By CASEY O’CONNOR
AS WE head into Anzac Day, there is plenty of conjecture surrounding the scheduling of games this weekend. Some question whether playing five games on Anzac Day is appropriate. Let’s hope the organisers of all games and the players pay respectful tribute to such a momentous occasion.
The traditional clash between the Roosters and Dragons is one of the highlights of Anzac Day sport. Saturday’s game will be no different. It was left to the individual brilliance of Cooper Cronk to deliver Melbourne victory over Sydney last weekend. In awful conditions, both sides showed why they have been two of the best teams in business for many seasons.
Despite the weather there was barely a dropped ball.
St George turned the clock back to win a thrilling arm wrestle against the Broncos, delighting Dragons supporters. Tipped to do little more than fight for the wooden spoon in 2015, the Dragons have dispelled that notion, upsetting more fancied opponents.
The win against the Broncos makes it five on the trot; their best start to the season since Bennett took them to a premiership.
If you look at the head-to-head history between the Roosters and Dragons, it may come as a surprise that the Dragons have the wood on the Roosters. However, it is the Roosters that have the better recent record in this encounter.
In what is sure to be a sensational game, I lean slightly towards the Chookies to add to their Anzac Day record.
The Warriors host the Titans in the first of the rugby league games on Anzac Day. Play will begin in NZ as many of our Anzac Day parades are still underway. Perhaps on this most important and sensitive of days, the scheduling of this game and the time difference between the two countries should have warranted closer attention.
At Dairyfarmers, the Warriors learned that mistakes are costly. Their error rate against the Cowboys forced them to make more tackles probably costing them the game.
The Warriors attack however is benefiting from consistency in selection and they threaten across the paddock. Shaun Johnson is proving a nightmare for his opponents.
The Titans have turned adversity into a positive experience and have their ship back on track, putting off field dramas behind them and they are letting their football do the talking. They overran an undermanned Penrith side to post back-to-back wins for the first time in a long time. Young halfback Kane Elgey continues to impress and played a big part in the Titans runaway second half.
The Warriors start favourites here on the back of the home ground advantage, but look for a bold showing from the Titans.
The Knights and Cowboys get the Anzac Day games underway on home territory at Hunter Stadium. Once a fortress for the Knights, they suffered their third consecutive defeat at their home base when two late tries allowed the Eels to slip past them in round seven. One of the Cowboys newest recruits Jack Granville scored a hat-trick to help give his side a 28-24 win over the Warriors. This was a tough win for the Cowboys and shows how much they have improved since the opening rounds. There is still improvement to come from the Cowboys. Their execution and approach is a work in progress, but they should bag another win here.
At AAMI Park, Melbourne host the hapless Sea Eagles. In an inglorious performance against the Dogs, Manly managed to stay in the scrap through Bulldog errors. It is difficult to imagine the Storm allowing them such luxury. If Manly manages to swing their fortunes here, there will be calls for swabs and a steward’s inquiry.
Brisbane’s five game winning run came to and end at Kogarah. The Broncos pride themselves on their defensive game, however they were out defended by the Dragons. Justin Hodges suffered a recurrence of his troublesome hamstring injury, but is expected to play against the Eels. Alex Glenn is not so fortunate. A fractured eye socket will sideline him for six weeks.
The Broncos will be wary of the “one that got away” Corey Norman when they take on the Eels at Suncorp.
Despite a woeful away record, the Eels posted an upset win over the Knights after Brad Arthur rejigged the starting line-up. The Eels are a team that have had the measure of the Broncos in the past. The head-to-head favours the Eels and they have a reasonable record at Suncorp, however their form this season has been too patchy for my liking. In a tough game, I think the Broncos will get a win in front of a big crowd.
Round eight gets underway on Friday night with a game at ANZ between the Doggies and Tigers. The Tigers managed to turn a 22-nil lead into a loss against the Raiders. After a scintillating opening session, the Tigers intensity dropped and the Green Machine kicked into action. Jason Taylor obviously needs to put plenty of work into these young cubs.
The out of sorts Doggies added to the pain and suffering of Sea Eagles fans in round seven. On paper, at the start of the season the game shaped as a blockbuster, instead it simply provided fans with a window to the woes of Manly as they continue to implode.
In a game littered with errors, the scoring pendulum swung from one team to another before the Dogs finally found some fluency. On Friday night at ANZ, the result could go either way. Reynolds and Hodkinson are the incumbent playmakers for the Blues and with SOG selections a talking point they must show some form. It could provide the catalyst for a Doggies win.
Penrith and Cronulla go head-to-head on Sunday at Pepper Stadium. Against the Bunnies last Monday night, Cronulla gutsed out one of the most impressive wins in their history. The game was played in torrential conditions and was in danger of being called off. Sharks coach Shane Flanagan was checking before the game that all players could swim. The Sharks were without Captain Paul Gallen and the Fifita twins making this win even more impressive. Penrith look to be in real trouble as they continue their struggle with injuries. If Cronulla reproduce their recent form, they will have all Sharks fans smiling.
The Bunnies will be hoping a change of landscape will be the catalyst to return them to form on Sunday when they play the Canberra Raiders at Barlow Park in Cairns.
The abominable conditions on Monday night were no excuse for the poor performance of the Bunnies. They will be keen to put that game well behind them. Raiders fans finally had something to smile about after the come-from-behind win over the Tigers. As impressive as their win was, the Raiders start to the game was dismal and the Bunnies will punish a similar display. Away from their hutch and with some fresh NQ air in their lungs, the Bunnies should prove too good.
Casey’s tips
Bulldogs
Warriors
Cowboys
Roosters
Storm
Broncos
Sharks
Rabbitohs
