By Casey O'Connor
Only a handful of sleeps before the NRL grand final teams are decided.
This past weekend’s results were to a real shock to some – if not the result, then the way the beaten sides capitulated.
While there is much excitement brewing around the prospect of an Eels grand final appearance after promising their fans so much for so long, I am looking forward to the AFL grand final on Saturday.
The Swans looked like they were going to run away with their grand final qualifying match against the Pies only to scrape home by the skinniest of margins.
In the battle of the Cats, Geelong made a meal of the Lions and I am thinking go into the GF as warm favourites.
All the talk early in the week was will this be Buddy Franklins last game for the Swans? Is he planning to retire or is he heading to the Lions? And then he signed a one-year deal to play on.
On the NRL front, the band aid has been peeled off a festering problem at Red Hill and it is not a pretty sight for Broncos’ fans with a chasm of seismic proportions apparently existing between coach, Kev Walters and Head of Football and Performance Director Ben Ikin.
Things may get uglier there before they heal.
Meanwhile rumours continue to circulate about the future of embattled Manly coach Des Hasler.
Round and round it goes and where it stops no one really knows.
What we do know is there are some mouth watering games on offer in both codes this weekend.
My fervent hope is that we do not get a referee’s intervention in any of these games that goes anywhere near to the debacle in the Bledisloe Cup game this past week.
I am sure there are plenty who would agree the French referee should have that whistle confiscated and only returned is he accepts a job delivering mail on a push bike.
In the meantime, go the Eels and Cowboys and in the AFL I think it will be the Cats purring on Saturday night but who knows.
Casey
