusal (20-69)
Penalties Conceded (5-2)

Manly
Manly started like a house on fire last week and had 2 tries on the board in the first 8 minutes but unfortunately they displayed some poor discipline and made errors and let the Knights in for 3 tries of their own. An improved effort in the second half eventually saw them leading the Knights 24-20 with 8 minutes to go. Unfortunately the Knights scored a try, Ponga converted and Manly lost it 26-24. Not a bad effort considering they have so many players out injured (Turbo, Walker, Taupau, Taufua and Fonua-Blake). On top of that they lost Elliot during the game. It was a pretty brave effort as far as I was concerned. Stats worth a mention:

Possession (50-50)
Kicking Metres (622-376)
Missed Tackles (32-25)
Errors (9-10)
Penalties Conceded (11-4)

Verdict: Bunnies “snuck in” against the Cowboys while Manly only just lost to the Knights and they get a couple back this week. Franking that form tells me to tip Manly. But will I? Yeah, I’ll risk it and go the Sea Eagles.

Bulldogs vs. Warriors 45-55 @ ANZ
Ladder Position = Warriors
Bookies Favourite = Warriors

Bulldogs
The Bulldogs did really well last week against the Tigers and some may argue they deserved a bit better than to lose a heartbreaker 29-28. They were 16 down early on but fought back to get within 6 at the break. They stayed in the contest and eventually got in front with 10 to go and they had the Tigers under some pressure. Somehow they let the Tigers in for a converted try and then they had their hearts broken when Brooks ended the deadlock with his field goal. The Bulldogs no doubt would have been bitterly disappointed they couldn’t close that one out last week. All in all a very good effort nevertheless. On a losing side, I was very impressed with Nick Meaney’s game. Stats-wise it was so close there’s not much point mentioning the differences.

Warriors
The Warriors did a lot of defending in the first half last week. Even though they were 16-0 down, they kept trying and got a first half try to stay in touch. Their defence was pretty good against the competition leaders and they restricted the Panthers to just a penalty goal in the second half. They were gutsy and courageous in that 18-12 loss last week. They should be proud of the amount of pressure they soaked up and the Pink Panthers certainly had to earn their money last week. It was a great effort from the Warriors. Stats worth a mention:

Possession (42-58)
All Run Metres (1260-1861)
Post Contact Metres (485-783)
Kicking Metres (446-658)
Forced Drop Outs (1-10)
Missed Tackles (42-10)
Errors (12-5)

Verdict: In my mind, the Warriors were better in their loss to the Panthers than the Doggies were in their loss to the Tigers. Warriors for me.

Knights vs. Cowboys 60-40 @ McDonald Jones
Ladder Position = Knights
Bookies Favourite = Knights

Knights
The Knights were basically outplayed in the first 20 minutes last week but an injury to Manly’s Brendan Elliot was the turning point in my mind and after that the Knights put on 3 tries. They were in front 20-12 at one stage but seemed to take their foot off the accelerator (or did Manly hit back?). Next thing you know the Knights are 6 behind with just 8 minutes left on the clock. The Knights hung in, clawed their way back and were rewarded after a great lead-up resulted in the match winning try from Tuala and they eventually got over the line 26-24. Not wanting to sound too cliché but it goes without saying the Knights weren’t at their best. Stats worth a mention:

Possession (50-50)
Kicking Metres (376-622)
Missed Tackles (25-32)
Errors (10-9)
Penalties Conceded (4-11)

Cowboys
The Cowboys did very well in the first half last week. So much so, they went into the break leading 14-12. It was a bit of an arm wrestle in the second half and the Cowboys really took it up to the Rabbitohs. You couldn’t have asked for a more exciting last 6 minutes and the Cowboys got oh so close. It looked like the Cowboys were home when they led 30-24 with 6 minutes to go. With 4 minutes to go it was 30-28. A minute later it was 30-30 and 2 minutes later the Cowboys’ luck ran out and they went down 31-30 😥. Look, the Cowboys played very well and should’ve possibly won that but this wonderful game throws disappointment at you sometimes. No doubt it’s already been mentioned many times by now but the Cowboys would’ve won last week had Feldt had his kicking boots on and hadn’t given away that stupid penalty near the end 😱. Just sayin’… Stats worth a mention:

Possession (57-43)
Kicking Metres (622-413)
Forced Drop Outs (3-1)
Kick Defusal (69-20)
Penalties Conceded (2-5)

Verdict: This is a tough one I reckon. Knights at home for me.

Let’s finish off with another “Song of the Week”…

Doctor: You only have 6 minutes to live.
Me: I want to listen to this song.
Doctor: But that’s 7 minutes and 20 seconds long.
God: It’s alright, play it. I’ll make an exception this time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y584E6TIZuI

OK kids, good luck with your tipping and may your team win by 40 points! Until next week people. Cheers.

Thinker
It appears you have removed your post about Siebold's detractors and I can understand why (or was it in my dreams?) Know you can't say anything but on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the worst where would you rate it?

OK one more
I think the Kevin Proctor decision was a disgrace. Who exactly are fronting the judiciary? maybe a few xplayers and nobodys who want to see their names up in the press. Well done whoever you are, you have made a disgrace of your positions.

Good evening tipping enthusiasts.

The Guru has been reflecting....TV cinematic classic, The Apprentice...Had an opening musical theme. This shall be the Guru's theme for Rd 15 of the NRL.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9zraS8EKw4

Keeping with our theme, it seems many people, including the good ol bookies are suffering with Covid madness. As The Guru writes, Mel are $2.70 H2H?? Did they not learn last week?

Parramatta v Melbourne

Storm - The 2020 Premiers, The Covid Melbourne Stormer's, fresh from destroying the back to back premiers are facing the out of form Floppy Eels, who are coming off several games where they lost or struggled to beat ordinary opposition. Somehow.....someway...The Eels are heavy favourites? Para wont win this game, Para cant beat Melbourne! The last two times these sides met.. Mel 64 v Para 10 and Mel 32 v Para 0. The Storm are consistent, professional and very classy across the roster. It would take a few miracles for Para to win this game. Melbourne will kick high to Blake 'The Nose' Fergy and run the ball to Sivo's wing, because the big fella always leaves the def line too ealy and leaves an overlap for the attack. Up front, Para will struggle with Mel leg speed and play speed. expect errors from Para.
The Guru just cant see any reason to doubt a Storm victory. Rolled in Gold Guru special.

Penrith v Cronulla

Panthers - Crazy Ivan and crazy Jnr seem to be unstoppable. It looks like a dry track for this weekend and that should be a plus for the Panthers who will have too many points for the Sharks. Should be entertaining and fairly close, games between these two are almost always 1-12.
Mr Johnson has a random case of Tourette's strike him at the NRL judiciary it seems, might need to get checked...Rabies is a thing!

St George v Brisbane

Dragons - St George coach Shane Flanagan, should be proud of the sendoff the boys gave Mary. This week they might suffer a bit of complacency, Brisbane are the worst team of the last 75yrs of RL world wide. factoring in all the variables STG 13+ looks like money. This game should have an official handicap, Brisbane are not NRL quality in any area, sad as it is for The Guru to say, but betting against Brisbane this year has been very profitable. No reason it stops this week. Stg could top up their For and Against record if they put some heart in.

Titans v Raiders

Raiders - The Coast have been going really well, until Nibble-gate. The Guru feels it's not the size of the bite on the Titan and its not the reaction of the Shark who was bitten, but its the...The Guru lost his train of thought as the Raiders money train just blasted by. Canberra will have to play very badly to lose this game. Nibbley Kev has destabilised his side, they dont have a player who can lift them high enough to overcome that nonsense, apparently Nibbles had Mr Bean as a defence attorney..The NRL just keeps giving, Solid Gold boys.

West Tigers v Roosters

Chookies - Gold plated Moral, dipped in cash and rolled in Sonny Bills bank account. The Roosters are Red HOTT!! for this game, play that apprentice theme before you have a look at this one...Sydney are getting back the NRLs leading point-scorer, a big bastard prop and some other half decent blokes. Should be a training run. The Tigers are not good enough to win this unless Sydney fall over themselves. Free money.

Souths v Manly

Manly - Is Wayne a bubble boy again, or is he still on the outside looking in? Souths were lucky last week, they got the W but The Guru thinks they were missing the B. One with out the other doesn't work!
This game is the toughest this round for the tipping enthusiast the G feels. Manly are desperate to stay in touch with the top 8 and in fact....fixed, Changed the tip. Manly for the win. If Des has his boys playing like the last two weeks they will win. Man at the line is very solid in a game that could go either way.

Bulldogs v Warriors

Warriors - Australia Jnr are playing for Gus. The announcement that Phil Gould was going to become the Godfather of NZ seemed to be quite sudden, but insiders know, they had to make an offer, he couldn't refuse. When you have a team that's doing crap, any whiff of good news will be used to motivate the slackers, the boys have known for awhile that 'Uncle Gus' was coming to town, and he knows who's been naughty and nice..etc. The Guru feels the current living situation is working for the NZ team, it might be worth a look to see why, because when they go back, their form will stay in Australia. NZ should be too good for the Dogs.

Newcastle v Townsville

Knights - The Guru had only just, only just turned the corner on the Knights when they almost let the big bad bookies take the Guru's palace!! The Cheek, the audacity.....Newcastle really did play most of that game like they were a 4th grade team of 60 plus year olds with chronic arthritis. Disgraceful. Manly were pretty good, but Newcastle showed us all why they are not going to win a game of finals football this year. Hopefully New can find something this week other than luck. Not a betting prospective to The Guru.

The Guru feels its time to 'Keep it real" so he has written a little piece there about the 'Real odds'.

The media can have their bandwagons, but the G is keepin it real, he's kickin it with the T hinker and making a $teal.

Para $.147 v Mel $2.70
REAL odds should be Mel $1.22 Para $3.80. Its been years since Para beat Mel. Para have really been falling away recently, struggling. While Melbourne have been unstoppable, embarrassing the 2 x premiers.

Pen $1.30 v Sharks $3.55
Odds are prob about right. Penrith are good things here, it would be a big upset for Cronulla to win this.

Brisbane $3.50 v STG $1.30
Brisbane cant win this game unless STG really screw up, the Bronc's are a mess on and off the field. No one in the playing group cares too much right now, coach is busy playing SS investigator, enjoying the distraction from his sides disgrace. Literally free money. real odds STG $1.00001 Broncos $areustupid?

Can $1.25 v Titans $4.00
Probably about fair, but 1.25 is good value as its almost a guarantee. Solid for the enthusiast.

West $3.10 v SYD $1.37
Fantastic value on the Chooks who with the addition of some highly paid players coming back should be solid for 13+ victory. Real odds SYD $1.02 West $15.00

Souths $1.39 v MAN $3.00
Real odds $1.95 even. What happens in this game? Manly have lost a couple of close ones, been playing alright. DCE is earning his big salary...tough game to call, but form is with Manly. Souths? Latrell is a confidence player and he is not feeling it. Manly with any start is the Guru choice.

Dogs $2.20 v NZ $1.67
Real odds? about NZ $1.40 v Dogs 2.00, so its pretty close. NZ deserve to be favourites. There is the factor of, when will the Kiwis revert back to not giving a shite...but we are still waiting for that one. Bulldogs dont want the spoon, but they just are not that good. last week was there to win, they couldnt do it and wont this week.

New $1.30 v NQ $3.50
Real odds New $1.75 v NQ $2.20. This could be a close game, with upsets on the agenda. Newcastle were rubbish last week, they felt just turning up was going to be enough. Few quality players slacking off and attitude just not there at all. Newcastle should win, but if the Cows put up a fight they could get there.

you might need an extra jumper out there AP!
I have tipped your tigers a few times, and unfortunately they have let me down. Remember when we use scramble on a Thursday arvo, trying to get our tips in on time. Feels like yesterday, but its 2020. Unbelievable.
We all thought storm could not do it last week. Tricky round 15 awaits.
Have a safe trip .

Broncoswimmer

I will never forget those times we had, you will always be Number One.

Tiger

Afternoon All
Just wanted to say that I have changed my profile picture, my Missus reckons that this is how I look when I am proud of myself. I would be super proud if I picked the Bronco's and they had a win.
Enjoy the footy folks, drink responsibly if you can.

Tiger

The Guru
Good posts mate good posts. Not being a punter various odds always confuse me. I always thought the bookies were smarter than me so their odds should reflect how the games should go but that's not always true.
I'm looking at Eels-v-Roosters tonight and the Eels are by a reasonable margin favs. Last week the under performing Dragons beat the Eels by a small margin whereas the Storm beat the existing and some say favs for this year the Roosters by a huge margin. As Qld's favourite redhead used to say "please explain"

Hey Tiger - I think that's the best avatar/profile you've ever had.
I love it!
Reminds me of The King Lion in those shows we used to, or tend to watch. Not Snagglepuss either - maybe snugglepuss in the tee-pee.

Cheers and keep well and warm.
BigPeteBx - as we wait to greet snow about the place.

Hey everyone, my tips for this week are:

Eels by 6 – The Storm have many players out and that has swayed me towards the Eels. The Eels are not exactly in the greatest of forms right now. They are still in a great position on the ladder right now at 3rd place. Considering where they were, they have fallen off a little, but they are still certain for a top 4 finish in my eyes. The Storm smashed the Roosters and were very classy in the process but now have some more moral missing, Jesse Bromwich, Finucane, Vunivalu and potentially Jahrome Hughes to name a few. Those are some huge outs and I think the Eels will beat the depleted Storm. It will be a tight one though but I am going with the Eels to finally get a win over the Storm to break their winning streak.

Panthers by 10 – Panthers should be too good for the Sharks here. Panthers are just in an amazing array of form right now. Last week, you would have expected them to smash the Warriors, particularly considering the weight of possession and dominance they displayed yet they only got the Warriors in the end by 6 points. The Sharks on the other hand, got the job done over the Titans in the end. Thanks to that send-off of Proctor, that changed the momentum of the game and gave the Sharks the victory. Panthers should outscore the Sharks here of they are on their game. I know the Sharks are a great attacking team, but I think the Panthers can definitely put on a big score on and I think the Sharks can score plenty too. I expect a really high scoring entertaining game, but it’ll be the Panthers who will get win number 10 in a row. Nathan Cleary is in crazy good form right now. And do not forget as well, the Panthers did put on 56 on the Sharks away from home, imagine the score they can put on the Sharks at home if they are hot!

Dragons by 20 – I am incredibly proud of the boys for getting the win for Mary on Friday night. It was an almighty effort particularly against stiff opposition. I thought we were going to lose that one, but we showed plenty of heart and plenty of desperation in defence. Both wingers were brilliant as well. Pereira running for over 250 metres and Ravalawa scoring both tries. And that play in the final two minutes that won us the game! Wow! It is a shame that I didn’t tip the boys. This week we have an easier game, a much easier game up against the struggling Broncos. Geez the Broncos are really struggling big time. On the positive side for them, at least they are playing some sort of footy for periods, a period that only lasted one half last week. They led 8-6 at the break only to have 30 unanswered points put on them in the second half. Now that must have stung a lot for the Broncos. I think if we show the heart that we did against the Eels and we come out to play, we will smash the Broncos. Simple as that! Broncos are not feeling it this year or at least since the Covid suspension. There only one win coming up against the Bulldogs who are running last during this time. Vaughan is back for the Dragons which is a boost and with Fuimaono suspended, Host you would expect to come into the second row with Merrin on the bench. Milford is in for Croft but that has not changed anything for the Broncos throughout the season, I highly doubt it will change now. Milford has been really disappointing this season. The mighty Dragons for me. Up the Saints! You better lift boys and put on a score. This is your opportunity!

Raiders by 16 – That Proctor saga would have definitely been a distraction for the Titans for sure. Raiders with absolutely no pressure whatsoever are just in a great position at the moment in touch with the top 4. They played really well in the second half last week and if they can bring this into this game they win well. Titans have been competitive and have been good actually, but that Proctor send off and suspension really put a sting on them and I don’t think they’ll recover from that this week. Raiders way too good here.

Roosters by 14 – Roosters welcome back Flanagan, Brett Morris and JWH in this one. Now those are some huge ins and make their chances of winning and also putting on a score on the Tigers higher. Tigers won last week but they were really disappointing. They had a great start and led by 16 in that first half only to concede two quick tries to go to the break with a 6-point lead. In the second half, the Bulldogs got the lead with 12 to go but luckily for the Tigers, J. Leilua scored that try with 8 to go and the goal was converted meaning the scores were level. Then with 2 to go, Brooks kicked the field goal which won the Tigers the game. That was only against the Dogs. The Roosters are a whole different task. Yes, they were disappointing last week, really disappointing in fact, but although they are obviously not at full strength, they are closer to full strength but that injury to Keary is definitely a blow. The orchestrator for the Roosters will be missing meaning Flanagan needs to take over the role on Saturday night. How he will do I do not know. Whether or not that will cost the Roosters the game you never know, but I think the Roosters will still be way too good for the Tigers here. They will win the forwards battle and I expect them to get some of that attacking flair back, particularly the finishing off bit at least with 1-5 almost at full strength but it’s the best it has been in a few weeks.

Rabbitohs by 4 – This will be a tight game. Two sides who are in and around that top 8 at the moment face off with the 8th placed Rabbitohs up against the 10th placed Sea Eagles. Manly are a real chance here for sure. They have been playing some pretty good footy. They were unlucky last week not to get the win over the Knights, they thoroughly deserved to win it due to their gutsy defence but when it counts, Manly couldn’t get the job done and that cost them the game in the end. This week they face a Rabbitohs outfit who are not flying but they are still racking up the wins. They do have those bottom 8 teams in the palm of their hands the Rabbitohs and they just keep beating the teams that are below them on the ladder. I think that will continue here in a thrilling game of footy. I know Eels-Storm is the game of the round, but this has the potential of being the true game of the round. Rabbitohs to keep their top 8 aspirations intact here and to get further away from those who want in the 8.

Bulldogs by 2 – This will be another tight game I reckon. Both these two sides have showed this season that they have plenty of heart and they give it a red-hot crack as both teams showed last week. The Warriors never should of got close last week but they did because of their heart in defence to hang in there and they were able to get a couple of tries to stay in the game but unfortunately they weren’t good enough and the Panthers’ class shone through in the end. The Bulldogs on the other hand, had a great opportunity to get a win which they stuffed up yet again in the end. They had this same opportunity against the Dragons which they butchered and same thing again against the Tigers. I do believe that the Dogs will not finish last and this game may be the game that they finally win. The Warriors have a horrible history in Sydney and they rarely win in Sydney. I think the Bulldogs will just want it more to prevent the dreaded wooden spoon. If Bulldogs are to win, they have to contain RTS because he is just an unbelievable player and can be the game breaker here so if the Bulldogs can shut him down, it improves their chances of getting the win. But I have tipped them here so come on Bulldogs! Don’t let me down. I also just want to mention, the Bulldogs showed that they can score points scoring 28 of them last week. Impressive effort indeed.

And finally… Knights by 8 – This will get close than what is expected. I do not think this will exactly be a cakewalk for the Knights. The Cowboys played brilliantly last week and almost beat the Bunnies. They just lacked that polish in the end and ill-discipline cost the Cowboys in the end. The Knights on the other hand, were lucky last week to get the win over Manly but hey a win is a win, and that is all that matters. That win almost stamped the Knights’ finals position you would think. They just need to keep winning. But to be fair, to show the other top 8 teams that they will be there to compete come finals time, the Knights must show it here. They need to improve on their attitude and what better chance than here against the Cowboys. Knights just too good but the Cowboys will be gallant. Home ground advantage will definitely give the Knights a much-needed lift… hopefully for their sake anyways.

Awesome! Good luck with everyone’s teams for this week. And with everyone’s tips for this week. Cheers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All good Christine
Don't come to me on Monday and say " I should have listened to you Tiger".
It's a risky pick I know, enjoy the footy tonight.

Tiger

Cheers BigePete

I love that avatar/profile pic as well, its also my screen saver on my phone. All of this fun and laughs must come to one end, I'm off to prison tomorrow.
Enjoy the footy

Tiger

Does that mean Tige u r returning to work.
I take it you work for HM Prisons (Motel) - aka Dept of Corrections.

Keep well - Big Pete

Hi Tiger,

Excellent news about your work plans, as it indicates that recovery is on track and you are are happier within yourself, and your abilities to cope.
Love the avatar - reminds me of my cat when she has got away with something she shouldn't have!!

Take care & cheers,
Mary

Gee Tiger - sorry to know it is a RTW rehab that you were on.
I know the privacy you keep, but great u r recovering from whatever it is/was that required the rehab. I know quite a few who are employed here in prisons systems (warders). Know a few who were part of CSG "parole" and some rather bad boys who were housed within. But they are the ones we read about. Our gaol here in Bx had them all.
Keep well mate and be safe.
Big Pete

Baggy
I thought the Storm may struggle a bit after I heard of all the outs but not to get a zero scoreline. Congratulations to your boys they played an exceptional game and are well deserved winners.

Tiger
You won't be getting kicked anywhere except back to full time work when you are ready. I have often thought of what would be the most stressful job here in Aus and it came in this way, Police Officer, Prison Guard, Ambo and our wonderful Fire Fighters.
In normal life we are all subject to some sort of stress, mortgage payments, schooling and bringing up kids, controlling credit cards etc.
You guys have to cope with all of that and on top deal with the lowlifes of society every working day. You have my upmost respect for the job you do, I know I couldn't do it. Get well and stay happy, you are a champion.