NRL Round 5 Preview

April 2 2018

The crackdown cracks a first, Cam Smith sin binned! - photo: source - Top: www.abc.net.au; Bottom: www.totalrl.com

Referees are every fan’s favourite punching bag, damned if they do, damned if they don’t. The rule crackdown reached crisis point, in league parlance that’s the stage Joey Johns hits spontaneous combustion mode on Channel 9 after the Sharks versus Storm match, as Matt Cecchin blew the pea out of the whistle and committed the ultimate Easter sin, binning Cameron Smith. There seems to be a Smith Smackdown amendment as he has been penalised more in four rounds than his previous 15 years.

Sharks fans let Cam Smith know how much he's admired in the Shire - photo: source - www.foxsports.com.au

Who blinks first in this Mexican standoff between officials and clubs? Not the NRL, there’ll be no back down on the crackdown, now show the cohones to bring back the five-minute sin bin to say hasta la vista to rule breakers. Coaches it’s on you to instruct your players not to break the rules, the players to listen and learn, as for the refs surely there’s a happy medium to avoid the tedium as league is looking like a bad game of union! We like our great game to flow will round five see an end to the stop start drivel? We kick off in Canberra with the Raiders trying to muzzle the Bulldogs.

Jack Wighton takes flight, one of the few Raiders to put up a fight at Lottoland - photo: Getty Images

Canberra Raiders v Canterbury Bulldogs

Crap and soft! Ricky Stuart wasn’t fuming about a disappointing Cadbury Crème egg he got for Easter he was berating his Raiders for the poor defence and attitude shown in their fourth straight loss of the season. The Green Machine is stalled at the bottom of the ladder and if they don’t triumph on Thursday expect an overhaul. Stuart is one angry ant Josh Papalii has felt Ricky’s wrath and been dropped. The pressure is on Sam Williams and Aidan Sezer to take control, the Raiders have been rudderless. Expect the big boppers to blast out of the blocks with Junior Paulo and Shannon Boyd to dish it out to the Dogs. David Klemmer and co will be waiting and won’t be phased. Recovered from his concussion the Bulldogs will look to Moses Mbye to deliver the knockout blow to the Raiders playoff hopes. The Dogs custodian will be sniffing gaps up the ruck where Kieran Foran and Michael Lichaa will probe relentlessly and the middle third will decide this contest. Elliott Whitehead will rack up ridiculous tackle stats on paw patrol. Failure to defeat the Dogs and Stuart will dish out a Viking slap to his lime green faders. Hold back Sticky the Raiders will get off the mark by sneaking past the Bulldogs.

Raiders by 8

Andrew Fifita coming off the back fence - photo: source - www.nrl.com

Cronulla Sharks v Sydney Roosters

It’s the Roosters turn to visit the Shire after getting whacked by the Warriors and Trent Robinson will be seeking his men up the ante in attitude. The Chooks soft underbelly in the pack was exposed again and they need to harden up to lay a platform for the five-star halves Luke Keary and Cooper Cronk. The brilliant backline fed off scraps last week. The Sharks will be a great test for the Roosters spluttering engine room. Cronulla wrestled and fought for 80 minutes driving the Storm to distraction and ultimately frustration and will roll out that blue print, it’s their avenue to rocking the Roosters, hopefully minus the penalty-a-thon. Josh Dugan and Matt Moylan are back though they weren’t missed last week. Dugan is a major threat at custodian while Moylan needs to impress as Trent Hodkinson steered the Sharks superbly in his absence. Shane Flanagan has a good squad at his disposal but they’ll be stretched this week. The bounce back factor for the Roosters negates the Sharkies home ground advantage. Andrew Fifita announced he’s playing for Tonga rather than NSW via a UFC podcast, my tip for this game can be found on my uncle’s hooch making YouTube channel he shoots in the back shed or just continue reading one more line.

Sharks by 4

Hannibal Aitken goes over for a meat pie and a nice chianti - photo: source - Top - www.sportingnews.com; Bottom - www.foxsports.com.au

St George Illawarra Dragons v South Sydney Rabbitohs

Top of the ladder the Red V fans are singing while the Dragons premiership winning odds are shortening. On top after four rounds we’ve seen this before but this is a different St George side to last year. Gareth Widdop is at the height of his remarkable powers, his wizardry combined with Ben Hunt’s class and control on top of the powerful pack led by the immense contributions of Jack De Belin and Paul Vaughan has the Dragons firing on all cylinders. For the first time in a long time the Saints attacking assaults are dangerous and dynamic. Make no mistake they are the real deal. The Rabbitohs escaped with two points in an Easter resurrection with two tries in the final five minutes against the Dogs but this is a tougher assignment and the game plan needs re-jigging. The boring old sideways block plays belong in the bin the Rabbitohs route to back to back wins is through the centre. The middle is where we were hoping to find the best of frenemies Slammin’ Sam Burgess and the Ginger Ninja James Graham locking horns. Unfortunately Burgess fought and lost at the judiciary so Big Sam is out for two weeks, a huge loss! The wrong call in my mind, I didn’t think there was much in it, as I saw it Josh Morris’s Roger Ramjet chin attacked Burgess’s forearm. Anthony Seibold will look to the Burgess twins to double their efforts in big bro’s absence, and veteran John Sutton to lead the way inspiring youngsters like Cam Murray to step up. The Bunnies will stick with St George for sections of the game but it’ll be the Saints marching away with the two points to remain undefeated.

Dragons by 16

The Tigers tortured the Eels next up the Storm in Auckland- photo: source - www.foxsports.com.au

Wests Tigers v Melbourne Storm

Game one of a Kiwi double header at Mount Smart Stadium. It was only three weeks ago these two sides met and the Tigers caused an upset of major proportions in quelling the Storm in Melbourne. In isolation that win seemed a shock, Ivan Cleary take a bow, after four rounds the Tigers have proved they’re a well drilled side playing with great belief and team spirit. The Storm now face a Tigers side that has learnt how to score tries on top of the demon defence. Benji Marshall hasn’t wound the clock back, a different more mature player has just timed his Tigers return to perfection and Corey Thompson is benefitting on the wing, playing out of his Tiger skin. The Storm will be happy they’re playing in Auckland and not Tiger Town. Penalties and errors are killing the Storm causing Craig Bellamy’s assistants to purchase heavy duty ear plugs. The Bellyache swear jar is overflowing and the suspensions of Dale Finucane and Will Chambers hints at the frustration felt by Melbourne. The crackdown is stifling the Storm as Cameron Smith and Brodie Croft need the game to flow to release their flying flankers so expect the players to toe the line respecting the rules and the referee especially Cameron Smith. The tone of this match and the result could be determined by the front row. Cue Kiwi carnage as the sides New Zealand props go hammer and tongs at each other in front of family and friends. Nelson Asofa-Solomona might be twelve feet tall but Russell Packer just sees a tall tree to cut down, timber!!!!!!!!! After having their pride chipped by the Tigers the Storm will be out for redemption and it’s also Craig Bellamy’s 400^th game in charge of the Storm and after the Tigers pooped on Billy Slater’s 300^th party in round two don’t expect Melbourne to let them wreck this milestone.

Storm by 14

Isaac Luke loving the Warriors unbeaten start to 2018 - photo: source - www.nrlimagery.com

New Zealand Warriors v North Queensland Cowboys

The main event of the doubleheader sees the high-flying Warriors take on the wobbling Cowboys. The Kiwis welcome back Shaun Johnson to a side that didn’t skip a beat in his absence. The old Warriors would have wilted without SJ but under the calm tutelage of Blake Green surrounded by the brilliant Tohu Harris the transformation from punchline to heavyweight contenders is well under way. Structure, controlled, belief are words not normally associated with the Warriors but they are thumbing their nose at the naysayers and rocketing into premiership calculations. The Cowboys are in trouble, on a three-game losing streak, playing busted, looking slow and after four rounds seemingly out of ideas. The rigid game plan looks to have run its course, even Jason Taumalolo looks human as teams shut down his stats lowering them to a level most player's dream of. He needs to activate Beast Mode as the Cowboys are in a mini-crisis with news Jordan McLean is out for three months. Jonathan Thurston taking on Shaun Johnson is the standard star attraction for this contest but the way Blake Green is playing he’ll steal the limelight. Whatever is working at the Warriors, Stephen Kearney needs to bottle it. Maybe it’s the calm breathing huddle that’s doing the trick. I’m usually a tad sceptical of that touchy-feely hullabaloo but I’m on board, my tipping is so bad at the moment I’ll give anything a crack. I performed a breathing huddle with the family before making my tips. In with the good air, out with the bad air… I’m sensing the Warriors winning run to carry on.

Warriors by 12

Tautau Moga scores as his ACL tears and season ends - photo: source - www.zimbio.com

Newcastle Knights v Brisbane Broncos

After such a bright beginning the Knights are finding things a bit tough. The season ending injury to Tautau Moga and two decent defeats have dampened enthusiasm. Meeting the Broncos after their little brother the Titans pulled their pants down will not lift the Knights spirits. What should brighten the Knights day is the Broncos are battling to score tries. One four-pointer in two games is very unlike the Broncos and the pressure on the Brisbane halves is building. The gun Anthony Milford is firing blanks, unusual for the Milf, though there’s little the man with the hot feet can do playing behind a beaten pack. Newcastle’s Herman Ese’ese will be primed to bash his former team mates back to Brisbane. Tevita Pangai Junior has been named in jersey 19 and Wayne Bennett will be sweating on his fitness. The Knights saviour and game breaker could be Kalyn Ponga who is realising his bottomless pool of talent and if The Pong can cut loose Newcastle can get back on the winners list. Nathan Ross has been named as Moga’s replacement in the centres and the Ross Dog will have his paws full trying to contain the blistering speed of James Roberts, it could be the key matchup. Jimmy the Jet and centre partner Jack Bird have the wheels and the skills to get the Broncos home and ride off into the sunset victorious.

Broncos by 7

Cop that! Dale Copley scores breaking Broncos hearts - photo: source - www.theaustralian.com.au

Gold Coast Titans v Manly Sea Eagles

The Titans Commonwealth Games enforced regional roadshow hits Gladstone and they’ll hope it brings them better luck than the Dragons debacle in Toowoomba. The topsy-turvy nature of the NRL is best summed up by these two sides. Brilliant one week, horrible the next inconsistency is their issue. Though Manly have other problems, injury has struck the Sea Eagles big time putting Curtis Sironen and Kelepi Tanginoa out for the season and the brilliant Tom Trbojevic missing for two weeks. Tommy Turbo is a massive out his combination with older brother Jake destroyed the Raiders. His pace through the ruck cannot be replaced so Trent Barrett must find other ways to take down the Titans. In some good news Dylan Walker returns for his first match of 2018. Jake Trbojevic is in imperious form and Manly need his silky ball skills to divvy up the playmaking duties to relieve the pressure on Daly Cherry-Evans. The Titans will look to replicate the phenomenal effort and performance that buried the Broncos last week. The pack looks strong with no real weaknesses and won’t take a backward step in the face of a Marty Taupau charge, stopping the Sea Eagles second phase play will be high on gaffer Garth Brennan’s agenda. The Titans run hot and cold but in form wingers Anthony Don and Phillip Sami they have the freakish ability to produce magic out of nothing. If Ash Taylor is in the mood the Titans can sink the Sea Eagles reminding DCE the salary cap shemozzle has had one winner, the Titans they might have lost DCE but they kept Taylor.

Titans by 4

James Maloney crushed the Cowboys - photo: source - www.couriermail.com.au

Parramatta Eels v Penrith Panthers

Their second meeting in five weeks and nothing has changed, the Panthers are finishing games over the top of all comers and the Eels still suck. Parramatta are stone motherless last sitting on a duck egg and playing with no confidence or character. Adding their straight set exit in the playoffs last year they have now lost six on the trot and if they don’t improve quick sticks it’ll be seven by Sunday night. The defence is threadbare, attack aimless coated by an attitude that stinks. The Eels and Brad Arthur look like a loveless marriage just going through the motions. Someone needs to make a stand or it’s going to end in tears. Footy games are won in the forwards so the pack better rev up and if they cannot get up for a local derby than it will confirm something is amiss. The Panthers in contrast are purring. No Cleary no problem, James Maloney delivered a masterclass revelling in the leadership role as they shot down the Cowboys on their own patch. Maloney’s magic was set up by an old school fire and brimstone belting by the forwards that set up the famous win and their season. Expect another huge opening from the Pennies punishers to crush whatever confidence is left in the Eels near empty tank of effort. Form says the Eels are cooked but using NRL logic the way the season has swung don’t be surprised if it rains blue and gold, bugger that there’s more chance of a rainbow unicorn doing a lap of ANZ Stadium, the Panthers are going too good.

Panthers by 26