Early tips for the 2014 Super Rugby Season

Winning Nationality – New Zealand $1.90 @bet365

Call me a biased Kiwi but since the conception of Super Rugby, New Zealand teams have accounted for 12 championships compared to just 3 each for Australia and South Africa and New Zealand Rugby showed little sign of slowing down throughout the 2013 year. The back to back champion Chiefs come in favourites once again and with good reason with several core players still young and developing despite having already achieved such great success. Players like Aaron Cruden (25) Ben Afeaki (25) Ben Tameifuna (22) Tawera Kerr-Barlow (23) Sam Cane (21) are already world class talents who still have plenty of room to grow. It’s scary to think that this Chiefs outfit that has already won two titles in a row could still just be scratching the surface, but they account for a significant portion of what is looked to be the future of the All Black side. But you aren’t just betting on the Chiefs, you’re betting on the always threatening Crusaders and with the talent at the Blues, Hurricanes and Highlanders there’s always a chance they put all the pieces together as well.

Top Australian Team – Reds $3.50 @bet365

In an up and down year for the Wallabies, it came as no surprise to me that when the Australian side once again opened their arms to Quade Cooper that things started to head in a better direction. One of the most polarising players in the Southern Hemisphere, there’s little debate that when he puts it together he’s a world beating talent, and combined with Will Genia in the halves they have the potential to be as good as any halfback/first five combinations out there. It was only 2011 that we saw this tandem help lead the Reds to a Super Rugby title with an exhilarating brand of Rugby that left defences clueless and fans out of their seats. Well supported by the likes of Mike Harris, James Horwill and the Fainga’as if Cooper and Genia continue their march back into form then there’s no reason why they couldn’t once again set Super Rugby alight.

To make the top 6 – Cheetahs $3.50 @bet365

Since their return to the competition in 2006, the Cheetahs had failed to finish any higher than 10^th on the ladder, until last year when they dashed in to 6^th place and earned themselves their first post season appearance. While they were lost in that qualifier, it was a huge accomplishment for a team that for so long had been one of the running jokes of the competition. Despite a 10 win 6 loss record, many pundits failed to acknowledge the improved play of this young Cheetahs outfit after being acclimatised to seeing them as the easy beats for so long. The Cheetahs represent an exciting outlook for the future of South African Rugby, determined to move away from the confined, 10 man style game that the South Africans have grown accustomed to. The Cheetahs, led by dynamic young five eight Johan Goosen, have plenty of flair and love to toss the ball around, an exciting attacking game that countless Super Rugby teams have proven can be very successful at this level. After an injury riddled 2013 campaign, Goosen, who at 21 has already notched 4 caps for the Springboks, will be desperate to stamp his authority quickly in his quest to make the South African number 10 jersey his own. The Cheetahs play in such a positive fashion and have proven they’re capable of being amongst the top of this competition, this year the pressure is on for them to show they can do that consistently and I expect them to rise to the challenge.

Five players to watch at the Rugby League World Cup

As much as the World Cup is about watching your nation go to battle to achieve the status of the best in the world, a huge part of the enjoyment for spectators stems from the chance to watch a wide range of players, some of whom we are familiar with and watch every week, some we may have never seen before. It presents an opportunity to see who those on the other side of the world get to watch each week, who are their stars and how do they stack up to ours, while also a chance to see familiar faces of our own teams in different environments facing different challenges. Roosters fans who have cheered the likes of Sonny Bill Williams and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves now find themselves on the other side of the fence as they turn out in black and white to take on the Australians, while Warriors fans who have developed a longstanding rivalry with the Melbourne Storm now find themselves cheering the likes of Jesse Bromwich. There’s a vast array of interesting and exciting talents who will be on display at this tournament, here I identify five in particular to keep your eye on.

Danny Brough – Five eighth, Scotland

Huddersfield Giants five-eighth Danny Brough embraced his first year as captain by leading the Giants to their first league leader’s shield in 81 years.  The thirty year old amassed 323 points in 28 Super League games in 2013, eclipsing the club record for both goals and points in a season. Brough’s exploits were recognised with an abundance of post-season awards, capturing the Albert Goldthorpe medal for the second time in his career, Rugby League Writers Association player of the year and the most prized individual award in Northern Hemisphere Rugby League, the Man of Steel award. Serving as captain for the Scots, Brough made his international debut back in 2004 and also served as captain for Scotland’s 2008 World Cup campaign. Scotland will fancy themselves a strong chance of coming out of Group C and they’ll be looking to the fantastic kicking game of Brough to direct them there.

Petero Civoniceva – Prop, Fiji

When the 2012 NRL season wrapped up, many thought it would be the last time they’d see this all-time great run around a footy field. After debuting in the NRL all the way back in 1998 and for Australia in 2001, Petero called it quits on what was an incredible career spanning 309 NRL games, 33 Origins for Queensland and 45 appearances for Australia. But not quite ready to give the game away, Petero turned out in 2013 for the Redcliffe Dolphins in the Queensland Cup and will now roll the dice one last time playing for his country of birth Fiji for the first time. He won’t be one of the most exciting players at the tournament and his prime has long passed, but few things will bring me more enjoyment than watching one of the best players to ever take the field, and a top bloke to go with it, have one last dance. Those old legs held up for a long time when people expected them to give in, don’t be surprised if Petero at the ripe age of 37 still has enough tread on the tyres to show the kids how it’s done.

Sonny Bill Williams – second row, New Zealand

Always in the headlines, SBW’s World Cup campaign was a hot topic long before the tournament had even begun. Initially ruling himself out of Kiwis selection, only to declare himself available once the Kiwis had named their squad, it came as little surprise that the defending champions quickly made room for him, unfortunately at the expense of standout Melbourne rookie Tohu Harris. Returning to the NRL after a lengthy hiatus that saw him become a Super Rugby and Rugby World Cup winner, SBW immediately contributed to a Roosters campaign that eventuated in a minor premiership and Grand Final victory, he now looks to achieve these exceptional feat of being a World Cup winner in both League and Union to compliment his NRL and Super Rugby championships. One of the most polarising figures in the game, the impact he made in returning to the sport after such a log absence was incredible. Perhaps the biggest “star” in the sport, Williams is a gigantic boost to the Kiwis chances of pulling off a successful title defence despite the fact the Kiwis have never actually won a game in the seven contests he has played for them.

Sam Tomkins – Fullback, England

24 year old English sensation Sam Tomkins is a name NRL fans have grown increasingly familiar with after a season of rumours about his potential excursion down under culminating in the Warriors locking up his services for the next three years. The man known as the “British Billy Slater” has long been heralded as the crown jewel of Super League, leading the Wigan Warriors to two Challenge Cups and a Grand Final, winning the 2012 Man of Steel award and amassing an incredible 144 tries in 150 appearances.  His strike rate in internationals is even better; at just 24 Tomkins is England’s all-time leading try scorer with 16 tries in 15 appearances. The World Cup will prove a fabulous opportunity for those in the Southern Hemisphere to get a look at what all the fuss is about when the electric fullback tries to deliver glory for the host nation.

Johnathan Thurston – Five eighth, Australia

The only man to turn out in every single game of Queensland’s incredible eight straight Origin series victories, Thurston winner of numerous Dally M halfback and five-eighth of the year awards was on hand when the Kangaroos went down to the Kiwis in 2008. While already a huge star on his own, it was still Darren Lockyer who was seen as the leader of the halves, including a man of the match performance in their losing final effort. This time JT enters the tournament as the man in the 6 jersey after a frustrating NRL campaign that saw his North Queensland Cowboys once again eliminated in dubious circumstances. Spurred on by the loss in 2008, there’d be no better way for Thurston to wash out the foul taste of the Cowboys playoff exit than by returning the World Cup to Australia for the first time in his career.   JT always rises to the occasion, countless times he’s stepped up when his rep sides have needed him and his supreme goal kicking especially in clutch situations could prove the difference between Australia and their perceived biggest threat New Zealand.

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Argentina vs Wallabies preview

Through 9 Rugby Championship appearances Argentina is yet to record a victory, but a wounded Wallabies side offers up a tantalising opportunity for the Pumas to pounce.

After joining the SANZAR nations to form the Rugby Championship last year, the Pumas have mustered up just 1 draw and 8 losses, but currently sitting in third on the Rugby Championship ladder through virtue of a bonus point, the Argentines will have plenty of incentive to firm their position when they take on a Wallabies team who were left licking their wounds at the hands of the Springboks at Suncorp.

The Wallabies have historically had little problem dealing with Argentina with 14 wins in 19 contests, but the current Wallabies incarnation looks a far cry from the reputation their jerseys have earned and the Argentines have the mastermind of many Australian defeats in their coaching ranks in former All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry. Henry has plenty of experience in exploiting the weaknesses of the Wallabies who have been dealing with all too familiar problems up front where their forwards have simply been outmatched particularly at scrum time and the domination exerted by the Springboks will have done nothing to help their confidence.

Conversely the Pumas have proven that if there is one aspect of the game that they’re ready to compete regularly with the SANZAR it is up front, Argentina for a long time have prided themselves on their scrimmaging and this spells bad news for a Australia. If the Wallabies are once again punished at scrum time and at the breakdown, the accurate boot of Nicolas Sanchez will offer them little reprieve, the Pumas could potentially hang in this game just on the back of Sanchez knocking over penalties.

The Wallabies shambolic state has reached right through to the top of their ranks with their captain, and the man widely considered the world’s greatest halfback, has been relegated to the bench in place of Nic White who will wear the Wallabies number 9 jersey for the first time. Ben Mowen will take on the captaincy in what will be just his 7^th test match after debuting a mere three months ago.

For all of their issues however, the Wallabies still possess on paper an incredibly potent backline, even if we’re yet to really see them click. Regular changes to the backline won’t help their cause and another big change comes this week with Genia being dropped, but if they can finally get the platform up front and find a way to get the likes of Folau and O’Connor some quality ball then these guys know their way to the try line.

Historically the Pumas have struggled outside of Argentina, but they pushed Australia close last year on the Gold Coast going down 23-19 on the back of a 69^th minute try to Digby Ioane, Things were also close back in Rosario where the Wallabies were able to emerge 6 point victors.

 

With Ewen McKenzie still in pursuit of his first win at the helm of the Wallabies he will no doubt have his troops primed for the perceived minnow of the competition. If they can find some semblance of balance in the battle up front then they should have the backs to get them home. It’s unlikely they will find such balance however, and while I predict they’ll do enough to scrape in with a victory, it certainly won’t be by much which makes the Argentina +10 @1.91 line with Bet 365 look very juicy, but act swiftly as the Pumas line has already taken a hammering and will only go down further heading into the weekend. 

Predictions for the NRL finals

1. First week upsets

The Cowboys so often struggle to take down the big teams away from Queensland, but for one week at least they’ll muster up the performance to go past the Sharks. There would be no greater fairy-tale this year than Matt Bowen going out a champion and while sadly it’s not to be, JT and Mango will pour out a heart on their sleeve performance to go past the Sharks before hitting the top four brick wall. Both teams enter the game in high spirits after big wins in round 26 and offer a great contrast in styles with the Sharks physical, grind you down to their level approach in contrast to the great running football the Cowboys, but with the form the Cowboys are in the Sharks won’t be able to tie them down.

The Knights enter the playoffs after a high flying 48 point win over the hapless Eels and while pretty much everyone knocks the Eels around, the Knights will still be feeling pretty good about themselves. Conversely, the Bulldogs limp into the playoffs after floundering to a 16-11 loss to the Broncos. While it’s understandable that the Dogs had little to play for and it can be tough for teams to get up for games like that, they looked very average and have been prone to these flat patches throughout the season  and the Knights have had their number this year winning both contests including a 44-8 hammering at Hunter Stadium. This Bulldogs team have jumped a lot of hurdles this year after they soared to the 2012 Grand Final, but the Knights will finally put this team out of its misery.

2. The refereeing still won’t make sense

If there’s one group that has been worse than the Eels this year it’s the referees. I don’t subscribe to any conspiracy theories that they’re out to help certain teams, I do subscribe to the theory that their general ineptitude has at times cost teams games and as a result, peoples bets. The referees have, inconsistently, tried to take a hard-line approach to physical altercations in the game, best of luck maintaining that in the war that is finals football. Expect plenty of players being penalised for tackling the opposition too hard, a few quarterback passes that are inexplicably missed by everybody wearing pink, shoulder charges that aren’t penalties because they didn’t hurt anyone and one complete gaff from the TMO. All most of us want from the refereeing is consistency, unfortunately being consistently inconsistent isn’t quite what we were hoping for.

3. No Cinderella story this year

The top four of the Roosters, Bunnies, Storm and Sea-Eagles have monopolised those top spots throughout the year and don’t expect that to change. While there was much parity in the middle of the table, it has been clear for a long time who the top dogs are. The top four hold a combined 19 and 5 record against the bottom four and while any team in the NRL can win on their day, don’t expect any surprises when it comes to these four teams who have been playing finals quality footy for most of the year. This group are the 4 more potent attacks and also the 4 stingiest defences, but when these four teams play each other the defence generally wins out with only 2 games fought among these teams featuring over 36 points. With tighter and more intense defences in the playoffs, expect some low scoring affairs when these heavyweights clash.

4. May the best halves win

All of the old clichés revolve around the big blokes needing to do the work up front to lay the platform and you need great defence to win a premiership, but when you look at the top teams in the competition, big efforts up front and strong defence can be taken for granted. What will prove the difference between these teams will be who can bring the best kicking game to win the territory battle, to force those line drop outs and who can create that little piece of magic to unlock these outstanding defences. It’s no coincidence that the top four teams consist of the best halves combinations in the competition, and these guys hold the key to their teams fortunes in what will be the final audition for the likes of Reynolds, Cherry-Evans, Pearce and Maloney to claim a spot in the Australian World Cup side. If the battle in the halves ends in a stalemate, expect the blokes in the number 1 jersey like Inglis or Stewart to be the players who break the deadlock.

5. Adam has the last laugh

Laurie Daley’s early declaration that Mitchell Pearce would be the New South Wales Origin halfback was met with much criticism and when the Blues limped out to an eight successive Origin defeat once again the selection of Pearce was in the spotlight. Meanwhile, the defending rookie of the year Adam Reynolds has put on a season that may see him take home the Dally M halfback of the year award. A fantastic goal kicker striking at 89%, Reynolds finished the regular season with the third most points in the NRL while also tying for first in try assists. Only two players in the competition had more kicks in play than Reynolds and while the Bunnies team is loaded right across the park the immaculate precision from the boot of Reynolds has been the source of much of their success. After a hamstring injury in the semi-final provided a devastating end to his 2012 finals campaign, missing NSW selection and being denied the minor premiership in round 26, Reynolds will have the last laugh as he guides the Bunnies to their first premiership in over 40 years and takes home a Churchill Medal that Daley will be unable to ignore.

Wont somebody please think of the children?

As the NRL continues to seemingly bend to the will of the PC brigade, the polarizing Gus Gould recently unleashed an opinion piece unsurprisingly coming to the great games defence which has been receiving a lot of traction. As I sit here watching a replay of Wild Turkey Bourbon Super Saturday, with an entire Sharks team running around the field with Luxbet printed on their backs, one part of Gould's column stands out in particular

Please don't compare junior league football with the win-at-all costs professional sport you see on our TV screens. If you don't like some of the stuff you see, tell your kids why it's not right for them to do the same. If they behave badly on the football field, discipline and educate them.

I love the NRL, I watch every game, every week, but lets put a few things in perspective, the NRL is an entertainment business.

The competition is built in large part on violence. I hate when people say violence makes the game because the skill of these players at times defies belief, but at its core, a large part of the entertainment of the game is watching these huge, intense men running into each other trying to smash each other. The junior game need not be as violent, because it isn't comprised of finely tuned professional athletes who are hellbent on winning. These aren't guys who play for fun, of course they enjoy the game, they grew up enjoying the game, but there comes a time in everyone's sporting life where a line is drawn between playing for fun and playing to win. In the NRL, these guys play to win and they play to live, this is their career, their livelihood, of course it is going to get intense, of course it is going to get violent.

and then, Hodges said my skills weren't up to the required standard to play in this competition

More than half the teams in the competition are sponsored by gambling companies....

Broncos - Sportingbet
Raiders - ACT TAB
Titans - BET EZY
Manly - Centrebet
Knights - Sportsbet
Roosters - Sportsbet
Sharks - Luxbet
Warriors - Skycity
Panthers - Centrebet (who play out of Centrebet stadium)

Big Dell always knows how to get a slice of the pie

Factor in the in game segments from the likes of Tom Waterhouse, the TAB and the advertising around the stadium from various betting agencies and each NRL game is a gigantic gambling advertisement. There is no way to hide from it, every time you watch the NRL you are being bombarded with gambling advertising, most people probably don't even realise, they think nothing of it, that's how it is meant to happen. You still know, there's no better bet than a sporting bet. Was it only me that found saw the irony when Ben Barba returned after his various issues, including problems with gambling, that he was at fullback hovering around posts with BET365 advertising on the padding?

"I know what punters want"

Then there's the alcohol. Attending the VB Blues vs XXXX Maroons clash last Wednesday at ANZ Stadium, I was left with no question which beer was the right choice for a "hard earned thirst" after seeing thousands of jerseys point it out to me all night and the Sharks, Dragons, Roosters, Tigers would surely all agree.

I whole heartedly endorse this event or product

But the following teams may feel a little differently...

Broncos - XXXX
Bulldogs - Tooheys
Titans - XXXX
Manly - Tooheys, Jim Beam
Cowboys - XXXX
Eels - Tooheys
Panthers - Tooheys, Jim Beam
Warriors - Lion Red

and the Raiders likely don't care, as long as you make your purchase from Local Liquor. Again, add in the sponsorship of particular nights e.g. the previously mentioned Wild Turkey Super Saturday, or the Woodstock advertising that regularly appears during broadcasts on Sky in New Zealand, the alcohol advertising around the stadium, the numerous alcohol stands around the ground. Our "great game" is used by these companies to sell you alcohol, and the NRL, in all its family friendly goodness, takes that money quite happily. Then we turn around and complain about the impact the drink is having on the game and the players and how Dugan is up on a roof drinking and Tamou is out drink driving and George Burgess is parading the streets doing Hulk impressions.

So what we have is a violent form of entertainment in a contest between men battling for money, battling for their livelihood, sponsored by gambling and alcohol companies, It's clearly incredibly popular, but the NRL is built around adult themes. If the NRL is so concerned with creating a child friendly environment, stop launching hundreds upon hundreds of examples of alcohol and gambling advertising at young children who tune in to games, who show up to games, who buy the jerseys. Oh no, we couldn't do that, too much money to lose there. The NRL is an entertainment outlet that serves as a huge advertising vehicle for adult escapades yet is watched by thousands of children. How many players have we seen undone by the rare punch up during a game? and how many have we seen undone by alcohol and gambling problems? the NRL promotes bigger threats to its players than the issue it's trying to clear up.It's the parents job to teach children about violence, just like it is to shield them from the alcohol and gambling onslaught their children are unwittingly exposed to every game.

But hey, if the kids get the right jerseys, then they too can be a walking gambling and drinking advertisement!

Round 5 power rankings

Well how good was round 5? just when you think some teams are on top of the world and some destined to mingle at the bottom of the table. Round 5 was very much the round of the underdog, and even though they didn't all win, their was plenty of fight and spirit on display from all comers.

#1 Storm - 10 points (prev #1)

Another week another win for Melbourne overcoming a spirited Tigers team. Got their completion rate up to 80%, significantly decreased their missed tackle stats from last week with just 16 and ran for 1410 metres. The Storm remain easily the most prolific attacking side in the competition with 142 points and averaging 5 tries per game. All of the "big three' are firing. Cooper Cronk continues to be tied for the NRL lead in both line break assists and try assists. Cameron Smith is one of only 5 players in the NRL to have already eclipsed 200 tackles and is third in total points, while Billy Slater is second in line breaks along with 4 tries and 4 try assists.

#2 Rabbitohs - 10 points (prev #2)

Just an ever so slightest step behind come the Bunnies who joined the Storm on 10 points notching up their 5th win of the year. It wasn't easy for the Rabbitohs with a missed Warriors conversion being the difference but the Bunnies record over the ditch in recent times had been very lacklustre, the 2013 unit rectified that. Souths remain in second in both tries and points, averaging 25.4 per game, largely on the back of Nathan Merritt who has amassed 8 tries already, once again striving for NSW to finally give him a chance. The big test comes this week as the two undefeated giants clash, for all of the Bunnies early success, they aren't quite looked as in the same way as Melbourne are, this is their chance to lay claim to being the best team at this stage of the competition.

#3 Sea Eagles - 8 points (prev #3)

Some expected the Sea Eagles vs Bulldogs clash would finally mark the arrival of the Dogs in 2013, but Manly had different ideas unleashing an 18-0 first half barrage en route to a comfortable 20-6 victory. Despite the players they are missing, the Dogs still possess a big strong pack, but Manly ran right over the top of them for 1607 metres. Jorge Taufua has developed into one of the most lethal strike weapons in the competition sitting second in the NRL with 7 tries and leading all players with 8 line breaks while Matt Ballin continues to rack up huge tackle numbers, his 48 against the Dogs seeing him up to 217 on the year, third in the comp. Manly remain a clear first in defence, allowing just 36 points, an average of 7.2 per game while also being fourth in points scored.

#4 Roosters - 6 points (prev #6)

Lead 16-0 at the half but blew it in the second to fall by 2 points to the Raiders. The Roosters first half clean sheet saw them eclipse over 200 straight minutes without conceding a point, going back to round 2. Despite the loss, the Roosters continue to look a group capable of remaining amongst the upper echelon of the competition. They've scored the 5th most points and tied for second in points conceded with just 66. James Maloney has really found himself at home, leading the NRL in points, 5 line breaks, 4 line break assists and he's finding a great balance with Mitchell Pearce with a 44-40 split in kicks in play. The Roosters lead all teams with an average of 6 line breaks per game.

#5 Titans - 6 points (prev #4)

A dreadful week all up for the boys from the Gold Coast. They lost five-eighth Aiden Sezer late to injury leading to a reshuffle with Greg Bird slotting into the halves. The Titans seemed to be doing OK with a 12-10 HT lead including a exceptional effort from halfback Albert Kelly for a try. Unfortunately for the Titans, they'd proceed to be blown away 22-0 in the second half and Kelly would leave the game with what looked a very concerning knee injury. They maintained an 80% completion rate and had just 9 errors, but were unable to stop the Broncos trampling them for 1540 metres. The Titans now will be sweating on the health of both halves who have been integral to their strong start to the year.

#6 Knights - 6 points (prev #5)

Another favourite who couldn't get across the line in round 5, the 19-16 3 point margin suggests the Knights were right in it, but an 80th minute score try the Knights made that score somewhat misleading. The Knights made good metres with 1408 but dropped below 70% completions which generally is a fast track to defeat. The Knights remain among the highest scoring teams in the league sitting in third with 24 per game lead by Akuila Uate already on 7 tries and Jarrod Mullen may well have put his name into Origin contention with a string of fantastic kicking performances, currently with 15 more kicks in play than any other player. The Knights however will need to start performing away from home if they are to cement themselves as contenders.

#7 Broncos - 4 points (prev #10)

A big statement game at just the right time for Brisbane bouncing back after two straight losses to topple the Titans. The Broncos seemingly always get up for this clash and this time was no different as they put 6 tries on one of the better defensive sides in the competition, the Broncos will be feeling pretty good after going very close against Melbourne the week prior and now picking up a very strong win here. The shift of Corey Norman to fullback and Josh Hoffman to the wing is starting to look like a great decision as the two continue to find their footing in new jerseys, Norman has 4 try assists and 3 line break assists, Hoffman 5 tries and 5 line breaks. Ben Hannant has really lifted his game to help fill the void of injured Josh McGuire with 183 tackles along with 77 hit ups.

#8 Dragons - 4 points (prev #12)

With so much inconsistency among the bottom half of the competition, the Dragons join only Manly, Melbourne and South Sydney as teams who have won both games the last two rounds as the Dragons followed up a win over the Sharks with a win over the Knights despite losing fullback Gerard Beale halfway through the contest. These are two pretty nice scalps for the Dragons who had been struggling greatly over the first 3 rounds. The Dragons completed their sets well at 80%, put up some strong metres with 1485 and made only 8 errors. They remain one of the poorest attacking sides despite the exploits of Jason Nightingale who has 4 tries 4 linebreaks and 9 offloads, but Jamie Soward is starting to find his form and the Dragons are playing intelligently with some good structure. 

#9 Cowboys - 4 points (prev #11)

I'll jump right back on the Cowboys bandwagon after they had a clear point to prove dishing out a 30-0 flogging of Penrith. Penrith leak more points than anyone, but 30-0 is still a very emphatic victory. There's no question that the Cowboys posses a fantastic roster and I don't doubt they'll make the top 8 once they get back on track and this type of win was just the type they needed to get their tails up. Thurston and Bowen are both tied for the most try assists while Scott and Tamou have 149 hit ups combined. The Cowboys sit 9th in points for and 8th in points against, real middle of the pack stuff, but the current table allows for teams to get back up the ladder pretty quickly if they can string a couple together.

#10 Tigers - 4 points (prev #9)

The Tigers put on a very clinical effort but joined the list of teams to fall victim to Melbourne. They completed 82% had 10 errors and missed 20 tackles which was a good effort, but couldn't match the Storm for fire power. Once again the Tigers struggled more metres while their opposition stomped on them, the Tigers are not a big team and it's becoming a familiar trend to see a large difference in metres made between them and their opponents. Robbie Farah made 51 tackles against Melbourne and is tied for the NRL lead in try assists, line break assists along with leading the NRL in tackles reflecting the fantastic, dynamic player that he is. Farah is really wearing his heart on his sleeve as he always does, leading from the front.

#11 Eels - 4 points (prev #14)

If there was ever a game for this Eels group to get up for, it was this contest against Cronulla, celebrating the life of Jon Mannah and competing for the Jon Mannah cup. In an emotional, physical contest, the Eels put on a performance that lacked in pizazz but was high in heart as they went home 13-6 winners. The Eels completed 90% of their sets, ran for 1427 metres and made only 6 errors, in the second half they completed 18/19. This was a huge game for the Eels for a number of reasons and they came through after 3 straight losses. Now they'll need to address a defence that has been the fifth worst in the NRL and maintain the commitment that had been lacking in weeks prior.  

#12 Sharks - 4 points (prev #7)

Back to back losses for the Sharkies now who have generated the second lowest points total in the NRL. In the first first weeks the Sharks seemed to really embrace the drama that had surrounded the club amongst the doping scandal, taking that drama and using it to motivate them on the field. But over the last couple of weeks, the exhaustion of the mental gymnastics that Sharks have had to endure has looked to take its toll and while Gallen has managed to don a thong and ride his motorbike through town for charity, the Sharks on field performances are crumbling. They once again showed very poor ball control with just 67%, just 52% in the second half. The Sharks were supposedly looking to lighten the load on Gallen this year, but he's the only player in the NRL with over 100 hit ups, his 111 puts him 24 above the next closest player.

#13 Raiders - 4 points (prev #16)

It's been a very rough start to the season for the Raiders, struggling on the field and dealing with issues off the field, but the Raiders made a huge statement picking up a win over the very hot Roosters. Down 16-0 at the half, the Raiders looked likely to be the next team to be blanked by the Chooks, but a 4 try second half explosion from the Raiders saw them pick up a 24-22 victory for the biggest upset of the round. Once again Shaun Fensom was very busy, making 41 tackles taking him to 218 on the year, the second most in the competition. A lot for the Raiders to work on, the second most points conceded and the fourth least scored, but you have to start somewhere if you are going to turn it around and this was a great way for the Green Machine to do it.

#14 Warriors - 2 points (prev #15)

The Warriors chalked up yet another loss but deserve to hold their head high after once again falling by just 2 points, agonizingly close to handing the Rabbitohs their first loss of the year. 1399 metres saw them outdo the Bunnies but 41 missed tackles is far from acceptable and they sit second worst in that category with 140. The Warriors were boosted by the return of Russell Packer and this week will regain the services of Dane Nielsen. Rookie centre/winger Ngani Laumape is starting to generate a lot of excitement, making 120 metres and scoring a try in the Warriors losing effort. After their dreadful start, the last two weeks for the Warriors have seen a lot of positives, but they'll need to start kicking on and getting some wins if they want to make something of the season.

#15 Bulldogs - 2 points (prev #8)

The benefit of the doubt is over for the Doggies for now. They still await two huge names in James Graham and Sam Kasiano along with the suspension of Krisnan Inu, but with Barba and Pritchard back, the Dogs now need to get their season in gear but they offered very little against Manly, failing to score until the 72nd minute which was far too late. I still believe this team will make the 8, but they need to start winning games to justify being ranked any higher. The positive for the Bulldogs is the strength of schedule they have endured. Their 4 losses have come against the Melbourne, Manly, South Sydney, North Queensland, that's 3 of the top 4 teams, that group combined has won 16 out of 20. That's some very tough games they have gotten out of the way.

#16 Panthers - 2 points (prev #13)

A 30-0 drubbing to give the Panthers 4 losses in their last 4 games, no wins since round 1. They continue to hold the highest missed tackle count in the NRL averaging 33 missed per game and this has contributed to the Panthers being the worst defensive team in the comp allowing an average of 28 pointers per game. The Panthers have shown that they can score points, sitting in eighth for points scored, but only Melbourne has scored enough points to compensate for how many the Panthers have allowed. Penrith fans looking for a positive need look no further than winger Josh Mansour who had 166 metres and 4 offloads in the Panthers big defeat. Mansour is fifth in the NRL in hit ups and first in offloads with 17, unfortunately there's not a whole lot he can do on his own.


@WellsNorthShore

Power Rankings Round 4

Four rounds in the books now and the likes of the Storm, Rabbitohs and Manly continue to impress while the Roosters put their hand up demanding some attention. Meanwhile the Dragons and Warriors picked up their first wins creating one giant mess in the bottom half of the ladder with 8 teams sitting on 2 points. Another very entertaining round, as they always are, and here's how I rank them.

#1 Storm - 8 points (prev #1)

No surprises here as the Melbourne attacking juggernaut marched on to another victory. Cruising 20-6 at half time, the Storm let the Broncos back into the game early in the second half but responded as they almost always do to seal a 6 point victory. The Storm completed 77% of their sets and made 7 errors but missed a few more tackles than they would have liked with 25. The fire power of the Storm is proving too much for anyone to handle, they have the most points in the NRL, most tries, most try assists with Cronk continuing to pull the strings tied for the lead in both try assists and line break assists with 5 of each.

#2 Rabbitohs - 8 points (prev #2)

No surprises here either as the Rabbitohs joined the Storm in remaining undefeated through the first 4 rounds. Tasked with taking on a Bulldogs team with a returning Ben Barba and Frank Pritchard, the Rabbitohs ground out another strong win with an 84% completion rate and once again racking up some huge metres with 1670. Greg Inglis continues to stomp on anyone that gets in his path reeling off 198 metres, he sits second in the NRL with 532 metres through 4 games, leads the NRL with 25 tackle busts and tied for the lead in line breaks with 5.

#3 Sea Eagles - 6 points (prev #3)

Coming up against a Tigers outfit that was gaining in confidence, the Sea Eagles were a brick wall leaving the Tigers scoreless in a 26-0 victory. Manly were on the back foot early as the Tigers looked threatening, but they soaked up what the Tigers had to offer and then threw it all back at them. Slippery conditions proved tough for Manly to deal with completing just 62% and making 16 errors, but they stampeded their way to 1600 metres. The clean sheet sees Manly ranked the best defensive team in the competition allowing just 30 points through 4 games, they also sit 4th in points scored. Hooker Matt Ballin leads the NRL in tackles with 127.

#4 Titans - 6 points (prev #4)

I was quick to jump on the Titans bandwagon but they continue to justify it with another strong victory, this time 28-10 over Penrith. Nate Myles put on an immense performance with 135 metres and 44 tackles, but the Titans forward pack as a whole are a giant handful. Myles was joined by Bailey, Taylor, Bird and James in eclipsing 100 metres, the Titans have no shortage of blokes willing to put their hands up. The combination of Sezer and Kelly continues to blossom, Sezer the controlled, calculated navigator while Kelly provides the off the cuff spark, they are playing as well as any halves combination.

#5 Knights - 6 points (prev #5)

The Knights continued to show they are serious top 8 contenders this year cruising to a 28-12 victory over Canberra. The Knights played well in the first half but went to the break down 10-12, but in the second half, completing 21 of 23 sets, the Knights ran in 3 unanswered tries. Newcastle sit second in the NRL in points with 104 and second in hit ups with 665, while also being one of the better teams defensively ranked 5th. Akuila Uate continued his emphatic start to the year notching his 6th try,good for 2nd in the comp, he's also tied for the lead in line breaks. Jarrod Mullen has been getting through a mountain of kicking with the most kicks in play in the comp along with tying Cooper Cronk for the most assists.

#6 Roosters - 6 points (prev #8)

Completely squashed the Eels with a 50 point 9 try battering. 9 Roosters eclipsed 100 metres including all 5 of the backs, Sonny Bill was a colossus, seemingly offloading the ball every time he ran with it, while future superstar Roger Tuivasa-Sheck grabbed a hat trick. It was almost a training run for the Roosters who completed 86%, made 1580 metres and only 4 errors. Perhaps more impressive than the attacking explosion the Chooks unleashed was the fact they have now blanked opponents in back to back games. The Roosters will come into round 5 having not conceded a single point for the past 165 minutes they've been on the field.

#7 Sharks - 4 points (prev #6)

In a game where they were 9.5 point favourites, the Sharks gave the Dragons their first win of the season. Despite being in front of a home crowd the Sharks could only put up 2 tries which proved insufficient. Were dealt a huge blow with Origin half Todd Carney leaving the game through injury. The Sharks once again were under 70% with their completions and let themselves down with 20 missed tackles and 13 errors. Issues of finishing their sets and ball control are becoming a familiar trend. They are still one of the better defensive outfits sitting 4th with only 53 points conceded.

#8 Bulldogs - 2 points (prev #11)

Yes, they lost again, but they managed to compete with the Rabbitohs and go down by only 5. The Bulldogs have just one win to go with three losses, but consider that this Bulldogs team has clearly been depleted and then consider their opponents. They lost to the Cowboys before they fell out of form, they lost to Melbourne by just 4 points in Melbourne, and they lost to the Rabbitohs by 5. Those three teams would have been pencilled in by many as top 4 teams and two of them are yet to lose a game. With the bottom 8 currently comprised of teams all sitting on 1 win, the Bulldogs can at least lay claim to showing they are capable of competing with those top teams.

#9 Tigers - 4 points (prev  #7)

Just when the Tigers looked to be getting their tails up, they ran into a Manly side backing up from a loss who were quick to put their foot down. The Tigers had a lot of ball and a lot of opportunity early that they couldn't capitalize on and so often if you can't take your chances when they are available, especially against the likes of Manly, then you're going to pay for it. The Tigers may have two wins, but they've come against the Panthers and the Eels. The two top eight teams they've played this season they've lost combined 68-10. They've leaked the 4th most points and have the second highest missed tackle count. I'm no NRL coach but if you are compelled to give Farah a "rest" then probably best to find a better time to do so.

#10 Broncos - 2 points (prev #12)

The latest victim to be consumed by the Storm, the Broncos did themselves proud in a 6 point losing effort. The Broncos showed a lot of character to fight back from a 20-6 half time deficit with the first three strikes of the second half but Melbourne had too many points in them. They will be pleased with an 81% completion rate and crossing over for 5 tries in what became a very impressive attacking display, but they were only able to make 1131 metres. Captain Sam Thaiday had one of his best games in a long time, really trying to put the team on his back with 133 metres and 44 tackles.The Broncos will need to build on this attacking effort as they sit 5th worst in points scored.

#11 Cowboys - 2 points (prev #10)

Followed up on their dreadful loss to Newcastle by giving the Warriors their first win of the season. Things really aren't going well for this lot right now who were predicted to be amongst the elite of the competition. The Cowboys lead 12-6 at the half and looked to be back on track, but really fell to pieces in the second. They only lost the game by 2 points, but their second half effort included 19 missed tackles, 8 errors and a measly 53% completion rate. They've missed the third most tackles in the comp and their studded backline has failed to fire tied for the third least points so far. You'd be foolish to write them off with that roster, but they need to get back on track quickly.

#12 Dragons - 2 points (prev #15)

They do know where the try line is! they may still be the third worst attacking team in the competition, but the Dragons will take a lot of confidence after scoring 4 tries on the road against a much fancied Sharks team. 4 tries may not seem like a lot to most, but for a Dragons unit that has failed to put up points for so long, maybe this can give them the spark they need. The halves combo of Fien and Soward has copped a lot of criticism and they responded by being the first two blokes to cross the line. Against a big imposing Sharks team, the Dragons roared their way to 1687 metres. Still a lot of work to do, but a big statement game out of the Dragons.

#13 Panthers - 2 points (prev #13)

What separates Penrith from the other 1 win teams is that they have shown an ability to score points, they sit 5th overall in the NRL in that category and tied for the best in line breaks. What pulls the Panthers back in line with these lower ranked teams is their defence which has leaked the third most points and this comes in large part on the back of poor tackling, in a clear first place for missed tackles with 127. It was this problem that let the Panthers down in their loss to the Titans as they missed 36 tackles. They didn't put up many points but they made good metres with 1597 this against a huge Titans pack and while the 28-10 score line wasn't too embarrassing, especially considering the Titans scored on the 80 minute mark, the Panthers can't continue to miss that many tackles.

#14 Eels - 2 points (prev #9)

Absolutely stomped by the Roosters in one of the worst performances in Eels history. Barely made 1000 metres with just 1009, missed an embarrassing 40 tackles along with 12 errors, describing the Eels as a speed bump would be generous as the Chooks walked all over them all night. Eels management will spend the week trying to locate Jarryd Hayne and Chris Sandow who were mysteriously absent from the Eels implosion. That's three losses in a row now for the Eels after their big round 1 win over the Warriors and while some of these bottom half teams look to be taking a step forward, if only a small one, the Eels took one gigantic step back.

#15 Warriors - 2 points (prev #16)

The Warriors finally got to waltz into the winners circle with a 2 point victory over the Cowboys. Early signs were worrying as the Cowboys looked in the mood and likely to run away with it, but the Warriors struck very late in the first half and got their tails wagging in the second. The return of Nathan Friend was huge for the Auckland side, his distribution out of dummy half giving the Warriors halves much better ball to work with and Shaun Johnson seemed to have a lot less weight on his shoulders, playing with much more freedom and in the end it was his x factor that took the game over. The Warriors overcame injuries to Nielsen, Hurrell, Locke and Henry, to the point where they played the last 7 minutes with just 12 men on the field as Henry left with concussion and they were out of substitutes.

#16 Raiders - 2 points (prev #14)

Back to the bottom for the Green Machine with a league worst point differential of -61. They've been scored on the most and they've scored the second fewest points and now have lost one of their best attacking weapons in Ferguson to injury. Despite their troubles, Shaun Fensom continues to make people question whether he is human, making 18 hit ups for 117 metres along with 57 tackles against the Knights along with 3 offloads. The Raiders return home this week to welcome a Roosters team that ran straight over the Eels and they'll need to really get their act together if they don't want to suffer the same fate.


@WellsNorthShore