The NRL Round 3 Thread

[THE RED ROOSTER]

Round three let's get going

Canberra Raidsrs v Canterbury Bulldogs

Last season's clash in the capital was the original game of two halves as the Bulldogs bit back to win.

Canberra will be looking to rebound from their second half collapse at Mount Smart and Ricky rings the changes bringing back Josh Papali'i in the pack benching Morgan Smithie

As I witnessed it, the Wahs pack rolled over Canberra in the second half but Canterbury are still a club that could be regarded as forward lite and as such pose less of a threat.

Canterbury have their own drama to deal with as Bronson Xerri makes way for Emari Tuola. The Gouldfather strikes again and you have to eonder on the impact in the Dogs cam

Tip - close gane but I go with Ricky's Rebounding Raiders through home advantag

Sydney Roosters v Penrith Panthers

Reece Robson makes his first grade debut for the Tricolours. Potentially this means origin player Connor Watson.moving on as Benian Iaelu seems to be the favoured understudy.

For the Penny Panthers, Liam Martin returns and Freddy Lussick replaces Jack Cogger who heads to the bench

Despite the pre-season hype, I do not see how the Roosters win this one and the Panthers are in position to target Mark N whose defensive frailty is a liabilt

Tip - Panther power to prevail.

Melbourne Storm v Brisbane Broncos

Melbourne unchanged and finding ways to win.Sa'a Falongo at fullback proving dare I say it to be a.more durable upgrade on Ryan Papenhuizen who was often unavailable through i jur

The Bronx ring the changes. No Adam Reynolds means Ben Hunt starts in the halves and Gehemat Shibasaki is dropped for Grant Anderson.

Owing to their status as the first NRL club established in League mad Queensland. The Bronx are the biggrst club in the NRL. They are newsworthly and two losses on the bounce is putting the blowtorch on Michsel Maguire.

Tip - This could the the game for a Bronx bounceback but Melbourne for me.

Newcastle Knights v New Zealand Warriors

Victory at Brookvale came at rhe cost of the temporary loss of Kaylin Ponga and Dylan Brown to injury.The good news is the return of the effervescent Fletcher Sharpe in the halves with Fletcher Hunt taking over at fullback

The Wahs picked up a series of injuries last Friday losing Kurt Capewell, Charnel Harris-Tevita and Charnize Nicholl-Klokstadt. Replaced by Taine Tuoupiki at fullback, Leika Halisima, who had a breakthrough game gainst the Raiders, and start Luke Hansen in the halves alonside Tanah Boy

Some feel the Wahs are ready to take off, but I say cool those jets, because its one thing beating sides coming oger the ditch and a complrtely different prospect having to make the retun journey.

I have moy tipped the Knights so far this season but I have made the point that with platers such as Bradman Best, Greg Marzhew, Phoenix Crossland and our own Dom Young you have a backline thst can put points on the board as long as the forwards can at least reach parity with the opposition.

And rhere is one other factor, Justin Holbrook, who is a very good coach and who was punted at Gold Coast just as he was beginning to turn the club around as he is doing at the Knights

Tip - I am going against the grain here but I do think Newcastle can sneak this.

Cronulla Sharks v The Dolphins

Both clubs field an unchanged line up and opinions on both clubs also remain unchanged.

The Sharkies have ptoved they are good against ordinary sides yet ordinary against good sides.

The Dolphins, remain the great unpredictables of the NRL.Rubbish for 60 minutes yet brilliant for the last 20 minutes. At some point a side containing the Hammer and Herbie will"click" and muller the opposition.

Tip - Always problematic tipping a gane involving the Dolphins, but I fancy Cronulla will get into the grind against the fins and tip them for the win at Shark Park.

South Sydney v West Tigers

Played on neutral territory at Gosford.

Souths having got over the distration of Alex Johnston's milestone have London lad Jaime Humphries back in the halves and Tallis Duncan in for Euan Aitken. In addition to the birth of Latrell's fourth child.

West Tigers make one chsnge after milking the Cows at Leichardt.with Jamal Skelton coming in for thr injured Terrell May.

Tip - a very difficult game to call between the two sides.but I an going for Wests in this game.

Paramatta Eels v St George-Illawarra

The Paramatta I and others expected to see turned up at Suncorp last week, and bring back J'maine Hopgood post suspension. Jack De Belin starts from the bench with a point to prove against his old club.

For SGI, Jacob Liddle is on rge ben h and this is significant in that he can alternate and spell Damian Cook who I have the ultimate respect for but is no longer an 80 minute player

Tip - A very tight game, but one factor could be crucial and that is Valentine Holmes hit and.miss efforts with the boot which will come back to haunt SGI at some poibt this season.

North Queensland Cowboys v Gold Coast Titans.

Vital game for Todd Payten, as the Cows welcome back Reuben Cotter to the pack.

For Gold Coat the only move of significabxe is Jayden Campbell on the bench.

It's not inconcievable that Todd Payten's tenure at North Queensland will end with defeat to the Titans.

Josh Hanbsy hadno such job insecurity issyed ss such. The main podiyivebof being the Titans cosch is thsg exmpectations have been set set at low bar.

Tip- The importance of the game for Todd Payten and the Cowboys may influncr the outcone. If Gold Cost were to estanlish a 14 point lead as last week this will be a true test of coaching, players and fans. I tip the Cows because ghry are at home abd shoukd play with despetation but would not be surprised by a Titans triumph.

 

Edited March 18 by THE RED ROOSTER

[Blotto]

Interesting way of wording! I thought did he proof read or was it the proof in the grog? 

[Anita Bath]

Broncos horrendous start to the season can be viewed in a different light….lost to Penrith and Parramatta at home and expected to lose to Melbourne away….those are identical results to last season, they just weren’t played as the first three games of the season.

[THE RED ROOSTER]

Hosing it down in Canberra as it has been in Sydney since the afternoon.

Bruce stadium is largely open so if your watching on TV it looks sparsely attended  but in reality people do not want to be soaked for the full 80.

Canberra ahead through a Tamale try on the flanks.Sanders with the conversion 6-0 after 5 mins.

[Futtocks]

Canberra playing dry weather Rugby and getting away with it (so far).

[THE RED ROOSTER]

Tracey scores for the Dogs off a Canberra error against the run of play. Crichton who has been winding up the Raiders misses the conversion.6-4

 

[THE RED ROOSTER]

A Burton 40-20 ends with a Crichton penalty 6-6 15 mins.

[Futtocks]

More indiscipline from the Raiders, which cost them dearly last week, and Papali'i gets binned.

[THE RED ROOSTER]

Crichton adds another penalty 6-8 Josh Papali'l in the bin beforeh and so Canberra playing a man short. Corey Horsbrough in full Berzerker mode for the Raiders which is problematic.

[THE RED ROOSTER]

6-8 at the half, Canberra need to stop the stupid prnalties such as Tamale dragging Montoya into touch.

Main positive for the Raiders is going in only two behind having survived four consecutive sets before the half.

 

[THE RED ROOSTER]

Canberra pull it bavk to 10-14 5 mins ffrom the end of an attritional second half.

Sanders cut down inches from the line with 30 seconds left.Does come away with the win.

[Graham]

Been to a funeral today so watching the Raiders v Dogs game on catch up.

[Graham]

Highlights:

 

[Futtocks]

Storm lead 14:0 sat HT, in a match that feels like it should  have been much higher-scoring.

[Futtocks]

Jordan Riki finally gets the Broncos on the scoreboard.

14:6

[Futtocks]

Riki in again and Walsh converts from the touchline.

14:12

Brisbane have cut the errors and upped the completions from the first half.

[Futtocks]

Staggs puts the visitors into the lead!

[Futtocks]

Waves of attack from Melbourne, but the Broncos haven't broken yet.

[Futtocks]

Brisbane somehow hang on and it finishes 14:18.

[The Future is League]

2 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

Brisbane somehow hang on and it finishes 14:18.

Wow not many of us see that one coming

[Anita Bath]

Brilliant second half from Broncos. much improved defence but kept giving the ball away in 1st half. Different team in second half.

[Futtocks]

Just caught up with the earlier match. The Roosters started like a train, then Penrith woke up after a few minutes and took them to pieces.

[JimBronco]

Judt watched the Roosters-Panthers game. Wow, Penrith are looking scarily good. Some fantastic tries and especially To'o's try. Individual moment of brilliance. Sydney started off strong too but Penrith went through the gears. They're going to take some stopping! 

[THE RED ROOSTER]

Posting as someone who was at Allianz Stadium, last night was complete dominstion by the Penny Panthers. I would go as far to say that that was a performance thst you could show to youngsters as "How to play Rugby League" .

Roosters scored first and for the first 15 minutes or so it was fairly even until Thomas "milky" Jenkins exploited Mark N's defensive frailty squuesing in between him and the touchline. en route to bagging four tries in the game. That initial score was soon after after James Tedesco, who as ever was the only Rooster to come out of this game with any credit, had given away a penalty which resulted in Nathan Cleary,unsuccessfully, attempting to get Teddy sin binned endearing himself to the crowd in the process.

Once Brian To'o scored a brilliant individual try it was all Panthers from then on building up a 4-24 lead at the half ending in a 4-40 final score. Ivan Cleary would have been content in keeping the Roosters scoreless in the second half.

Roosters had their chances and posession but disintegrated into knock on's and.missed passes. There has to be some red faces in the Sydney media amongst those who had the Roosters as Minor Premiers pre-season for whilst I personally did not see them winning this game nor did I see such a comprehanive hammering being handed out by the Penny Panthers.

All I will say is that Mark N has had his one season in the sun and is now being targeted for his defensive frailty and DCE is no Cooper Cronk and had a game best forgotten.

If I was coaching the Roosters,  I would drop both for the Manly game bringining in one of the Rodwell brothers for Mark N and Hugo Savala, if available and back from injury, to partner Sam Walker instead of DCE. This of course will not happen.

I got back to my hotel in time to see Melbourne surrender a 14 point lead in the second half to the Bronx. The way my tipping is going at the moment I really need to borrow the dog-eared Trent Robinson book of excuses.....

Heading off to Sharkies today where the weather forecast is for a thunderstorm to hit Wooloware just as the game kicks off so not for the first tine I am about to get a through soaking at Shark Park.

[Graham]

Jye Gray over for Souths’ first try of the game.

6-0 Bunnies after good goal kick.