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NRL Draw Released – 2012 Season – Rounds 1-5

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Today the NRL draw has been released for the first 5 matches of the upcoming 2012 NRL season. This includes venues, times, television coverage and even Twitter hashtags.

One thing that I noticed looking at this NRL draw is the amount of FTA coverage once again afforded to the Broncos, they have FTA games 5 out of the first 5 rounds. I know Channel 9 are trying to ensure that one FTA Friday game per week goes live into Queensland, but surely the Cowboys and Titans should get more of a share of the pie?

The Knights with Wayne Bennett and Darius Boyd on board look to have taken the Dragons share of FTA matches with 4 of their first 5 matches being shown on Channel 9.

Traditional FTA teams such as the Roosters and Bulldogs only have the 1 match on Channel 9, whereas the Sharks & Raiders have once again been completely ignored.

We can only hope once the independent commission actually comes into force that the spread of FTA games will be more even, we may have to wait until 2013 to see any benefits of this though with the impending TV rights deal.

The NRL and Channel 9 really need to get their act together and stop robbing the fans of seeing their favourite teams on free to air television. It isn’t long now until the Independent commission is installed and TV rights are up for grabs and you would think that the NRL draw would reflect the closeness of the competition. This isn’t the case and it will be interesting to see whether there is any backlash from the fans in the first 5 weeks of the competition in terms of ratings.

Let us know your thoughts on the scheduling for the first 5 games and the NRL draw in general in the comments section below, or hit us up in the forum!

NRL Draw

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2012 NRL Player Movements Update & Independent Commission – Club Greed

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NRL Player Movements

It’s been a massive week in regards to NRL player movements. Since the conclusion of the season a number of playmakers have been released, signed up by rivals or are still waiting for a decision on their futures.

First in the NRL player movements we have the Todd Carney to “whoever was willing to deal with his issues” saga, the Sharks confirming today that they have signed the wayward star to a 2 year deal worth approximately $700,000. All that is left is to have the NRL sign off on the deal. David Gallop must be sick of the sight of Todd Carney at the NRL offices, it took a lot for the NRL to agree to register his contract with the Roosters so it will be interesting to see if the Sharks come up against any opposition to his latest move.

Todd Carney is yet to prove that he has his issues sorted, in fact in recent weeks there have been a number of sightings around popular watering holes in Thailand, the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and even Dalby! Not to mention the establishments he frequents in the Eastern Suburbs and more recently the Shire. For any normal young bloke this is not an issue, however it is well documented that Carney has an alcohol problem and I don’t think a move to the Sharks, with such company as Albert Kelly, is a good move for him despite assurances from Paul Gallen that he will “mentor him”.

Then we have the Tim Moltzen situation which still hasn’t been resolved, a decision on that from Salary Cap Auditor Ian Schubert is imminent. Moltzen agreed to join the Dragons earlier in the season after it appeared he wasn’t first choice and played most of the season off the bench. Then the Tigers stood down Robert Lui and Moltzen was back in the frame for a spot in the halves, his preferred position. As much as I hate the Dragons it really is poor form to sign a contract with another club before being released by your current club, the Dragons are possibly a bit naïve in not confirming that Moltzen had been released but it seems that a players word is no longer good enough these days.

In other NRL player movements, yesterday the Eels released Daniel Mortimer from the last 2 years of his contract, and are paying part of his 2 year contract, in order for Mortimer to link up with the Roosters. This is a good pick-up for the Roosters, not as creative as Carney obviously but he will fill the halves void left by the release of Carney at the end of the season. Mortimer will have to work hard to get back to the form that propelled him to the 2009 Grand Final with the Eels. He will have to bide his time but I can see him having a solid partnership with Mitchell Pearce, Anasta possibly moving back to the second row to accommodate him.

Robert Lui’s future is still up in the air as the Cowboys have now denied that there is no agreement in place for him to join them in 2012, I think any potential suitor is waiting for his assault charges to be dealt with before making any move. The case is set to go back to Burwood Local Court this Thursday so we may get a resolution on Lui’s future this week as well.

Club Greed to threaten Independent Commission

Over the last few weeks, NRL clubs have playing hardball with the NRL, News Limited and the ARL in relation to an increase in the annual grants supplied to each club. The clubs want an increase of their $3.85m annual grant from the NRL to a whopping $6m. To be honest this makes no sense to me, firstly the independent commission hasn’t been put in place yet, and secondly the TV rights deal for the 2013 season and beyond has not been negotiated yet. The clubs want the NRL to burden itself with debt to fund the increase based on the fact that a $6m loan facility was not used to fund the new admin building at Moore Park, instead cash reserves were used to fund this. They argue that if the cash was available then, why can’t it be used now?

This still doesn’t address the issue that the NRL only has approximately $18m in cash reserves, add the $6m loan facility and this would still leave the NRL $10m short on what the clubs are demanding as increases to the annual club grants. Surely waiting 12 months would be a better idea, this would give the new independent commission a chance to get off the ground and negotiate the TV rights deal, enabling the club to share in the estimated $1.4b on offer.

Greed like this from the clubs is not going to help the game, in fact all it will do is show potential FTA and Pay TV networks that the NRL can’t control it’s own clubs and the game may not be able to demand the kind of $$$ that are currently being spoken of for the 2013 TV rights. This will ultimately bite the clubs on the backside and all of this bickering and talk of boycotts will only serve to throw the game into complete chaos.

The Independent Commission was supposed to be put into service on the 1st of November this year, that looks unlikely now and we appear to just be going round and round in circles rather than focusing on improving the great game that we already have, the administrations of the AFL and Super Rugby must be absolutely loving this!

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Steve’s Sportingbet Multi of the Week – 26 August 2011

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With the European football leagues all back in action I’ve gone for a change in approach this week, relying less on local leagues and instead focusing on the value that can be found overseas. However, I couldn’t help but have something on the NRL and AFL coming into the final weeks of the season.

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NRL Games – Round 25 Preview – Sports Banter

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The penultimate round of NRL games kick off on Friday night with a number of sides still in contention for an all important top 8 spot. The Bulldogs loss on the weekend to the Sea Eagles should have sent them packing from the race but they were let off on Monday night with Newcastle going down to the Broncos at AusGrid Stadium.

The Melbourne Storm practically wrapped up the Minor Premiership with their win over the Dragons on Friday night, only two big losses, and two big wins to the Sea Eagles can change that now. Should the Sea Eagles knock off the Storm on Friday night though that could still happen. The Dragons lost their 5th game in a row and are now sitting in 7th place, meaning they would take on the Sea Eagles in week 1 of the finals should things stay as they are.

At the other end of the table, the Titans clawed their way from the bottom of the ladder with a win over the raiders, the Eels now occupy last place courtesy of a 31-12 loss to the Tigers on Sunday. It will be interesting to see who ends up picking up the wooden spoon with the Eels, Raiders and Titans all still in contention.

NRL Games

This week kicks off with a blockbuster NRL game between the Sea Eagles and the Storm from Brookvale Oval, in what could be a preview of this years grand final. Both sides come into the match in top form, the Sea Eagles have won 3 in a row and their only loss in the last 7 came against the Tigers in that thriller last month, the Storm have won 12 on the trot, a club record, and it’s hard to see how they can be stopped. The Sea Eagles go into this one as favourites though, obviously the home ground advantage has something to do with that. Add to that the injury to Cooper Cronk and maybe the Sea Eagles might actually have a chance this week. In team news, the Sea Eagles welcome back Jamie Buhrer, he takes up a spot on the bench, with Shane Rodney also moving back to an extended bench replaced in the second row by Joe Galuvao. The Storm are as per last week with just a positional change for Bromwich and Manu, Manu going back to the second row with Bromwich starting at prop. I think the Sea Eagles will break the Storm’s winning streak and keep the pressure on for the minor premiership.

The other Friday matchup for this weeks NRL games could not be any more of a contrast, with the 16th place Eels taking on the 12th place Roosters from Parramatta Stadium. The Eels come into this match having lost 6 in a row and 9 of their past 10 games, while the Roosters have won two games in a row for the first time all season and come into the match on a high, looking to put the off field dramas that have blighted the club behind them. A win for the Eels could temporarily lift them off the bottom of the table so I think they will give this one a real crack, the Roosters have moved away from the danger zone now so may not go into this one with the same intensity. The Eels have named an unchanged lineup to the one that went down to the Tigers on Sunday, while the Roosters make just the one enforced change with Waerea-Hargreaves suspended for a week, he is replaced by Lana Tasi in the Front row with Tinarau Arona coming into the side on the bench. I think the Eels will come into this one with more intensity but the Roosters are on a high after two good wins and I think they will continue that form here at the expense of the Eels.

Saturday night NRL games kicks off with a beauty that could go a long way to deciding who gets the final spot in the top 8 when the Bulldogs host the Knights at ANZ Stadium. The Bulldogs were handed a lifeline when the Knights were toppled last week and a win here would put them back within reach of a top 8 spot, a loss for the Rabbitohs would have all 3 sides on 26 points should the Bulldogs win this one. The Bulldogs won’t get a better chance than this week as the Knights have been hit hard by injuries stemming from their loss to the Broncos on Monday night. The Knights will be without Junior Sa’u, Cameron Ciraldo and Matt Hilder for this one, they are replaced by Zane Tetevano, Marvin Karawana and Mark Taufua for this vital clash. The Bulldogs on the other hand are unchanged from the side that went down to the Sea Eagles last weekend. With the Knights under strength for this one, I fancy the Bulldogs to get the win and keep the race for 8th place alive until the last week.

The Raiders host the Panthers at Canberra Stadium in the second NRL game on Super Saturday, in an attempt to get themselves clear of the wooden spoon battle below them. A win here could have them 3 points clear of last place depending on the result of the Eels match on Friday night. The Raiders have been smashed by injuries this year but they go into this match with an unchanged side form the one that went down to the Titans last week, something of a rarity for them this season although they are still missing Josh Dugan. The Panthers will be missing Michael Jennings this week after he succumbed to yet another injury last weekend, however they welcome back Lachlan Coote so they won’t lose too much in his absence. This will be Alan Tongue’s final home game and there is no doubt that his teammates will want to send him out on a winning note, for this reason I think the Raiders will get the win here.

The final NRL game on Super Saturday sees the North Queensland Cowboys hosting the Cronulla Sharks from Dairy Farmers Stadium. The Cowboys currently sit 5th on the ladder and a win here will temporarily lift them into the all important top 4, with the Warriors not playing until Sunday afternoon. They’ve lost 3 in a row, culminating in a controversial 26-24 golden point loss to the Rabbitohs last weekend. Plenty has been said about that match and the final play which cost the Cowboys their place in the top 4, and it will be interesting to see how they approach this week on the back of this bad form. The Sharks, they’ve lost their last 6 and sit in 13th place, 6 weeks ago they were looking like bolters for a top 8 spot, now they have nothing left to play for. The Cowboys go into this match with an unchanged lineup from last week and are practically at full strength, the Sharks on the other hand have made a raft of changes. Nathan Gardner, Ben Pomeroy, Nathan Stapleton, Chad Townsend and Tyson are missing this week, replaced by Isaac Gordon, Stewart Mills, Colin Best, Albert Kelly and John Mannah. The Cowboys are specials for this one and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a cricket score racked up against them here.

In the first of the Sunday afternoon NRL games the Dragons host the Warriors at WIN Stadium. The Dragons are on a 5 match losing streak and have fallen down to 7th on the ladder after being almost certainties for a top 4 spot just a month ago. The Warriors have taken the Dragons spot in the top 4 courtesy of 6 wins from their last 7 games. The Dragons face the prospect of playing the Sea Eagles in the first week of the finals with no second chance to fall back on, a far cry from premiership favouritism from earlier in the season. This week they make a few changes to the side that went down to the Storm last week with Mark Gasnier and Brett Morris returning to the side, Dean Young goes back to hooker with Matt Prior taking his place back at lock, Mitch Rein goes back to an extended bench. The Warriors will be missing Manu Vatuvei and Elijah Taylor, they are replaced by Krisnan Inu and Lewis Brown respectively. I think this will be a cracking game with both sides having plenty to play for, at home though I think the Dragons will snap their 5 game losing streak and get the points here.

The other Sunday NRL game sees the Broncos take on the Rabbitohs at Suncorp Stadium. The Broncos currently sit in 3rd place and a top 4 spot is already guaranteed, they’re still a chance of a top 2 spot but would need the Sea Eagles to suffer a heavy defeat at the hands of the Storm to keep that alive. The Rabbitohs are in 9th place and a big win could put them inside the top 8 with just 1 week remaining, should the Knights lose, any win will put them clear on 28 points. Both sides come into the game in top form having recorded 4 wins on the trot and this should be a cracking game, I wouldn’t be surprised if this one went to golden point to be honest. The Broncos lose Hodges for what could be the remaining two games and possibly the first week of the finals with another hamstring injury, Ben Te’o replaces him in the centres. In good news they welcome back Ben Hannant after injury, he takes a spot on the bench. The Rabbitohs welcome back Inglis and Merritt to the side, they push out James Roberts and Fetuli Talanoa and Chris McQueen moves to the wing. Rumours have been circulating that Roy Asotasi may return for this game but he hasn’t been named in the side so it will be interesting to see what happens there. The Rabbitohs have more to play for here, I think they will get the points and it will come down to the Rabbitohs v Knights next week for that final place in the 8.

The final of NRL games of Round 25 comes to us from Campbelltown with the Tigers hosting the Titans. The Tigers head into this one in good form having won 6 in a row, propelling them to 6th on the ladder and a genuine chance of a top 4 spot should they continue that form. The Titans, despite their win last week, are just one point clear of the wooden spoon and they’ll need to win to keep themselves out of that dreaded position. On paper this looks like an easy win for the Tigers, and I can’t see the game playing out any other way to be honest. The Tigers welcome back some big guns in Lote Tuqiri and Gareth Ellis, with Wade McKinnon and Mark Flanagan dropping from the side, some added firepower that could hurt the Titans. John Cartwright welcomes back Luke Bailey to the side but even this won’t be enough to stop a rampaging Tigers side with their eyes on a coveted top 4 spot. Dominique Peyroux drops from the side to accommodate Bailey. Tigers by plenty is my prediction.

NRL Games Round 25 – sportsbanter.com.au Tips

Sea Eagles, Roosters, Bulldogs, Raiders, Cowboys, Dragons, Rabbitohs, Tigers.

NRL Games Round 25 – Banter’s Best Bets

Sea Eagles 1-12 @ $3.10, Roosters + 3.0 @ $1.72, Bulldogs – 4.0 @ $2.00, Raiders 13+ @ $2.90, Sharks + 18.0 @ $1.72, Dragons 1-12 @ $3.10, Rabbitohs + 4.0 @ $2.00, Tigers – 19.0 @ $1.72.

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NRL Round 24 Preview

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So Round 24 of the NRL kicks off tonight and we’re getting closer to knowing the make-up of the top 8, it seems that each week another team drops out of the race. Last week, the Panthers went down to the Tigers to kill off their season which leaves just 10 teams remaining in the fight for this years premiership.

The Rabbitohs and Bulldogs are still hanging on and can count themselves lucky that the Warriors and Knights faced off last week as that meant they moved 2 points closer to that 8th spot on the ladder. It’s more than likely going to come down to the wire and I wouldn’t be surprised if for and against is all that separates 3 sides for 8th place come the final day of the season.

This week, we kick off with a blockbuster from AAMI Park in Melbourne, with the Storm hosting the Dragons in a match that could see the Storm just about wrap up the minor premiership with a win. On the other side, the Dragons are on a 4 match losing streak and have dropped out of the top 4, they are in danger of falling to as low as 7th should they lose this one. I find it strange that a side can be so consistent as they have been over the last couple of years to go back to being chokers like this. they say that Bennett leaving the club at the end of the year is not the reason for the decline but I tend to disagree. The Storm should get the points here with Gasnier ruled out through injury despite missing Cooper Cronk themselves, this will be 12 straight wins and a club record.

The other Friday game sees the Rabbitohs hosting the Cowboys at ANZ Stadium in a game that could see the Rabbitohs drop out of the running for the top 8 with a loss, or the Cowboys drop out of the top 4 should they lose. The Rabbitohs have been in outstanding form over the last few weeks and have kep their season alive despite their inconsistent start to the year. The Cowboys have done well to remain in the top 4 despite being without key playmaker Thurston for the best part of 6 weeks. This should be an entertaining game as both sides don’t mind the attacking side of the game, the Cowboys welcome back Aaron Payne and I think they will get the job done away from home and it could be bye bye to the Rabbitohs for season 2011.

Saturday night NRL action kicks off this week with the Titans hosting the Raiders from Skilled Park on the Gold Coast in a match that could go a long way to deciding this season’s wooden spoon. Both teams head into the match on the back of thumpings, with the Raiders hammered by the Rabbitohs last week, and the Titans thumped by the Storm. Both sides have plenty to play for with both Preston Campbell and Alan Tongue hanging up their boots at the end of the season, so no doubt their team mates will want to steer them clear of that wooden spoon. The Titans welcome back Anthony Laffranchi this week, and the Raiders are missing Josh Dugan. I think the Titans may get up at home here and breathe life into the race to avoid the wooden spoon.

CUA Stadium plays host to the Panthers and Warriors match on Saturday night and with the Panthers out of the race for the top 8, and the Warriors fighting to finish as high as possible, this could get ugly. We’ve seen over the past few weeks that teams with nothing left to play for have failed to turn up and ended up on the wrong side of some ugly scorelines. I can see this match heading the same way to be honest, the Warriors could sneak into the top 4 on points difference with a win here, should the Dragons and Cowboys both lose. The Panthers welcome back Michael Jennings after his week suspension and Travis Burns from injury, and the Warriors welcome back Lance Hohaia and Elijah Taylor to the side that toppled the Knights last week. The Warriors should get the points here in a match that could see plenty of tries scored.

The Roosters wrap up proceedings on Saturday night when they take on the Sharks at the SFS. After a week of turmoil, the Roosters managed to cause probably the upset of the season by taking the Dragons down last Sunday, and Saturday nigtht they face another one of their bogey sides in the Sharks. The Sharks got the points earlier in the season and the Roosters will be playing for pride once again seeing as they are well and truly out of finals contention. The Sharks are also out of the running for the top 8 and have made several changes to the side that went down to the Bulldogs last week. Ben Pomeroy, Ricky Leutele, Jayson Bukuya and Josh Cordoba all miss out, replaced by Isaac Gordon, Matthew Wright, Jonathan Mannah and Tyson Frizell. The Roosters welcome back Shaun Kenny-Dowall this week, he replaces Kane Linnett who is off to the Cowboys next season. I think the Roosters will get the points at home here but I think it will be a close one.

Sunday afternoon football kicks off with the Sea Eagles hosting the Bulldogs from Brookvale Oval, in a match that could see the Sea Eagles consolidate their top 2 spot, or the Bulldogs keep the race for the top 8 alive should they get the points. The Sea Eagles got the points in a close one last week over the Eels, and can thank a number of high profile blunders from the Eels for the win too. The Bulldogs kept their season alive with a hard fought win over the Sharks on Monday night, getting themselves to within two points of the top 8. The Sea Eagles lose Will Hopoate this week to a hamstring injury, but he is replaced by another former representative winger in David Williams aka Wolfman. Trent Cutler and Micky Paea are replaced this week by Joe Romelo, who returns from suspension, and Chris Armit. I can’t go past the Sea Eagles in this one and I think the Bulldogs could also bow out of the finals race with a loss here, they will then need to rely on Newcastle losing a couple of games to be a chance.

The SFS plays host to it’s second game of Round 24 when the Tigers host the Eels from the home of Rugby League on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers currently sit in 7th place on the ladder, and much like the Warriors they can jump to as high as 4th should results go their way. The Eels, they will be playing to avoid the dreaded wooden spoon, they currently sit in second last place just 1 point ahead of the Titans. The Tigers have been in great form over the past month and for me are the darkhorses in this years competition, they have hit form at the right time of the season and it has 2005 written all over it for me. Both sides have named unchanged line-ups from last weeks matches and this should be a cracking match, just too bad that we won’t get to see this one live on TV as it is the 4 O’clock game on Channel 9 this week. With the Tigers in such good form, I can’t go past them for the win this week, the Eels will need to hope the Titans don’t cause an upset to stay away from bottom spot.

The final game of Round 24 sees the Knights and Broncos facing off at AusGrid Stadium in a timeslot that would be considered unfamiliar for both teams. The Broncos are more accustomed to their Friday nights and the Knights Sunday afternoons, so it will be interesting to see which team handles the move best. The Knights went down to the Warriors last week which put more pressure on them going into the last few weeks of the season, they now sit just 2 points above the Rabbitohs and the Bulldogs in the race for 8th spot. The Broncos have wrapped up a spot in the top 4 and a home final beckons for them. The Knights welcome back Matt Hilder to the side this week, with Keith Lulia making way. The Broncos are unchanged from the side that knocked the Cowboys off last Friday night in what was Darren Lockyer’s 350th match. I think the Broncos will continue their good form and heap more pressure on the Knights going into the last two weeks of the regular season.

sportsbanter.com.au Tips – Storm, Cowboys, Titans, Warriors, Roosters, Sea Eagles, Tigers, Broncos.

Banter’s Best Bets – Storm @ $1.65, Cowboys + 3.5 @ $1.91, Titans 1-12 @ $3.15, Warriors 13+ @ $2.55, Roosters – 3.0 @ $1.72, Sea Eagles 13+ @ $ 2.10, Eels + 11.5 @ $1.72, Broncos – 2.0 @ $1.72.

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NRL Round 23 Preview

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Penrith Panthers v Wests Tigers – Friday 7.35pm – Centrebet Stadium

The last time these two sides met the Tigers got the points 20-18 in what was a nail biting encounter at Campbelltown Stadium, the Tigers have won the last two clashes in fact, however it is the Panthers who generally have the wood on the Tigers with 5 wins in their last 8 clashes.

The Tigers go into this match looking to jump up at least one spot higher on the table, they currently sit in 8th spot and with the Knights and Warriors doing battle this week a win here will guarantee them at least 7th spot. The Panthers are currently in 11th and a win here will keep their season alive for another week.

The Panthers have a number of changes to the side that went down to the Storm last week. Luke Lewis and Lachlan Coote out with injury means Junior Vaivai and Harry Seijka come into the side with Jennings going to fullback and David Simmons to the wing.

The Tigers just have the one change with Mitch Brown coming into the side for Chris Lawrence, he misses out with a hamstring injury that will see him out for a few weeks.

With the Tigers in good form, and the Panthers trying to avoid a 4th straight loss which would all but end their season, this should be a cracker. I can’t go past the Tigers though who look to have hit form at the perfect time heading into the finals.

Sportingbet Prices
Panthers: $2.80
Tigers: $1.45

sportsbanter.com.au Tip – Tigers
Banter’s Best Bet – Tigers – 5.0 @ $1.72

North Queensland Cowboys v Brisbane Broncos – Friday 7.35pm – Dairy Farmers Stadium

Friday night football continues with a match that has all the makings of a blockbuster. This match will see Darren Lockyer break the all-time record for matches played, taking his tally to 350 and going past Terry Lamb and Steve Menzies. It also sees the return of Jonathan Thurston from an extended period out with the injury he suffered in Origin, the game he helped to send Lockyer out a winner in.

The Cowboys and Broncos are separated by just 2 points on the ladder, with the Broncos holding 3rd spot and the Cowboys sitting in 4th. A win for the Cowboys by anything more than a field goal will see them overtake the Broncos and give them a good chance of tying down that top 4 spot with just a few weeks left to play until the finals.

The Cowboys also welcome back Matt Scott and Kalifa Faifai Loa in addition to Thurston, however they received a blow midweek with Aaron Payne ruled out with a fractured cheekbone he received in training. Ben Jones was initially replaced by Thurston in the halves however he may now get a reprieve with a call up to to act as back up for James Segeyaro, who is likely to take Payne’s place in the side.

The Broncos have just the one change with Josh McGuire coming into the starting side at prop to replace the injured Ben Hannant, David Hala moves into the 17 as a result.

With the Cowboys welcoming back their big guns, and the Broncos looking to make Lockyer’s 350th game one to remember, this should be a beauty. I think the Cowboys may just spoil the party though with Thurston back to lead his side further up the table.

Sportingbet Prices
Cowboys: $1.95
Broncos: $1.87

sportsbanter.com.au Tip – Cowboys
Banter’s Best Bet – Cowboys 1-12 @ $3.60

New Zealand Warriors v Newcastle Knights – Saturday 5.30pm – Mt. Smart Stadium

Last week the Warriors went down by a point to the Broncos up at Suncorp, the loss ending a 4 game winning streak. The Knights demolished the Raiders at AusGrid Stadium 40-8, they have amassed 90 points in just 2 weeks and are in devastating form at the moment.

The Knights and Warriors sit in 6th and 7th place on the Table respectively, both sides could fall as low as 8th with a loss here should the Tigers get up over the Panthers. The Warriors have the wood over the Knights in recent times, the Knights haven’t won at Mt Smart Stadium in 5 starts, and the Warriors have won 7 of the last 8 clashes between the two sides.

The Warriors welcome back Joel Moon which sees utility Lewis Brown go back to the bench. Jacob Lillyman and Ben Matulino do their customary swap with Lillyman getting to start this week, while Ukuma Ta’ai gets a spot on the bench with Elijah Taylor dropped.

The Knights have a couple of minor changes to the side that put 40 on the Raiders, with Joel Edwards starting at lock and Cameron Ciraldo going back to the bench, Richie Fa’aoso joins him on an extended bench.

With the Warriors at home I think they will get the points in this one, the Knights have been in good form but their record at Mt Smart Stadium and against the Warriors in general does not inspire confidence.

Sportingbet Prices
Warriors: $1.48
Knights: $2.70

sportsbanter.com.au Tip – Warriors
Banter’s Best Bet – Warriors 13+ @ $2.65

Gold Coast Titans v Melbourne Storm – Saturday 7.30pm – Skilled Park

Super Saturday continues with a match on paper that looks done and dusted, the Titans are currently battling to avoid the wooden spoon, while the Storm are close to securing the minor premiership after taking the wooden spoon themselves last season, albeit in far different circumstances.

The Storm got the job done against the Panthers last week that stretched their winning streak to 10, one more would equal their longest ever streak of 11 wins. The Titans breathed some life into the battle at the other end of the Table with a 20-16 win over the Sharks at Toyota Stadium.

The Titans lose captain Scott Prince for the rest of the season with a broken arm, and what better way for Preston Campbell to go out then to help lead the Titans for the next few weeks and steer them away from the spoon. Luke Bailey gets the captains arm band for this one, Greg Bird returns with Clinton Toopi but both only make the bench, a decision to be made prior to kickoff to drop 2 players.

The Storm get Jesse Bromwich back from injury, however that is offset by the loss of Adam Woolnough with an Achilles injury that could see him out until the finals and perhaps beyond. Some minor positional changes with Manu to the second row, Kevin Proctor to lock and Hinchcliffe back to the bench.

I can’t see anything other than a comprehensive Storm win here, as much as I’d like to see more life breathed into the battle at both ends of the table, the Storm should not lose this one.

Sportingbet Prices
Titans: $6.00
Storm: $1.13

sportsbanter.com.au Tip – Storm
Banter’s Best Bet – Storm – 16.5 @ $1.91

Parramatta Eels v Manly Sea Eagles – Saturday 7.30pm – Parramatta Stadium

Saturday night NRL action concludes with the Eels taking on the Sea Eagles at Parramatta Stadium, the last time these two played the Sea Eagles got up in a thriller, scoring a try in the final minutes to take the game 22-18. The Eels are in a far worse position now though, just 1 point off the wooden spoon and coming off a 50 point hiding at the hands of the Rabbitohs on Monday night.

The Sea Eagles were on the other end last week, demolishing the Roosters 36-8 at Brookvale to consolidate 2nd spot on the ladder.

The Eels saw another player retire after a disappointing season with big Carl Webb announcing earlier this week that he has retired from rugby league, joining Chris Walker and Paul Whatuira. These retirements obviously helped free up some more space under the salary cap with news today that the Eels have signed Willie Tonga from the Cowboys for 2 seasons starting next year.

This week the Eels welcome back Jordan Atkins who replaces Chris Hicks, and Reni Maitua slots back in at lock, Mitchell Allgood goes back to the bench.

The Sea Eagles have lost Jason King for the remainder of the season with a pectoral tear, how many of these have we seen so far this year, he is replaced by George Rose with Tim Robinson drafted onto the bench. Michael Robertson is also welcomed back to the side after his stint on the sidelines with concussion, that sees Michael Oldfield drop from the side.

These two teams seasons could not be any further apart, the Eels should bounce back this week with a better showing not least to give their fans something back after a horror season, but I can’t see them getting close enough to the Sea Eagles to get the points here.

Sportingbet Prices
Eels: $3.75
Sea Eagles: $1.28

sportsbanter.com.au Tip – Sea Eagles
Banter’s Best Bet – Sea Eagles 13+ @ $2.15

Canberra Raiders v South Sydney Rabbitohs – Sunday 2pm – Canberra Stadium

Sunday afternoon football kicks off at Canberra Stadium with the Raiders hosting the Rabbitohs. The Raiders were flogged 40-8 by the Knights last week, while the Rabbitohs put 56 points on the Eels to give themselves a slim chance of making the finals with 4 weeks to go.

The Raiders are still in danger of the wooden spoon after the Titans got a win last week, they now sit just 2 points above the Titans and need to get a win or two to try and avoid that spoon.

The Rabbitohs currently sit in 9th place, 4 points adrift of the Warriors, Knights and Tigers, however a win here will see them move to within 2 points of the 8 with the Warriors and Knights doing battle on Saturday afternoon.

The Raiders have a number of changes this week with Reece Robinson, Bronson Harrison, Alan Tongue and Sam Mataora replacing Daniel Vidot, Josh Papalii, Glen Buttriss and Dane Tilse.

The Rabbitohs just have the one minor change from last weeks side with Shaun Corrigan swapping positions with Dylan Farrell on the right hand side of the Rabbitohs attack.

With the Rabbitohs needing a win to keep their season alive, I can’t go past them for the win, the Raiders have too many injuries and even though the match is being played in the nations capital, the Rabbitohs should get the points comfortably.

Sportingbet Prices
Raiders: $2.20
Rabbitohs: $1.70

sportsbanter.com.au Tip – Rabbitohs
Banter’s Best Bet – Rabbitohs – 2.5 @ $1.91

St George-Illawarra Dragons v Sydney Roosters – Sunday 3pm – WIN Stadium

Sunday afternoon football concludes with the Dragons hosting the Roosters from WIN Stadium.

What a horror week it has been for the Roosters, first they get smashed by the Sea Eagles on Sunday afternoon, then they follow that up with Carney, Myles and Nuuasuala going out on the town, breaking a booze ban that the team agreed upon earlier in the week. Now they will be without 3 key players this week and they are only 2 points away from picking up the wooden spoon for the second time in 3 seasons.

The Dragons haven’t been fairing much better over the past month though, they are on a 3 match losing streak and a loss here will see them just 1 point ahead of the sixth place Warriors or Knights (depending on who wins that battle). They have only won 1 of their last 8 after being the competition leaders all season, as it appears the choking tag looks to be reattached.

The Dragons retain the same side that went down late to the Tigers last Friday night, with both Jamie Soward and Beau Scott named despite niggling injuries restricting them over the last week.

The Roosters are yet to name the replacements for the 3 players suspended midweek, however Carney is likely to be covered with Anasta moving back to his favoured 5/8 position, with Jarred Waerea-Hargreaves possibly starting at lock, and big Mose Masoe staring in the front row, they also have Symonds and Arona that could take the other second row spot.

This week couldn’t get any worse for the Roosters and what better way to start turning things around than to get one over the team that beat them in last years grand final. I can’t see it happening to be honest but I do think they will respond with an improved performance this week. The Dragons should be too strong at home despite their recent poor form.

Sportingbet Prices
Dragons: $1.11
Roosters: $6.75

sportsbanter.com.au Tip – Dragons
Banter’s Best Bet – Roosters + 16.0 @ $2.00

Cronulla Sharks v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs – Monday 7pm – Toyota Stadium

The final match of round 23 comes to us from Toyota Stadium, with the Sharks taking on the Bulldogs on Monday night.

Last week the Sharks went down to wooden spoon favourites the Titans 20-16, in what was a match they should have won easily as they dominated every stat except the one that matters, the score. The Bulldogs got the points 14-6 against the Cowboys and still have a very slim chance of making the 8, they’ll need plenty of sides to do them favours though.

The Sharks season is officially over after last weeks loss, they can no longer rely on mathematics to get them pumped each week so it will be interesting to see how they handle this week. Looking at score lines over the last month you can see that the blowouts have occurred when one team has nothing to play for and the other does, we have that situation here.

The Sharks welcome back Albert Kelly and Nathan Gardner this week, when these two got injured the Sharks started going downhill and they should add some pace and creativity to the side. Isaac Gordon moves to the wing and Matthew Wright is dropped from the side, Jason Bukuya returns and pushes Tautai out of the side. Paul Aiton is also missing, Colin Best joins Albert Kelly on an extended bench.

The Bulldogs just have a couple of minor changes with Ben Roberts returning to the side, he replaces Josh Reynolds who moves to hooker and forces Joe Romelo out of the side altogether.

The Bulldogs should get the points here and they should move to within 2 points of the top 8, I can’t see the Sharks getting close with nothing to play for.

Sportingbet Prices
Sharks: $2.10
Bulldogs: $1.75

sportsbanter.com.au Tip – Bulldogs
Banter’s Best Bet – Bulldogs 13+ @ $3.40

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NRL Round 22 Preview – Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles v Sydney Roosters

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Brookvale Oval is the venue for our final Sunday afternoon NRL match, with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles hosting the Sydney Roosters.

Last week the Sea Eagles led 12-0 before they capitulated and went down 14-12 to the Tigers, they can count themselves unlucky that they went down to a try off a forward pass, however they should not be surrendering leads like that if they have aspirations of fighting for the minor premiership.

The Roosters overcame a spirited Bulldogs side 32-28 after a controversial penalty against Frank Pritchard gave the Roosters a chance to level the scores at 22 all before going on to score another couple of tries late and seal the win. The Roosters have had their fair share of forward pass controversies over the last month too, the sooner they bring in this new GPS technology announced this week, the better. That should take the guess work out of the equation.

The Roosters, despite being out of finals contention, still have plenty to play for. Their form has improved over the last month or so and they could be a real thorn in the side for other sides still trying to make the top 8, and those jostling for positions inside the top 8. They also owe it to the fans after what has been a miserable season after the highs of making the Grand Final last year.

The Sea Eagles are 4 points behind the Storm, but there are still 5 rounds to go so the minor premiership isn’t done and dusted just yet. They have named Tony Williams in the side this week, which is a big boost for them, he pushes Vic Mauro to an extended bench with Darcy Lussick also named to give Hasler options come game time. Other than that they are as per last week.

The Roosters have named the same 17 that got the job done against the Bulldogs last week, I can’t remember the last time the Roosters named an unchanged 17. They just have one minor positional change with Nate Myles returning to lock, and Waerea-Hargreaves moving back to the front row.

This should be a cracker of a match, the Sea Eagles got the points last time these two sides played in Round 2, that was a tough game and it was only won at the back end of the match. I expect much the same here, the Roosters form has improved but Brookvale Oval should be the deciding factor with the Sea Eagles to get home in a tight one.

Sportingbet Prices
Sea Eagles: $1.24
Roosters: $4.10

sportsbanter.com.au Tip – Sea Eagles
Banter’s Best Bet – Roosters +13 @ $1.72

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NRL Round 21 Preview – Sydney Roosters v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

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Super Saturday brings us the clash between the Sydney Roosters and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs from the Sydney Football Stadium.

Recent clashes between these two sides have been controversial to say the least. The last time they met the Dogs got the points 24-20 but it was the corresponding clash last year, where the Roosters overcame a raft of bad refereeing decisions to prevail 36-32, that lingers most in my memory. The Roosters have had to endure much of the same over the last couple of weeks and it will be interesting to see how they approach this game now that they are out of finals contention.

The Bulldogs got out of jail against the Eels last week courtesy of two field goals from Trent Hodkinson, winning 8-7 in golden point. They are still a chance of making the finals despite 2 months of poor form and they will want to make it 2 in a row here and keep the pressure on the other sides chasing those last couple of finals places.

The Roosters make just the one notable change from the side that went down to the Tigers last week with Mose Masoe injured. Tom Symonds and Tinirau Arona come into the side.

However, the Roosters have now lost Frank Paul Nuuasuala for 2 weeks after last night’s judiciary hearing, it’s likely that either Symonds or Waerea-Hargeaves could start in his place, which would mean the extended bench will remain as is this week.

The Bulldogs are much the same, they stick solid with the starting side that got the job done last week with just a couple of changes on the bench. David Stagg misses the game through injury and Martin Taupau makes way as well. Replacing them are Chris Armit and Corey Payne.

With the season still on the line for the Dogs, and the Roosters out of finals contention you would think that the Dogs would be the more motivated side. However avoiding the wooden spoon is motivation in itself and I think the Roosters will get the points here in a tight one.

Sportingbet Prices
Roosters: $1.87
Bulldogs: $1.95

sportsbanter.com.au Tip – Roosters
Banter’s Best Bet – Roosters 1-12 @ $3.50

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NRL Round 20 Preview – Wests Tigers v Sydney Roosters

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We continue the glory bound rounds with a clash between the two sides who played out possibly one of the greatest games of all time last year, the West Tigers and the Sydney Roosters.

This will be the 7th time in 2 seasons that these two clubs will have played against each other. The Roosters have won the last 4 Premiership games (not including trials) so they will go into this one confident that they can get the job done despite a horror year that sees them at the wrong end of the ladder.

The Tigers are in a perfect position to make a move on the top 4 if they can continue last weeks good form, with 7 games to go they sit in 7th place on the ladder. However they are in a battle with the Panthers and the Knights for those last two spots in the 8 for a reason, they have been hugely inconsistent this year and who know which Tigers team is going to turn up this week.

The Tigers do receive a big boost this week though with the return of Lote Tuqiri from a long term arm injury. That means they will now have close to a full strength back line after Chris Lawrence’s return from his hip injury a couple of weeks ago. Tuqiri’s return pushes funnyman Beau Ryan to the wing, Mitch Brown the player to miss out as he is relegated to the bench. The only other major change is Liam Fulton returning from injury, he replaces Aaron Woods in the second row. Included on the bench also is Todd Payten, who has been suffering from injury and returns to play against his former club.

The Roosters, despite last weeks loss, have looked much better in recent weeks knocking over the Panthers and going down to the Rabbitohs in a heartbreaking golden point match last weekend. They looked to have done enough to win that match but lack of concentration got the best of them once again. News this week has surrounded Todd Carney, and for all the wrong reasons again. This time there were rumours surfacing that he was not happy at the club and wanted out, however Carney has come out today and squashed those rumours stating that he is happy at the club.

The Roosters welcome back Anthony Minichiello this week after a two week absence with a mystery virus. He has been deemed fit enough to join his teammates but it remains to be seen how effective he will be after losing a reported 5 kilos in those 2 weeks. Aiden Guerra also gets a recall to the side with Tom Symonds to miss out, he goes back to the bench. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves also returns to the side after an injury lay off to give the Roosters a bit more bite.

With the Roosters pretty much done and dusted for 2011, they will be playing for pride with the slim chance that mathematically they can still make the 8 if they win all of their games. This is highly unlikely so the pressure will be with the Tigers to win this one, expect the Roosters to throw the ball around like they did last week knowing that there is no pressure on them.

I’m going for an upset here, the Roosters look like they have finally found something, albeit too late, and the Tigers have a history of racking up points one week only to be atrocious the next. Roosters to get this one in what I think will be a high scoring but close game.

Sportingbet Prices
Tigers: $1.41
Roosters: $2.95

sportsbanter.com.au Tip – Roosters
Banter’s Best Bet – Roosters + 7.5 @ $1.91

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NRL Round 19 Preview – South Sydney Rabbitohs v Sydney Roosters

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Saturday night NRL kicks off with a grudge match between two local rivals, the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Sydney Roosters, as rivalry week continues.

These sides met for their traditional round 1 clash with the Roosters getting home 40-29 but only after blowing a 28-6 lead and having to come back from 29-28 down themselves. It was a great game to open the season, a season in which both sides have struggled for consistency, more so the Roosters though who sit in second last place on the table.

The Rabbitohs currently sit on 16 competition points and 12th place on the table. Last week they were beaten 36-22 by the high flying Sea Eagles, and whilst it wasn’t a bad performance, it just wasn’t good enough for a team that has aspirations of a top 8 finish.

The Roosters looked good against the Panthers last week, and they will need that for the next 8 weeks if they hope to save their season and book an unlikely finals spot. They basically have to win all 8 games, and convincingly, to have any hope left in 2011. Carney and Pearce will be the key as it was their combination along with Anasta popping up intermittently that got them to last years Grand Final.

This week there aren’t many changes for the Rabbitohs with John Lang just naming the one change from last weeks loss, Shaun Corrigan joining an extended bench but he will likely be the one to drop off come game time.

The Roosters also only have some minor positional changes with Myles, Symonds and Nuuausala moving to front row, second row and lock respectively. Aidan Guerra gets another shot on the bench in place of Mose Masoe.

The key match up for this game will be in the halves, with Carney and Pearce taking on Sutton and Sandow. The combination that wins this battle will more than likely lead their team to a victory. Another one to watch out for will be Inglis v Kenny-Dowall, who plays his 100th game, as both players have been below par this season and will be looking for a big game here.

I have a feeling this will be a repeat of the clash in round 1, with the Roosters getting home on the back of their halves who look to finally be hitting form, albeit a bit too late.

Sportingbet Prices
Rabbitohs: $1.82
Roosters: $2.00

sportsbanter.com.au Tip – Roosters
Banter’s Best Bet – Roosters 1-12 @ $3.65

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