Spotty Herbert

Seconded. I need to learn how to save some trades. Interestingly, my final overall league position was 1,000 worse than my best ever, but my average points per week was 110 points higher this season than I have ever achieved before. Just shows what an impact Turbo had on overall scores. I will be back next year, despite my current contempt for the selfish, parochial and cowardly NRL management. Merry Christmas everybody!

Adam Elliott will be on the list soon!

He has been a great servant to the game. Can't help feeling it may be Ricky's last as Raiders coach as well.

Sutton (Gerard) made sure he didn't upset Trent, but that game summed up the Raiders season for me : promising moments, but far too many errors and questionable use of his resources by Ricky. Maybe he has slowed down too much this year and lost some of what was between his ears. Or is it elsewhere in the Raiders structure that the issues exist?

Winners : Roosters, Storm, Panthers, Broncos, Sea Eagles, Dragons, Titans, Tigers Points : 388 Away wins : 5 Poll : Panthers to absolutely mullah the third string Eels

This would benefit those players who get their run on (Week 1) team right as well. Got to be a positive move.

Only 15 players named and no trades. Thank goodness I was knocked out by Flat Cappers Select a couple of weeks ago, meaning I don't have to worry about it!

My only issue with your thoughts are that Matt Frawley could be classed as underrated. When he played over here I thought he was about League 1 standard and I haven't seen anything since he returned to Oz to change my mind - although, to be fair I haven't seen the Raiders last couple of games in full. Do we think the Panthers could hit 100 against such a below strength Eels side? Titans / Warriors might be the best of all match ups and could decide the last of the eight who carry on into next week (as Farmduck suggested in an earlier post).

I just don't think the Raiders have it in them this year. I may be wrong, but the Roosters have been fantastic despite all the injuries and I figure they still have a bit left in the tank. I hope so, anyway.

Storm are rumoured to be resting players before finals and could lose a couple to bans. That may be just what the Sharks need to surprise them. I agree that the Raiders are unlikely to do it against the Roosters. Titans / Warriors is anyone's guess, but I think it is wrong that they get the advantage of playing last.

Winners : Knights, Raiders, Bunnies, Dragons, Sharks, Storm, Sea Eagles and Panthers. Home wins : 6 Points : 394 Poll : 5 or more

My RL passions are the Rhinos in England and the Eels in Oz. One team knows how to win things from a lowly position in the play offs, the other starts strong, peaks far too early and then crashes and burns. THIS year I am like a slimy, snake type creature, successful at the start but feeble when it mattered. Congratulations to those that planned their trades so much beter than I did and to The Flat Cappers in particular.

Winners : Storm, Sea Eagles, Panthers, Sharks, Knights, Eels, Roosters, Warriors. Points : 374 Away wins : 6 Poll : 5 or 6

Winners : Storm, Panthers, Roosters, Bunnies, Cowboys, Sea Eagles, Warriors, Sharks Points : 385 Away wins Poll : Rabbits vs Titans

Surely it is? This is rugby league, after all

I have one trade left. Shaun Johnson and Joseph Suallii are out for the season, Angus Crighton has taken an early guilty plea for a 3 game ban and I believe Kurt Capewell will be banned this week. I also have Luke Thompson who is still banned and James Fisher Harris who is outside the NRL bubble. Plus question marks over Nicho Hynes playing minutes, the fitness of Jahrome Hughes and the fact that Ryan James is out of favour at Canberra. 1. Any suggestions as to what I should do? 2. I wish I was playing me this week.

My somewhat jaundiced opinion at the moment is that the NRL should be dissolved as being unfit for purpose, rather than being allowed to have any further influence. Why? The contempt shown for international rugby league, disguised as concern for player welfare (despite their actions being the opposite of what the vast majority of NRL players wanted), means the organisation cannot be allowed to have any influence beyond its current remit. The fumbleball discussion on this forum highlights the fact that the AFL has much greater penetration than the NFL within Australia. The only positive in the NRL's favour is the potential for international competition. If this isn't realised there will come a time when AFL is more appealing to Australian TV than the NRL, leading to a reduction in income and the gradual disintegration of the NRL competition - all because there is no appetite amongst the clubs for expansion or an international element to the game. RTS has left the Warriors to try and play meaningful international games for his country. There are suggestions that Ponga could go the same way. If Rugby Australia and the All Blacks got their heads out of their ***** the Pacific Islands could become real RU powerhouses, attracting all the best talent currently living on the eastern seaboard of Australia and playing in the NRL. In turn, this would encourage players currently representing NZ to return to their heritage nations to add to their strength. The NRL, like the Superleague teams in Europe are happy to maintain the status quo. The rest of us recognise that to stand still is to go backwards and we HAVE to expand our reach, particularly internationally, to avoid contracting further. The NRL does not want to expand internally within Aus / NZ or internationally, so should be allowed no influence over the Pacific islands. God, I am depressed after writing that. Please can someone tell me it is all ###### and there is hope for the future for rugby league.

Anger is at the selfish, parochial and cowardly NRL administration, not at people on this forum, who are generally great to discuss / argue with. I did think about cancelling my Watch NRL subscription and about stopping watching altogether, but why should I cut my nose off to spite my face? Keep up the great work !!!

Sorry, but it was known RTS was going to the dark side very early in the year and he was never going to be allowed to play in the RL world cup.

Such is my anger at the NRL's parochial, selfish and cowardly behaviour I nearly forgot to enter my picks this week. Winners : Knights. Raiders, Bunnies, Sharks, Roosters, Storm, Dogs, Titans. 418 points in total 5 home wins Most tries : Titans vs Cowboys. A pox on all the NRL clubs and officials, may the Queensland government keep them there in quarantine hotels for the next six months and not let them out on to their balconies. Well, the officials anyway. The players who were prepared to come to the UK can have free movement.

So your lot will cut short the NRL season to enable that to happen? Yes, sure ....

Spot on. We must have a multi million $$$ bond IF we are going to see it postponed to next year.

But will you call him that next week if he scores three against your beloved Storm?

Eric Anselme at Leeds for (I think) half a season

452 came from one person! Very pleasantly surprised given how much I have been whining about injuries and lack of trades