blogging it real

Alrighty, my picks for this week.

Broncos - Cowboys - Cowboys
Storm - Tigers - Storm
Sea Eagles - Raiders - Sea Eagles
Sharks - Panthers - Panthers
Warriors - Eels - Warriors
Knights - Bulldogs - Knights
Titans - Dragons - Titans
Roosters - Rabbits - Rabbits

Although I wouldn't be surprised if the Tigers ran close or caused an upset and the 11.5 points start the TAB is offering on them @$1.90 is very tempting.

Likewise, while they've had a crap few trial games I think the Penrith Panthers are good value at $2.15.

There has been some serious money unloaded on these games in Australia:

$22,000 @ $1.90 ON MELBOURNE (-11.5) V WESTS TIGERS
$20,000 @ $1.90 ON ST GEO ILL (+4.5) V GOLD COAST
$20,000 @ $1.90 ON NTH QLD (+5.5) V BRISBANE
$10,000 @ $1.60 ON NZ WARRIORS V PARRAMATTA
$10,000 @ $1.90 ON BULLDOGS (-2.5) V NEWCASTLE
$5,000 @ $2.65 ON NTH QLD V BRISBANE
$5,000 @ $1.90 ON ST GEO ILL (+4.5) V GOLD COAST
$5,000 @ $1.90 ON ST GEO ILL (+4.5) V GOLD COAST
$4,300 @ $1.25 ON MELBOURNE V WESTS TIGERS
$4,000 @ $2.35 ON ST GEO ILL V GOLD COAST

Oh, and by the way, I may have thrown some shit at the NZ Herald in past season's for their shit league coverage but today's league bonanza is sensational!

Keep it up, and I just loved this tale from Graham Lowe this morning:

New Roosters coach Chris Anderson suggested recently that modern players are lacking the basic skills that players of earlier eras had.
I agree the emphasis has gone on to the power game, often at the expense of the deft touches, soft hands, and brain plays that the truly skilful players bring to an otherwise brutally physical contest.
The problem is exacerbated by coaches who want hitting power in defence and attack, and are also so focused on reducing the error rates that they drive players into their shells, too frightened to express themselves on the field as they did in years gone by.
Each pre-season I'm reminded of a player I had at the Cowboys during my year there as caretaker coach. This player, who was a forward from New Zealand, worked very hard in the gym doing a lot of extra training on his own. I'd sent him to the trainers and conditioners with a request for an assessment of his skills and strengths, so that I could get a measure of where he might fit into the team. When the report came back from one of my assistants, I knew I had a problem. He told me the player was as big as a gorilla.
Great, I said.
"And he's as strong as a gorilla."
Fantastic, I thought.
"But there's a problem," said the assistant. "Unfortunately, he's not quite as intelligent as a gorilla."

Nice.