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Free NRL Preview – Round 11 – Reading the Play

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Round 11 Free Game Preview NRL 2012

Our friends over at Reading the Play have provided us with a free preview for Sundays match between the Dragons and Rabbitohs. Head on over to their site and check out the full round preview including 8 bet recommendations and be sure to check out their results so far this season. Impressive stuff!

Reading The Play NRL 2012 Preview

St George-Illawarra Dragons v South Sydney Rabbitohs

Kogarah : Sunday 3pm

Hard to have the Dragons here even with a return to Kogarah where they have won 10 of their last 11, they are limping off the back of some very ordinary form and now a quickly thinning list with at least 6 key players unavailable (Merrin, Creagh, Weyman, Fien, Scott and Prior). The loss of Merrin, Weyman and Creagh off last Monday is significant, they’ve been poor through the middle in numerous games this year and this becomes most notable when their 2nd string rotation is on the field, they will now be relying on them to get the job done and I think be found well short. Rabbits come off a credible win over the in form Sharks then a bye freshen up, they too lose key players in Taylor and Inglis, the later who has been in outstanding form but they look to have far more credible top grade replacements in particular with the switch of the talented Merritt to fullback. They will have taken considerable confidence out of their last two wins over the Sharks (3rd) and Cowboys (4th), and they’ve the forward strength to get the job done through the weakened middle. Luke, Sam Burgess and Sutton should lead the way here, Reynolds form continues to improve, they’ve a poor record at the ground but if ever they were to get the chance to turn that around then this is it. Rabbits 

Last Word : Like the Rabbits, Maguire has them improving each week, importantly they are growing in confidence.

Betting Interest : Take the H2H or play the short line now, I’m sure it will continue to shorten.   

Reading The Play : The Winning Edge on NRL. Expert analysis and betting advice for the serious NRL follower.

The full Round 11 Preview and Betting Advice is now online, including 8 bet recommendations

www.readingtheplay.com

Twitter @ReadingThePlay

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2012 NRL Teams Round 10

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Round 10 of the NRL kicks off on Friday night and we’ve got all of the NRL teams as they are released by the clubs. This weekend we saw a number of injuries again, most notably to Peter Wallace (Broncos) and Paul Gallen (Sharks). Both will more than likely miss this weekends fixtures, and could miss more should their injuries prove to be more serious than first thought. A big blow to two sides looking to consolidate a top 4 spot over the next few weeks.

Check out the Round 10 NRL teams below to see who your side has named for the weekend, we’ll keep this updated as more news comes from the clubs throughout the week as well.

2012 NRL Teams

2012 NRL Teams Round 10

Brisbane Broncos v Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Friday 11 May 2012
Kick-off 7:00pm, Delayed Ch 9/GEM 7.30pm
Referees: Tony Archer and Shayne Hayne
Sideline Officials: Paul Holland and Jeff Younis
Video Referee: Sean Hampstead

Broncos - 1. Josh Hoffman 2. Gerard Beale 3. Jack Reed 4. Justin Hodges 5. Dale Copley 6. Corey Norman 7. Ben Hunt 8. Ben Hannant 9. Andrew McCullough 10. Petero Civoniceva 11. Alex Glenn 12. Sam Thaiday 13. Corey Parker Interchange: 14. Luke Capewell 15. Josh McGuire 16. Matt Gillett 17. Ben Te’o

Sea Eagles - 1. Brett Stewart 2. Jorge Taufua 3. Jamie Lyon 4. Steve Matai 5. David Williams 6. Liam Foran 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Jason King 9. Matt Ballin 10. Brent Kite 11. Anthony Watmough 12. Jamie Buhrer 13. Glenn Stewart Interchange: 14. Vic Mauro 15. Joe Galuvao 16. Darcy Lussick 17. George Rose 18. Daniel Harrison 19. Dean Whare

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v Gold Coast Titans
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Friday 11 May 2012
Kick-off 8:45pm, Delayed Ch 9/GEM 9.30pm
Referees: Jared Maxwell and Brett Suttor
Sideline Officials: Michael Wise and Chris Butler
Video Referee: Pat Reynolds

Bulldogs - 1. Ben Barba 2. Jonathan Wright  3. Josh Morris  4. Tim Lafai 5. Bryson Goodwin 6. Josh Reynolds 7. Kris Keating 8. Aiden Tolman  9. Michael Ennis (c) 10. Sam Kasiano 11. Frank Pritchard  12. Dene Halatau 13. Greg Eastwood Interchange: 14. James Graham 15. David Stagg   16. Corey Payne 17. Joel Romelo 20. Martin Taupau

Titans - 1. William Zillman 2. Kevin Gordon 3. Jamal Idris 4. Dominique Peyroux 5. David Mead 6. Aidan Sezer 7. Jordan Rankin 8. Luke Bailey 9. Matt Srama 10. Nate Myles 11. Greg Bird 12. Mark Minichiello 13. Ashley Harrison Interchange: 14. Matthew White 15. Luke Douglas 16. Luke O’Dwyer 17. Bodene Thompson 18. Phil Graham

Warriors v Sydney Roosters
Mt Smart Stadium, Saturday 12 May 2012
Kick-off 5:30pm (7.30pm NZ), Live FOX Sports 2
Referees: Steve Lyons and Henry Perenara
Sideline Officials: Steve Carrall and Adam Reid
Video Referee: Bernard Sutton

Warriors - 1. Jerome Ropati 2. Bill Tupou 3. Ben Henry 4. Konrad Hurrell 5. Manu Vatuvei 6. James Maloney 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Russell Packer 9. Alehana Mara 10. Ben Matulino 11. Elijah Taylor 12. Simon Mannering (C) 13. Feleti Mateo Interchange: 14. Lewis Brown 15. Ukuma Ta’ai 16. Sione Lousi 17.  Jacob Lillyman

Roosters - 1. Anthony Minichiello 2. Peni Tagive 3. Joseph Leilua 4. Shaun Kenny-Dowall 5. Sam Perrett 6. Braith Anasta (c) 7. Mitchell Pearce 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 9. Jake Friend 10. Martin Kennedy 11. Aidan Guerra 12. Mitchell Aubusson 13. Tinirau Arona Interchange: 14. Boyd Cordner 15. Lama Tasi 16. Brad Takairangi 17. Mose Masoe 18. Jack Bosden

Newcastle Knights v North Queensland Cowboys
Hunter Stadium, Newcastle, Saturday 12 May 2012
Kick-off 7:30pm Live FOX Sports 2
Referees: Matt Cecchin and Gavin Morris
Sideline Officials: Dan Eastwood and Nick Beashel
Video Referee: Steve Clark

Knights - 1. Darius Boyd 2. James McManus 3. Junior Sa’u 4. Timana Tahu 5. Akuila Uate 6. Jarrod Mullen 7. Tyrone Roberts 8. Kade Snowden 9. Matt Hilder 10. Evarn Tuimavave 11. Chris Houston (c) 12. Zeb Taia 13. Neville Costigan Interchange: 14. Richie Fa’aoso 15. Willie Mason 16. Adam Cuthbertson 17. Alex McKinnon

Cowboys - 1. Matthew Bowen 2. Ashley Graham 3. Brent Tate 4. Kane Linnett 5. Antonio Winterstein 6. Johnathan Thurston (c) 7. Ray Thompson 8. Matthew Scott (c) 9. Aaron Payne 10. James Tamou 11. Gavin Cooper 12. Tariq Sims 13. Dallas Johnson Interchange: 14. James Segeyaro 15. Ricky Thorby 16. Ashton Sims 17. Glenn Hall

Canberra Raiders v Parramatta Eels
Canberra Stadium, Canberra, Sunday 13 May 2012
Kick-off 2:00pm, Live FOX Sports 2
Referees: Gavin Badger and Adam Devcich
Sideline Officials: Jason Walsh and Luke Potter
Video Referee: Phil Cooley

Raiders - 1. Josh Dugan 2. Blake Ferguson 3. Jarrod Croker 4. Jack Wighton 5. Reece Robinson 6. Josh Mccrone 7. Sam Williams 8. David Shillington (c) 9. Travis Waddell 10. Tom Learoyd-Lahrs 11. Josh Papalii 12. Joel Thompson 13. Shaun Fensom Interchange: 14. Shaun Berrigan 15. Joe Picker 16. Sam Mataora 17. Dane Tilse 18. Bronson Harrison

Eels - 1. Jarryd Hayne 2. Luke Burt 3. Ryan Morgan 4. Cheyse Blair 5. Ken Sio 6. Casey McGuire 7. Chris Sandow 8. Tim Mannah 9. Matthew Keating 10. Fuifui Moimoi 11. Nathan Hindmarsh (c) 12. Joseph Paulo 13. Matthew Ryan Interchange: 14. Taniela Lasalo 15. Mitchell Allgood 16. Justin Poore 17. Taulima Tautai

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks v Melbourne Storm
Toyota Stadium, Cronulla, Sunday 13 May 2012
Kick-off 3:00pm, Delayed Ch 9/GEM 4pm
Referees: Ben Cummins and Jason Robinson
Sideline Officials: Russell Turner and David Abood
Video Referee: Paul Simpkins

Sharks - 1. Matthew Wright 2. Stewart Mills 3. Ben Pomeroy 4. Colin Best 5. John Williams 6. Todd Carney 7. Jeff Robson 8. Bryce Gibbs 9. Isaac De Gois 10. Ben Ross 11. Jeremy Smith 12. Jason Bukuya 13. Paul Gallen Interchange: 14. Andrew Fifita 15. Wade Graham 16. John Morris 17. Sam Tagataese 18. Mark Taufua

Storm - 1. Billy Slater 2. Matt Duffie 3. Danie Nielsen 4. Will Chambers 5. Justin O’Neill 6. Gareth Widdop 7. Cooper Cronk 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Cameron Smith 10. Bryan Norrie 11. Kevin Proctor 12. Ryan Hoffman 13. Todd Lowrie Interchange: 14. Ryan Hinchcliffe 15. Rory Kostjasyn 16. Siosaia Vave 17. Jason Ryles 18. Anthony Quinn

Penrith Panthers v St George Illawarra Dragons
Centrebet Stadium, Penrith, Monday 14 may 2012
Kick-off 7:00pm, Live FOX Sports 2
Referees: Gerard Sutton and Tony De Las Heras
Sideline Officials: Ricky MacFarlane and Brenden Wood
Video Referee: Paul Mellor

Panthers - 1. Lachlan Coote 2. Etu Uaisele 3. Geoff Daniela 4. Brad Tighe 5. Josh Mansour 6. Blake Austin 7. Travis Burns 8. Sam McKendry 9. Kevin Kingston 10. Tim Grant 11. Cameron Ciraldo 12. Clint Newton 13. Luke Lewis (c) Interchange: 14. Ryan Simpkins 15. Danny Galea 16. Dayne Weston 17. Matt Robinson 18. Chris Armit

Dragons - 1. Brett Morris 2. Daniel Vidot 3. Kyle Stanley 4. Matt Cooper 5. Jason Nightingale 6. Jamie Soward 7. Ben Hornby (c) 8. Dan Hunt 9. Mitch Rein 10. Michael Weyman 11. Trent Merrin 12. Ben Creagh 13. Dean Young Interchange: 14. Nathan Fien 15. Jeremy Latimore 16. David Gower 17. Jack De Belin 18. Atelea Vea 19. Jake Marketo

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2012 NRL Results & Review – Round 9

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2012 NRL Results – Round 9

Friday Night

Cowboys 30 – 6 Dragons
Eels 12 – 42 Bulldogs

Saturday Night

Warriors 30 – 20 Broncos
Titans 14 – 15 Tigers
Panthers 10 – 44 Storm

Sunday

Sea Eagles 18 – 12 Raiders
Roosters 24 – 6 Knights

Monday Night

Rabbitohs 34 – 28 Sharks

2012 NRL Results & Review

2012 NRL Review – Round 9

Cowboys v Dragons – 2012 NRL Round 9

Plenty of controversy in this one with Dragons backrower Matt Prior sent off for a sickening elbow to the head of Jonathan Thurston. The Cowboys playmaker looked to be in trouble but managed to get to his feet and after some treatment he was given the all clear, a sign of relief to Queensland fans around the country! He didn’t return to the match though.

The match itself was over by halftime with the Cowboys going into the break up by 22 points, the Dragons put up a fight in the second with an early try to Brett Morris before Matt Prior’s brain explosion. The Dragons were the better side in the last 25 minutes despite being a man down, showing just how much influence Thurston has on this Cowboys team.

The Cowboys take on a struggling Knights outfit at Hunter Stadium while the Dragons will be looking to bounce back against an even worse Panthers side at Centrebet Stadium on Monday night. 

Eels v Bulldogs – 2012 NRL Round 9

The Eels went from bad to worse on Friday night, giving up a 12-4 lead after half an hour to concede 42 unanswered points in a 46-12 hiding by the Bulldogs. It appears the Eels have absolutely no bottle at the moment, one mistake by Mitchell Allgood and the Bulldogs piled on 3 late tries in the first half to go to the break 22-12 up.

This loss to the Bulldogs now means that the Eels have had their worst start to a season in 52 years, considering the offseason purchases they made, surely Kearney’s position is now under a real threat! He looks bereft of ideas and I can’t see how he is going to pick this team up, it may already be time to start looking at rebuilding for next season even at this early stage of season 2012.

It doesn’t get any easier for the Eels as they travel to the Nation’s Capital to take on a Canberra side desparate for a win. The Bulldogs host the Titans at Homebush with Jamal Idris returning home for the first time since his offseason move north.

Warriors v Broncos – 2012 NRL Round 9

This was a cracker of a match that showed just why the Warriors were early season favourites after making last season’s grand final. The Broncos had won their last 7 matches prior to this one and were looking good to make it 8. The Warriors of the back end of last season turned up though and a flurry of tries just before half time took them into the break leading 24-10.

The Broncos never really recovered and their night got worse when Peter Wallace suffered a recurrence of the groin injury that had him missing a couple of weeks back. While the Broncos put on a try to get the scores a bit more respectable, the Warriors never really looked like losing and wrapped it up with a try to Blues hopeful Feleti Mateo close to the end. Sam Thaiday scored a late consolation try on the final siren but the Warriors prevailed 30-20 in a match full of attacking football.

The Warriors stay at home and take on the Roosters in a rematch of their round 5 clash, they’ll be looking for revenge. The Broncos take on a rejuventated Sea Eagles side at Suncorp on Friday night.

Titans v Tigers – 2012 NRL Round 9

How on earth did the Tigers win this one, much like the one they lost against the Rabbitohs earlier in the season, the Tigers looked dead and buried. They were down 14-0 just before halftime, a Benji Marshall try sending the Tigers into the sheds with a bit of belief it seems.

The Tigers managed one more through Blake Ayshford after the restart, and the scores remained at 14-12 to the Titans right up until the final minute. Robbie Farah was taken without the ball as the Tigers made one last attempt at a try, Phil Graham sin binned for a professional foul and Benji Marshall slotting the penalty over to send it to golden point.

It didn’t take long either, Jordan Ranking dropping the ball cold on the Titans 40m line in just the first set of six. The Tigers worked their way up to the Titans 10m line for the subsequent scrum and sent the ball back on the 4th tackle for Robbie Farah to slot the field goal and win the game. Surely after this performance he is now a step closer to the Blues Origin spot he deserves.

Panthers v Storm – 2012 NRL Round 9

Once again the Storm showed their class in this one, the Panthers were looking good in the opening 20 minutes, going to an early 10-6 lead through winger Etu Uaisele. That didn’t last long though as the Storm piled on 3 unanswered tries, like the Bulldogs, to take a 22-10 lead into the break. Storm winger Justin O’Neill scored a break away try 10 minutes into the second half and another with 9 minutes to go to complete a hat trick of tries.

The Storm scored 38 unanswered points in the last 55 minutes of the match to blitz the Panthers 44-10 and heap more pressure on Ivan Cleary. He can be thankful for the fact that the Eels have been even more woeful and it appears that Stephen Kearney is under more pressure in the media.

The Panthers have another tough match against a Dragons side looking for a win next Monday night, while the Storm travel to Toyota Stadium to tackle a red hot Sharks outfit next Sunday.

Sea Eagles v Raiders – 2012 NRL Round 9

Raiders coach David Furner was understandably left fuming after this match with an 8-3 penalty count going against his side. The Raiders didn’t appear to be much worse than the Sea Eagles in terms of discipline and were handed some very harsh calls during the afternoon.

Brett Stewart put his hand up for the Blues fullback role with an outstanding defensive display, he saved no less than 3 tries for the Sea Eagles in this one. In a tight match, that’s just what you want from your No. 1. How he stopped man mountain Learoyd-Lahrs close to the line I will never know.

The Sea Eagles defended their way to a win in this one, the Raiders just could not make their chances pay and in the end a breakaway try to Jamie Lyon after a Steve Matai bust got the Sea Eagles the 2 points in an 18-12 win.

Roosters v Knights – 2012 NRL Round 9

If Mitchell Pearce hadn’t already claimed the Blues No. 7 after some of his recent performances he has now. An outstanding performance from the Roosters halfback as he tore apart the lacklustre Knights at will, setting up 2 tries and scoring one in the Roosters 24-6 win over Newcastle.

The Knights headed into this one in what could only be described as dubious form, and it showed here against a Roosters outfit that were looking to bounce back after their ANZAC day heartbreak.

The match started with a tense opening 20 minutes where neither side could capitalise on field position. In fact it took half an hour for the scores to be opened with Jarrod Mullen scoring for the Knights. That’s where it ended for them though, the Roosters piling on 4 unanswered tries, 3 in the second half. Mitchell Pearce capped off a fine afternoon getting on the end of a Jake Friend break with 8 minutes left to secure the win for the Roosters.

While Pearce has all but wrapped up the No. 7 jersey for NSW, Anthony Minichiello also staked a claim for the Fullback spot with another solid display, with Dugan and Stewart in fine form though he might find it tough.

Rabbitohs v Sharks – 2012 NRL Round 9

A sensational hat trick from Greg Inglis halted the Sharks winning streak and would have given Blues coach Ricky Stuart nightmares. Add to that the knee injury to Paul Gallen, he’ll have scans today, and it doesn’t bode well for NSW with the Origin opener just a couple of weeks away. Gallen was also put on report for an alleged knee on Dave Taylor but it didn’t really look like there was much in it and it’s the knee that looks most troubling as a Blues supporter.

Todd Carney showed why he is the favourite for the Blues No. 6 with a blistering performance, however it wasn’t enough to stop a rampant Rabbitohs side securing their 5th win of the season. Carney set up 3 tries and scored one from a scrum set play to all but guarantee he’ll be lining up alongside Pearce as the Blues halves pairing.

The win moves the Rabbitohs into the top 8 and was set up by the best performance Inglis has had in a Rabbitohs jersey in the season and a half he has been there. Inglis opened the scoring in the 4th minute followed by a Nathan Merritt special before Inglis grabbed a brace in the first half. Todd Carney and Jeff Robson got themselves on the scoresheet in the first half to take the match into the sheds at 18-12.

After the restart Stewart Mills got the Sharks back into the match but Carney failed to convert, the Rabbitohs then piled on two tries through Inglis and Merritt once again to take the Rabbitohs out to a 32-16 lead.

The Sharks hit back with tries from Colin Best and Ben Pomeroy however it wasn’t enough to get the Sharks over the line, in the end Reynolds boot getting the Rabbitohs home with 2 penalties and no missed conversions.

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Channel 9 NRL – Looking to Screw Over Viewers Once Again!

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Channel 9′s latest bid to control the NRL has not gone unnoticed with numerous media outlets reporting on their latest plans today. The newest development is that Channel 9 would like the NRL to include stoppages to allow them to show more ads during the coverage. Channel 9 NRL coverage is bad at the best of times.

Channel 9 NRL Fail

Is this some kind of sick joke though??? Are the NRL actually going to give in to these demands when there are at least 2 other serious bidders in the mix? Surely they need to grow some balls and entertain the thought of the NRL TV rights going to a station that will treat the game with a bit of respect!

How many times have we seen Channel 9 treat NRL fans with contempt in just the past season alone?

This season, they refused to show the ANZAC Test live despite a public outcry and common sense did not prevail. 2 days later they couldn’t even show the City v Country game live despite the match being on in a reasonable time slot, we couldn’t have the match coverage finishing before Channel 9 news though could we!

To be honest I prefer to watch NRL on Fox Sports due to the HD coverage and no ads during play, not everyone has this option though and they’re stuck watching substandard coverage that the station can’t even be arsed to show live. Surely in this day and age we can expect better, HD is widely available in most households these days and people want to see their sport live. Times have changed and Channel 9 really need to get out of the dark ages and get with them!

The latest attempt by Channel 9 to control the sport we love is absurd. An extra 2 minutes at half time to ensure more ads can be screened, 30 second breaks for all scrum stoppages? It doesn’t end there either, 30 breaks for line drop-outs and between conversions and restarts. They’ve tried to soften the blow of this by announcing that they want to have live NRL on Thursday nights, 4 times.

Channel 9 are playing us for fools once again and it’s about time that the NRL stands up for itself and stops letting the network control it. There are plenty of interested parties out there that are willing to stump up big bucks for the coverage, the ARLC have all the leverage and it’s about time they use it and make improvements to the game, not send it backwards!

To me this reeks of a bit of collusion as well. Channel 9 and the NRL have reportedly been planning and working together for the last few months to make this happen. I doubt very much if any of the other interested parties were made party to these discussions either. So to me it sounds like we are going to be stuck with another 5 years of Channel 9 NRL coverage and the NRL look to be giving in without a fight. Sure Channel 9 are entitled to have first crack at a bid for the new rights but that should not entitle them to make changes to the way the game is played, that should be up to the NRL alone and TV advertising should be the last thing on their minds!

What are your thoughts on the latest developments, do you agree that Channel 9 NRL coverage is substandard, or do you think Channel 9 are the best network for the NRL?

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2012 NRL Round 8 Preview – ANZAC Day Round

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This week we had 2 early NRL matches for round 8 to whet our appetites. Dragons v Roosters followed by the new ANZAC Day tradition of the Storm v Warriors.

The Action continues from Friday night with the grudge match of the season between the Bulldogs and Sea Eagles, Des Hasler versus his understudy in Geoff Toovey! This is followed up by the Broncos up against Queensland rivals the Gold Coast Titans from Suncorp Stadium.

Check out our preview of round 8 below, including our tips and best bets if you’re looking at having a punt this weekend.

2012 NRL Preview - Round 8 - ANZAC Day

St George Illawarra Dragons v Sydney Roosters
Allianz Stadium, Wednesday 25 April, 4pm

This traditional ANZAC Day match has gone in favour of the Dragons since 2007, the Roosters last ANZAC Day win. Since then, the Dragons have been one of the most dominant sides in the NRL and the Roosters have come back to the pack somewhat. They’ll be looking to break this hoodoo and prove that they belong in the top 8 despite some not so impressive performance this season.

The Roosters are coming off the back of a 50-12 thrashing at the hands of the Cowboys in Darwin 10 days ago, the break, no doubt, will have done them well. The Dragons are coming off a 12-4 win over the Knights and old coach Wayne Bennett, they’ve won 4 of their first seven matches to be on 8 points alongside the Roosters.

This match has produced many highlights in recent years, despite the Dragons dominance the Roosters usually turn up for this clash and I can’t see this one being any different. Many players will have points to prove with Origin selections just a couple of weeks away. Mitchell Pearce hasn’t locked down the No.7 jersey just yet and will need to show Ricky Stuart why he should retain his jumper. He went along way to doing that in the City v Country match but Peter Wallace is also in contention when he returns from injury this week.

Jamie Soward is another with a point to prove but in a different way. He has basically been overlooked for Origin despite being the incumbant No. 6 and Pearce’s halves partner for all 3 matches last season. His form hasn’t been the best but not so bad that he didn’t warrant at least a chance in City v Country to prove himself. He’ll be looking to show Ricky why he was there last year and what he could be missing out on.

The Roosters forwards will need to muscle up in this one, they were completely overpowered by the Cowboys in Darwin and will need to up their game here against the likes of Merrin, Weyman and Hunt.

With rumours of Minichiello following Anasta to the Tigers next season and looking to keep his Blues jumper from game 3 last year, expect a fired up Count for this clash!

I think the Roosters can actually win this one and end the 5 year dominance of ANZAC Day clashes by the Dragons.

Melbourne Storm v New Zealand Warriors
AAMI Park, Wednesday 25 April, 7pm

Melbourne head into this one in unbelievable form, they’ve won 7 on the trot and sit atop the NRL ladder on their own. The Warriors have had a rough start to the season and have been up and down with their form, they have 3 wins and 4 losses but are coming off their best performance of the season so far against the Rabbitohs.

A side with Slater, Crock and Smith is always going to have a huge advantage, they are quality players and that was show again on Friday night when all 3 donned the green and gold for the ANZAC Test. Slater had been in blistering form so far this year, Cronk has been outstanding signing a new deal to remain at the Storm for life, and Smith well, he’s just been his industrious self. Named the new Kangaroos captain last week, he’ll have a further spring in his step now and the Warriors will be first cab off the rank.

Last year, the Storm were ambushed by the Warriors in the Grand Final qualifier, with the Warriors prevailing and going through to the Grand Final only to be beaten by the Sea Eagles. the Storm will be seeking revenge, knowing that they could have taken down the Sea Eagles had they got through that last match. What a turn around that would have been considering the year before they were awarded the wooden spoon for the Salary Cap Scandal!

The Warriors will need to be on their game for this one, they were good against the Rabbitohs but they will need to up their game even further here. To be honest though, I see the Warriors as one of the teams who can actually take the Storm down on their day, however I just don’t see that happening at this stage of the season. Storm should be too strong and remain unbeaten going into round 9 of the season.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v Manly Sea Eagles
ANZ Stadium, Friday 27 April, 7.35pm

Round 8 of the NRL continues on Friday night with the Bulldogs hosting the Sea Eagles at ANZ Stadium in what is shaping up to be the grudge match of the season so far. The Bulldogs have profited from the Sea Eagles off field boardroom struggles with the pick up of coach Des Hasler and most of his coaching staff in the off season. Not only that, Dessie has made no secret of the fact that he would like Kieran Foran at the club next season, something Manly are understandably not too happy about.

Both clubs come into this one on the back of losses prior to the representative weekend. The Bulldogs going down in a close one to the undefeated Storm, while the Sea Eagles went down 26-14 to the Titans in one of the upsets of the season so far. What made it more of an upset was the fact that Brookvale Oval is usually a fortress for Manly, not so against the Titans in a display that would have even the Manly faithful worried going into this one.

The Bulldogs started out as one of the most consistent teams in the competition but have lost their way a bit over the last few weeks with losses to the Rabbitohs and Storm. While the Sea Eagles started the season slowly, they looked to be getting back on track with a 30-0 demolition of the Panthers, however last weeks loss has many thinking that maybe they aren’t the real deal this season.

This should be a cracker and one of those toss of the coin matches. I’m going to go with the Dogs in this one due to the Des factor and home ground advantage!

Brisbane Broncos v Gold Coast Titans
Suncorp Stadium, Friday 27 April, 7.35pm

The Broncos come into this match on a winning streak which currently stands at 6 matches and also welcome back Peter Wallace who has been a key to their success so far this season. The Titans come into this match as massive underdogs but their win against the Sea Eagles away from home last week should give them plenty of confidence going into this match against their “big brothers”.

The Broncos were outstanding against the Raiders in the second half last week, the Raiders opened the scoring early before the Broncos piled on 30 unanswered points for a comfortable 30-6 win. They come into this match as the form team alongside the Storm, with just the one loss in round 1 against the Cowboys which they led until the last minute.

The Titans were on fire last week albeit against a massively disappointing Sea Eagles side. They’ll head into this one in second last spot on the ladder, 2 points ahead of the Eels courtesy of last weeks win.

I can’t see this one going any other way then a Broncos win to be honest. The Titans should put up a good fight early, but like the Storm yesterday, their class should shine through in the end. Another Friday night home game at Suncorp doesn’t hurt their chances either!

South Sydney Rabbitohs v North Queensland Cowboys
ANZ Stadium, Saturday 28 April, 7.30pm

The Rabbitohs head into this match on the back of a 44-22 loss at the hands of the Warriors and will be thankful that the weeks break came when it did. The Cowboys, on the other hand, they had a 50-12 point win over the Roosters up in Darwin and would have liked to keep the momentum going, the break may not have been as useful for them.

The Rabbitohs have been up and down all season, they currently sit in 12th position with 3 wins and 4 losses from their first 7 games. They’ll head into this one as underdogs but the Cowboys do not have a great record in the recent Sydney matches. In fact, of their last 30 matches in Sydney they have won just 5, and they have not won a match at ANZ Stadium since 2006. Ironically that was a 34-12 win over the Rabbitohs.

On form, this one will be high scoring. Both sides have been quite woeful in defence recently and with the referees cracking down on the 10m this week, tries will be in the offing. Both sides have plenty of firepower out wide, Rabbitohs winger Andrew Everingham is actually going for a record that has been unmatched since the competition began back in 1908. In 1908, Eastern Suburbs’ Horrie Miller scored at least one try in each of his first 6 matches, a feat that Everingham will equal should he score a try on Saturday night.

I have a feeling the underdogs may just get up in this one, everything is pointing to a Rabbitohs win for me. Expect a high scoring match so the overs may be a good option if you’re having a punt.

Canberra Raiders v Cronulla Sharks
Canberra Stadium, Sunday 29 April, 2pm

The form of both of these sides could not be any different, the Raiders coming into this one on the back of a 30-6 loss to the Broncos and the loss of key playmaker Terry Campese for the rest of the season. The Sharks on the other hand, they’re coming off a 10 day break, 5 wins on the trot and their reformed playmaker Todd Carney is in Origin contention. 

The Sharks, led by Paul Gallen, have been one of the surprises of the season so far sitting in 3rd place on the ladder going into the weekends matches. This season is so close though, that a win to the Raiders here could see them just 2 points behind the in form Sharks and grab a place inside the top 8.

Recent history suggests that the Sharks will come up trumps in this one, they’ve won 5 of their last 7 at this ground and the Raiders have only won 1 of their last 5 matches at home. Not a great record and it will be even harder now without Campese to lead them around the park, they’ll have to rely on Sam Williams to step up and help out Josh McCrone if they are to be any chance of a win in this one, and a finals spot this season.

I just can’t see the Raiders getting past the Sharks in this one, with Origin spots on the line, expect Carney to come out firing and lead the team to a solid win here.

Parramatta Eels v Wests Tigers
Parramatta Stadium, Sunday 29 April, 3pm

Both of these sides have picked their games up over recent weeks with the Eels narrowly going down to the in form Sharks, while the Tigers smashed the Panthers 30-0 at Centerbet Stadium. This week the Eels have sent Chris Sandow to NSW Cup duties for him to try and regain some form, with Casey McGuire coming into the starting side to provide assistance in the halves alongside Ben Roberts.

The Tigers finally hit some form just before the representative weekend and they probably could have done without the week off, whereas the Eels needed to do some soul searching and the week off may have been a blessing for them.

With Hayne looking to play his way into a Blues Origin jumper, and Farah looking to do the same, this should be a cracking contest. Both sides actually have a few players looking to grab Origin spots with Lawrence and Galloway also looking to impress for the Tigers, while the Eels have Mannah for the Blues and Tonga for the Maroons looking to hold on to their places from last year.

I can’t see anything other than a Tigers win in this one, Hayne can’t do everything on his own and without Sandow, out of form or not, they will lack that bit of creative spark that could see them home. The Tigers have learned how to win again and should make it two in a row here.

Newcastle Knights v Penrith Panthers
Hunter Stadium, Monday 30 April, 7pm

The Knights have been playing exactly the way Wayne Bennett described the NRL last week, boring. Before the representative weekend they lost a dour match against the Dragons 12-4 and prior to that they weren’t much more exciting to be honest. The Panthers, they haven’t scored a point in over 200 minutes of football, going down 30-0 in consecutive weeks to the Sea Eagles and then the Tigers, two teams that weren’t in form themselves.

Coming into this one, the break will have done both sides the world of good, The Knights will have welcomed the rest to hooker Danny Buderus despite the controversy surrounding his knock back of City v Country duties due to “injury”. While the Panthers had a number of niggles that will no doubt have healed with the extra week off.

The big news surrounds the return to NRL action for Willie Mason, who has been named on the Knights bench to make his debut for his hometown club on Monday night. The Knights also welcome back Kurt Gidley to the starting side who will provide more assistance to Jarrod Mullen than he has been receiving in recent weeks.

In good news for the Panthers, they welcome back Origin certainty Michael Jennings who has recovered from a pectoral injury just in time to get the Panthers back on track. They have missed his pace and power out wide and his absence is a major contributor to the their lack of points in recent weeks.

Despite the poor form of both sides, I think this will acually be an entertaining match. I think there will be points on offer for both sides and wouldn’t be surprised if the overs gets up in this one. Knights should be too strong at home here.

Sports Banter Tips – 2012 NRL Round 8

Dragons v Roosters – Roosters
Storm v Warriors – Storm
Bulldogs v Sea Eagles – Bulldogs
Broncos v Titans – Broncos
Rabbitohs v Cowboys – Rabbitohs
Raiders v Sharks – Sharks
Eels v Tigers – Tigers
Knights v Panthers – Knights

Banter’s Best Bets – 2012 NRL Round 8

Dragons v Roosters – Roosters +6.5 @ $1.91 
Storm v Warriors – Storm -6.5 @ $1.91
Bulldogs v Sea Eagles – Bulldogs +2.0 @ $1.91
Broncos v Titans – Broncos – 8.0 @ $1.65
Rabbitohs v Cowboys - Take the overs, odds released on matchday
Raiders v Sharks - Sharks -2.0 @ $2.15
Eels v Tigers - Tigers -6.0 @ $1.91
Knights v Panthers – Take the overs, odds released on matchday

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City v Country 2012 Preview

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The City v Country 2012 Origin clash kicks off this weekend in Mudgee, and with plenty of surprising selection decisions, and with Origin just around the corner, the game has once again attracted its share of news over the last week.

There has been much talk about whether this game is a viable trial game for the State of Origin positions, however I don’t view it as such. Origin is a different beast, however I think I think this game’s purpose is served in promoting footy in the bush, and giving up-and-coming and fringe-representative players a chance to play at a higher level. There is also a bit of history to the game, and as a country boy, I love it when City cops a pasting.

There have been several interesting selections in this game. One of the more controversial was Jarryd Hayne at 5/8 for City. Hayne has been running around on one leg for weeks, however there is no question he should be picked, for both City and NSW, however his selection at 5/8 has thrown the cat amongst the pigeons. With a spate of injuries to any of the other leading City 5/8 contenders, I’m not sure who I’d replace him with, however surely Ricky Stuart isn’t thinking of Hayne has his 5/8 solution for NSW.

City v Country 2012 Preview - Hayne v Carney

The favourite for that position is Todd Carney, who has been on fire for the Sharkies lately. With Carney taking the field for Country, his match-up with Hayne will be interesting, as will the battle between Mullen and Pearce, both vying for the No. 7 jersey. It’s a bit of a pity Wallace is out injured, as he was the other contender for this position.

The dummy-half position has also been a topic of conversation this week, with Buderus picked for Country, before withdrawing through injury. Farah gets the nod for City, however the other Origin candidate Ennis has missed out, with a niggling injury keeping him out. Melbourne utility Ryan Hinchcliffe will run on in the 9 for Country. Hinchcliffe is a decent hooker, without question if Melbourne didn’t have the best hooker in the game in Smith, Hinchcliffe would claim the spot.

The battle for spots in the pack will also come alive. With Queensland dominating the Australian team, and with only Gallen, Lewis and Watmough getting call-ups to the Australian team , plenty of quality New South Welshman are available for this game.

Overall, I think Country will come away with the win here – their halves combination of Mullen and Carney should get a points victory over Hayne and Pearce, while I think the Country forwards should win the go-forward battle.

CITY ORIGIN
Fullback – Lachlan Coote (Penrith Panthers)
Wing – David Williams (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
Centre – Joseph Leulia (Sydney Roosters)
Centre – Chris Lawrence (Wests Tigers)
Wing – Steve Turner (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
Five-eighth – Jarryd Hayne (Parramatta Eels)
Halfback – Mitchell Pearce (Sydney Roosters)
Prop – Aaron Woods (Wests Tigers)
Hooker – Robbie Farah [c] (Wests Tigers)
Prop – Tim Mannah (Parramatta Eels)
Second row – Ryan Hoffman (Melbourne Storm)
Second row – Corey Payne (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
Lock – Feleti Mateo (New Zealand Warriors)

Interchange – Bryce Gibbs (Cronulla Sharks)
Interchange – Mitchell Allgood (Parramatta Eels)
Interchange – Jamie Buhrer (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
Interchange – Liam Fulton (Wests Tigers)

18th Man – Wade Graham – (Cronulla Sharks)

Coach: Brad Fittler
Assistant Coach: Simon Dwyer

COUNTRY ORIGIN
1 Fullback Brett Morris (St George Illawarra Dragons)
2 Wing James McManus (Newcastle Knights)
3 Centre Josh Morris (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
4 Centre Matt King (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
5 Wing Blake Ferguson (Canberra Raiders)
6 Five-Eighth Todd Carney (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks)
7 Halfback Jarrod Mullen (Newcastle Knights)
8 Prop Forward Luke Douglas (Gold Coast Titans)
9 Hooker Ryan Hinchcliffe (Melbourne Storm)
10 Prop Forward Michael Weyman (St George Illawarra Dragons)
11 Second Row Beau Scott (St George Illawarra Dragons)
12 Second Row Ben Creagh (St George Illawarra Dragons)
13 Lock Forward Greg Bird [c]( Gold Coast Titans)

14 Interchange Josh McCrone (Canberra Raiders)
15 Interchange Tom Learoyd-Lahrs (Canberra Raiders)
16 Interchange Trent Merrin (St George Illawarra Dragons)
17 Interchange Tariq Sims (North Queensland Cowboys)

18th Man Chris Houston Newcastle Knights

Coach: Laurie Daley

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Wrestle in the NRL – Good or Bad?

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There has been a lot of talk recently about wrestling in the NRL, with Wayne Bennett being one coach to come out and state that the NRL needs to crack down on it.

Wrestle in the NRL - Good or Bad?

The situation at the moment is that every club has to practice these techniques, they need to be competitive in the ruck in order to be successful. It is only natural that clubs and coaches will do all that they can within the current rules to gain an advantage. To change the game, a consistent approach needs to be taken at the NRL level, and I feel they need to look at measures to reduce the wrestle in the NRL.

Wrestle in the NRL Good or Bad?

As to identify what is a wrestle and what isn’t, I don’t think that matters. You can’t enforce that. So you would have to tackle it from a different perspective.

There are a few options:

  1. Either enforce a stricter ‘held’ rule, called before a player hits the deck if they are being held up, and quicker on the trigger to blow a penalty if players don’t release or roll away.
  2. Could also limit the number of players allowed in a tackle to two. This will make one of the tacklers go around the legs. At the moment, two people go in high, hold the player up for a few seconds, then a 3rd comes in and takes his legs, dropping him to the ground. They then have a few seconds to get off him, which leads to the 8-9 second tackle they are talking about. This would also get rid of all that cannonball crap, and I think it safer for the players. Look at a lot of leg injuries that happen, they occur when they’ve been held up, and then they get twisted to the ground after the third player comes in. If you were only allowed 2 people, one tackler will need to go low, otherwise they might not stop the momentum and they’ll lose more metres. If they do go low, it’ll be a quicker play the ball.
  3. Reduce the number of interchanges – we started with 12, then dropped it to 10. The forwards are all now much fitter, and have adapted to playing 40 minutes, and can do it easily, while the backrowers are mostly 80 minute players. 10 interchanges is too many. I think the time is right to drop it again – maybe to 8, or even 6. That will allow the backs to get into the game more than they are at the moment.

As an out there suggestion, I wouldn’t be opposed to a rule where if they are subbed off, they can’t come back on.

The game constantly evolves – coaches find ways to push the boundaries, and gain every possible advantage, that’s their job. Unless the NRL also evolves, and keeps them in check, and counteracts these measures, then the game will change for the worse.

I love it, and I watch as much of it as I can, whether it’s my team or not. But I can definitely say I prefer a faster game, and would prefer to see the team who has the best attack win, not the team who can wrestle on the ground longest. If I wanted to watch that, I’d watch Union.

We are diehard fans – yes we would always watch it, wrestle or not, but to grow the game and attract new viewers (and more money), the game needs to remain the entertaining product it always has been.

What do you think, should the ARLC crack down on wrestling in the NRL? Is the game too slow? What measures would you implement?

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ANZAC Test 2012 Preview – Australia v New Zealand

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The representative season is finally upon us and first up is the ANZAC Test 2012 which should be an absolute cracker. There has been plenty of controversy leading into this match, most of it stemming from the selections, and non-selections, made by Australian coach Tim Sheens.

Most notably, the big man Petero Civoniceva has been left out of the side to face the Kiwis, spelling the end to his Australian career. Considering he is still playing well for the Broncos, and is likely to play for Queensland this year, this is a bit of a strange one. Add to that the selection of Darius Boyd on the wing after what can only be described as an anonymous first 7 rounds for the Knights, and you’ve got yourself a couple of question marks already.

The big controversy, however, has been the selection of Kiwi born James Tamou on the Kangaroos bench. Tamou played for the NZ Maoris in 2010 and was part of the extended squad for last years Four Nations tournament until he was told he wasn’t needed. That obviously didn’t sit well with Tamou and he has now switched allegiances following discussions with Ricky Stuart regarding a possible Blues jumper in this years Origin series.

I’m not sure what to make of this. In one sense I’m against it as I think you should be loyal to where you were born and raised. On the other hand, he hasn’t done anything wrong and there have been instances in the past where players have crossed the Tasman in the opposite direction, Tonie Carroll one example, Brad Thorn also comes to mind.

As a NSW supporter, I’m all for it, don’t be surprised to hear the whinging from North of the Tweed if (when) Tamou is selected for the Blues. The only way to stop this from happening in the future is for the ARLC to come up with clear guidelines for every level of the game in regards to which state/country you should be playing for.

Anyway, enough of the controversy, we have a game to preview.

Australia v New Zealand ANZAC Test 2012

ANZAC Test 2012 – Preview

Australia go into this match as clear favourites despite the match being on NZ soil and Australia no longer possessing the legend that is Darren Lockyer. I find that a bit strange to be honest, I know the Aussies dusted them up 26-12 last time they played in the Four Nations, but this is a different ball game.

In saying that though, Australia do have probably the most lethal spine around with the Queensland combination of Slater, Thurston, Cronk and Smith which would heavily weigh any match in their favour. They are all in form with the Storm on fire in the NRL and Thurston back to his best with the Cowboys last week.

With Petero left out of the team, Paul Gallen moves into the front row which left a space in the second row to be filled. Surprisingly, Dave Taylor got the nod to start the match in the second row. Considering he is not an 80 minute player that seems like a strange choice, with Anthony Watmough on the bench though they pretty much have that position covered.It seems Sheens might be worried about the big Kiwi pack, and wants Taylor on the field to add a bit of size in the opening exchanges.

Australia have elected to keep many of the players that competed in the Four Nations late last year which explains the selections of Darius Boyd and David Shillington. You could even throw Akuila Uate into that as he hasn’t had the best of starts for the Knights this season. However the injury to Jharel Yow Yeh has played into his hands, the young Bronco out for the season with that nasty compound fracture earlier in the season.

The Kiwis head into this match having lost 28-6 in their last match of the Four Nations to England and will also be seething about the Tamou situation. Plenty of Kiwis have jumped on his case over the last couple days and I wouldn’t be surprised to see plenty of fireworks when he makes his first hit up for his adopted Country.

With Benji Marshall and Shaun Johnson running the show anything could be on the cards for the Kiwis. Both players are exceptional talents but I just get the impression that they are maybe too similar in the way they play to really be an effective combination.

While James Tamou has committed himself to Australia, Cowboys teammate Jason Taumalolo has ended speculation linking him with a similar switch to pledge his allegiance to New Zealand. This won’t impress the Queenslanders who were hoping to do something similar to NSW with Taumo here, by luring Taumalolo to pledge for Australia in order to play Origin football for the Maroons.

I think we’ll be in for a cracking match on Friday night, there will be no shortage of emotion in this one with the events of the past week sure to be on the players minds come kick off time.

The Aussies, for mine, will be too strong with the combination of Slater, Cronk and Smith just too good at the moment. Add to that the inspirational Sharks skipper Paul Gallen and this one could get ugly on the scoreboard as well.

ANZAC Test 2012 – Sports Banter’s Tip

  • Australia 13+

ANZAC Test 2012 – Banter’s Best Bets

  • Australia 13+ @ $2.40
  • First Try Scorer – Billy Slater @ $9.00
  • First Scoring Play – Australian Try @ $1.77

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2012 NRL Teams – Round 7

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Round 7 of the NRL kicks off this Friday night with the round 1 rematch between the Dragons and the Knights, we have all of the NRL teams for this week below.

After his big money move north, Jamal Idris finally gets his chance in the starting line-up against a rejuvenated Sea Eagles side. The Titans also opting to blood rookie 5/8 Aidan Sezer, he’ll make his NRL debut on Saturday night.

The Roosters are still yet to blood boom youngster Tautau Moga despite him being fit for a number of weeks now, it seems to be paying off though with Justin Carney one of the Roosters best on the weekend. Surely it will only be a matter of time before he gets his chance such is his calibre.

Big Ray Cashmere finally got his move from the Dragons and away from NSW Cup to join the Tigers, he gets his chance this week as he is named on the bench.

Let us know in the comments if you think there are any surprises this week and get involved in the match day forums later in the week. 

Also, on match days, keep an eye out for Live NRL scores, updated every 30 seconds for every NRL match this season!

2012 NRL Teams

2012 NRL Teams – Round 7

Dragons v Knights – 2012 NRL Teams Round 7

WIN Jubilee Oval, Friday 13 April 2012
Kickoff 7:45pm, Live Channel 9 (GEM in VIC, WA, SA and TAS)
Referees: Jared Maxwell and Gavin Reynolds
Sideline Officials: Steve Carrall and Grant Atkins
Video Referee: Bernard Sutton

Dragons: 1. Brett Morris 2. Daniel Vidot 3. Kyle Stanley 4. Matt Prior 5. Jason Nightingale 6. Jamie Soward 7. Ben Hornby 8. Dan Hunt 9. Mitch Rein 10. Michael Weyman 11. Beau Scott 12. Ben Creagh 13. Dean Young Interchange: 14. Nathan Fien 15. Jeremy Latimore 16. Trent Merrin 17. Jack De Belin

Knights: 1. Darius Boyd 2. James McManus 3. Junior Sa’u 4. Timana Tahu 5. Akuila Uate 6. Jarrod Mullen 7. Tyrone Roberts 8. Kade Snowden 9. Danny Buderus (c) 10. Richie Fa’aoso 11. Chris Houston 12. Zeb Taia 13. Neville Costigan Interchange: 14. Matt Hilder 15. Joel Edwards 16. Adam Cuthbertson 17. Alex McKinnon 18. Evarn Tuimavave

Broncos v Raiders - 2012 NRL Teams Round 7

Suncorp Stadium, Friday 13 April 2012
Kickoff 7:45pm, Live Channel 9 QLD
Referees: Ben Cummins and Gavin Badger
Sideline Officials: Dave Abood and Peter Gough
Video Referee: Chris Ward

Broncos: 1. Josh Hoffman 2. Gerard Beale 3. Jack Reed 4. Justin Hodges 5. Dale Copley 6. Corey Norman 7. Peter Wallace 8. Ben Hannant 9. Andrew McCullough 10. Petero Civoniceva 11. Alex Glenn 12. Sam Thaiday (c) 13. Matt Gillett Interchange: 14. Ben Hunt 15. Josh McGuire 16. Corey Parker 17. Ben Te’o

Raiders: 1. Reece Robinson 2. Blake Ferguson 3. Jarrod Croker 4. Shaun Berrigan 5. Jack Wighton 6. Terry Campese (c) 7. Josh McCrone 8. David Shillington 9. Glen Buttriss 10. Tom Learoyd-Lars 11. Joe Picker 12. Bronson Harrison 13. Josh Papalii Interchange: 14. Travis Waddell 15. Jarrad Kennedy 16. Sam Mataora 17. Dane Tilse

Storm v Bulldogs - 2012 NRL Teams Round 7

AAMI Park, Saturday 14 April 2012
Kickoff 5:30pm, Live FOX Sports 2
Referees: Matt Cecchin and Adam Devcich
Sideline Officials: Paul Holland and Russell Turner
Video Referee: Sean Hampstead

Storm: 1. Billy Slater 2. Matt Duffie 3. Dane Nielsen 4. Will Chambers 5. Justin O’Neill 6. Gareth Widdop 7. Cooper Cronk 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Cameron Smith (c) 10. Bryan Norrie 11. Kevin Proctor 12. Ryan Hoffman 13. Todd Lowrie Interchange: 14. Ryan Hinchcliffe 15. Rory Kostjasyn 16. Siosaia Vave 17. Jason Ryles 18. Anthony Quinn

Bulldogs: 1. Ben Barba 2. Steve Turner 3. Josh Morris 4. Jonathan Wright 5. Bryson Goodwin 6. Josh Reynolds 7. Kris Keating 8. Aiden Tolman 9. Michael Ennis (c) 10. Sam Kasiano 11. Frank Pritchard 12. Dene Halatau 13. David Stagg Interchange: 14. James Graham 15. Greg Eastwood 16. Corey Payne 17. Joel Romelo 20. Martin Taupau

Roosters v Cowboys - 2012 NRL Teams Round 7

TIO Stadium, Saturday 14 April 2012
Kickoff 7:30pm EST, Live FOX Sports 2
Referees: Ashley Klein and Gavin Morris
Sideline Officials: Ricky MacFarlane and Dan Eastwood
Video Referee: Phil Cooley

Roosters: 1. Anthony Minichiello 2. Justin Carney 3. Joseph ‘BJ’ Leilua 4. Shaun Kenny-Dowall 5. Sam Perrett 6. Braith Anasta 7. Mitchell Pearce 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 9. Jake Friend 10. Martin Kennedy 11. Boyd Cordner 12. Mitchell Aubusson 13. Tinirau Arona Interchange: 14. Aidan Guerra 15. Lama Tasi 16. Brad Takairangi 17. Anthony Mitchell 18. Daniel Mortimer 19. Jack Bosden

Cowboys: 1. Matthew Bowen 2. Ashley Graham 3. Brent Tate 4. Antonio Winterstein 5. Kalifa Faifai Loa 6. Johnathan Thurston (c) 7. Ray Thompson 8. Ashton Sims 9. Aaron Payne 10. James Tamou 11. Gavin Cooper 12. Glenn Hall 13. Dallas Johnson Interchange: 14. James Segeyaro 15. Scott Bolton 16. Ricky Thorby 17. Tariq Sims 18. Mosese Pangai

Sea Eagles v Titans - 2012 NRL Teams Round 7

Brookvale Oval, Saturday 14 April 2012 
Kickoff 7:30pm, Live FOX Sports 2
Referees: Jason Robinson and Tony De Las Heras
Sideline Officials: Jason Walsh and Brenden Wood
Video Referee: Paul Mellor

Sea Eagles: 1. Brett Stewart 2. Jorge Taufua 3. Jamie Lyon (c) 4. Steve Matai 5. David Williams 6. Kieran Foran 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Jason King (c) 9. Matt Ballin 10. Brent Kite 11. Anthony Watmough 12. Jamie Buhrer 13. Vic Mauro Interchange: 14. Nick Skinner 15. Joe Galuvao 16. Darcy Lussick 17. Dean Whare 18. Daniel Harrison

Titans: 1. William Zillman 2. Kevin Gordon 3. Jamal Idris 4. Beau Champion 5. David Mead 6. Aidan Sezer 7. Scott Prince 8. Luke Bailey 9. Matt Srama 10. Luke Douglas 11. Nate Myles 12. Luke O’Dwyer 13. Ashley Harrison Interchange: 14. Matthew White 15. Michael Henderson 16. Mark Minichiello 17. Bodene Thompson 18. Jordan Rankin

Warriors v Rabbitohs - 2012 NRL Teams Round 7

Mt Smart Stadium, Sunday 15 April 2012,
kickoff 12:00pm EST, Live FOX Sports 2
Referees: Shayne Hayne and Alan Shortall
Sideline Officials: Nick Beashel and Clayton Sharpe
Video Referee: Steve Clark

Warriors: 1. Kevin Locke 2. Bill Tupou 3. Ben Henry 4. Jerome Ropati 5. Manu Vatuvei 6. James Maloney 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Sione Lousi 9. Nathan Friend 10. Ben Matulino 11. Feleti Mateo 12. Simon Mannering (c) 13. Elijah Taylor Interchange: 14. Russell Packer 15. Ukuma Ta’ai 16. Konrad Hurrell 17. Sam Rapira 18. Lewis Brown 20. John Palavi

Rabbitohs: 1. Greg Inglis 2. Andrew Everingham 3. Matt King 4. Shaune Corrigan 5. Dylan Farrell 6. John Sutton 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Scott Geddes 9. Issac Luke 10. Dave Tyrrell 11. Eddy Pettybourne 12. Dave Taylor 13. Michael Crocker Interchange: 14. Ben Lowe 15. Chris McQueen 16. Jason Clark 17. Necrom Areaiiti 18. Justin Hunt

Sharks v Eels - 2012 NRL Teams Round 7

Toyota Stadium, Sunday 15 April 2012
Kickoff 2:00pm, Live FOX Sports 2
Referees: Steve Lyons and Henry Perenara
Sideline Officials: Adam Reid and Dave Ryan
Video Referee: Rod Lawrence

Sharks: 1. Matthew Wright 2. Stewart Mills 3. Ben Pomeroy 4. Colin Best 5. John Williams 6. Todd Carney 7. Jeff Robson 8. Bryce Gibbs 9. John Morris 10. Ben Ross 11. Jeremy Smith 12. Jayson Bukuya 13. Paul Gallen Interchange: 14. Andrew Fifita 15. Wade Graham 16. Jon Green 17. Sam Tagataese 18. Mark Taufua

Eels: 1. Jarryd Hayne 2. Ken Sio 3. Esi Tonga 4. Willie Tonga 5. Cheyse Blair 6. Ben Roberts 7. Chris Sandow 8. Tim Mannah 9. Matthew Keating 10. Mitchell Allgood 11. Nathan Hindmarsh (c) 12. Taniela Lasalo 13. Reni Maitua Interchange: 14. Casey McGuire 15. Fuifui Moimoi 16. Justin Poore 17. Joseph Paulo

Panthers v Tigers - 2012 NRL Teams Round 7

Centrebet Stadium, Sunday 15 April 2012
Kickoff 3:00pm, Delayed Channel 9 (GEM in VIC, TAS, WA and SA)
Referees: Tony Archer and Chris James
Sideline Officials: Jeff Younis and Michael Wise
Video Referee: Russell Smith

Panthers: 1. Lachlan Coote 2. Etu Uaisele 3. Michael Jennings 4. Brad Tighe 5. David Simmons 6. Travis Burns 7. Luke Walsh 8. Sam Mckendry 9. Kevin Kingston 10. Dayne Weston 11. Cameron Ciraldo 12. Clint Newton 13. Luke Lewis (c) Interchange: 14. Danny Galea 15. Mitch Achurch 16. Blake Austin 17. Ryan Simpkins 18. Matt Robinson

Tigers: 1. Tim Moltzen 2. Beau Ryan 3. Joel Reddy 4. Chris Lawrence 5. Lote Tuiqiri 6. Benji Marshall 7. Tom Humble 8. Aaron Woods 9. Robbie Farah (c) 10. Keith Galloway 11. Adam Blair 12. Liam Fulton  13. Matt Bell Interchange: 14. Blake Ayshford 15. Ben Murdoch-Masila 16. Ray Cashmere 17. Junior Moors

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2012 NRL Preview – Round 5

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Round 5 of the 2012 NRL season kicks off tonight and what a weeekend this promises to be, Men of League Heritage Round. Each club will don a special jersey for the occasion and the action kicks off with the highly anticipated clash between the Storm and Newcastle from AAMI Park.

Check out our preview below, including our tips for each match. 

2012 NRL Preview

Storm v Knights – 2012 NRL Preview – Round 5
AAMI Park, Friday 30 March, 7.35pm

This is a cracker of a match to get round 5 started. The top of the table Storm up against a Knights side that disposed of the Bulldogs easily last week. Craig Bellamy up against his old mentor, Wayne Bennett, who is still adjusting to life at a new club. We’ll get a good idea of just how far the Knights have progressed under Bennett when they take on the NRL’s benchmark.

The Storm are on fire at the moment, last week disposing of a young Roosters side 44-4 at this same ground. In their last 16 matches at AAMI Park, they have won 13 and lost just 3, all of those losses by less than 8 points. They are hard to play at any ground but more so at home where they have a huge supporter base now.

The Knights have been up and down so far this season, a golden point loss in round 1, followed by a solid win over the Sharks, and a disappointing loss to the Broncos. Last week they kept that trend going with a 20-6 win over the Bulldogs, they should have won by more though as the Dogs were never in the match.

I see the Storm keeping their unbeaten record in tact here, but if anyone knows Craig Bellamy’s game it is Wayne Bennett. Problem is it also works the other way around and with a spine of Slater, Cronk and Smith, I can’t see the Knights getting this one.

Sports Banter Tip: Storm

Broncos v Dragons – 2012 NRL Preview – Round 5
Suncorp Stadium, Friday 30 March, 8.35pm

Here we have the Broncos playing their 5th Friday night match in a row to start the 2012 NRL season, and they have another 5 to come in the next 7 rounds. To say this is an advantage is a massive understatement. While it is important that we have a match involving a Queensland side each Friday night, surely this is just too much of an advantage to be giving to one side. The Broncos have the advantage of playing night matches every week, having the same amount of recovery time each week, and this has shown in their results so far.

The Broncos have won 3 of their first 4 matches and that would have been 4 wins had they not gone down late to the Cowboys and a piece of Matty Bowen magic. Anthony Griffin has done a great job with his young charges and it doesn’t look like they are suffering any hangovers from the retirement of the legend, Darren Lockyer.

The Dragons have been impressive so far this season under new coach Steve Price, who would have thought they could continue this form with both Bennett and Darius Boyd departing? Last week they were clinical against the Sea Eagles and they will be looking to improve on that here against the Broncos. 3rd v 4th on the ladder and this should be a beauty!

Being a Friday night, at Suncorp Stadium, I can’t go past the Broncos in this one.

Sports Banter Tip: Broncos

More to follow…..

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