Okay Footy fans, this is the big tomale', well it's what I've waited almost 200 days for. The NRL is finally here, all the hard hits, the real hits and some more hits... just ask the bloke Benji short arm jabbed. Anyhow it's a big year and one that has Saints fans already roaring with World Domination!!! Can the Dragons go back to back, they have the coach, they have the roster, recent history is against them, not even an over indulgent News funded Melbourne could run back to back premiership campaigns.
I think the Warriors, Tigers, Roosters and Broncos are the biggest most serious top four type threats to the Dragonaught for varying reasons, look at their top 17 players and the answers will stare you in the face. Alas the NRL being the NRL, injuries will determine fate, the Bronco's lack depth in this department, while the Tigers have a guy like Moltzen on the bench... you can do your own math with the Chooks and Cuzzies.
Many sides are blooding new halves combos this season. Beau Henry comes in with plenty of wrapping paper at Newcastle, not sure if he's on Tinkler's pay roll yet but the Knights look a team on the rise in 2011. Manly have strutted out the competitions youngest halves comination with 30 gamer Foran lining up beside zero game rookie Daly Cherry-Evans. Cherry-Evans has had a couple of exciting seasons in both Toyota cup (2009 minor premiership) and Qld Intrust Cup (player of the year 2010) but this season behind a solid Sea Eagle forward pack and with Brett Stewart back bigger than ever, the new maroon number 7 has little in the way of excuses.
Melbourne have forcibly shedded 12 first graders from last years squad, their 2011 campaign has a smell of Raiders 1992 about it. Check your history. And while I'm talking about Canberra, look awesome on the team sheet but the loss of the massively dominant Terry Campese may have the Green Machine chasing the pack all season, 2012 is most likely their year.
Souths have bought the big gun Inglis, but he come's looking more like a back rower. Halfback Sandow finished last season better than most give him credit for, they should make the eight with that forward pack. The Titans are too consistent to write off as semi final hopes, with the ability of Scott Prince and their home ground fortress they should be in the mix all year.
There are about four players in the Eels squad that I've never heard of, hopefully for Parra fans these guys do the blue and gold proud but all things being equal surely they're not serious contenders in 2011. The same deal with the Cowboys, the loss of Brent Tate combined with the complete talent turnover buries them in my book. The Bulldogs remind me of a club that gets talked up on reputation, they've lost their fullback and halfback and turned over two props both for different reasons. Consistency may be difficult to find until it's too late, the dogs won't be barking in 2011.
Penrith are difficult to get a read on, they finished in 2nd place in 2010 but their back end of year form was weak. Injuries didn't help them but they've lost their left hand strike weapon in Pritchard and other teams have studied the kick for tries manifesto. Their forwards are good, backs exciting, they could finish practically anywhere.
And then Cronulla are rounding out the tail. Like an old bulky war horse, they should be racing in the provincials.
Round One:
Roosters v Souths @ SFS: This is a very even match with Carney missing. Both have good forwards, I like the Roosters backs but as I said earlier, I think Sandow looked better at the back end of last year, this could be the year he comes of age. Anasta is more of a backrower these days. It'll be close but I have a Souths by 4 in an upset win as the first leg of my multi.
Broncos v Cowboys @ Suncorp: Irrespective of who trots out for the Brisbane based club, the Bronco's always look sharp early in the year. The Cowboys may keep it close but Lockyer is the king of the clutch, Broncos by 1.
Titans v Dragons @ Skilled: Titans will throw the kitchen sink at the Saints, but inevitably, Prince will be forced across field, Bird will try everything, Preston will dart and weave and the Dragons will strangle it all. St.George by 7.
Warriors v Eels @ Eden Park: Warriors look a settled team in for a big year, you can't say the same for the Parra squad, their backline looks like a collander, Warriors by 14 and they're the last leg of my two leg multi.
Storm v Sea Eagles @ AAMI: I can't go past the amount of top line players missing from the Melbourne line up since last year, yes they have the spine but their front row is the who's who of John West rejects. The Storm are a proud club but so to are Manly and the latter will walk away with two close crumbs.
Raiders v Sharks @ Canberra: Raiders for mine, they have the forwards to match the Cronulla tight six while they have the backs to blow the Sharks away. Raiders by 8.
Panthers v Knights @ Centrebet: Without Jennings and considering the loss of Pritchard, then consider the trial form I can't back Penrith with my money. I think the Knights have looked solid in their trials and they will be ready for Penrith Park.
Bulldogs v Tigers @ ANZ: Bulldogs will need to be at their best to beat a genuine top four team. That's what the Tigers are and I'm backing them to have too much for the Dogs as a Monday night specialist.
Good luck with your tips and as stated above my bet of the week is Souths into the Warriors for a combined price of $2.95. Start slow when running blind people, God Speed.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
NRL still Gallopping in the face of Cyclone Expansion.
Recently I've heard some fairly dispariging and negative comments aimed at National Rugby League (NRL) CEO David Gallop. Especially since an interview printed by the Daily Telegraph (Sydney) on 2/02/2011 and orchestrated by Paul Crawely. It's been pretty much standard fare. I kept my ear to radio, heard the pub talk, read the newsprint, trolled the forums and came to the conclusion, "an easy bash up".
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If the average punter bumped into tall Dave on the street, well he may indeed cop the likes of - The Independant Commission is taking too long! The AFL monster's expanding, where's our new clubs? The TV deal's too small! Bring back the Bears! Why did they close the squash courts at Baulko? The Brisbane Thoroughbreds escaped from the paddock! Karmichael's on ALPHA? Ryan Tandy's a guest of Her Majesty. There's a cyclone in Queensland... What's doing Dave, what's doing?
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I read earlier in the week a headline claiming Gallop was - "Stalling on the Commission". Read the article, load of crap. Made no specific mention of Gallop saying any such thing, but it made great ammunition for the beer swillers that don't bother reading text that's printed smaller than 14 font. Personally I don't have any control over the font here.
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Down to the nitty gritty. We have around four weeks til round one of the NRL season. Historically, this is the time when players need to hide their shoes while David Gallop prays he's picked the right face to promote the game. The stalling, or slow moving regarding the implementation of this code saving Independant Commission (IC) simply isn't part of Gallops bag. He isn't even one of the key players in the overhaul, instead he is the face of running the game under the current set up. Deciding who and what will be the make up of the IC lay between the partnership committee and the current national and state rugby league bodies, while being greased by the Michael Searle led working party. You gotta love the Gold Coast.
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If the average punter bumped into tall Dave on the street, well he may indeed cop the likes of - The Independant Commission is taking too long! The AFL monster's expanding, where's our new clubs? The TV deal's too small! Bring back the Bears! Why did they close the squash courts at Baulko? The Brisbane Thoroughbreds escaped from the paddock! Karmichael's on ALPHA? Ryan Tandy's a guest of Her Majesty. There's a cyclone in Queensland... What's doing Dave, what's doing?
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I read earlier in the week a headline claiming Gallop was - "Stalling on the Commission". Read the article, load of crap. Made no specific mention of Gallop saying any such thing, but it made great ammunition for the beer swillers that don't bother reading text that's printed smaller than 14 font. Personally I don't have any control over the font here.
.
Down to the nitty gritty. We have around four weeks til round one of the NRL season. Historically, this is the time when players need to hide their shoes while David Gallop prays he's picked the right face to promote the game. The stalling, or slow moving regarding the implementation of this code saving Independant Commission (IC) simply isn't part of Gallops bag. He isn't even one of the key players in the overhaul, instead he is the face of running the game under the current set up. Deciding who and what will be the make up of the IC lay between the partnership committee and the current national and state rugby league bodies, while being greased by the Michael Searle led working party. You gotta love the Gold Coast.
On that note I'm sure any serious discussion regarding expansion at the moment is on hold until the IC is solid, sorted and swinging. You don't expand to new areas when management is in transition. For anyone to expect Gallop to make grandiose statements simply to satisfy the forum dwelling massess regarding a key and emotive issue such as expansion is seriously further out than past Mars. This kind of issue will not be his call alone to make in any event. Yes he'll eventually be asked for a degree of input, and from reading his stuff he has clearly outlined what he is personally looking for in expansion ie;
"I've said to the various bid teams, they need to have a sustainable model not just for their own district but they need to be bringing something to the table that everyone can benefit from. Be it increasing the game's national profile which will help with broadcasting and sponsorship, or it's shoring up a strategic area the game has to be conscious of, they are the types of things that need to be considered."Dave Gallop - Daily Telegraph (Sydney) Feb 2, 2011.
For some reason people still bag him out for apparently not saying anything, or not saying enough to their personal liking, these people are obviously just skimming the surface of articles or they have an agenda against David Gallop. Whether you like him or not, he has clearly stated what he is personally looking for regarding expansion clubs and the expansion issue in general. That comment is absolutely as clear as he can be at this stage considering the current status of the IC. It is obvious David Gallop is keen to grow the game, but like any responsible leader, he doesn't want to do it at the expense of current clubs or to the detriment of the code. No wacky outposts that need constant life support, no Building the Education Revolution and no nothing burger expansion clubs that offer little in the way of sponsorship and media rights.
Gallop is correct to be cautious about expansion just in case it turns out later to be "axpansion". Gallop is also correct to not throw effort after foolishness, he is correct in wanting to pick the most appropriate expansion clubs at the most appropriate time. The game can't afford stuff ups on an issue that is so spirited as club expansion.
I also read in the interview some target questions relating to the return of Chris Houston. In regards to the Danny Wicks issue, those questions were flat out loaded, no win, sign here questions. Gallop had really no way of answering then spraying the Glen 20 to avoid the "before flushing toilet smell". The court has made its decision on Chris Houston and the DPP have decided it is in the communities interests not to appeal.
Bottom line is, the Houston matter is well and truly dead in a criminal sense and that is the judge's decision. For anyone to suggest Gallop is weak for not commenting is an ignorant so and so. Commenting on such a thing on a public forum such as a newspaper interview throws up any number of issues that could sail uncomfortably close to defamation. Gallop is a lawyer, he knows what he can and can't say and he has or had little choice but to respect the judges decision. Paul Crawely as an interviewer is only doing his job but seriously, who ever sanctioned the interview should have set out parameters for a question of that nature.
Look I'm happy for people to smash Gallop when he knee jerks after a Jacky Magnay gang banger exposay, but attacking him for what he did or did not say in this interview, lacks perspective and balance.
Another good talk with Greg Camilleri.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Aussie Selectors still playing the spin.
Andrew Hilditch's claim that the selectors did a good job (regardless of what type of belter he is) comes as a massive surprise to me.
To look at our selections briefly in this series:
Our incumbent spinner was dropped on the eve of the series after brandishing a career average of 32. We all know how he's been travelling on the domestic scene since the drop.
Three spinners were chosen throughout the series without showing any signs of obvious progress as spinners. One of these spinners (Steve Smith), was also chosen to bat at #6 but was then moved down to #7 for the final test while only bowling 31 overs out of a possible 438 overs, over the course of three test matches. That is too little bowling to take up a bowling position, but it is obvious he is not considered a top 6 batting option. I do not understand this test selection at all.
Seriously when you look at the test team picked for the final match of the series, the match where we had the whole series to reflect upon, and the pressure to win was no longer at a premium, on paper it's difficult to believe that Australia fielded their best six batsmen in that test. We aren't getting the best out of Watson as an opener either, it is diminishing his more than handy bowling, he should be the allrounder at #6.
And persisting with Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus, one has obviously lost it and is no longer test standard, the other is either pathetic, pathetic, tragic, awesome in Perth, rubbish again. On his form over the past 3 years, you would only pick Johnson in Perth and in South Africa, anywhere else he has bowled all over the place byes to the boundary crap.
It's all very well for Andrew Hilditch to speak about talent in his defence, but the bottom line is batsmen are supposed to score runs, bowlers are called upon to take wickets, and test players are supposed to stand up and be counted.
This series, the biggest of our home cycle, well it is plain we lost three of five tests by more than an innings - a record nadir point in over 130 years of test cricket. None of the new players this current group of selectors have picked have shown progress, this indicates poor judgement.
Absolving himself (Hilditch) of blame... just the arrogance of it, should send Cricket Australia into damage control, more so than losing the series in the manner that we have.
To look at our selections briefly in this series:
Our incumbent spinner was dropped on the eve of the series after brandishing a career average of 32. We all know how he's been travelling on the domestic scene since the drop.
Three spinners were chosen throughout the series without showing any signs of obvious progress as spinners. One of these spinners (Steve Smith), was also chosen to bat at #6 but was then moved down to #7 for the final test while only bowling 31 overs out of a possible 438 overs, over the course of three test matches. That is too little bowling to take up a bowling position, but it is obvious he is not considered a top 6 batting option. I do not understand this test selection at all.
Seriously when you look at the test team picked for the final match of the series, the match where we had the whole series to reflect upon, and the pressure to win was no longer at a premium, on paper it's difficult to believe that Australia fielded their best six batsmen in that test. We aren't getting the best out of Watson as an opener either, it is diminishing his more than handy bowling, he should be the allrounder at #6.
And persisting with Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus, one has obviously lost it and is no longer test standard, the other is either pathetic, pathetic, tragic, awesome in Perth, rubbish again. On his form over the past 3 years, you would only pick Johnson in Perth and in South Africa, anywhere else he has bowled all over the place byes to the boundary crap.
It's all very well for Andrew Hilditch to speak about talent in his defence, but the bottom line is batsmen are supposed to score runs, bowlers are called upon to take wickets, and test players are supposed to stand up and be counted.
This series, the biggest of our home cycle, well it is plain we lost three of five tests by more than an innings - a record nadir point in over 130 years of test cricket. None of the new players this current group of selectors have picked have shown progress, this indicates poor judgement.
Absolving himself (Hilditch) of blame... just the arrogance of it, should send Cricket Australia into damage control, more so than losing the series in the manner that we have.
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