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I'm not a big fan of you insinuating Bob Fulton showing favouritism towards Manly. Look at Anthony Watmough, overlooked for Ben "Meow" Creagh by the same selection committee who picked the Fuhrer. Choc is a current Kangaroo, an incumbent in the Origin side and a proven performer. Not to mention his form hasn't been bad the last few weeks (even when he's running sideways, he looks dangerous).
Having said all of that, Josh Reynolds should be the utility for NSW. Tariq should be there too. I don't think in the place of T-Rex though.
Mr. C
Love reading the blog Nick... you've stepped up the passion-o-meter to 10 this week. Keep it up!
Cheers, Eug
What i really want to know is... will Rabbits get to call games or will he go with Nine?
It would be a coup if Seven/10 or Fox pick him up
Not so absurd now re the start the bronco's have had...? strong choice of words which were found to be quite incorrect.
Love your columns but you really do go nuts on some teams more than others.
2 recommended bets this week:
1 unit on Vixens -5.0 at $1.90 (Sportsbet)
1 unit on Magic -4.5 at $1.90 (Sportsbet)
As much as i would like the code to make as much money by spreading it across all these stations my main fear is that each station will have its own exclusive commentators. Seven may get State of origin and use people like Bruce Macavany. Then Ten wil use Andrew Moore and Nine Ray Hadley with Fox using the current crop. If a commentator is not used every week on tv they are generally crap (Ray Hadley) and if only being used 3 games per year Bruce Macavany the coverage would suffer big time due to bad presentation. Like any program it needs constistancy to keep viewers. The amount of people who can't watch the games with Phil Gould is huge, it hurts the game.
And knowing what channel to watch at what time is important. Spread over 4 channels would make you just watch fox.
Cheers Kalvin
100% agree with your "What Should Happen" scenario.
The AFL model is definitely the way to go. Imagine how much better off the game would be if the people in charge of AFL had been running League for the last 10 years?
The Broncos are my favourite sport team and I love League, but thank-god we get favoured with the Friday live game as I can't stand the 2 hour delayed telecast. I end up watching more AFL each weekend as the coverage is so good and I don't have Fox. If I could see the Titans and Cowboys each week I'd be very happy.
Not sure about the quarters idea, sounds abhorrent at first but if it's for the good of the game... Maybe if the quarters were 25 minutes each and the interchange was reduced to 6 or 8 to compensate for the extra breaks.
Gee I thought sutton deserved votes in mnf. Gallen can count himself lucky not to have got a vote either. I hope flash isn't biased...
Sir, the reason for this fact is clear - the game is crap.
I thank you.
Just as a matter of interest, Swifts and Vixens have both lost their captains (both important players) to injury for this week after Ben did his tips and after the prices were assessed. Don't suppose you can take that into account with your bets, but it'll be interesting to see what effect that has on those 2 teams.
None of the bookmaker lines deviate by at least 3.5 goals from Ben's tips this week., and thus we have no recommended bets. For the record, the lines are:
Swifts -6.5
Firebirds -3.5 to -4
Magic -3.5 to -4.5
Tactix +9.5 to +10.5
Thunderbirds -10.5
Books looking at Ben's prices before putting markets up? Wouldn't be surprised.
Might be worth publishing this column after their dartboard throws.
In reply to Anonymous on Tue, 01/05/2012 - 14:33 You surely can't be serious can you,the Dogs lost to Melbourne in Melbourne by 6 then got pipped by Manly by 2.Some may say they might have won both those games with a bit of luck.Tonight the Dogs showed what they are capable of,albeit against the WORST TEAM OF THE LAST DECADE filled with some of the most over-hyped & over-paid players ever seen on a footy field.
Late mail from Greg: Even though only one of Shaw & Thomas is playing, Greg is happy for the Collingwood bet to stand for tonight's game. Good luck this weekend on all of your tipping/ punting!
"...totally forgettable trio Daniel Irvine, Makasini Richter and Daniel Irvine.." Daniel Irvine sounds pretty memorable, with the missing player truly forgettable.
David Taylor went well in the test match as well. He played the same sort of football as he did against North Qld. With luck, it will become a fixture for the rest of the year.
bravo bravo bravo nick finally some one with some spine calling ricky stuart out. he has no idea how to pick an origin team, sowards treatment is nothing short of appaling. i petition you to post this ricky stuart reference on the roar. as it is i might make several posts at a latter date on this very site when i think of just how terrible he has acted in the lead up to this soo. jarryd hayne over jamie soward! you stupid git.
Ben Roberts should have been the first player to ever recieve 4 willie M points for his dedication to throwing the game away. Surely hayne should have had a few willie m's too for his non-partipation in the game as a whole.
After much deliberation I must admit I throughtly enjoyed the city-country match the other night, but not as a origin selection game more just as a game played 'old school' style, out in the country with plenty of cheering fans and that whole not McStadium feel about it. We should bring more games to the country on a regular basis through the year not just in NSW. The perth game earlier this year had the same feel about it too.
As for NSW I think its fair to say that we can write off this year already and possibly 1-2 more as well. I cant see things improving in the short time and as for long term success that requires dedication to a stable team, we know thats defintely not going to happen under the current coaching and selection criteria.
Labrat
Nick, the Toyota Cup SOO was possibly the worst game of League I have seen. This game was far from a fine spectacle, it was just plain embarrassing. The mistake rate from both teams was inexcusable. If those boys are the best we have coming through the junior ranks then RL is in for a lean period. Maybe you let the closeness of the shoreline and a few interesting scuffles cloud your judgement.
Cheers
Darren
Another 2 from 3 takes it to 11 from 14 for the year. Really is a great sport to bet on.
hey nick not much about desperate des and c nterbury mate has the cat got your tongue
Up here in Qld, City/Country is basically known as the Who Cares? Cup. It's a complete waste of time and it doesn't have any interest at all for us. I can't remember the last one I watched.
I wholeheartedly agree with Nick on one thing. I've thought for ages that State of Origin should always be on stand alone weekends, BUT that they should introduce a knockout "Challenge Cup" tournament to play on those weekends as well.
And surely it's no coincidence at all that they just happen to be voting on a new "Immortal" in the very first year that Andrew Johns becomes eligible.
Given Ben's tips and the bookies' lines, it looks like a week of taking the favourites:
1 unit on Thunderbirds -3.5 at $1.80 (Sportsbet)
1 unit on Mystics -5.5 at $1.90 (Centrebet)
1 unit on Magic -7.5 at $1.90 (Centrebet)
You are not a Stuart fan: this is well known. But surely he'll do a better job than Furner?
Would have liked to hear your thoughts on Todd Carney at #6 for NSW? I worry about his ability to close games strongly, he can and presumably will turn to water when the game is there to be won just like he did when he was in career form in the 2010 GF... Three things happened with ten to go- he put up an absolute bludger of a bomb that didn't even make it to their 20m line, he put in a grubber on the third tackle that was never on and he went missing when Beau Scott ended up with the ball on the fifth with three minutes to go (equal blame to Mullen the Myth there). Todd was solid whenever he straightened in attack though, he can't just run sideways and turn a forward in against QLD he needs to work on reading numbers and picking the options. Buhrer gifted him that linebreak... Surely Soward hasn't played himself out of contention just yet?
I've always enjoyed City Country, and in the past have been resolute in my belief in its' continuation, but after this weekend's game I'm not sure I can see the point anymore. I agree that it is important for bush footy and think it's great it gives blokes a class below Origin some recognition for their service, but in its current incarnation what purpose does it really serve?
Selections and positions are dictated by Stuart, who not only ordered Hayne to play 5/8, but had Morris and Lawrence switching sides to see if they could handle the positional change if selected for Origin. From what I've read he even has an input into the playing styles employed by the teams. With such meddling, can it possibly still be a real contest? And if it's not a real contest how can it be considered a genuine Origin trial?
A case in point is Mitch Pearce, who has been tried and failed at Origin level and has been ordinary this season. After a starring performance agaonst a listless, insipid Country outfit in the first half, he now seems to have all but retained his Origin gig, at the expense of someone like Peter Wallace who is in career best form (and I know he's had a go at Origin too, but he's a much better player now). Leaving aside the (quite valid) argument that Queenslanders are having a good laugh watching our blokes bash each other up before taking on the Maroons every year, how stoked would they be to see Pearce all but cement his spot for Game One?
And with a month to go before that first game, what has it really decided? I'm not saying it necessarily should be scrapped, but something needs to change. As it currently stands it can't continue.