Looking back on it, the writing was on the wall after Thursday night’s half blacked out thriller at Kogarah.
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The Dragons and Raiders gave us a game that had everything, including a genuine “coach killer” at the end.
What followed was more of the same with comebacks, upsets and absolute blow-outs.
Round 11 doesn’t look any easier, but I am determined to have a better week tip wise. At least I snagged a couple of first try scorer that softened the blow a touch. However, onwards and upwards as they say, so let’s get into it!
Rabbitohs V Dragons – ANZ Stadium, Sydney Thursday 7.50pm
The Rabbitohs will be fired up after getting the chocolates in an emotionally charged game against the Eels last week. And coming from a 20-6 deficit won’t hurt the old confidence either. Even after seeing how the side responded to Luke Keary’s injection and the move of GI back to centre, coach Maguire has left Keary on the pine and GI back at 5/8. The Dragons are somehow in the Top 8, even with a -93 points difference. They were lucky last week as it’s not often your opposition forgets how to play the game they’re paid to play, but that’s what seemed to happen. It won’t happen here.
TIP: RABBITOHS
Suggested Bet: 1st Scoring Play: Rabbitohs Try @ $2.35; First Try Scorer: B Goodwin $9.00 or C Walker $10.00
Cowboys V Broncos – 1300 Smiles Stadium, Townsville Friday 7.50pm
Cancel dinner with the in-laws, take the phone off the hook, turn off the mobile and lock the door – you don’t want to miss this one! Back in Round 4, these two went at it just as hard and just skilfully as they did back in October. In October, the Cowboys just got the better of their Queensland cousins. In Round 4, it was the Broncos turn and that was back in March. Now State of Origin is just around the corner, the rust from March (if there was any) has long gone and both of these teams have proven to be part of the upper echelon of the competition. In short, there isn’t much between these two. I’m tipping the Cowboys here as they are at home, and they will be fired up to stop back-to-back losses. But it won’t be by much.
TIP: COWBOYS
Suggested Bet: Match Result: Cowboys $1.70; First Try Scorer: A Winterstein $8.50 or G Cooper $13.00
Wests Tigers V Knights – Campbelltown Stadium, Campbelltown Saturday 3.00pm
You know all of those things I said about the Cowboys/Broncos game – flip them on their head for this match. This is as bad as it gets, in fact, it is so bad you have to feel for the poor buggers trying to promote this game on Fox Sports’ 'Super Saturday'. I can see the production meeting going along the lines of “OK, how do we promote this game?” “Attacking football at its finest? There’ll be heaps of point?” “Hey, what if we put a Classic Origin on instead?” “What if we cross promote and show a movie?”
You’ve got to feel for them don’t you. For the record, I’m tipping the Tigers, only because I can’t in good conscience tip the Knights.
TIP: TIGERS
Suggested Bet: To Win Both Halves: Tigers @ $2.35; 1st Try Scorer: D Nofoaluma $6.50 or K Naiqama $8.50
Warriors V Raiders – Yarrow Stadium, Mt Pleasant NZ Saturday 5.30pm
Both teams are coming off pretty ordinary losses. The Warriors will think they let the Panthers off the hook and the Raiders, well, they will no doubt still have a ringing in their ears after their capitulation at Kogarah last week. Throw the form guide out for this one as it is going to come down to who wants it more. Both teams are capable, but I think the Warriors (maybe foolishly) will do enough to win.
TIP: WARRIORS
Suggested Bet: Half Time/Full Time: Raiders/Warriors $6.50; 1st Try: D Fusitua $7.50 or B Ayshford $11.00
Sharks V Sea Eagles – Southern Cross Group Stadium, Wolooware (Cronulla) Saturday 7.30pm
The Sharks will find this game a fair bit tougher than the Knights last week, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be complacent here. Manly and Cronulla have a, let’s say colourful, history. So neither team will take this lightly, but the Sea Eagles have a real battle keeping their best players on the paddock. The Sharks, so far, don’t seem to have that issue. It’s difficult to see how Manly will stop Cronulla through the middle third of the field, which is where they prefer to hit you, to soften you up before they let their flyers out wide rip you to shreds. But you stick to it, Manly. Good luck.
TIP: SHARKS
Suggested Bet: To Win Both Halves: Sharks $2.30; 1st Try: S Feki $8.50 or J Bird $11.00
Panthers V Titans – Pepper Stadium, Penrith Sunday 2.00pm
I think this one will be a real arm wrestle up until the last 15-20 minutes of the game. Then I think the Panthers will kick away. But then they aren’t called the Heart Attack Kids for nothing, so it might be a close call in the end instead. But they can’t take this Titans team lightly, which is what the Roosters did on Monday night. They will make you pay if you disrespect them. Half, Ash Taylor, is looking better every week and if his forwards keep doing the job for him, he’ll take them a fair way. But it might be a hard to get up for two physical games within the same week and that’s what is being asked of them. I don’t think they can answer this time.
TIP: PANTHERS
Suggested Bet: First Team to Score: Titans @ $2.42; 1st Try: A Don $9.00 or N MacDonald $10.00
Bulldogs V Roosters – ANZ Stadium, Sydney Sunday 4.00pm
I’m not taking a whole lot out of the Bulldogs thrashing of the Tigers last week simply because the Tigers were so poor. Yes, a team is as good as you let them but the Tigers were just plain bad and I think they made the ordinary Bulldogs look good. The Roosters did a good impersonation of the Tigers on Monday night and let the Titans eventually run away with the game. The Roosters still have a couple of holes in their team but they are much better than they showed last Monday. I think we’ll see a vastly different Roosters lineup this Sunday. And even though Dessie has named the biggest lock of all time with Dave Klemmer, I think his big boppers will feel the pinch by the time this one’s over.
TIP: ROOSTERS
Suggested Bet: Match Result: Roosters $2.60; 1st Try: J Burgess $8.50 or L Mitchell $10.00
Eels V Storm – Pirtek Stadium, Parramatta Monday 7.00pm
The Eels didn’t have a great week last week. They lost one of their best players, lost a game they should have won and the salary cap saga just seems to get worse as the days go on. The Storm knows how they feel, but they won’t be feeling sorry for them. Not on the field anyway. The Storm showed last week that they have gotten things together very nicely, especially in defence. Hard work alone won’t cut it this time for the Eels and you can pretty much kiss their semi-final hopes goodbye after this.
TIP: STORM
Suggested Bet: Match Result: Storm @ $2.10; 1st Try M Koroibete $7.50 or C Cronk $13.00