NRLWeekly Blog Post - 7th March

The Week It's Been...
What a week of rugby league it has been with the start of the NRL season a huge success. It all kicked off last thursday night when Bennett's Knights took on the Dragons in what would prove to be an amazing game. Jamie Soward stood up when it counted, however to slot the winning field goal; the Dragons the victors 15-14. Next, on a wet, wild and windy Parramatta night, the Eels played host to the Broncos. New recruit Chris Sandow scored early, and played with uncharacteristic composure, but it wasn't enough to defeat a promising Broncos team, who played well in the second half to win 18-6. Then, to Canberra on saturday afternoon, where the Stom played the Raiders. Billy Slater was absolutely brilliant, and along with Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith saw off the green machines 24-19. The Bulldogs followed with a win, 22-14, against the Panthers in an exceptional start for pommie James Graham, who had a great game. The Cowboys put in a dismal effort against the Titans, losing 18-0 and making 28 errors in total! Across the Tasman, the Warriors hosted Manly in a grand final rematch, in which Manly were the victors 26-20 in an epic encounter. All eyes were on Todd Carney as the Tigers hosted the Sharks. A brilliant game, in which superstars Todd Carney and Benji Marshall starred, the latter slotting a field goal to give the Tigers a 17-16 win. Then, on monday night, the Roosters and Rabbitohs played out one of the most spectacular comebacks I have ever seen. With 2 and a half minutes to go the Roosters were down by eight, before a charging Jared-Waerea Hargreaves barged over. After a bit of a scuffle on the try line, the Roosters needed to score again in the last minute. After 2 solid hit ups, Mitchell Pearce found space on the right side, sending Mitchell Aubusson into a gap after he stepped a Rabbitohs defender. Aubusson passed the ball to big Boyd Cordner, who ran about 10 metres before putting in on the toe for a flying Anthony Minichiello to pick up the ball on the line and dive over. The Roosters winning the match 24-20.


Anthony Minichiello scored in the last minute for the Roosters

What an opening week of rugby league we had.


Games Coming Up...
Last week I got 5/8 tips right with the Broncos, Storm, Bulldogs, Tigers and Roosters all winning. This week there are some seriously tough games to tip:

• Manly v Tigers - Manly showed some character to win against the Warriors in New Zealand, but with no Glenn Stewart or Steve Matai, I'll tip the tigers in a close one.
• Broncos v Cowboys - The Broncos were less than perfect against the Eels, but considering how badly the Cowboys played, I'll tip the Broncos.
• Titans v Raiders - A very tough tip, with both teams playing better than expected last week. Experience and a solid forward pack should get the Titans over the line.
• Bulldogs v Dragons - Another very tough tip with both teams showing promise last week. I'll tip the Dragons, but I won't be surprised if the Dogs get up on them.
• Sharks v Knights - Sharks were very good last week, with Todd Carney firing on all cylinders. I'll tip the Knights, but I won't be surprised if the Sharks cause an upset.
• Roosters v Panthers - Roosters were OK in there lucky escape against the Rabbitohs and the Panther's were not too great either. I'll tip the Roosters in a tight one.
• Storm v Rabbitohs - The Storm's attack is, in my opinion, the best in the NRL, and were cynical in a close game against the Raiders. They will not be beaten at home against the Rabbitohs.
• Eels v Warriors - Eels were not great against the Broncos, and despite Chris Sandow finding some form, they will miss Jarryd Hayne at the back. I'll tip the Warriors.

 Team of the Week...
Although the Roosters' comeback was exceptional, there were far from great, so this week's team of the week is the Dragons. The Dragons were tipped by many to lose to Bennett's Knights, without the maestro himself and Darius Boyd. However, the forwards muscled up, the backs made their tackles, and when it comes to golden point, is there anyone better than Jamie Soward? Matt Cooper was aggressive on the right, Jack De Belin's young body coped well, and the cool and composed halves pairing of Soward and Hornby provided for this well drilled team. Up against the Bulldogs away this week, the Dragons have their work cut out. But if last week's performance was anything to go by, they should come out victorious on saturday night.



Dream Team News...
As it so often does, dream team through up many surprises last week. Nathan Merritt injured at the last minute, Moltzen and Tedesco injured too, and some mediocre results from the likes of Kyle Stanley, Campese and Nathan Friend. However, there were some guns, and boy, did they score. Shaun Fensom and Todd Carney are dream team MUST HAVES after their scores of 88 and 82 respectively. Tony Williams also notched up 82, with Cooper Cronk (79) and Corey Parker (71) also racking up some dream team points. Young gun Adam Reynolds really stood up with his score of 40. But a new week comes and a new set of scores. Don't be tempted to send out half the team who performed poorly this week, as they might bounce back this coming week.





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