Brisbane Broncos vs Cronulla Sharks – Thursday night – Suncorp Stadium
The Broncos were fumbling along against the last-placed Bulldogs last week, then finally found a gear and ending up winning by a comfortable margin. For the last twenty minutes just about everything right, but by then the Bulldogs had run out of puff (not surprisingly given the troops they had available). Prior to that the Broncos had conceded 122 points in four games, a worrying trend given their defensive woes last season. Now they face an in-form Cronulla, a team whose attack is humming along beautifully. I think the Sharks are certainties (note for tipsters: usually when I make grand statements like that, the universe puts me in my place).
Verdict – Sharks by 16
Result – Broncos 16 defeated Sharks 7
Gold Coast Titans vs Penrith Panthers – Friday night – Cbus Super Stadium
I had top four expectations for the Gold Coast Titans this season, but I need to re-assess my position. The performance against the Cowboys was disappointing, and this is much, much harder than that.
Verdict – Panthers by 20
Result – Panthers 18 defeated Titans 4
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Manly Sea Eagles – Friday night – Central Coast Stadium
The Trbojevic name appears twice in the team list for Manly this weekend, but it's younger brother Ben joining older brother Jake in the seventeen. Brother Tom is yet to return. The inclusion of Taupau and Keppie up front is timely, boosting a Manly forward pack that will be missing Olakau'atu and Paseka. The Rabbitohs pack is one of the best in the business so I'm hoping the Sea Eagles pack can contain them. They should find this a little easier than the Sharks, and it looks like the changes in the centres will improve their defence. Note this Rabbitohs home game is at Gosford - a fairly neutral venue given the Sea Eagles have some history there.
Verdict – Sea Eagles by 1
Result – Rabbitohs 40 defeated Sea Eagles 22
New Zealand Warriors vs Canberra Raiders – Saturday afternoon – Moreton Daily Stadium
Raiders captain Elliott Whitehead is back this week after a facial injury at training that I urge you not to look for. He actually wanted to play last week, but Ricky Stuart had to put the muzzle on him. Given his swift return I expect his troops to lift their efforts in support of their leader. They were soundly beaten by the Panthers last start but they did compete for a portion of the game. The same could be said for the Warriors, until the Storm found an extra extra gear and racked up 70 points in the ANZAC Day game. On top of the hefty loss the Warriors lost a number of important players with injuries. Given their short turnaround into this game, they haven't much time to work on their combinations. If the weather clears expect plenty of points, from both teams.
Verdict – Raiders by 4
Result – Warriors 21 defeated Raiders 20
Canterbury Bulldogs vs Sydney Roosters – Saturday night – Accor Stadium
The Roosters created enough chances against a valiant Dragons outfit on ANZAC Day, but couldn't quite ice the game. They aren't clicking and haven't really clicked all season, but you know they have all the parts they need to be a premiership threat. They just have to put it all together. The main issue for the Bulldogs is the same issue they have had for a while - scoring points. They've scored 13 tries in seven games this season (by contrast, the Storm scored 13 tries last week). They need to click too, and perhaps they will, but I'll tip the Roosters based on what they are capable of (and hope they find some sort of form).
Verdict – Roosters by 10
Result – Bulldogs 16 defeated Roosters 12
Parramatta Eels vs North Queensland Cowboys – Saturday night – TIO Stadium
Darwin have (arguably) picked up the match of the round, as third play fifth following comprehensive victories in round seven. The last time (and the only time) the Eels have lost in Darwin was to the Cowboys, although that was way back in 2017. No changes for either side from last week, and while the bookies think I'm wrong I was impressed with the Cowboys and the rising crop of super forwards. The weather forecast for Darwin looks sapping, and the Cowboys should handle that better too. Upset.
Verdict – Cowboys by 4
Result – Cowboys 35 defeated Eels 4
Newcastle Knights vs Melbourne Storm – Sunday afternoon – McDonald Jones Stadium
No upsets here.
Verdict – Storm by 44
Result – Storm 50 defeated Knights 2
St George Illawarra Dragons vs Wests Tigers – Sunday afternoon – WIN Stadium, Wollongong
Two weeks ago this looked like the worst meal on the menu, but all of a sudden, I'd order this. The battle of the weird merger teams looks a ripper, and it's hard to resist a Sunday afternoon game at the Gong (unless the surf is up). Jack Bird has been named although I thought he broke something last week - there is talk that the Tigers would like to sign him so I expect a big game if he plays. The Tigers meanwhile, have lost Laurie at fullback and he's a big out, but I like the Tigers here. They'll be full of confidence after some prized scalps and I think they can do it again.
Verdict – Tigers by 1
Result – Dragons 12 defeated Tigers 6
Wally Lewis - round eight selections (in bold)
Note: tips from Wally will be published on Wednesday night or Thursday morning
- Broncos vs SHARKS
- Titans vs PANTHERS
- RABBITOHS vs Sea Eagles
- Warriors vs RAIDERS
- Bulldogs vs ROOSTERS
- EELS vs Cowboys
- Knights vs STORM
- DRAGONS vs Tigers
Comments
Submitted by The Thinker on
Greetings football fans
I have updated the NRL ladder and the tipping comp after round seven. No-one managed to pick the Dragons to beat the Roosters on ANZAC Day, and just one of us tipped the Tigers to beat the Bunnies. Congrats to TigerGirl, also our top tipster for the round with 7 from 8. Plenty of 5s and 6s from many of us and we have a very congested leaderboard. Tigerholic, who didn't tip the Tigers :-), remains on top.
If anyone notices any issues with the scoring just let me know. I will have my previews and selections published on Wednesday.
All the best
The Thinker
Submitted by Cindy Tony on
Hi Thinker
Can please email the Tips for round 8, I really want to bet on the game.
Thank you so much
Regards
Cindy Tony
Submitted by The Tide Head on
Hey Thinker...
ANZAC round is a difficult round to predict. Teams play for pride and take their courage centre stage to acknowledge those who fought for our privileges in this country. We are the lucky country! My tip this round is don't over thinker it ;)
Thanks again champ.
Submitted by newbie from perth on
"Dia duit gach duine" i dteanga ní mo theanga féin,
No intro this week 😁, let’s do this thing …
Broncos vs. Sharks @ Suncorp
Probability @ 30-70
Ladder Position = Sharks
Bookies Favourite = Sharks
Broncos
The Broncos put on a 25 minute master class and that was enough to get them a 34-14 win over the Bulldogs last week. That try from Corey Oates on the burst 6 minutes before half-time was beautiful to watch. Things looked a bit worrying for the Broncos when the Bulldogs got out to an 8 point lead 4 minutes after the second half started but it only sparked the Broncos into life. From being 14-6 down the Broncos scored 4 tries in 18 minutes (and 5 in 21 minutes) to blow the Bulldogs away. The momentum was with the Broncos and you could see the confidence growing. I nice effort at the end of the day. "The talent's there, it was good to see them get a bit of joy, it's been a slog this last month," coach Kevin Walters said.
Possession - 53%
Completion Rate - 90% (36/40)
Post Contact Metres - 716
Tackle Breaks - 33
Missed Tackles - 34
Errors - 5
Penalties Conceded - 6
Sharks
The first half from the Sharks last week was simply stunning. So much so they were leading Manly 32-0 when they went into the sheds. I was expecting a blowout based on that but somehow they spent the second half trying to hold off the Manly comeback. A solitary penalty was all they managed in the second 40 but they did enough and ran out 34-22 winners. Maybe the rain that poured down in that second half had something to do with it but still, Manly had to play in it too so it has me thinking if the Sharks can play wet weather footy given the “style of play” that Craig Fitzgibbon has drilled into them or if it was a defensive submission of sorts in the second half 🤔. Whatever the reason, in the end it was a great display and I was impressed by Siosifa Talakai running amok down that left edge in the first half 💪.
Possession - 51%
Completion Rate - 77% (34/44)
Post Contact Metres - 407
Tackle Breaks - 28
Missed Tackles - 34
Errors - 11
Penalties Conceded - 5
Verdict: No offence but I think the Broncos will find this week’s opposition a bit tougher. The Sharks for me.
Titans vs. Panthers @ CBUS
Probability @ 20-80
Ladder Position = Panthers
Bookies Favourite = Panthers
Titans
The Titans were pretty terrible last week against the Cowboys. They lacked discipline, they were totally disorganised and were basically uninspiring. In the end they paid the price and lost 30-4. They scored after 15 minutes but nothing after that. As the game wore on they became even more frustrated and couldn’t settle into any sort of rhythm. They were getting pinned in their own half a lot and maybe that could explain their frustration and sloppiness, not sure. I thought they may have been able to take advantage when Nanai was sent to the bin but it wasn’t to be. "No one's happy about it. We've got no answers at the moment. We're trying stuff, it's not working what we're changing and we need to go back to the drawing board and have a big week," coach Justin Holbrook said.
Possession - 46%
Completion Rate - 70% (26/37)
Post Contact Metres - 498
Tackle Breaks - 17
Missed Tackles - 28
Errors - 14
Penalties Conceded - 8
Panthers
Another impressive effort from the Panthers last week saw them come away with a 36-6 victory over the Raiders. Went about their job in a professional and clinical manner and did what good teams do. Great contributions from Nathan Cleary, Stephen Crichton and Isaah Yeo. Didn’t think much of the Panthers’ fans doing the “Viking Clap” but hey, it is what it is. Just remember … “the longer you keep winning the closer you get to losing.”
Possession - 61%
Completion Rate - 82% (38/46)
Post Contact Metres - 536
Tackle Breaks - 34
Missed Tackles - 15
Errors - 8
Penalties Conceded - 4
Verdict: Yeah, Panthers here.
Rabbitohs vs. Manly @ Central Coast
Probability @ 55-45
Ladder Position = Manly
Bookies Favourite = Rabbitohs
Rabbitohs
The Bunnies are the second big scalp in a row to lose by a point to the Tigers after going down 23-22 in a thriller last week. The Rabbitohs did cop some injuries with Sele, Host and Knight but I thought they should’ve been able to cover those through the bench. Their poor set completion and the number of errors they made were out of character for mine and certainly contributed to their narrow loss. Also, what was Jai Arrow thinking when he tried to take the field goal attempt? It cost Souths field position which in turn led to an “accidental offside” which in turn led to Brooks nailing the winning FG. When it’s not your day it’s not your day. “I thought we played our best footy with 12 men. We got through our sets, we played a bit more composed because we knew we had to and it was probably a mindset we needed to have more," coach Jason Demetriou said.
Possession - 43%
Completion Rate - 69% (25/36)
Post Contact Metres - 597
Tackle Breaks - 16
Missed Tackles - 33
Errors - 16
Penalties Conceded - 6
Manly
Not exactly sure where their heads were at last week in the first half against the Sharks but at half-time Manly were 32-0 down and any realistic chance of a win had gone out the window. Mind you, credit must be given to Manly on their second half fight back. They were much, much better. They basically controlled that second 40 and denied the Sharks a lot of possession. Now if only they’d shown that from the outset. Not that I’m a great fan of Morgan Harper (dunno, there’s just something about him) I did feel a teeny bit (not a lot though) sorry for him when he got hooked. There’s not much point leaving him on if he was never gonna adjust and compete against Talakai. Besides their pretty ordinary first half, Manly copped a few injuries and during the match lost Walker, Davey and Paseka, not to mention Olakau'atu going into the bin for a rest. Not sure if those are any excuse but my feeling is that their 34-22 loss wasn’t really that bad and if they can get players back, there’s a definite upside waiting.
Possession - 49%
Completion Rate - 76% (29/38)
Post Contact Metres - 456
Tackle Breaks - 34
Missed Tackles - 28
Errors - 13
Penalties Conceded - 5
Verdict: Tough one here. I’m thinking injuries might play a part here. Bunnies for me.
Warriors vs. Raiders @ Moreton Daily
Probability @ 50-50
Ladder Position = Warriors
Bookies Favourite = Raiders
Warriors
I’ve got a soft spot for the Warriors and was devastated to see the Storm give them a 70-10 flogging last week. They were right in it at half-time and were only behind 16-10 but the Storm smacked them silly with 54 unanswered points in the second 40. I reckon the Warriors will have nightmares about that second half and I’d be a little hesitant watching a replay if I was them 😥. Nothing went their way and to add to their injury woes, Curran did his knee and poor ol’ Watene-Zelezniak had to be stretchered off. "Some people gave up. I've been in this game for a long time and it's disappointing to sit here and say that but some people looked for the easiest way out they could and that's sad,” coach Nathan Brown said.
Possession - 34%
Completion Rate - 73% (19/26)
Post Contact Metres - 313
Tackle Breaks - 16
Missed Tackles - 41
Errors - 9
Penalties Conceded - 7
Raiders
The Raiders started alright last week against the Panthers and were in with a chance when they went into the sheds just 14-6 down. But as they are prone to do more often than not, they went scoreless in the second half (what the hell is going on down there?) and got smacked 36-6. They hung in against the Panthers for 15 minutes into the second half but thereafter just fell away. "It was very hard. I don't think we had a play-the-ball in their half in the second half. We were forever defending, so it wouldn't have only been Penrith that beat us by that amount - other teams would have too, coach Ricky Stuart said.
Possession - 39%
Completion Rate - 70% (21/30)
Post Contact Metres - 265
Tackle Breaks - 15
Missed Tackles - 34
Errors - 8
Penalties Conceded - 11
Verdict: Call me mad but I’m thinking (expecting) the Warriors might be shamed into pulling their fingers out and giving this a shake. If they don’t it won’t be the first time I’ve been wrong 🤪. Warriors for me.
Bulldogs vs. Roosters @ Stadium Aust
Probability @ 25-75
Ladder Position = Roosters
Bookies Favourite = Roosters
Bulldogs
The Bulldogs acquitted themselves pretty well against the Broncos last week considering but just fell away a little and went down 34-14. They were missing players left, right and centre due to injuries and C19 protocols but I thought they dug in and had a real crack. They looked good in that first half but let in a try right on half-time and went into the sheds with a 10-6 lead. They went further ahead when Dufty scored to make it 14-6 but that only seemed to fire the Broncos up and the Bulldogs couldn’t match the Broncos who scored 4 tries in an 18 minute period. They were doing their best but simply ran out of steam and made some silly errors. All things considered, they put in an admirable performance. "We're still working out that you can't solve things on your own when things get hard," coach Trent Barrett said.
Possession - 47%
Completion Rate - 80% (29/36)
Post Contact Metres - 622
Tackle Breaks - 34
Missed Tackles - 33
Errors - 12
Penalties Conceded - 2
Roosters
Not a great first half effort from the Roosters last week against the Dragons. They were simply outplayed in that first 40 and I couldn’t really complain about being down 14-0 at the break. I thought it was a fair reflection. In the first half the Roosters’ defence was exposed and they paid the price. A better effort in the second half and if it wasn’t for the outstanding defensive effort from the Dragons I reckon they might’ve won that. But in the end the Roosters weren’t good enough but hopefully they’ll take some lessons out of it. Not making any excuses but I’m still scratching my head on why Daniel let Hunt’s 40/20 bounce over the sideline and wondering how the Dragons weren’t offside right at the end and no penalty. Meh, you win some, you lose some. “We weren’t going to go around them - they were covering that - we needed to go through them, and we just didn’t. We just couldn’t execute it," coach Trent Robinson said.
Possession - 49%
Completion Rate - 65% (29/44)
Post Contact Metres - 651
Tackle Breaks - 38
Missed Tackles - 34
Errors - 16
Penalties Conceded - 4
Verdict: Hopefully my BBB will bounce back. Roosters. Begurk! 🐔 Begurk! 🐔
Eels vs. Cowboys @ TIO Darwin
Probability @ 70-30
Ladder Position = Eels
Bookies Favourite = Eels
Eels
The Eels bounced back in commanding fashion last week when they absolutely smashed an embarrassing Knights outfit 39-2. Not that their opposition offered much after the first 15-20 minutes that is. The Eels had a 14-2 half-time lead and piled on the pain in the second half and never looked in trouble. They were running amok down the left edge and their defence was very sound. Having said that though, it’s hard to gauge exactly how good they were given the Knights’ effort but a very good display and it would have done the Eels’ confidence a world of good. "I'm happy with the overall professionalism of how we played. That was built through our patience and having them come off their try line. When our forwards put their mind to it and think the power game, they're pretty hard to stop," coach Brad Arthur said.
Possession - 59%
Completion Rate - 85% (35/41)
Post Contact Metres - 701
Tackle Breaks - 39
Missed Tackles - 22
Errors - 6
Penalties Conceded - 4
Cowboys
The Cowboys put in a solid and consistent effort last week against Titans and rolled on to a well deserved 30-4 victory. They were simply too good and after leading 16-4 at the break, they continued on in the second 40 and kept the Titans scoreless while grabbing 2 tries of their own. Their defensive line speed was good and smart kicking kept the Titans hemmed in their own half most of the time. Scott Drinkwater had a great game and that solo try he got was brilliant.
Possession - 54%
Completion Rate - 69% (27/39)
Post Contact Metres - 569
Tackle Breaks - 28
Missed Tackles - 17
Errors - 13
Penalties Conceded - 4
Verdict: The Eels might be on a roll so I’ll stick with them here.
Knights vs. Storm @ McDonald Jones
Probability @ 20-80
Ladder Position = Storm
Bookies Favourite = Storm
Knights
The Knights were basically embarrassing last week against the Eels. The Knights were first to score from an 8th minute penalty but didn’t trouble the scoreboard attendant after that. They were just horrible. From that penalty onwards they let in 39 unanswered points and yes, you guessed it, they ended up losing 39-2. OK, they did have a crack for the first 15-20 minutes but it was all downhill after that. Their defence was really soft, they were tired, they had no attack and offered very little. “I thought we were awful today with the ball. We're in a rut at the moment and have got to stick together really tight and fight our way out of this," coach Adam O'Brien said.
Possession - 41%
Completion Rate - 67% (23/34)
Post Contact Metres - 451
Tackle Breaks - 22
Missed Tackles - 39
Errors - 11
Penalties Conceded - 5
Storm
Another impressive effort from the Storm last week saw them come away with a record-breaking 70-10 victory over the Warriors. Went about their job in a professional (or should I say “ruthless”) and clinical manner and did what good teams do. Great contributions from Ryan Papenhuyzen, Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes. Can’t wait for Round 10 🤪.
Possession - 66%
Completion Rate - 90% (38/42)
Post Contact Metres - 697
Tackle Breaks - 41
Missed Tackles - 16
Errors - 5
Penalties Conceded - 6
Verdict: Based on last week, the Storm once again pick themselves. Storm.
Dragons vs. Tigers @ WIN
Probability @ 60-40
Ladder Position = Dragons
Bookies Favourite = Dragons
Dragons
The Dragons had a great first half last week against the Roosters and went into the sheds 14-0 ahead. Their defensive effort in that first 40 was outstanding and they deserved their lead. They went scoreless in the second half but were good enough to hold out the Roosters to get the 14-12 win. Ben Hunt put in yet another great performance and his sneaky 40/20 right at the end was genius. The Dragons took it up to the Roosters and deserved the points. One of the best games I’ve seen this year. “We had every reason to lose that game in the last 20 minutes but they refused to lose. They just hung in there really tight and made big plays when they needed to. The 40/20 was the play-of-the-day but you only get a kick like that if you are still in the game and we had that resilience about us today,” coach Anthony Griffin said.
Possession - 51%
Completion Rate - 75% (30/40)
Post Contact Metres - 627
Tackle Breaks - 34
Missed Tackles - 38
Errors - 10
Penalties Conceded - 5
Tigers
The Tigers have done another “Harry Houdini” and won another thriller through a FG in the dying moments, this time against the Rabbitohs 23-22. Two big scalps 2 weeks in a row is just what the Tigers needed. The Tigers withstood some Souths’ pressure early on but worked their way back into the contest. It was a tough struggle and with the scores at 16-16 Luke Brooks scores a try and puts them 6 in front and after the Rabbitohs drew level again, he slots the winning FG. Fairytale endings do come true and sometimes 2 weeks in a row 😁. The switch with Hastings and Brooks seems to be working. My mind was officially blown when I saw the Tigers’ completion rate stats 🤪. "Life is a lot better than it was two or three weeks ago," coach Michael Maguire said.
Possession - 57%
Completion Rate - 95% (46/48)
Post Contact Metres - 573
Tackle Breaks - 33
Missed Tackles - 16
Errors - 3
Penalties Conceded - 4
Verdict: After the way they played against the Roosters last week I have to go the Dragons.
Let’s finish off with another “Song of the Week”…
A great tribute to a great musician. He was my favourite 💪 😥.
https://youtu.be/dWRCooFKk3c
OK kids, good luck with your tipping and may your team win by 40 points! Until next week. Cheers 🐔 🐔 🐔
Submitted by a on
My tips for this week are
Sharks
Panthers
Manly
Raiders
Roosters
Eels
Storm
Dragons
Submitted by Cindy Tony on
I really want to bet the margin for round 8 so any tips for margin please email me.
Thank you so much for your consideration
Regards
Cindy Tony
Submitted by Gummy Sharks on
Predicted margins add up to a neat 100?? Too much time on my hands.
Submitted by bradapple on
Hi Thinker, was it that you picked the Tigers for the first time this season? Haha
Submitted by Croweater on
You mean apart from the fact you have picked all of the AWAY teams for this round?
Submitted by grahams2858 on
Thanks Thinker, You are doing an excellent job here :)
It is already NRL Round 8, you mentioned the below comment:
There's something a little unusual about my tips this round. The first tipster to notice what it is and put it in the comments wins some sort of prize.
Your tips are a little unusual this round as all teams you tipped to win in this Round (Round 8) to win are the Away Teams.
Good luck Thinker with your tips this round, how did I go, was I right about the little unusual about your tips this round?
Surprise me I would love to win sort of prize with my birthday only a few days away, :)
All in Rockhampton where I live say hi ! :)
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
Evening Thinker.
What I've found to be completely unusual is that your Tipping Form and your Round 8 Selections are spot on in order to the Competition Draw.
Keep well mate
BigPeteBx
Submitted by Mary S on
Good morning Thinker,
The unusual aspects I found (as noted on the 'Home page' for this round) are -
1) only 3 words were used to preview a match (Knights/Storm) - MOST unusual!!
2) All away games predicted to win.
3) Tigers picked to win for the first time this season.
4) No games played in Victoria.
Cheers,
Mary
Submitted by The Thinker on
Greetings tipsters,
Congratulations to Croweater, the first to point out that I have tipped all the away teams in round 8. It's nice to see someone from South Australia following the NRL. But now for the bad news - because you don't have an account on the site I have no way to verify who you are. I can't even ask you to email me with your details (because I will get bombarded by dozens of people in Nigeria claiming to be Craweater :-) and I have no way of knowing who the real Croweater is). Apologies for missing out, but well done on the quick response. If you would like to create an account on the site (its free) and you aren't sure how, just let me know.
As a result of the above, the NRL tribunal (aka Ms Thinker) has determined that the prize should be awarded to the first person with the correct answer that is registered on the site.
Congratulations to grahams2858 who isn't one of our tipsters but has had an account on the site for nearly 5 years. Your prize is a Tom Deardon teddy bear, splendidly decked out in a NQ Cowboys jersey. I'll be in touch to get some details so I can mail Tom up to Rocky for you.
The NRL tribunal has also determined that the response from Gummy Sharks was worthy of recognition. Congratulations Gummy, your prize is a Nicho Hynes teddy bear, splendidly decked out in a Cronulla Sharks jersey. Again, I'll be in touch to arrange delivery.
These lucky bears will bring your teams good fortune throughout the season - if you put them next to your televisions while you watch your team they are bound to make the finals this season.
All the best
The Thinker
Submitted by a on
There’s also something us I noticed not relating to this round but all season that you currently 0-7 in cowboys games that’s why you haven’t Tipped a single cowboys game all season as you can see below
Round 1 predicted cowboys to beat bulldogs and they didn’t
Round 2 tipped cowboys to lose to Raiders and they didn’t
Round 3 tipped cowboys to lose to. Broncos and they didn’t
Round 4 tipped cowboys to beat roosters and they didn’t
Round 5 tipped cowboys to beat Warriors and they didn’t
Round 6. Tipped Raiders to beat cowboys and they didn’t
Round 7 tipped Titans to beat cowboys and they didn’t
Submitted by The Thinker on
Well spotted a
I usually have one bogey team every season...looks like it might be the Cowboys in 2022.
If I have a really bad year, I have more than one bogey team.
All the best
The Thinker
Submitted by grahams2858 on
Thank you The Thinker and the NRL tribunal (aka Ms Thinker) for the pleasant surprise to wake up to. The prize I won the Tom Deardon teddy bear, splendidly decked out in a NQ Cowboys jersey will go to a good home and will be well looked after :).
Smiles all around :) :) :) Thanks to You!
Remember smiles :) are contagious, I am smiling :) as I type this and hope those who read this have a smile :) too!
Share a smile :)
I would have to say The Thinker column is a highlight of ones year during NRL Season and thank you The Thinker, the NRL Tribunal (aka Ms Thinker) and those who join your Tipping Competition and those who contribute with their comments each week.
I hope you all continue your good work on here and are with us all to enjoy for many more years to come.
Cheers from grahams2858 in Rockhampton :)
Submitted by The Butcher on
Thinker
It’s a bit of a different scenario than normally picking the away teams as two of the home teams are also playing away from their home in the Eels and Rabbits.
If these teams were playing on their proper home grounds I doubt you would of gone all away teams but in this case I can see the logic.
Submitted by Rob181 on
Hi Thinker
What happened to my Round 6 score of 5. Seems to be missing in action. Would you please review & advise.
Thanks
Rob181
Submitted by theragster on
You picked all away games
Cheeers
Submitted by ROBYN A on
Well I'm sure I won't be the first, but this week, Thinker, you have chosen all away games.
Submitted by Christine on
My tips are
Sharks
Panthers
Manly
Raiders
Roosters
Eels
Storm
Tigers
Good luck with your tips everyone ...
Submitted by a on
NuL1f3 and MGM can you please submit a team in my 3 strike comp
Submitted by a on
Broncos played there best game all year you must be happy mark and rocket
Submitted by tigerholic on
Hard to believe all of the diehard Bronco fans deserted their team tonight, Bronco Swimmer, Rocket, Mark Ashford, come on guys you have to support your team week in week out.
Have a look who tipped the Tigers this week, now that's loyalty, faith and passion in your team.
Well done to Markate2021 for tipping the Broncos. A very different Sharks effort tonight.
Tiger
Submitted by a on
Well tbh I can’t speak since I tipped against my cowboys this week
Submitted by The Thinker on
There's the universe putting me in my place again.
Well played Broncos.
Submitted by a on
@markate2021 are you actually a loyal bronco supporter or did you just had a feeling they’ll be up for it
Submitted by a on
What did everyone think of the send off
Submitted by grahams2858 on
What did I think of the send off you ask?
The game is a contact sport, not touch football. Is it okay for the player with the ball to run over you and you can't try to protect yourself. There has been worse and all that happened was " play on". With the ongoing change of rules even the players would struggle to keep up with them. The player did not appear to be concerned he was lifted and no apparent injury occurred. If they allow that to be a send off offense what will be the next? Cheers from grahams2858.
Submitted by Gummy Sharks on
Send off every day of the week as far as I'm concerned. Great tackle until he carried on with it and turned it into a spear tackle. Graham is correct, not touch footy and very much a contact sport but the bigger picture is that tackle COULD have gone horribly wrong and one young man COULD be facing life very differently this morning.
Submitted by The Butcher on
I agree where your coming from but what could of happened and what did happen are two different things.
I would of thought 10 in the bin and a holiday on the sideline was sufficient and I think the decision not to send Tupou to the bin in Anzac Day influenced the ref . It’s frustrating that the officials are not consistent but I can live with the send off.
I was thinking imagine if Cleary made that tackle . Murray would of been sent off.
Submitted by a on
Yeah just hope there constiant from now on
Submitted by mark ashford on
Hi All
Yes great to see my Broncs get a win and yes Tiger I wasn't on them. I've also noticed you don't always back your Tigers but hey that is what this site is about. I'm pretty much over my operation so maybe in future I can pick a bit better So far 2 out of 3 so I'm hoping I'll stay in touch.
Good luck to all as the weekend progresses.
Submitted by a on
Yeah I don’t always tip the cowboys either in fact I didn’t tip them tonight either
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
Evenin 'a'.
Well mate - it involved my team and I don't usually come here for a whinge. However, rule states players shouldn't be lifted or upended. Lawton must have know the issue at hand, but had another Manly player been in support, they could have landed the Souths player nice and cosily onto a bean bag. I feel that had Lawton not been sent off, Manly would have gone very close to winning that game.
But talk about referee inconsistency, please tell me how Atkins penalises Manly for dragging a player over the sideline about 20inches.
Then last week Gee lets Sharks go for dragging Manly over the sideline about 6 feet. Certainly consistent when the same happens in defence and being dragged back over your own tryline - as its often just play on and that's inconsistent.
Anyway mate, I'm out of your 'a' Comp now after Cronulla's pussy showing, but all credit to Broncos, as they displayed more hunger and drive in the match. Hynes made two nice blunders and that isn't expected from a class player.
Thanks for running The 'a' Comp again this season!
Couple of unexpected results this round.
Keep well all
BigPete
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
Evenin Mark - nice to hear you're healing well. I think I know the op you mention. Yes mate, Broncos did well and a few upsets this round already.
Which means that Tigers and Dragons could lay in the balance.
Take care mate and Keep well
BigPete
Submitted by Gummy Sharks on
Congrats to Markate, Ricx and Taka. That's good tipping folks.
Submitted by Hardyards on
That was just spectacular from the cowboys tonight. Drinky should stay at fullback. Our defence has come so far this year. Awesome win.
Submitted by a on
Wow that was spectacular by the cowboys there a threat this year I reget not tipping them
Submitted by grahams2858 on
Yes it was a Big win by Cowboys, Eels played as well as they did a few weeks earlier when Tigers won against Eels and beat them 21-20 in Round 6.
Funnier enough in Round 4, only 3 weeks ago, Eels won 28-4 against Cowboys and won by 24 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville, Cowboy's home ground and today Round 8 lost 35-4 and lose by 31 this round a turn around of 55 points,
Did Eels find Tio Stadium in Darwin too hot for this Round 8?
Cowboys lost to Warriors 25-24 in Round 5 and Warriors only last weekend in Round 7 lost to Storm 70-10.
Surely when Cowboys play against Storm the score line won't read "Storm 71, Cowboys 10" :) only time will tell, lmao.
Many on here comment on need for inconsistency of the Refs, but I ask "HOW, did Eels beat Storm in Round 3 just over a month ago?"
'
This round has produced quite a few surprise wins, good luck or loyalty at times is only way one could expect them to win, and win they did.
Now we all know why NRL is the game we all love! :)
Cheers from grahams2858
Submitted by grahams2858 on
lmao in my last comment I mentioned "Funnier enough in Round 4, only 3 weeks ago, Eels won 28-4 against Cowboys and won by 24 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville, Cowboy's home ground and today Round 8 lost 35-4 and lose by 31 this round a turn around of 55 points," that should read Roosters won 28-4 at Queensland Country Stadium, Townsville. So no turn around of 55 points, still in shock that these 2 teams can be so inconsistent but play like it is their last game when they get it all together :)
Submitted by a on
Cowboys lost to roosters round 4 not eels
Submitted by walbottler on
If tigerholic wants to win this, they should just sit on the favourites for the rest of the competition.
$100 says I'm right.