By CASEY O’CONNOR
WITH under a week until Origin Three, half of the NRL teams will enjoy a well-earned bye as round 17 is reduced to only four games.
The rumblings around the impact of Origin on players, clubs and fixtures grow louder with some of the heavyweights including Wayne Bennett weighing into the latest debate. It will be interesting to see if Origin timing comes under review in the coming months.
While Origin selection dominates the headlines, there are still four games for tipsters to deal with this weekend.
After round 16, the Broncos have taken a handy two-point lead, and with the bye this weekend they could not be in a better position at this point of the season.
With Johnathan Thurston given a well-earned week off, the Cowboys winning streak came to an end at the hands of the Sharks. In a game of two halves, the Cowboys blew an 18-point first half lead to go down 24-18 after the Sharks second half scoring spree.
Rugby league made its much-anticipated return to Belmore Oval, and the Bulldogs did not disappoint their fans on Monday night handing Melbourne a 20-4 hiding. That is three losses on the trot to the Storm, and they have slipped out of the top four and are in danger of losing touch with the leaders if they cannot turn their form around as teams make their runs to the finals.
Round 17 opens on Friday night with the Panthers hosting the Bunnies at the foot of the mountain. The Panthers were convincing winners over a disappointing Wests Tigers outfit last Sunday. With nearly their entire injured roster back on deck, the Panthers showed the class that got them into the semi finals last season. There were plenty of passionate Tigers fans at Leichardt Oval, but they left disappointed as the Panthers dominated the Tigers right side play. Adding to the Tigers and Blues suffering was confirmation on Monday that Robbie Farah who has been nursing a shoulder injury has a broken hand. He has joined the Origin camp but must surely be an unlikely Origin starter.
The clash between Souths and Manly failed to reach lofty heights and what was supposed to be the battle of the brothers was a bit of a fizzer. Manly had their fair share of chances, but it appears the off-field shenanigans may have left some players with contract hangover as some were definitely not at their best. The Bunnies did enough to get the win at Bluetongue without being sensational. You get the impression Souths are building some momentum, but this week without GI and other Origin players, I think they will struggle at Pepper Stadium. Look for some impressive wins in coming weeks from the Panthers.
The Dragons are another team that seem to have fallen in a hole in recent weeks. They have not had a win since round 12 against Cronulla, and this weekend they not only have players on Origin duty but have a host of injuries to contend with and are on the cusp of falling out of the top four. Their players looked fatigued and things do not get any easier for them this week.
The Cowboys loss to the Sharks will almost be viewed by some Cowboys supporters as the loss they needed to have. The bubble eventually had to burst, and with JT rested there was no fairytale get of jail finish for the NQlanders. They looked to have the game safely in their keeping at halftime with an 18-point lead, but the Sharks showed plenty of intent from the word go in the second half and pushed hard though the centre upsetting the Cowboys momentum. Cowboys buy of the season Jake Granville may have an appointment with the judiciary after he was cited for a high tackle.
This will be a test of depth for both these sides. Paul Green will no doubt have his side working on their defence while Mary McGregor will be working to turn around a three-game losing streak. Perhaps, the Cowboys will be better placed to deal with the loss of their big guns this week.
Manly and the Sharks go head to head with the Sharks in a Sunday afternoon clash at Brookvale Oval. Daly Cherry Evans will be out to prove his selection omission from the Maroons was a mistake and Sea Eagles fans will be hoping Keiran Foran is back to his best after a lacklustre performance against the Eels in round 16.
The Sharks were impressive in Townsville, but although the Sea Eagles are swanning at the bottom of the table, I am prepared to give them one more chance here. I cannot see them making any late charge to make the top eight, but if they can get their house in order they have more than enough talent to win games.
On Monday night, the Eels and Tigers lead us into Origin week. It is hard to see this game rising to any great heights – both these teams are battling for a sniff of the top eight. On the other side of the coin, neither is far from the bottom of the ladder and trying to avoid slipping towards the wooden spoon.
The Tigers were disappointing against the Panthers. They are a young side who promise plenty but are failing to deliver just when you think they will. They are battling injury problems and half Luke Brooks will come under scrutiny for a head butting incident at the end of the first half of Saturday’s game.
The Eels caught plenty of tipsters napping last weekend with their win over the Dragons. Flying winger Semi Radradra showed all of his class crossing for three tries as the game slipped away from the Dragons. The controversy swirling around the Foran and Eels did not translate to the paddock, and the blue and gold army could not have been happier with the performance of their side against one of the in-form teams of the competition.
This week the Tigers have Origin players missing and even more injuries to cover. This is a perfect opportunity for the Eels to add another win to the tally.
Of course Origin Three – the decider is on everyone’s mind. Both sides go into this game with changes brought on by injuries and suspension. Back at Suncorp and with bragging rights one apiece, I think it will be tough for the Blues to get a win. What we do know is that it will be another corker of a game so whether you are a Blue’s supporter or hoping for a Marron victory strap yourselves in Wednesday night and hang on. Fingers crossed the result does not hinge on a dodgy decision. That is perhaps the only thing Blues and Maroon supporters will agree on.
Casey’s tips
Panthers
Cowboys
Sea Eagles
Eels
Mighty Maroons
