THE RED ROOSTER

Another week I had almost forgotten about Winners - New Zealand Warriors, Melbourne Storm, Brisbane Broncos, North Queensland Cowboys, Sydney Roosters, Penrith Panthers, Dolphins and South Sydney. Points - 348 Home wins - 5 Poll - Dolphins v Titans

I can hardly believe we are at Round 21 and my season tipping wise has been very Dolphin. Some austute tips mixed with a heap of very ordinary ones. Time to aim up at the business end of the season so here goes: New Zealand Warriors v West Tigers It's all falling apart in Tigertown after a promising start. You could take the positives out of this as being the required house cleaning of the club but it's not going to help results for Benji this season. The Wahs need to win this one for credibility at home and they should do so. Win for Warriors, Woe for Wests Paramatta Eels v Melbourne Storm No wonder Jason Ryles was brought in to overhaul the squad at Parra (though Trent Barrett remains in charge of the team at present) . Only the woes of Tiger Town stand between a short trip from Concord to Comm Bank for "Woody" especially given Paramattas upcoming schedule. With Cameron Munster nearing a return for Melbourne, who impressed last week, you would get good odds on a parra win from the bookies. Melbourne march on. Brisbane Broncos v Canterbury Bulldogs The first of the big games coming up and an acid test for the Doggies. Brisbane back to nearly playing their first choice XIII at home is a tough proposition for Canterbury. The Dogs are an improved side and will be in the top eight, but I do not see a happy outcome here as Brisbane with their full strength side are a different proposition to some of the origin affected sides this season. - Bronx Cheer North Queensland Cowboys v Cronulla Sharks - SKY Sharkies are off the bye week but no William Kennedy now as well as Nicho Hynes away in tropical Townsville against a Cows side that squeaked home against the Dogs. I just do not fancy the Sharks chances in this game as despite the bye week as they are up against a Cows side that would have gained momentum from beating Canterbury and again I fear Cronulla simply have stood still these past two seasons - Sharks bitten Sydney Roosters v Manly Sea Eagles - SKY I have said all season that if you can prevent Manly's backline from having a platform then they are beatable. Theb Roosters have the forward power to subdue Manly and are due a result after last weeks crushing dissappointment in Melbourne. Will the gnawing realisation that the club simply does not match up against the Storm and Panthers coaching and player wise affect the performance ? - Roosters simply because I have to pick a winner... St George-Illawarra v Penrith Panthers SGI have improved this season under Shane Flanagan and they won at the Panthers earlier this season. It's also being played at Woollongong which is a better venue than Kogarah for SGI in my opinion. But that win against Penrith was against the Panther cubs. This is the first grade coming to town, and while this season has highlighted some depth issues in the squad at the Penny Panthers, they remain one of the two standout clubs in the comp- Panthers douse Dragons fire Dolphins v Gold Coast Titans Fins rode their luck against the Bunnies and were conversely out of luck in their comeback against the Panthers. Without disrespecting the Titans too much, this game will boil down to which Dolphins team turns up. Certainly being a Queensland derby Titans will prove tougher opposition than in their trips south of the border. - Fin Win Canberra Raiders v South Sydney - SKY Ricky's Raiders home against the Bunnies - I amn sticking with the Wabbits here, even without Latrell, as I do believe now that they have half-decent coaching they are a pretty decent side, not a premiership winning side but definately top 8. Canberra squeaked home agains the Wahs with some help from errant kicking but mid-table mediocrity seems to be the limit in the capital these days - Rabbits rout Ricky's Raiders As always good luck with your tips.

Having had a chance to view the recordings of Knights - Bronx and Storm-Roosters all I can say is: The Broncos and knights pushed all their chips onto the table so to speak with the Origin players despite a three day turnaround and it paid off for Kevin Walters but not for Adam O'Brien. As for the Roosters.... being towelled by a Munsterless Melbourne. The stat now for the Roosters in one win in 22 games against the Storm and Panthers. You would like to think that uncle Nick and the Board look at that stat and contemplate - Maybe it's the coaching..... I remember coming out of Allianz Stadium after the Roosters loss to Penrith and one fan in front threw his arms out wide and yelled "F****k*" loudl ,dunno what he said in front of the TV post match but I think you can stick a fork in the Roosters 2025 season.

Winners - Canberra Raiders, South Sydney, Newcastle Knights, Sydney Roosters, Penrith Panthers, Manly Sea Eagles and Canterbury Bulldogs. Points - 314 Away Wins - 2 Poll - Melbourne Storm v Sydney Roosters

The last Origin affected round.. Canberra Raiders v New Zealand Warriors The bookies have this game as evens but Canberra are at home and the Wahs old travellling woes have resurfaced. Jamal Fogerty, Huson Young, Zak Hoskin and Seb Kris all back wheras the Wahs are picking up injuries aplenty.Canberra need a win to maintain their mid-table fringe eight mediocrity, the Wahs might just be on the verge of putting the metaphorical cue on the rack for the season - Rickys Resurrected Raiders? South Sydney v West Tigers Souths to bounce back here, against a discontented West Tigers team. They were the only team I saw out theere with a 100% record when I saw them live but since Shane Richardson announced publicly he was shopping for players a couple of months back there has been trouble in Tigertown. For the Bunnies who if they had kicked their conversions would have run the Dolphins close it is a case of - No Latrell No Problem Newcastle Knights v Brisbane Broncos - SKY One of the two coin-flip games of the round the outcome of which will be determined by Origin returnees. In the case of both clubs to make the top 8 may require battered and bruised bodies to come back into the starting XIII and I do not rule out Kevin Walters getting Adam Reynolds back on the park. It's that desperate for the Bronx who are surprisingly favoured by the bookies for this one despite the Novocastrians being at home and with their own returning stars. Teams that get towelled in this NRL season have a habit of bouncing back the next week (Ok not the Tigers) A close and desperate game - Knights repair their armour Melbourne Storm v Sydney Roosters - SKY If anyone reads what I write you will know who I think the better Coach is, Nevertheless the Roosters are in rude health and squad depth has paid off for them. In order to convince sceptics such as myself that they are serious contenders the Roosters need to win at AAMI park. No easy task against a better coached Storm side that grinds out results when the odds are against then - A knife edge and possibly golden point tussle looms - Roosters by a feather Penrith Panthers v Dolphins Nathan Cleary returns for the Penny Panthers against a Dolphins side who are always a threat simply because, as Souths found out last week, they can score back to back tries from distance. That said the wabbits could, and arguably should, have won that game, and the Panthers are a bit more clinical.and crucially do not lose two in a row - Here the Panther roar Manly Sea Eagles v Gold Coast Titans Des Haseler Bowl ! - Gold Coast looked impressive fopr the first 20-25 mins last week and then faded as they have been doing even when winning. The Silvertails at their own ground may prove to be a game too far for the Titans who are an improved side but not that improved at least not this season that they can cope with the explosive Manly backline. It could be a high scoring game though - Silvertails take flight North Queensland Cowboys v Canterbury Bulldogs - SKY The bookies have the Cows winning in tropical Townsville but having jumped on the Bulldog bandwagon I can see the Doggies edging this as one side has had origin call ups and the other not so many. Gus Gould's strategy of bringing in players from clubs with a winning tradition is paying off for the Doggies with Steven Crichton's leadership inspirational. For the Cows, there has to be a sense of underachievement and one that spells trouble for Todd Payten - Who let the Dogs out.. As always good luck with your tips.

Another half of two halves, all Gold Coast in the first 25 with some slick passing moves and tries.Then a Brimson brain-fade brings Parra back into it with the Eels having plenty of possession but no execution. All to play for second half.

Winners - Dolphins, Conulla Sharks, Gold Coast Titans, Brisbane Broncos and Manly Sea Eagles Points - 220 Home wins - 5 Poll - 3

Another Origin affected round where teams may lose momentum due to Origin call ups Dolphins v South Sydney - SKY Wayne Bennett Bowl - Dolphins lose some to origin but their starting XIII is capabile of anything. The Bunnies have lost Cameron Murray to Origin and Latrell Mitchell to Injury but have been winning without them. This game could be very tight and a potential Golden Point game. One Key factor here is Wayne Bennett and the media beat up about Benny being more invested in his future employers than his current ones which irks former Constable Bennett For that reason - Dolphins end Bunnies Bounce.. Just Cronulla Sharks v West Tigers Sharkies on the crest of a slump without Nicho Hynes but, as I have poisated before,they have shown they can win without him. West Tigers are getting close to their starting XIII but is there internal strife in Tigertown?. There will be strife for Craig Fitzgibbon if Wests take the points at Shark Park. They have lost some close games recently but I still think Sharks edge this - Sharkanado Gold Coast Titans v Paramatta Eels - SKY Gold Coast on a roll with the possibility of AJ Brimson returning at home against a Paramatta side already looking to next year and without Mitchell Moses. Parra getting the spoon is unthinkable with the talent available but under player favourite (but not board favourite) Trent Barrett the unthinkable is becoming mighty possible. and Jason Ryles may be bringing his broom with him to clear out at the Eels which must be on some players minds - Parra board the Titanic Brisbane Broncos v St George-Illawarra Dragons Origin impact both sides, with the Bronx shorn of Walsh, Carrigan, Haas and Cobbo. and SGI minus Lomax and Hunt but otherwise a strong XIII. i am torn on this one because while no-one would have given SGI a price on winning against the Panther Cubs at Blue Bet. they did and they face the baby Broncos. On the other hand, The Bronx badly need a win at home and I have tipped SGI to run the Roosters close twice and on both occasions SGI have served up a Turkey - Broncos buck the origin trend Manly Sea Eagles v Newcastle Knights - SKY Again Origin takes its toll on both sides, but crucially the standout players v Canberra for the Knights, Bradman Best, Dene Gagai and Kalyn Pongs all out, The Silvertails missing Cherry-Evans and Jake Turbo. It's at 4 Pines Park a much more Silvertail moniker than Lottoland and they are much less affected by the Origin call ups than the Knights - Silvertails enjoiy Knight out As always good luck with your tips.

They could use the Showgrounds or the Gabba as a temporary venue while constructing a new stadium in the West of the Brisbane Metropolitan area.. Both grounds have hosted Rugby League and both those grounds are bigger than Kayo stadium in Redcliffe. Remember the Western Corridor bid is not dead, and the plan was always to build a permanent stadium at either Ipswich, Springfield or the Ripley Valley. But you do not build a stadium before getting a licence.

Winners - South Sydney, Cronulla Sharks, Penrith Panthers, Canterbury Bulldogs, Manly Sea Eagles, Sydney Roosters and Newcastle Knights. Points - 358 Away Wins - 4 Poll - Souths 1 to 12

A non Origin disruption week. Paramatta Eels v South Sydney Sadly for a talented side to quote Voss "parra have forgotten how to win" certainly when Bradman Best scored his second length of the field interception try in a Deja Vu copy of his first. I switched off the TV set in anger ands went off to do the shopping.. (I had Storm v Raiders on Tape). When tipping Parra last week it was late in the night and I forgot Trent Barrett is Interim Coach..... They are up agsint another talented side beginning to look more like their recognised starting XIII in The Wabbits coming off a bye week. Now the Bunnies are a late season bolter for the 8 and I can see the run continue. - Bunnies make the great leap Forward? Cronulla Sharks v Gold Coast Titans Although they lost last week, there werre positive signs for Sharkies in that their defence was way more solid and they could have shaded the Doggies before Nicho Hynes missed from bang in front of the sticks. Nicho may be out of form but Sharkies have pulled off some notable successes without Nicho. Daniel Atkinson on the wing instead of Katoa so it will be interesting both to see if he is less vunerable to the bomb and if he become another option in the halves during the game. The Titans , who I keep writing off, have AJ Brimson back to join Keiran Foran and any side that dishes out a 66-6 trouting deserves respect nevertheless - Up Up Cronulla.. Brisbane Broncos v Penrith Panthers Both sides rested their Origin players last week and both sides lost. Again though I post this a lot the game is pivotal for both sides. The Bronx who hjave slipped out of the eight and badly need a result up against a Penny Panthers side thatb has shown signs of vulnerabilirty shorn of their Origin players. Few would have thought both SGI and the Cows chalking up wins at Blue Bet. Reserve strength could be the mountain men's achilles heel this season - going with Penbriuth narrowly - Panthers shine at Suncorp Canterbury Bulldogs v New Zealand Warriors This is at Accor, The Dogs are in form, and having pumped up their tyres on this forum (but then tipped against them) It's time to join the Bulldogs Bandwagon. The Wahs won last week at home against a weakened Broncos but they have a track history of rebounding from a shallacking with a win the following game ,so not so surprising to me anyway. Wahs let the Dogs out ? Wests Tigers v Melbourne Storm After two wins on the bounce, the hammering from the Roosters took me by surprise, but then The Mole has been saying that there is a club where at least two senior players are trying to get the coach sacked so you probably know which club I feel Moley is referring to. What impresses me about the Stom is that they continue to win despite not having their anything like their first choice XIII out each week. - Coaching matters. - Storm hits Leichardt Oval North Queensland Cowboys v Manly Sea Eagles Up in Tropical Townsville, but in many ways likely to be the closest game of the round with Tommy Turbo returning with the Origin players to give the silvertails their impressive backline. Yes the Cows did come home last week against the Panther Cubs and it is clolse to their First Choice XIII but they have failed to convince this season, so I do fancy the Silvertails in this one if their fowards giove the backs a platform. - Sea Eagles soar ? Sydney Roosters v St George-Illawarra Dragons Now I am struggling with the bookies odds that favour a Roosters landslide - Really ? for starters next to James Tedesco, Joey Manu is the second most imporetant Rooster and so often the Manu of the monent when the Roosters need it. and they are up against a SGI side that Shane Flanagan is wielding into a decent enough side for the top 8 if not premiership contenders this season. League tables do not lie. The returning Zak Lomax is having a standout season and having thoughts of doing a back-flip on signing with Parra to remain at SGI - C'mon Zak you know you want to... - Roosters just Canberra Raiders v Newcastle Knights I am a big fan of Ricky Stewart a dinkum Aussie coach if ever there was one, but surely those in the board as well as in the stands muist be having a twinge of "buyers regret" about his four year contract extension to 2029, as the capital's club endures mid-table mediocrity. Newcastle held their own against Cronulla and now have Kaylin Ponga returning to a winning side who should be confident of gaining the points here - Capital Collapse Continues As always good luck with your tips

TV will be the determining factor in any expansion bid. Perth being two hours behind of Sydney maybe there is a slot the NRL can exploit for TV bearing in mind the 6.00pm Friday game is not to everyones taste. There is also a case for another side in the Brisbane area in the west around Ipswich, given that you could have a Queensland team Friday, Saturday and Sunday on TV. Follow the money when it comes to expansion...

That is correct but takes a lot of Finance and strategic management savvy which the club does not posess . The other problem with a London / SE fans group are the seperate agendas that would compete with each other and doom such a group to failure. Too old now to change my ways so not giving up on the game, Will get to Broncos games when I can, May go to the Saturday of Magic Weekend and the Grand Final and will be at the two Tests against Samoa.

25th September 1983 Fulham v Hull - a rare win in that season. I only went to the two games that year the other one was Leeds at home which they lost. I was into soccer at the time (Wimbledon FC) I do remember the Hull fans "Old Faithfull" song though. After those two, the next game was London Broncos v Paris in the Superleague 4th April 1996. It was a sport that came along at the right time after I had fallen out of love with soccer. Plus as a regular visitor to Australasia where it is much bigger sport than here,has kept me in the game ever since despite watching London Broncos struggles.

Almost forgot.. Winners - Cronulla Sharks, New Zealand Warriors, Paramatta Eels, Melbourne Storm, Dolphins, Penrith Panthers and Sydney Roosters. Points - 346 Home Wins - 4 Poll - Dolphins