North Queensland Cowboys vs Newcastle Knights – Thursday night – Queensland Country Bank Stadium
The Cowboys have a shorter turnaround from last round into this game, but at least they're playing at home where they have won their last three. The Cowboys struggle a little to pull big crowds on Thursday nights but those that are there will be boisterous as always. The Knights were disappointing in their loss to the Tigers, and while they can't blame the loss on the absence of Kalyn Ponga, they are clearly a better team when he's there. There's some talk he'll play in this, but I'm assuming he won't. While the Cowboys also lost in Magic Round, they were well and truly in the game until the (unfair) sin binning of Lachlan Burr shifted the momentum. A competitive loss to the Roosters looks like better form than an 18 point loss to the Tigers, and we shouldn't forget that the Knights (including Ponga) played the Roosters in Newcastle in round 8 and lost by 34.
Verdict – Cowboys by 4
Result – Cowboys 36 defeated Knights 20
New Zealand Warriors vs Wests Tigers – Friday night – Central Coast Stadium
The Tigers racked up win number three for the season last week (and win number two over the Knights). The wins have been few and far between, but they are usually in the contest when they are competing with teams outside the top eight. The move of Mbye into the halves and Doueihi to the centres proved a masterstroke. They're getting better. The Warriors defensive lapses in recent weeks are proving costly - they've conceded 134 points in their last four games. Coach Nathan Brown has made it clear it will be a key focus at training this week, but i would have hoped it's a key focus every week. In what looks like a high scoring contest I'll back the Tigers in an upset. One of the more entertaining games of the round.
Verdict – Tigers by 4
Result – Warriors 30 defeated Tigers 26
Cronulla Sharks vs St George Illawarra Dragons – Friday night – Netstrata Jubilee Stadium
The Dragons have lost four of their last five, with their one win coming at the expense of the wooden spoon favourite. The Sharks have lost six in a row, including a game against the wooden spoon favourite. Clearly the mid-season coach-sacking didn't have the impact the Sharks board were hoping for. While all seems dire for the men from the shire, they'll remember that they did defeat the Dragons quite comfortably in round one. That round one Dragons side included Dufty, Lomax, Ravalawa, Sims, Fuimaono and Merrin. They have also lost McGuire for five weeks, suspended for actions that didn't look great from where I was sitting all the way up in the bleaches on the weekend. Somehow, this is the Friday night game on free-to-air television which is intriguing at best and baffling at worst. Perhaps the Wide World of Sport knows that Scomo will be there. If he is, I think he'll see a rare win for his beloved Sharkies.
Verdict – Sharks by 8
Result – Sharks 13 defeated Dragons 12
Gold Coast Titans vs Canterbury Bulldogs – Saturday afternoon – Cbus Super Stadium
After that resounding demolition job by the Penrith Panthers the Titans should find this considerably easier. They'll be desperate for the two points on offer here, as they are about to enter a very difficult stretch of games (during the next six weeks their opponents include the Storm, Roosters, Sea Eagles, Raiders and Eels). The Bulldogs made a contest of their clash with the Raiders but they still couldn't win, and I'm expecting a similar outcome here. Note that Bulldogs captain Will Hopoate may be a little, how do I put this, distracted this weekend.
Verdict – Titans by 10
Result – Titans 30 defeated Bulldogs 20
Sydney Roosters vs Brisbane Broncos – Saturday night – Sydney Cricket Ground
As I write this I can here the Brisbane Broncos playing basketball just outside my window. They're in fine voice and appear to be having a very good time. I expect none of that exhuberance from the Broncos on Saturday night at the SCG - perhaps they're playing the wrong sport.
Verdict – Roosters by 20
Result – Broncos 34 defeated Roosters 16
Canberra Raiders vs Melbourne Storm – Saturday night – GIO Stadium
Over the course of the last fortnight the Raiders have lost to the Knights and barely held on for a two point victory over the Bulldogs. It's hardly compelling form heading into a contest with a team that has scored 244 points in their last six games. The only time during that period the Storm have scored less than 40 points was against the Roosters, and they still won by 16. The purple machine has a few unusual cogs in some unusual places at the minute (including Chris Lewis in the halves) but the machine just keeps on keeping on. As for the Raiders, they've lost Wighton, Papalii and Hodgson for this game. Ouch!
Verdict – Storm by 16
Result – Storm 34 defeated Raiders 10
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Penrith Panthers – Sunday afternoon – Apex Oval, Dubbo
Dubbo have done very well for themselves getting this game on a Sunday afternoon. Both teams are playing attractive football, and the Bunnies welcome back Latrell Mitchell. He slots straight back in at fullback but I suspect he'll need a few runs before he's match fit. This is a tantalising prospect but tipping against the Panthers is a hiding to nothing at the minute. I had the pleasure of watching them perform on Sunday night at Suncorp and they are pretty to watch. Pretty to watch and almost impossible to beat. It's the game of the round...obviously.
Verdict – Panthers by 10
Result – Panthers 56 defeated Rabbitohs 12
Parramatta Eels vs Manly Sea Eagles – Sunday afternoon – Bankwest Stadium
It's not unusual for the Eels to start a season well, but it is unusual for them to still be humming along after ten rounds. Now there's still plenty of season left for the Eels to falter, but I'm starting to wonder if they are a different team this year. If they have changed, it's probably because players in key positions are growing into their roles and becoming genuine stars of the game. Specifically, I'm referring to Moses and Gutherson, who are fast becoming two of the most important players in the NRL. Mahoney at hooker is a notch below that, but he's getting better with experience too and wouldn't look out of place in a QLD jersey if Harry Grant isn't ready. There's been plenty of false dawns for the Eels over the years. Maybe, just maybe, they're a contender in 2021. They face a stern test on Sunday afternoon. In the last five weeks the Sea Eagles have scored 180 and conceded 72. They did lose a game during this period, but it was to Penrith. During the same period the Eels have scored 178 points and conceded 62. On recent performances it's very difficult to separate these two, but I'm leaning ever so slightly to the Eels who are even harder to beat at home. It's almost the game of the round...obviously.
Verdict – Eels by 1
Result – Sea Eagles 28 defeated Eels 6
Wally Lewis - round eleven selections (in bold)
Note: tips from Wally will be published on Wednesday night or Thursday morning
- COWBOYS vs Knights
- WARRIORS vs Tigers
- SHARKS vs Dragons
- TITANS vs Bulldogs
- ROOSTERS vs Broncos
- Raiders vs STORM
- Rabbitohs vs PANTHERS
- EELS vs Sea Eagles
Comments
Submitted by a on
Is anyone else sick of the nrl rules changing as I am
Submitted by Buzz105 on
I am, I'd like a bit more consistency around the 6-again rule.
Also in the Warriors v Eels game, there was one penalty given for a high shot when the ref said it hit shoulders first then bounced up. 5 seconds later, the bunker says it was head first (it wasn't), and ref then puts the defender on report.
I thought the sinbinning of Tyson Gamble was a bit of the top as well (not that it would have affected the result, of my poor broncos)
Submitted by mark ashford on
"a" and Buzz105
Watched quite a few games on the weekend and not sure how I feel about the sin bins and send offs. I understand the NRL are trying to protect players from head shots but who is looking at intentional or accidental. The Papenhausen hit looked intentional whereas others were accidential. Coaches and players need to look at their style of play and eliminate illegal shots. It should not be up to the refs who have enough to do.
Submitted by a on
I think the main problem is that it’ll make players want to fake injuries more so that can happen
Submitted by Mary S on
Hi guys (and girls),
You might find this article of interest re sin bins etc.-
https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/05/17/dinosaurs-face-extinction-if-players...
In this day & age of 'one punch' incidents, road rage etc, maybe the crack down, and examples to the young, that certain behaviors are not acceptable, in sport or anywhere else, might do some good. Maybe!
Cheers,
Mary
Submitted by Cammy_munster on
It'll be interesting to see if the refs penalise high tackles with sin bins and send offs in the state of origin game on 9th June
Submitted by MGM on
To 'a', Buzz 105 and Mark Ashford,
'a', this weekend wasn't so much of more rule changes as it was finally enforcing existing rules around high shots (and to a lesser degree, dangerous tackles) and finally with some consistency. Too much, perhaps, but what's the alternative?
Buzz, the event you cite in Warriors v Eels is another sad example of how the Ref is no longer in control of the game ... the bunker is !
Mark, I totally agree with you on intentional v accidental, unfortunately for now I think V'landys'comments in the last 24 hrs is spot on - it's so hard(impossible) to bring about this very necessary change without the harsh consistency we saw this weekend (and it ain't over yet!)
And 'a' -I agree about the fake injuries crap ... I was so disappointed with that Cody Walker grabbing the back of his neck and the bunker belatedly playing along with him !... We know to expect that kind of weakness from the bunker but I truly thought Walker was better than that. If only we could figure a way to penalise the actors/cheaters.
Submitted by MGM on
To Newbie, Steely and Mark A, (and Baggy Gee)
Firstly, Newbie - Yes, I am a terrible nightowl and as a consequence I sleep in FAR too late. This is quite the luxury as I am now 90% retired and the compounding influence of last year's covid lockdown has caused me to fall into a rather bad habit and some significant weight gain (see : late night JD &coke, late night snacks and "binge-watching" some pretty addictive series I never had time for 'till now!) I have discovered weaknesses I didn't know I had! In fact -delete "luxury" and insert "health risk"!
I am so pleased that you did not take any offense to my difference of opinion to yours. As Mark has attested, you are a gentleman poster.
As far as contributing to posts or blogs , I am quite the "newbie" myself.
Although this is my 4th season of tipping on "The Thinker" I have not read a lot of comments or contributed much (work used to consume me .... my God it feels good to say "used to") , which means I'm not very familiar with any back-stories or details on the main contributors, but I do know who some of you are.
Some may be former sports-persons themselves for all I know, but of course , every opinion is valuable.
I was concerned when I saw a couple of comments from Baggy Gee and Steely that they may have mistaken me for something of a wowser.
So , full disclosure - I played soccer on the right wing from the age of 8 to the age of 20.
In my mid to late twenties I competed in full contact karate and kungfu tournaments at a state and national level and was invited to Taiwan for an international but missed out due to injury (thank God - that shit is dangerous!)
I only disclose this to assure you that I can relate to the brutality of a hard and full contact sport and the fine line between giving your all and having respect for your opponent's well being.
Not only that , but also being able to recognize the rogue competitor that couldn't give a damn about the harm he inflicts (it's so much sweeter when you defeat such an a/hole, but I have been badly hurt by such a competitor)
Steely, please, I never accused anyone of going out to "maim someone". Of course most players don't do that and we agree on that.
But you,yourself, used the word "most". ... - ... and then there are the Josh McGuires of the sport!
As soon as I saw him drop the ball in the opening minutes of Sunday's game I thought, "Oh no, Josh McGuire's playing" and wondered how long it would be before the first sin-binning! That thug should have copped two sin bins !
Players of his ilk are the very reason we are having to endure this crackdown that much less guilty players are falling foul of !!!
His MINDSET is exactly what I was referring to and dummies like him (it was the seventh game of the crackdown for goodness sake!) are the very ones that need to evolve or be rubbed out of the game for the safety of much better , much more skilled and talented players that are being injured by the likes of him.
And I agree with you Steely - it's the inconsistency of the officials that make this such a frustrating problem .
So now we must endure a period where, hopefully, the officials will stay strong and be consistent with a crackdown that will unfortunately catch far less guilty offenders in it's net. But head injuries to great players, highly skilled players like Tedesco and Papenhausen and HIP-DROPS onto the legs of fast , skilled players like Addo-Carr have to be eradicated from this game that we love!!!!!
When I look at highlights from the weekend 93% of it is poetry in motion and delightful to watch so, at the risk of repeating myself, I want to suggest that players need to examine their mindset when they're out there ....
Are they competing as hard as they can or is there even a small lack of concern for the harm they might cause to their opposition .
I'm sure they're concerned and remorseful after the fact, but that's a bit too late, isn't it?
OH, and Baggy, THAT"S a rant !!
Submitted by Steel Panther on
MGM,
I welcome your comments and spin on things. A lot of us on here have different opinions but we are all joined by our love of rugby league. I guess I used the wrong words when I wrote "maim" as I didn't think for a minute that's what you thought. Some of the punished tackles we saw at the weekend have been happening for years and it's heat of the battle stuff. I for one don't condone deliberate acts especially when the head is targeted. Late hits on the 5th tackle kicker and on a player after he's passed the ball are the worst. The boy that hit Papa deserved to be marched. Pre Magic round that would have just been a penalty and the boy put on report. Not enough of a punishment for me so they have this right. At the other end of the scale I'm not sure Jack Wighton's legs tackle warranted a sin bin. More a penalty and put on report but I do acknowledge that the cannonball style tackle is not welcome in the game. Overall it's a fine line and the NRL need to get a balance. I'm sure things will settle in the next few weeks. The NRL has always struggled for consistency when it comes to officiating notably, the only game that saw no sin bins was the Warriors v Eels game yet on two occasions RTS was hit high. One was missed and the other hit only deemed a penalty. Go figure.
I have to agree with your comments regarding Josh McGuire. Looking at him play, the Cowboys will be glad they have offloaded him. He has been more than terrible since he moved to St George.
The only thing missing in your post is you haven't mentioned what NRL team you support?
Submitted by pabdul on
MGM
I think it was you asking why when we put our tips in that they’re not in the correct order.
That’s because after you submit them the games go into alphabetical order of the home team.
Now back to the lab!
Submitted by mark ashford on
Mary S
Thanks for that link I read it carefully and must admit I agree with most of it. I saw Peter Vlandys on #9 this morning and he said one of his fears was former players suing the NRL for head injuries in the next 10 to 20 years. This is now happening in the USA where the players wear all sorts of protective gear. I think the NRL is on the right track.
Submitted by The Tide Head on
It's a great feeling to be able to enter tips earlier in the week. I can actually make the deadline more often these days and not stress ;)
Thanks Chief (Thinker)!
Submitted by mark ashford on
MGM & Steel
Agree with both of you in your lengthy posts, we need to stamp out high shots. Just a bit disappointed you both chose Josh Maguire as a whipping boy. Steel it wasn't long ago you chose Nathan Brown from the Eels as a very dirty player and who can forget JWH from Roosters always leading with a forearm or lots of other enforcers just intending to hurt. Josh has vision in only one eye and plays with passion. Maybe you should look at the huge Islanders whose every tackle is meant to hurt.
Submitted by The Butcher on
Josh Maguire is a thug just like his mates Pangai Jnr and Matt Lodge.
Considering his disability he’s been charged for eye gouging twice on David Fifita and Cameron Munster go figure.
But he has played for Samoa so it must be the islander in him ?
If I ever go to court for wrong doing I’m going to wear an eye patch and say I did it with passion and I would get off.
Every team has them but he’s up there with the best of them.
Submitted by Baggy_Gee on
Fair enough MGM, played bad football myself and wore the high shot occassionally. It is painful to see good players lumped in with the likes of McGuire. I think one of the best anologies to work with it the GI issue with "tipping" tackles. For a period he kept putting himself into those positions and milking a penalty by jumping into the contact, he got sprung and stopped doing it, the penalty for a tipping tackle still remains but those who try to put themselves into that position are given no sympathy. Similar to the new "crusher" tackle, there are those players who roll their heads into, Sivo was one of them, and the refs in this case were quick to call play on to those looking to take an unfair advantage of innocent contact. We need to do the same to this ruling. Tedesco who is currently either falling into the contact, See dragons v roosters where he got hit high, or is in the process of being tackled and copes an accidental shoulder on the way down. Players milking the system need to be discouraged from such behaviour, but the rule needs to stay there for the genuine event and in those cases punished to the extend of the rule. That said this current nonsense of HIA allowing 20 seconds on the side line is rot. If that card is waved it is 15 minutes till you can come back and not a second shorter, also, the man who replaced you is the man you replace, not some other bunny who needs a blow. If we want to eliminate it completely, HIA means your gone for the game and you change the interchange bench to 8, and the game day squad to 21. Once your done your done.
Submitted by MGM on
Wow Butcher, you hit hard !
But at least it was below the shoulders, in fact Mark might be feeling it was Much lower and I am starting to realize how much I don't know about the players in this game we love.
Didn't know about McGuire's sight impairment, and where he is concerned I must admit to being a bit "one-eyed" myself. I took a dislike for him and his style of play a long time ago and Lodge too, for that matter.
Mark , I know that singling out individual players invites others to accuse me of choosing a whipping boy and quite rightly of failing to mention other's bad or careless behaviour (and there are usually several in every round).
It was just seeing McGuire come back from the sin bin and then do what he did to Addo-Carr I saw RED. Thankfully it looks like Addo-Carr has escaped any serious injury, but that's NO thanks to McGuire ....
Submitted by MGM on
Steely ,
Thanks for your response mate. I think you may be a kindred spirit !
I support the Eels (which has been hard as I have lived all my life on the Northern Beaches, grew up in Manly Vale and went to St Augustines College which is in the same side street as Brooky Oval!!) .
I always thought from your moniker that you were a Penrith supporter (you must get that a lot!) After taking time recently to read this section more regularly I now realize that you are with the Warriors ... Respect!
I am not a fanatical supporter though, to the point of hating all other teams. I have great admiration for the Storm and Craig Bellamy , especially the way he brings out the best in players that have struggled at other clubs and received bad press only to shine and find their true potential under his tutelage.
The Storm have had to cope over the last few seasons with losing superstars of the game from their roster that would have devastated most other clubs and yet remain contenders for the Premiership every year, including this year after losing the GOAT and wearing an injury list that's up there with some of the worst this year .
I know .... I'm sounding like more of a Storm supporter than an Eel, right? but after growing up where I did and copping what I did from EVERYONE I would never jump ship ....
Now guess where I live since I remarried 7 years ago ..... Belmore !
How I have hated those hooting horns up and down the street outside my home on a good night for the Bulldogs but , of course I haven't heard them for quite a while now !!! (Hahahah)
It has been quite a culture shock, though, moving out here !
Submitted by The Butcher on
MGM
I can relate to your movements.
I grew up in Randwick but we moved to Curl Curl . Manly were too hot in the 80s and I can’t remember leaving Brookie happy. But it was off to Manly leagues then Didis nightclub and Mimos
Pizza on Pittwater road. You know what I’m talking about.
Like you I got married with a girl from Granville and experienced the culture shock and now in Lidcombe I still am.
I know Belmore quite well as I drive thru there to see my dad who lives at Campsie. I noticed there building a lot of high rise units heading down Belmore road.
Submitted by mark ashford on
Alright you guys, I admit Josh McGuire has a fair bit of mongrel in him but maybe as he nears the end of his career he is becoming a bit more careless.
MGM
I'm not affected by the Butcher's comments. We've had our disagreements over time. Don't consider it a high or low shot maybe a bit of "tongue in cheek" shot. If Josh continues to offend then he'll be penalised out of the game.
Submitted by Jenny on
No not at all. Anything that makes it safer for the players is ok by me. Don’t know if the rules actually changed, think it was always there but the refs just didn’t police it.
Submitted by Steel Panther on
Hey Mark,
Check out Josh McGuire's Wikipedia page and you'll read his rap sheet. 2019 doesn't make flash reading.
Hard to argue that some of the comments on here aren't on the money.
Submitted by mark ashford on
Steel my old mate,
I did the Wikipedia thing and yes he has had a bit of a checkered career of late. Did you read all entries? He has been a stalwart for his club, Queensland, Samoa and Australia. I could name all sorts of thugs in our game who have done much more. Can I refer you to Gallen's page it reads like a horror story. I defend Josh because of his support for QLD and my Broncos.
Submitted by Steel Panther on
Gallen's page is more like a novel Mark haha.
That would be like me defending your friend JWH cause he's a Kiwi. I don't care where he comes from or what team he plays for....he's a thug!!
Submitted by The Butcher on
It’s pretty obvious what we have here
A one eyed Queensland supporter sticking up for a one eyed Queensland player.
Submitted by Dragons-fanboy on
Hey everyone, my tips for this week are:
Cowboys by 10
Warriors by 6
Dragons by 8
Titans by 12
Roosters by 28
Storm by 18
Panthers by 4
Manly by 4
Awesome! Good luck with everyone's team for this week and with everyone's tips for this week. Cheers and enjoy your weekend ladies and gentlemen!!!!
Submitted by mark ashford on
The Butcher
Loved your comment mate. Made me laugh at it's accuracy in fact I'm still laughing. Thank you!
Submitted by MGM on
Made me laugh out loud too !
You guys are good!
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
Welcome MGM - to openly expressing yourself. I knew a chap worked in NSW Education lived at Manly Vale and had two sons who played rugby with St Augustines. Apparently were close to being signed to Manly junior grade league, after schooling.
Loved the soccer myself having been involved with it for 29 years here. But you most likely read all that in past friendlies I've had with some of our members.
Do you have a fave team in EPL?
Some of us here have.
We'll talk again knowing the annual clash is on this weekend. I wish your Eels well, but remember the Eagles haven't landed yet, they're still circling and doing a good job of it as well.
Keep well - Big Pete
Submitted by newbie from perth on
"Dia duit gach duine" i dteanga ní mo theanga féin,
Sometimes life throws a spanner in the works and today after work such a spanner was thrown. One of the girls at work leaves about 30 minutes before me and 20 minutes after she left she calls me and tells me there’s been a bingle on the main road heading south and I should try and get home via an alternative route.
When stuff like this happens I go home the “back way” and miss the inevitable traffic jam. So off I go around the “back way” but all to no avail. Everyone else was doing the same and it took me a while to finally get home.
Bottom line: I live pretty close to work but it still took me 75 minutes to travel just 10 kms. Yeah, you heard it right. 75 minutes to go 10 kms. Aaaargh! 😣 Just needed to vent a bit is all.
Lastly, this week’s pre-round comments are outstanding! Loved having a read before posting tonight’s “epic”. Well done everyone 💪. OK, let’s do this thang…
Cowboys vs. Knights 55-45 @ Townsville
Ladder Position = Knights
Bookies Favourite = Cowboys
Cowboys
It was a good effort from the Cowboys last week against the Roosters. Even though they were behind 18-0 after just 26 minutes, they fought back (thanks largely in part to Sitili Tupouniua getting binned) and went into the break 18-10 down. The second half presented opportunities for the Cowboys but they weren’t able to take full advantage of them. They did get within 2 points at one stage but another 2 tries from the Roosters ruined the comeback and the Cowboys went down 30-16. Losing Lachlan Burr to the sin bin at the 63' mark didn’t help matters either. While JT, Holmes and Drinkwater were good, I thought the Cowboys’ best was Reece Robson. Every time he got the ball he looked dangerous and his forays through the middle had me worried every single time. Yeah, I thought he played a really great game 💪. Some stats possibly worth a mention:
Possession - 51%
Completion Rate - 86% (32/37)
Tackle Breaks - 28
Missed Tackles - 35
Ineffective Tackles - 13
Errors - 6
Ruck Infringements – 4
Knights
The Knights just couldn’t keep pace in the early stages last week against the Tigers and found themselves behind 24-4 at the break. They never really recovered from that first half effort and even though they kept pace with the Tigers in the second half (outscored them by 2 points actually) they were too far behind and went down 36-18. Unfortunately for the Knights there was no fight-back like previous times. Errors were mounting up and their defence wasn’t the best. Some stats possibly worth a mention:
Possession - 47%
Completion Rate - 69% (31/45)
Tackle Breaks - 27
Missed Tackles - 15
Forced Drop Outs - 3
Ineffective Tackles - 16
Errors - 13
Penalties Conceded - 10
Ruck Infringements - 4
Verdict: I’ll be tipping the Cowboys at home.
Warriors vs. Tigers 60-40 @ Central Coast
Ladder Position = Warriors
Bookies Favourite = Warriors
Warriors
Even though they were down 24-0 after 19 minutes, the Warriors started to show promising signs late in the first half but still went into the break 24-6 down. Worryingly for the Warriors, the Eels scored 4 tries before the Warriors had even completed three sets 😱. In the second half the Warriors eventually found their mojo, gained some momentum and through sheer determination (and a bit more possession) got to within 10 points of the Eels after scoring 2 quick tries in the space of 7 minutes. Unfortunately it was too little, too late and they went down 34-18. I’m thinking the error count and poor execution in the first half might’ve cost the Warriors any chance of winning last week. Some stats possibly worth a mention:
Possession - 42%
Completion Rate - 61% (25/41)
Line Breaks - 7
Tackles Made - 407
Tackle Breaks - 40
Missed Tackles - 33
Ineffective Tackles - 10
Errors - 15
Penalties Conceded - 6
Ruck Infringements - 4
Tigers
I said last week that the Tigers had “potential” and they showed it against the Knights when they scored a very good 36-18 win. Just a shame I didn’t tip them 😣. The Tigers were straight into the groove early on and completely stunned their opposition. It looks like Luke Brooks has finally worked out how to play footy. Combined with the efforts from Mbye and Doueihi, the Tigers somehow managed to give us an exhibition of some thrilling and positive footy. A lot was said concerning Michael McGuire's decision to shift Adam Doueihi to centre but it seemed to work an absolute treat. Some stats possibly worth a mention:
Possession - 53%
Completion Rate - 80% (36/45)
Tackle Breaks - 15
Missed Tackles - 27
Ineffective Tackles - 18
Errors - 8
Penalties Conceded - 7
Ruck Infringements - 5
Verdict: This is a tough one. Going by last week’s efforts, the Warriors’ form franks a little better for mine. Warriors.
Sharks vs. Dragons 60-40 @ Kogarah
Ladder Position = Dragons
Bookies Favourite = Sharks
Sharks
The Sharks were dominated by the Rabbitohs in the first half last week and were down 20-6 at the break. Entirely their own fault. They failed to take advantage of the Rabbitohs being a man down and didn’t apply enough attacking pressure. A better effort in the second half and at one stage they were only 4 points behind but the Rabbitohs scored a couple and put the result to bed and the Sharks lost it 32-22. Mind you, they did show some fight there in the second half so maybe their season might not be a total loss if they just take a deep breath and keep chipping away 🤔. Some stats possibly worth a mention:
Possession - 50%
Completion Rate - 84% (31/37)
Tackle Breaks - 36
Missed Tackles - 39
Ineffective Tackles - 19
Errors - 10
Penalties Conceded - 6
Dragons
The Storm were leading the Dragons 14-10 at the break last week but the Dragons did really well considering they had McGuire sin binned at the 8’ mark and Tyrell Fuimaono sent off at the 12’ mark. They were moving the ball out wide and the Storm (especially the forwards) were starting to look tired. Unfortunately for the Dragons, the Storm adjusted in the second half and ran over the top of them and the Dragons lost it 44-18. It was a great performance from Matt Dufty up until he did his AC joint and had to leave the field. Great to see Ravalawa score his first hat-trick in the NRL (I think). Some stats possibly worth a mention:
Possession - 51%
Completion Rate - 77% (24/31)
Line Breaks - 3
Tackle Breaks - 26
Missed Tackles - 38
Ineffective Tackles - 25
Errors - 8
Ruck Infringements - 4
Verdict: Too many suspensions and Dufty injured doesn’t give me any confidence whatsoever in the Dragons. Sharks for me.
Titans vs. Bulldogs 70-30 @ Cbus
Ladder Position = Titans
Bookies Favourite = Titans
Titans
The Titans were completely outclassed last week against the Panthers. They were down 30-0 at half-time and 48-12 at full-time. I think the frustration showed 😣 when Herman Ese'ese was sent off in the 36th minute for his rather sloppy (stupid) tackle on To'o. They finally scored through Beau Fermor in the 66th minute after getting in good position that resulted from a penalty (foul play from Liam Martin) and then again 4 minutes later when AJ Brimson crossed over after the Panthers had temporarily gone to sleep. But in the end the Titans were simply no match for the Pink Panthers. Some stats possibly worth a mention:
Possession - 45%
Completion Rate - 76% (29/38)
Line Breaks - 3
Tackle Breaks - 17
Missed Tackles - 40
Ineffective Tackles - 18
Errors - 12
Penalties Conceded - 6
Bulldogs
The Bulldogs didn’t make the most of their opportunities in the first half last week against the Raiders and they were down 8-0 at the break. A better effort (sorta) in the second half. When Papali’i was sent off they should’ve wrapped the game up but didn’t. Instead, they let the Raiders back into the contest and ended up losing 20-18. Too many errors, penalties and poor choices cost them a possible win 😱. Good efforts from Meaney, Katoa and Cotric. Some stats possibly worth a mention:
Possession - 55%
Completion Rate - 88% (35/40)
Tackle Breaks - 34
Missed Tackles - 35
Ineffective Tackles - 14
Errors - 5
Penalties Conceded - 6
Verdict: I’m thinking the Titans should win this at home.
Roosters vs. Broncos 80-20 @ SCG
Ladder Position = Roosters
Bookies Favourite = Roosters
Roosters
The Roosters were leading the Cowboys 18-0 last week after just 26 minutes but Tupouniua's sin-binning in the 29th minute was a turning point and allowed the Cowboys to storm back into the contest and at the break the Roosters were just ahead 18-10. A 12-6 second half was enough for the Roosters to get home 30-16 winners. The score line might’ve been bigger had it not been for their woeful kicking (2 from 6 conversion attempts). 😣 Overall they controlled most of the match and best for mine were Tedesco, Tupou, Crichton and Ikuvalu. Even though they had players missing and a few areas let them down (tackling mainly), in the end the Roosters just had a little bit more class. Some stats possibly worth a mention:
Possession - 49%
Completion Rate - 76% (29/38)
Tackle Breaks - 35
Missed Tackles - 28
Ineffective Tackles - 14
Errors - 12
Ruck Infringements - 1
Broncos
Oh dear, are the Broncos returning to the bad ol’ days? Not much they could’ve done (besides playing basic footy) last week against Manly. The Sea Eagles were switched on from the get-go and the Broncos wore the brunt of it, going down in a (very) disappointing 50-6 loss. I saw online where this is supposedly the 4th time in the last 2 years that the Broncos have conceded 50 points in a game. To make matters worse, they had Gamble & Riki sin-binned (at roughly the same time as each other) and racked up 5 “on reports”. Sorry but I’ll let Kevin Walters have the last word … "That is our worst performance since I have been here. We started soft and got softer as the game went on." 😢 Some stats possibly worth a mention:
Possession - 36%
Completion Rate - 77% (24/31)
Line Breaks - 3
Tackle Breaks - 18
Missed Tackles - 42
Forced Drop Outs - 1
Ineffective Tackles - 19
Errors - 12
Penalties Conceded - 8
Ruck Infringements - 4
On Reports - 5
Verdict: Roosters. Begurk! 🐔 Begurk! 🐔
Raiders vs. Storm 25-75 @ GIO
Ladder Position = Storm
Bookies Favourite = Storm
Raiders
The Raiders led the Bulldogs 8-0 at half time last week and while there was no trademark second half “fadeout”, they did have to dig deep and come from behind to only just beat the bottom side (by a skinny 2 points) 20-18. Mind you, credit where credit’s due, they did manage to win even though “six-again” Wighton got binned at the 53’ mark and Papali’i got sent off after 60 minutes. Maybe that Raiders desire and resolve of years gone by is possibly returning. Let’s wait and see shall we? Some stats possibly worth a mention:
Possession - 45%
Completion Rate - 82% (32/39)
Tackle Breaks - 35
Missed Tackles - 34
Ineffective Tackles - 23
Errors - 11
Penalties Conceded - 2
Storm
It was a pretty even first half last week and the Storm were leading 14-10 at the break. It should’ve been more considering the Dragons had one binned and another sent off. The Storm seemed a bit rattled when the Dragons started to swing the ball around but they finally worked it out in the second half and completely dominated the attack and coasted home 44-18 winners. The Storm only managed 4 from 9 conversions so it could’ve been an even bigger score line. The send off of Tyrell Fuimaono in the 12th minute certainly made the Storm’s job a lot easier as did Matt Dufty injuring his AC joint minutes into the second half. Really impressed with the effort from Nicho Hynes. Some stats possibly worth a mention:
Possession - 49%
Completion Rate - 81% (29/36)
Line Breaks - 10
Tackle Breaks - 38
Missed Tackles - 26
Ineffective Tackles - 16
Errors - 7
Verdict: They just rolling along don’t they? Storm Troopers for me.
Rabbitohs vs. Panthers 35-65 @ Apex Oval
Ladder Position = Panthers
Bookies Favourite = Panthers
Rabbitohs
The Rabbitohs had a dominant first half last week against the Sharks and led 20-6 at the break. The second half saw the Sharks get to within 4 points but the Rabbitohs’ class got them home with 2 late tries and they won it 32-22. The return of Adam Reynolds made a big difference and he was ably supported by Marshall, Walker, Gagai and Arrow. Souths did seem to lose a bit of focus in the second half and Wayne Bennett wasn’t too happy about it. "I wasn't impressed," Bennett said. "We could have easily lost it but we did hang in." Some stats possibly worth a mention:
Possession - 50%
Completion Rate - 80% (28/35)
Tackle Breaks - 39
Missed Tackles - 36
Ineffective Tackles - 15
Errors - 10
Penalties Conceded - 2
Panthers
Another impressive effort from the Panthers last week. Went about their job in a professional and clinical manner and did what good teams do. Great contributions from Cleary, Dylan Edwards and Fisher-Harris. Some stats possibly worth a mention:
Possession - 55%
Completion Rate - 83% (38/46)
Line Breaks - 9
Tackle Breaks - 40
Missed Tackles - 17
Ineffective Tackles - 14
Errors - 9
Penalties Conceded - 11
Verdict: Just can’t see the Rabbitohs causing an upset here. Panthers to win again.
Eels vs. Manly 65-35 @ Bankwest
Ladder Position = Eels
Bookies Favourite = Eels
Eels
The Eels were leading 24-0 after just 19 minutes last week against the Warriors and at the break were ahead by 24-6. I wouldn’t say it was a “clinical” display from the Eels per se but it was a pretty dominant outing nevertheless. They had control for most of the match and ran out comfortable 34-18 winners. As usual, we saw strong efforts from Gutherson and Moses. Also thought Ferguson and Jakob Arthur (in his debut) contributed too. Some stats possibly worth a mention:
Possession - 58%
Completion Rate - 86% (38/44)
Line Breaks - 5
Tackle Breaks - 33
Missed Tackles - 40
Kicking Metres - 630
Ineffective Tackles - 21
Errors - 8
Ruck Infringements - 6
Manly
A great first half from Manly saw them leading the Broncos 20-6. An even better second half saw them run out very convincing winners, belting the hapless Broncos 50-6. When the Broncos were down to 11 men, Manly made them pay dearly by scoring 3 tries in just 5 minutes. Really good contributions from Cherry-Evans, Turbo Tom, his brother Jake and Marty Taupau paved the way for their win. Their effort last week would easily be their best so far this year and it seems their “momentum” is building nicely. Only downside was Foran’s broken hand early on. Some stats possibly worth a mention:
Possession - 64%
Completion Rate - 87% (40/46)
Line Breaks - 8
Tackle Breaks - 42
Missed Tackles - 18
Forced Drop Outs - 4
Ineffective Tackles - 22
Errors - 9
Penalties Conceded - 4
Verdict: As good as they were last week, Manly are up against much tougher opposition this week. Nah, it’s the Eels for me.
Let’s finish off with another “Song of the Week”. Emotional landscapes, they puzzle me…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loB0kmz_0MM
OK kids, good luck with your tipping and may your team win by 40 points! Until next week. Cheers 🐔 🐔 🐔
Submitted by Jennifer 2814 on
Hi all,
My tips for round 11,
Cowboys, Warriors, Sharks, Titans, Roosters, Storms, Panthers and Sea eagles.
I know eels have a better chance of winning but I am betting the Sea eagles will put a stop to their winning streak.
Happy tipping everyone.
Submitted by Scotty H on
Round 11
Cowboys
Warriors
Sharks
Titans
Roosters
Strom
Panthers
Manly for the upset
Submitted by UpNorf on
Magic Round should be renamed 'Carve em Up' round. Looks like there's a better selection this week. If they set the matches up at the beginning of the year it's an amazing co-incidence that so many games had blow out scores.
Submitted by Christine on
Put my tips in for the same as lillychino bunnies might just knock penrith off in this one ...
Submitted by Gerard McElwee on
Hi my tips. Just made it. Couldn't find the tipping sheet as 2mins before tip off.
Cows
Warriors
Sharks
Titans
Roosters
Storm
Panthers
Eels
Submitted by Rocket Ryan on
Not following tigerholic anymore christine
Submitted by Rocket Ryan on
Your heading for a strike butcher this is going south
Submitted by Baggy_Gee on
Looks like Kline has cash on the Knights the way he is giving the pineapple to the Cowboys tonight.
Submitted by Mary S on
Went to the game tonight, and thoroughly enjoyed the game, the atmosphere and the result.
The 2 sin binning caused some concern for a while!!
Cheers to all,
Mary
Submitted by Mary S on
Hi Tigergirl.
You had better put your tips in the comments section as I didn't see them listed.
Cheers,
Mary
Submitted by a on
Well done cowboys so glad to be in the 8 now
Submitted by Gerard McElwee on
Hey Mary my tips above. Thank you. Scuxdeluxe.
Posted them before kick of.
Submitted by mark ashford on
Enjoyed the Cows/Knights game last night and happy to see them get the win. Jase Taumolono's hit was brutal and deserved the send off. I'm sure he'll get a couple of weeks off.
Submitted by mark ashford on
What a messy game Sharks/Dragons was. So many mistakes by both sides and the high shots continue. I thought the ref was doing a bit of tit for tat with the sinbins.
Submitted by Christine on
I want to change one of my tips from lillychino to eels from manly seeing i am not on the tipping ladder it won't make any difference ..., rocket behave yourself ...
Submitted by Mary S on
Agree with you Mark on the messy game - was not sure which team wanted to give the win away the most.
Cheers,
Mary
Submitted by Christine on
I thought tiger was still putting your tips in for you rocket ...
Submitted by tigerholic on
Christine
Way to go girl, old Rocket will be searching through all of the classic come back remark books before he replies.
He would be a lot worse off if I was helping him.
Hope you are well.
Tiger
Submitted by Rocket Ryan on
Christine you can't change your tips after the round has started it goes against the principal of tipping hell if you could change your tips after the start butcher wouldn't be sitting at the bottom of the tunnel.
Submitted by Rocket Ryan on
Hope your getting plenty of fruit butcher how do you like them apples
Submitted by a on
Wow that was a huge upset
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