NRLWeekly Blog Post - 29th February

Tomorrow marks the start of the 2012 NRL season and I can't believe its finally here!


The Week Its Been...
This week its been all about teams preparing for the NRL season. Jarryd Hayne and Willie Tonga are out of the Eels clash with the Broncos, and on the other side of the scale, Petero Civoniceva is suspended for one match for a high tackle in the Broncos trial match against the Storm. Greg Inglis has made a remarkable recovery and will start for the Rabbitohs on monday night when the Bunnies clash with the Sydney Roosters. Jason Ryles is out for the Storm, while big names Isaac Luke, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Michael Luck, Beau Champion and Tariq Sims will all be out of action.



Games Coming Up...

• Knights v Dragons - This will shape up as one of the games of the round, I reckon, as Wayne Bennett's Knights take on his old club the Dragons. With not a lot of confidence, I'll tip the Knights.
• Eels v Broncos - With Jarryd Hayne, Ben Smith and Willie Tonga all out of this game, it will be tough to go against the Broncos, even without kingpin Darren Lockyer. I'll tip the Broncos.
• Raiders v Storm - With the Raiders, its hard to know what you'll get, but the Storm just have such a formidable team this year, that its hard to see them getting beaten. I'll tip the Storm.
• Panthers v Bulldogs - Bit of a tough one as both teams look like they're on the verge of a revolutionary season with new coaches. I'll tip the Bulldogs.
• Cowboys v Titans - The Titans should improve on their dismal season last year with some good new recruits, but JT and co. should get the job done. I'll tip the Cowboys.
• Warriors v Manly - Probably the toughest tip of the week in a rematch of the grand final. It may come back to bite me but I'll tip the Warriors in a nail-biter.
• Tigers v Sharks - The Tigers are another team that look very hard to beat this year and should make light work of an admittedly improved Sharks line-up. I'll tip the Tigers.
• Rabbitohs v Roosters - The Roosters are looking like a transformed team after their devastating year last year and should beat the Rabbitohs. I'll tip the Roosters.

Jarryd Hayne is out of the Eels' match against the Broncos

Team of the Week...
Since their have been no games this week, I'll pick the team I think will win the year, as well as the other 15 teams after that ;)

1. Storm
2. Tigers
3. Knights
4. Manly
5. Roosters
6. Cowboys
7. Broncos
8. Bulldogs
9. Dragons
10. Warriors
11. Eels
12. Rabbitohs
13. Titans
14. Sharks
15. Panthers
16. Raiders

I'll admit the Dragons and Warriors could easily make the eight, but looking at the teams above them, (Bulldogs, Broncos, Cowboys), I honestly think those teams have a better chance.



Dream Team News...
I'll keep this section short and sweet because the stats will reveal all in the next few days. I just wanted to wish everyone good luck for the dream team season, and whether you're going for the major prize, or simply want to try and beat your mates in a league, have fun and don't waste too many trades early on. Make sure you also check the team lists that are now up on the NRL website to see if all you're big guns are playing.



Thanks for reading NRLWeekly - make sure you read next week's post where I'll have a look at the first week of the NRL season.

NRLWeekly Blog Post - 22nd February

The Week It's Been...
There is only 1 week to go until the 2012 NRL season starts and I'm sure pre-season nerves are starting to kick in for players, coaches and fans alike. Recently today, in fact, the NRL announced that it would be changing the McIntyre finals system, which I am thrilled about. Last year, the Broncos and Tigers were unlucky in that they won their games in the first week of the finals, which had no significant influence to them. The Dragons and Warriors both lost in the first week, yet each got another chance to face the Broncos and Tigers respectively. The new system is much more fair for all, and is shown on the NRL website (it is the same as the AFL system, where the top 4 teams and the bottom four teams are split into two separate pools.

This week was also the last week of trials and it has thrown up some interesting results:

• Leeds 26 - Manly 12
• Panthers 26 - Eels 10
• Warriors 68 - Sunshine Coast 10
• Storm 34 - Broncos 30
• Raiders 16 - Bulldgos 14
• Cowboys 28 - Titans 36
• Sharks 18 - Knights 22
• Dragons 18 - Rabbitohs 12
• Tigers 24 - Roosters 28

Leeds suprised Manly 26-12 in a shock result, and the Tigers also lost to the Roosters. So I got both those tips wrong, but thankfully the Storm won so I did get that one right.



Games Coming Up...
You may have noticed I have changed this section from “Big” Games Coming Up to Games Coming Up, as now that the trials are done, all NRL season games are big and I will be providing tips for all of them. In saying that, there are no games coming up as it is the week before the season kicks off and all the trials are finished.



Team of the Week...

Konrad Hurrell is in for a big season with the Warriors

This week's team of the week is the New Zealand Warriors. They destroyed the Sunshine Coast, who are admittedly not an NRL side, but to put 68 points on any team is impressive. The warriors boast a HUGE forward pack with the likes of Michael Luck, Simon Mannering, Russell Packer, Feleti Mateo and Ben Matulino being joined by workhorse hooker Nathan Friend. They also have some of the competition's most exciting young backs, with Shaun Johnson, James Maloney, Kevin Locke and the experience and bulk of Manu Vatuvei. Having won the Toyota Cup last year as well, the warriors have great young players from the 20's stepping up into the NRL squad. Watch for Konrad Hurrell for the warriors this year.



Dream Team News...
With the NRL season fast approaching, it is worth taking note of the official NRL Dream Team guru, Lone Scout. Lone Scout has been noting Dream Team Builders each few days of the NRL's website. Here is the full list:

• Akuila Uate
• Adam Blair
• Nathan Friend
• Billy Slater
• Clint Newton
• Boyd Cordner
• Jack De Belin
• Justin Poore
• James Tedesco
• Mitchell Aubusson
• Sam Burgess
• Tony Williams
• Terry Campese
• Todd Carney
• Nathan Merritt
• Adam Reynolds
• Shaun Berrigan
• Timana Tahu
• Corey Norman
• Konrad Hurrell

Some of these players are superstars of the game, while some you may not have even heard of. These are the players that Lone Scout thinks will have a big year in Dream Team and are worth consideration when picking your squad.



Thank you for reading NRLWeekly and for Jaime Lopez Urdaniz and SportsFreak who are really helping the channel grow. Make sure you read next week's blog, where I will predict the 2012 NRL season's placings for each team.

NRLWeekly Blog Post - 15th February

The Week it's Been...
This week the NRL became an independant commission, which is being talked about as a great moment in rugby league history. But what does it actually mean for the NRL? Firstly, it means David Gallop will no longer have to answer to News Ltd and ARL whinging about their seperate needs and wants, but instead Gallop and the commissions can all make a decision together. It also means that better broadcasting deals will probably be in place, which in turn means more money for clubs and possibly a higher salary cap. NRL clubs have already been told their salary cap could increase to $5 million next year and then $6.6 million in the future. That may not seem like a big deal, but it should draw more overseas players to the NRL and keep our superstars in the NRL to finish out their career, instead of playing overseas in England and France.

Apart from that, there have been several trial matches this week as well. Here are the results:

• Cowboys 18 - Dragons 12
• Rabbitohs 14 - Warriors 22
• Raiders 27 - Storm 18
• Titans 18 - Broncos 16
• Tigers 20 - Eels 12
• Panthers 18 - Knights 18
• Bulldogs 16 - Roosters 28

Last week I tipped the cowboys, Knights and Bulldogs, which means I got 1 (and a half, I guess) out of 3.



Big Games Coming Up...

• Leeds v Manly
• Storm v Broncos
• Tigers v Roosters

The Leeds v Manly game is part of the World Club Challenge, which is between the winning Super League team of 2011 and the winning NRL team of 2011. This week my tips go to Manly, Storm and the Tigers.



Team of the Week...
This week's team of the week is the Sydney Roosters. The Roosters won comfortably in the end against the Bulldogs, in front of a passionate Canterbury crowd at Belmore.

Mitch Aubusson may have a great year in 2012

After a terrible year in 2011, the Roosters may bounce back in 2012 after a great pre-season and trial. The roosters have dynamic second row/centre Mitch Aubusson back in the red, white and blue again this year after he suffered a season ending injury in 2011. The Roosters have also signed young talent Daniel Mortimer. The five-eighth/fullback is playing with his childhood hero Braith Anasta and may prove critics wrong by having a great year with the Roosters.



Dream Team News...
After much speculation about who I should get in my team, I have come up with three golden rules:

1. Forget last year - last years duds are not necessarily going to be duds this year and great buys last year are not necessarily going to be great buys this year. Terry Campese and Mitch Aubusson, for example, are relatively cheap this year because injury ruined their 2011 season. Cameron Smith, on the other end of the scale, was a great buy last year, but this year he is very expensive, and although he will score consistently well, Robbie Farah or Danny Buderus could be a better option.
2. Don't stack up players from one team - Melbourne Storm or the Newcastle Knights have many great dream team players so it can be tempting to select many players from those teams. However, a bye or a couple of bad games could disrupt the whole team's dream team scoring and therefore your dream team scores as well.
3. Plan ahead - This relates mainly to the bye aspect of dream team. If you are going for overall scoring, byes are a nuisance and crucial to work your way around. Planning ahead  will allow you to pass through the bye weeks without too much loss, which could easily mean the difference between a few ranks at the end of the competition.

Thank you for reading NRLWeekly. Please like if you enjoyed it and leave any feedback in the comments section.

NRLWeekly Blog Post - 8th February

Another week of footy gone by and another week closer to the start of the 2012 NRL season.


The Week it's Been...
The All Stars game completely opened my eyes as to what I, and many other fans, have been missing this summer. It was simply a great game and made me wish the NRL season was starting earlier. I thought the powerplay rule was great from a spectator's point of view and should be introduced into the NRL as soon as possible. Also, the rule that allowed the tackle count to restart on penalties was great for stopping unecessary pauses in the game.  South Sydney centre Greg Inglis could be out for up to 6 weeks with an ankle injury that he suffered during the All Stars game. Here are the results of this week's trial matches as well:

• Cronulla Sharks 38 - Manly 6 (Todd Carney finding some great form)
• Panthers 18 - Ipswich 18
• Warriors 26 - Gold Coast Titans 10
• Dragons 18 -  Bulldogs 28
• Broncos 28 - Cowboys 22
• Melbourne Storm 36 - Brisbane East 8

In the tipping department I have a grand total of 1 from 3 after the Sharks upset Manly and the Indigenous All Stars lost to the All Stars. Fortunately the Bulldogs got home against the Dragons.



Big Games Coming Up...

• Cowboys v Dragons
• Panthers v Knights
• Bulldogs v Roosters

These three games should be especially interesting as many coaches have put forward strong squads for their respective games. This week, my tips go to the Cowboys, Knights and Bulldogs.



Team of the Week...
This week's team of the week is the Cronulla Sharks. The Sharks smashed Manly 38-6, with BOTH teams fielding strong sides in the second half. Todd Carney was absolutely brilliant in that game, carving the Manly defense apart, which is great news for Sharks fans.

The Sharks are another team that should benefit greatly from their new transfers. Todd Carney and Jeff Robson should slot nicely into the halves, with Isaac de Gois filling the hooker spot. With Nathan Gardner presumably at fullback, this gives the Sharks an excellent 'spine' (hooker, halfback, five-eighth, fullback). Andrew Fifta and Bryce Gibbs should bolster a forward pack boasting the likes of Paul Gallen, Jeremy Smith and Anthony Tupou. And maybe, just maybe, the Sharks can surprise a few by making the eight.


Dream Team News...
Not only was the All Stars an amazing game to watch and a great way to test out the news rules, but it also gave an insight into dream team tactics. Luke Bailey and Benji Marshall led the dream team points scorers with 48 and 47 respectively. I have now put Bailey in my season dream team as I think he may still rack up the points, even at his age.

My team of Dugan, Reed, Marshall, Fifita, Payne and Gallen did alright for 301 points (I came 2414 out of 11821). In hindsight, Fifata was a terrible buy!




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NRL Weekly Blog Post - 1st February

The Week it's Been...
Cameron Smith, Ben Hornby, Tony Williams. All out of the All Stars game! Big disappointment for many NRL fans, including me, to see three players bow out in such quick succession. Fortunately, Wayne Bennett has three more than handy replacements in Aaron Payne, Anthony Watmough and Nathan Fien, who all have a big chance to prove themselves. In other news, a very understrength South Sydney Rabbitohs side has lost to English Super League side Warrington, 34-28. New Rabbitohs recruit Matt King was playing against his old team, as well as young gun Adam Reynolds, who is tipped to replace Chris Sandow (gone to Eels) in the number 7 jersey. Both King and Reynolds were impressive in that game despite their team being defeated. Also, hard luck for new Cowboys recruit Robert Lui, who dislocated his knee in training and will need surgery. Cowboys have confirmed he is in doubt for the season opener.



Big Games Coming up...
My apologies for last week writing that the All Stars game, the Cowboys v Broncos and the Dragons v Bulldogs was coming up in the week. It is coming up THIS week. My tips remain the same from last week (Indigenous All Stars, Broncos, Bulldogs). This week there are other big games coming up too:

• Warriors v Gold Coast Titans - Trial (Warriors)
• Sharks v Manly - Trial (Manly)

Both games will be closer than many predict, I believe, as although the Titans and Sharks finished badly last year, both squads have been bolstered with some great new recruits.



Team of the Week...

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Chris Sandow will be playing for the Eels this year - will he step up?

Again, no games have been played this week (except Rabbitohs v Warrington), so again I will nominate the Parramatta Eels. Chris Sandow will be wearing the yellow and blue this year, and could combine brilliantly with flyer Jarryd hayne, possibly forming a daunting combination for other teams. Ben Roberts will probably partner Chris Sandow in the halves, quite an underated player, in my opinion, and Robert's partnership will Sandow may also be deadly.
Brothers Willie and Esi Tonga could easily be the centre pairing for the Eels in 2012, both hard, dynamic runners with great fends. Add these exciting backs to a forward line that boasts the likes of Fuifui Moimoi and Nathan Hindmarsh, and the Eels could be a major force to be reckoned with in the 2012 season.



Dream Team News...
Lone Scout, is the Toyota NRL Dream Team's (link on first blog post - 25th January) guru, who posts regularly on the NRL website. This week, he posted the top 10 bargains for the 2012 season. They are:

• Corey Norman - $171,800 (Fullback-Winger; Half)
• Tony Williams - $161,000 (Second Row; Centre)
• Terry Campese - $248,900 (Half)
• Todd Carney - $203,600 (Fullback-Winger; Half)
• Tariq Sims - $218,900 (Second Row)
• Clint Newton - $164,200 (Second Row)
• Zeb Taia - $227,400 (Second Row)
• Justin Poore - $111,400 (Front Row)
• Sam Burgess - $201,400 (Second Row; Front Row)
• Nathan Friend - $246,500 (Hooker)

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