Week 8 in the NRL

This is a big week in the NRL. We’ve had preliminary squads named for both New South Wales and Queensland and if you haven’t heard there is a rematch of the Rugby League World Cup final coming up as well. So not only will teams be fighting for positions on the ladder, individuals will be looking to improve their representative chances.

Friday night is a great night for footy, although that may not be the case on paper. You’ve got the Cowboys going down to Parramatta to take on the Eels and a rematch of last years Grand Final as the Storm square off with Manly. Parramatta’s season is in shambles but they have an opportunity to get back on track against North Queensland. Jarryd Hayne says the Eels season comes down to tomorrow night and we all know a team with their backs against the wall will come out firing. The Cowboys picked up a big win at home last week versus Manly. They will be looking to start a win streak and get back into the top 8. Will they be able to match the intensity of Parramatta? Can they weather the Eels’ storm? I think so. Parramatta certainly showed the effort last week against the Broncos, but they are a team in disarray. Cowboys come out of NSW winners.

Manly versus the Storm. About two months ago a lot of people would have picked this as a potential Grand Final matchup. Oh have the times a changed!!! Manly’s season was wrecked before the opening round when the Brett Stewart saga unfolded. They lost their 1st four games of the season, won two in a row when Stewart returned from suspension, then lost last week after Stewart’s injury. The Storm meanwhile have been struggling to put points on the board which no one would have predicted prior to the season. Even with their struggles Melbourne has been able to stay in the 8. Last week they were lucky to finish with a tie against the Warriors. This week they should be able to finish the game in regulation time. This is a game the Storm should win and it could be the start of a nice run.

Saturday afternoon Souths visit the Titans. The Titans were knocked from the top of the ladder last week, getting smoked by Penrith. Souths got back in the win column by handling the Sharks. The Titans played out of character last week, picking up a ton of penalties in some really bad spots. They played without Mat Rogers and Luke Bailey who should both be back for this one. The Rabbitohs are a hot and cold team. When they are on they play some exciting football; but when they’re off they can look very ordinary. The Titans are one of the top defensive teams in the comp and they are tough to beat at Skilled Park. I don’t see the Bunnies scoring enough points to win this game, but it will be a tough game that should come down to the final minutes.

There are some other great games this weekend including my team, the Broncos, taking on the Knights in Newcastle. Penrith travels to Canberra to take on the Raiders in what should be a very physical match. And a game I am definitely not going to miss, the Bulldogs square off with the Wests Tigers. The Bulldogs are one of the form teams so far while Wests have been finding their form recently. And don’t forget about the battle between Michael Ennis and Robbie Farah. The player who performs best may be able to cement their hold on the NWS hooker spot.

Enjoy your football this weekend, I certainly will!!!

Week 7 in the NRL

I am back after a little hiatus. I put myself in a cocoon, but I was able to watch all of the NRL action from last week. Another solid week with a few upsets including the Wests Tigers defending their home ground at Leichhardt Oval versus the Storm. The Broncos were able to hold off another 2nd half rally to defeat the Panthers in Penrith and the upset of the week was the Knights knocking off the Dragons.

There are some top games this week to look forward to. My top 3, in this order, would have to be Melbourne vs New Zealand, Canberra vs Bulldogs and Penrith vs Gold Coast.

So you may be wondering why I chose Melbourne/NZ as my top game of the week. Well…let me explain. Both teams are struggling; Melbourne hasn’t been able to put up as many points as most of us have expected, while New Zealand has been hit with a ton of injuries to their playing ranks. Both teams need to win this game as they are neck and neck on the tables. This one is a tough game to call, but it being a home game for the Storm, I am leaning in their direction.

Canberra/ Bulldogs come in as my 2nd game of the week. Let me start out by saying that I have tipped the Raiders to bring home the spoon this season, but every time I watch them play they make me regret that decision. They are always a threat to put up a lot of points, but the thing that has impressed me the most with the Raiders has been their consistency on defence. The Bulldogs are an all around solid team that has the ability to stop you on defence and blow you away in attack. I love the way Michael Ennis and the rest of the former Broncos are playing for the Bulldogs and that is why I am tipping them to win in Canberra.

My 3rd pick is Penrith/Gold Coast. This game could easily wind up being the best game of the week, if not the entire season. No team is hotter than the Titans. They sit top of the table and will be looking to extend their recent away form. But they will be without two of their top players in Mat Rogers and Luke Bailey. Penrith was surprisingly out muscled last week against Brisbane but I don’t expect them to let that happen again this week. Petero Civoniceva will have his boys fired up. This is going to be a tremendously physical game that I see the Panthers winning.

Other games this week include the Eels visiting the Broncos, Souths hosting Cronulla, the annual ANZAC Day clash between St George and the Roosters, North Queensland taking on Manly, and the Tigers versus the Knights. I’ll be at Suncorp tonight and glued to Foxtel for the rest of the weekend!!!

Week 5 in the NRL

I know this is meant to be a preview of Week 5 in the NRL, but first let’s talk about Week 4. Friday night the Dragon made a statement by destroying the Broncos in Brisbane. Wayne Bennett has the Dragons playing tough defense and they are doing the little things right. I picked the Broncos on that one because I thought they would be able to score points, and also because I didn’t think the Dragons would score much, but could I have been any more wrong?

Also on Friday night, the Roosters, minus Willie Mason and Nate Myles, beat the Eels by 18 points. This was another one I tipped incorrectly (one of many over the last 2 weeks). While the game itself was not a big story, the story that has come out of this game is HUGE. Brett Finch has asked for, and has been granted his release from his Eels contract. According to League HQ, Finch felt he had no future at the club after speaking with coach Daniel Anderson. Where he goes next, no one knows. But the better question is, where do the Eels go from here? Looks like it could be another long season for the yellow and blue.

Other Week 4 highlights included the Gold Coast beating Melbourne at Olympic Park, Souths scoring a big win in New Zealand, Newcastle keeping the defending premiers Manly winless, and Canberra getting their first win of the season, beating the Cowboys in the capital.

Week 5 gets started with the Good Friday battle between the Broncos and the Roosters. The Broncos are coming off of that big loss to the Dragons, so it will be interesting to see how they respond. The Roosters will come into this game brimming with confidence after their win over the Eels. These games are always intense, physical matches and this one will be no different. Expect the Roosters to come out firing trying to knock the Broncos out of the game early, but the Broncos will withstand the early onslaught and get back to their winning ways.

Saturday night sees a battle of Queensland, and some would say the battle for the Queensland 7 jumper. North Queensland hosts the Gold Coast Titans and all eyes will be on Johnathan Thurston and the returning Scotty Prince. Gold Coast had one of the biggest wins in the club’s history last week and in fact have won their last 2 games without Prince. The Cowboys come into this game off a disappointing loss to the Raiders. Many people were talking of the Cowboys being a top four team this season but so far they have not shown they are capable. Meanwhile the Titans have jumped out to a 3-1 record to sit at 2nd on the table. Preston Campbell and Nathan Friend have been spectacular as have Ashley Harrison and Luke Bailey. This may be a big statement, but I think this is a must win for the Cowboys. They certainly have the talent to win, and I’m not sure the Gold Coast can back up from last weeks big win. I like the Cowboys in this one.

The team at the top of the table, the South Sydney Rabittohs, do battle with the Bulldogs. These are two of the most improved teams in the competition. The Bulldogs spent their money wisely bringing in the likes of Michael Ennis and Brett Kimmorley, two tremendous players who can be difference makers. The Bunnies have their own difference makers in the halfs with Chris Sandow and John Sutton. But both of these teams biggest improvements have been on the defensive side of the ball. This is the game of the week in my eyes. Its a tough match to pick, but I’m going with Souths. I think they can slow down the Bulldogs attack and they’ll put some points on the board.

Other notable games this weekend include Parramatta, without Brett Finch, taking on the Dragons on Friday night. On Sunday the Knights host the Warriors and Wests Tigers visit Brookvale Oval to take on the Sea Eagles. Another great week of footy in this season of surprises.

Week 4 in the NRL

Week 3 was another fantastic week of footy in the NRL highlighted by the Broncos smashing the Warriors in New Zealand 26 – 10, the Titans handing the Bulldogs their first loss of the season without Scotty Prince, Parramatta coming back to beat the Raiders 18 – 16 and Penrith keeping the defending premiers Manly winless to start the season in torrential rain.

Week 4′s top game is the Friday night matchup of St George and Brisbane. The maestro, Wayne Bennett, returns to Brisbane for the 1st time as the coach of the Dragons. It will be very odd to see Wayne Bennett in the red and white. I’m sure it will be odd for some of the Broncos, in particular Darren Lockyer and coach Ivan Henjak. This is always a tough game for the Broncos and this one will be no different. Bennett has the Dragons playing tough defense, but they’ve struggled to put points on the board. The Broncos are on a roll to start the season and are coming off that big win over the Warriors. This one will be an tight, emotional game which I think the Broncos win because of their attacking prowess.

Melbourne hosts the Gold Coast on Saturday. Melbourne has been in every game this season, only dropping a close one to the Broncos in Brisbane. The Titans pulled off a big win vs the Bulldogs last week without their best player Scott Prince. Prince looks like he’s going to miss this game as well and if he does it’ll be tough going for the Gold Coast. Even if Prince plays this one I don’t think they have enough to win in Melbourne. Everyone knows about the stars of the Storm (Cam Smith, Greg Inglis, Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk) and it’ll be those stars who lift Melbourne to victory.

The Warriors got blown off the pitch last week against the Broncos. They lost Brent Tate for the season with a ligament injury and captain Steve Price picked up a throat injury that will cause him to miss this weekend’s game. Those are two huge losses and you have to wonder how the Warriors will cope with a strong South Sydney team. The Bunnies bounced back last week with a 22 – 12 win at home against the Knights. Souths will be traveling to New Zealand which is traditionally a tough place to play. The Warriors need to bounce back without two Origin stars…the Bunnies want to make a statement…and I think they will. Souths talent and depth will be too much for New Zealand minus Price, Tate and Manu Vatuvei.

Other top games this weekend includes the Raiders hosting North Queensland (Neil Henry returns to Canberra), the Sharks visiting the Bulldogs and the Sea Eagles going for their first win in Newcastle against the Knights.

The NRL season has been great and this weekend should be no different. It’s a wide open competition where any team can win on any given weekend.

Week 3 in the NRL

What a great week 2 we just had. Some wild last minute finishes, some controversial decisions and as always some hard hitting action. Top game of the week had to have been the Manly/New Zealand game. The Sea Eagles stormed out to a 10-0 lead only to see the Warriors respond with 16 straight points. Manly started the 2nd half on fire and retook the lead with 3 tries in 13 minutes that left the score at 24-16. But New Zealand would respond again. Jerome Ropati’s 78th minute try tied the score and Denan Kemp’s conversion won it. What a game…what a finish!!!

The Warriors win sets up a fairly big early season matchup as they host the Brisbane Broncos. Both teams are undefeated, and if the ruling against the Bulldogs stands, they will be the two top teams (points wise) entering the weekend. The Bronx had their own tough matchup last week outlasting the Storm in Brisbane. This week is going to be another tough one for Brisbane as the Warriors are extremely tough to beat at home. You can expect the crowd to be quite boisterous and the Warriors will be hyped up. The Broncos pack has held their own against some big boys, but I think New Zealand is going to be too much for them to handle.

The Storm visits Townsville on Saturday to square off with the Cowboys. As I mentioned previously, Melbourne lost a tight game to Brisbane. NQ got in the books with a big 42-14 win versus the Tigers. The Cowboys have bought very well in the off season but the biggest difference in them this season has been the return of Matty Bowen. Man, it is good to see him back on the field and healthy. Opposing teams have to be weary of him, and Melbourne will be no different. NQ’s improved pack is big and they cut down on their mistakes last week while showing off some attacking flair. This one is going to be a close one, but I think playing at home will give the Cowboys the edge.

The game of the week though has to be the derby match between Cronulla and St George. Too many story lines here to list. Cronulla lost a tough one at home to Newcastle while St George picked up their 1st win of the season at home versus the Titans. The Dragons will be home again this week and the fans will be out in force to see former captain Trent Barrett turning out in blue. The Sharks are a little depleted with major injuries to Ben Ross and Brett Kearney. They struggle to score points and I think St George will be able to score points early and hold Cronulla off.

Other intereseting games this weekend include the Gold Coast hosting the Bulldogs, Newcastle at South Sydney and two teams looking for their 1st win of the season when Penrith travels to Manly. I’m looking forward to another exciting weekend of footy…I hope you are too!!!

From 65 to 16

65 teams had a dream, but now only 16 remain. Which one will take the crown of 2009 National Champions? There were a few upsets, but when the dust settled all 1, 2, and 3 seeds advanced and in 2 of the 4 regions all 4 top seeds advanced. Although I would have liked to see some smaller schools pull off some upsets you’ve got to be excited with all of the fantastic matchups.

In the Midwest you have Louisville taking on Arizona. Two great basketball programs with national championship trophies in their cases. Arizona is hot, but Louisville is hotter. I like Louisville in this one. Then you have Michigan State battling Kansas. Wow…I hope they have this one on TV here in Australia. A lot of people are sleeping on Michigan State, and I am one of them. I just love the way Kansas is playing and I think they will take down the Spartans.

In the West its UConn versus Purdue and Memphis versus Missouri. I picked UConn to win it all and I am sticking to that. Hasheem Thabeet dominates the boards and gets the Huskies past Purdue. Two Tigers in the other matchup and this one is going to be a great game.  Both teams play similar styles and I see the difference being the stars from each team. Tyreke Evans is arguably the top freshman in the country and I see him taking the game over and carrying Memphis.

The East has Pitt battling Xavier and Duke taking on Villanova. Pitt and Xavier should be a good game. The Panthers backcourt of Levance Fields and Sam Young will be too much for the Musketeers to handle. Duke versus Villanova is one of the tougher games to call.  Is this the year Duke is back? I don’t think so. Villanova’s four guard attack will overwhelm the Blue Devils.

In the South it’s UNC versus Gonzaga and Oklahoma versus Syracuse.  This is the toughest region for me to call. I know UNC has serious talent, but so does Gonzaga. This one could go down to the wire, but I think Gonzaga wins in an upset…and it would be an upset. Syracuse has one of the top backcourts in college basketball but I don’t think they have anyone who can matchup with Blake Griffin. He may find it tough against the 2-3 zone, but he can pass out of the post and I wouldn’t be surprised if he hit double figures in assists. Sooners win this one.

I still am sticking with my pick of UConn over Oklahoma in the final…lets hope they can survive the Sweet 16. If you don’t know, you can catch all of the live games free online at the NCAA website. Check it out…it’s free!!!

Week 2 in the NRL

I should have written this earlier, but what an opening week to the NRL season. The Broncos-Cowboys game is decided in the last 4 minutes on a Peter Wallace field goal (not to mention an on screen proposal before the game and a streaker in the middle of play) and the Storm needed extra time to beat the Dragons in Benny’s debut. And that was just Friday night. Saturday the new look Bulldogs spanked the defending premiers Manly. In the torrential rain at ANZ Stadium, Hazem El Masri became the code’s all time leading point scorer. New Zealand got their promising season off to a good start with a win over the Eels. The Sharks outlasted Penrith in the rain. On Sunday, the scoreline of the week saw the Rabittohs lay 52 points on the Roosters in a 40 point win. After starting slow against the Knights the Titans pulled away for the win. And on Monday night the Tigers topped the Raiders in a sloppy yet entertaining game. Whew…did you get all that?

Week 2 has some crackers as well, starting tomorrow night with the Broncos hosting the Storm. These two are bitter rivals and have produced some classic games over the last few years, the last one being Melbourne’s semifinal win last season. A big story will be Israel Folau’s first match against his former team. I’m sure Izzy was happy to score last week, but I bet he’ll be even happier this week to put one down on the Storm. Greg Inglis has a few injuries but he is expected to play, and there is talk that Justin Hodges could make his season debut. This is one of the best games of the week.

The other Friday night match has South Sydney battling Parramatta. Souths were tremendous last week and will be hard pressed to match that performance. The Chris Sandow/John Sutton combination were fantastic, but they’ll be facing a tough pair in Brett Finch and Jared Hayne. Hayne struggled a bit in his new position of five-eighth, but he will only improve with more game time. The Eels don’t want to start the season with 2 losses and Souths will want to build momentum. Should be a beauty.

Another big game this weekend sees Manly hosting the Warriors. Manly got hammered by the Bulldogs last week after the week from hell with the Brett Stewart drama. New Zealand is a hot pick to go all the way this season. They’ve added some big talent to an already talented team. This will be a big early season test for them. Manly will want to put last week behind them. They are so talented with threats all over the field and they are proven winners. I think this is the match of the weekend…if I can’t watch it live I’ll definitely be recording it.

Other matches this weekend show the Dragons v the Gold Coast, Penrith v the Bulldogs, North Queensland v West Tigers, Canberra v the Roosters and Cronulla v Newcastle. Get out there, go to a game and show your support for your team. I’ll be at Suncorp…go the Broncos!!!

Let the Madness begin

My favourite time of year is upon us. The 2009 NCAA tournament is set to kick off with the opening match with Morehead State taking on Alabama State in Dayton. The winner gets to get whacked by overall top seed Louisville.

Let’s talk about the seeds. Three of the four #1 seeds come out of the Big East (Louisville, Pitt and UConn). The fourth #1 goes to the North Carolina Tar Heels. Everyone is talking about Memphis getting shafted out of a #1 seed, but I think it could benefit the Tigers. Will we see all four #1 seeds reach the Final Four again? I think not.

Let’s start with Louisville. Arguably the hottest team in the country right now. Winning the Big East Conference regular season and tournament titles is a tremendous accomplishment. But can they maintain their hot streak? Can they win another 6 games straight? They have great depth, are well coached, and will be extremely confident. But they have a tough second round matchup with the winner of the Ohio State/Siena winner and potential matchups with Wake Forest, Kansas and Michigan State before they reach the Final Four. 

Pitt was on a roll until they got smoked by arch rival West Virginia in the Big East tournament. Point guard Levance Fields (Brooklyn!!!) played hurt in that game and should be well rested for the Panthers run in the dance. But if the injuries flair up again who will replace Fields? Can DeJuan Blair stay out of foul trouble? You know the Panthers will play defense, they have a true scorer in Sam Young and Blair is a beast in the paint. Pitt also has a tough second round matchup with either Tennessee or Oklahoma State. There are potential matchups with Florida State, Villanova and Duke before they reach the Final Four.

North Carolina also had some point guard issues as Ty Lawson missed some time with what they are saying is turf toe. That is an injury that could take some time to heel, and if it does, UNC is in trouble. Lawson is their engine, and as he goes the team goes. When he is on UNC plays at a fast pace that few teams can keep up with. Can Lawson play for 6 more games? Will Tyler Hansbrough go out a winner? Will Ed Davis mature and become a consistent force in the paint? North Carolina has a potential Sweet 16 matchup with Gonzaga on the horizon and could have Syracuse or Oklahoma standing in their way in the Elite Eight.

UConn has the easiest bracket in my eyes. They’ve been without their top guard in Jerome Dyson for a few weeks now. They haven’t played all that well since his injury. AJ Price is a top point guard and the Huskies have as much talent as anyone in the land. They have struggled in the NCAA tournament recently and lost a classic game to Syracuse in the Big East tournament. Can they overcome that devestating loss? Who will step up in place of Dyson? Can Hasheem Thabeet be a force on both ends? I see a tight matchup with Washington in the Sweet 16 and a battle with Memphis in the Elite Eight. But UConn has won it’s two national championships out of the West Region, and I think they will win their 3rd title this year.

I have UConn beating Wake Forest and Oklahoma beating Pitt in the Final Four, with the Huskies taking out the Sooners in the title game.

Let’s hope the tournament will be as exciting as the regular season was. Let the madness begin!!!

Goodbye and good riddance

Today is a joyous day for many New York Knicks fans, myself included. Today is the day that the Stephon Marbury era ends. Marbury was bought out after months of speculation and sulking. Rumors have him joining the defending champion Boston Celtics. I for one don’t really care where he plays. Just as long as it is no longer New York City.

I grew up in NYC. I am around the same age as Marbury. I can recall reading about him in the newspaper, following him from Lincoln High School to Georgia Tech and onto the Minnesota Timberwolves. He and Kevin Garnett were going to dominate the game for a long time. When he was traded to the Nets, I was a little disappointed because he was splitting with Garnett but I was excited because he was coming home. He played well but wore out his welcome in New Jersey and was shipped out to Phoenix. When he was traded to the Knicks, to call the Garden home, I was sure he was going to embrace the team, become a leader and take the Knicks to a title. 

Boy was I wrong. Marbury never changed his me first attitude. He alienated himself from his teammates and the fans. I pictured him as a leader, hosting BBQ’s on Coney Island with the team. All he ever hosted was personal parties with interns in the back of his SUV. He drove Larry Brown out of town, a coach who has won everywhere he has coached, and that has been a lot of places. He was given free reign and was never held accountable for his actions. 

Marbury was a New York City high school legend. He had an opportunity to become a New York Knick legend, the team he grew up dreaming of playing for. Obviously he was unable to handle the spotlight, the pressure of being a local kid in charge of leading his team to their first title in decades. In these circumstances, I kind of feel for Marbury, but the fact of the matter is that he never stepped up. He never gave it his all. He never embraced being a leader, never sacrificed his personal stats for the better of the team. And for that I can never forgive him. 

I will still hold onto the days of reading the newspaper and being in awe of Marbury. I’ll never forget thinking of the kid from Brooklyn who had the world at his feet. It is this part of me that will always want him to do well. But the current me, the one who suffered through nearly five of the worst Knick years of my life, will never be able to see Marbury in the same way again. I can only hope that the Knicks will be better off without them…they couldn’t have been much worse.

Spring is in the air

Spring is in the air and along side that is the sound of baseballs being smashed. Its a great time of year where teams gather in Florida, Arizona and pool halls across the US. Spring Training is in full swing and at this point everyone thinks they have a contender. But let’s get real. The contenders will be the same as they always are.

In the American League you’ve got the Red Sox and Yankees in the East, the White Sox and Twins in the Central and the Angels in the West. I know that I left off the defending American League champion Tampa Bay Rays. Well I’m not sure how they will handle being the chased, and not the afterthoughts they have traditionally been. Don’t get me wrong; I love the team but I’m not sure how they’ll handle the expectations. We keep waiting for the Blue Jays to contend, but their window of opportunity is closing, and fast. The A’s may be able to sneak into contention with Matt Holiday in the lineup and a healthy (for now Eric Chavez.

In the National League you’ve got the World Champion Phillies and my team the Mets, the Cubs in the Central and anyone who can get to .500 in the West. I don’t see anyone else testing the 3 teams that I’ve mentioned above. Maybe I’m making a mistake ignoring the Cardinals because they somehow are involved in the playoff race, but I just don’t think they have the pitching to contend. The Rockies were a disappointment last season and I don’t think they can find the magic again this year. A team that could surprise some people is the Giants. They have a great pitching staff and they have some young talent in their lineup. 

The chatter has just begun. Who knows what will happen between now and Opening Day? One thing I can guarantee you though…I’ll be there all the way!!!