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Re Hayne and his faith - there was a SMH article about that in the week up to the first game vs Dragons.

Didn’t ‘work’ for him - the Eels lost that one 37-0!

Still tipping Bulldogs and Storm (NRL), and Geelong (AFL).  But going for the Eels (NRL) and Saints (AFL).  Often do that - tip one side with the head and want the other side to win.

Edit: Typed wrong.

Hey Arthur,

” tipping Geelong - but going for Saints (AFL) ” ? Must be hard balancing on the fence like that ;)

Re that 37-0 loss to St George, on reflection it probably ‘worked’ for the Eels by pumping them up for the next week’s re-match. It’s not how you start - it’s how you finish that counts !

So 2 from 3 correct (combined over NRL and AFL).

For the NRL I’m picking and going for the Eels.  And I typed correctly this time!

On Friday I predicted :

My tips are : Parramatta and Storm in NRL - and St Kilda over Geelong in AFL

As Meatloaf sang - “two out of three ain’t bad”.

Well what a valiant fight the AFL Grand Final turned out to be. The lead changed many times - and the final result was only settled in the last minute of the game. It could have even ended up a draw - which, in AFL terms, I think still means the match would have had to replayed next Saturday. ( It has happened before - 1977 comes to mind ). But wasn’t Geelong’s dogged defence and shadowing of their components superb ? What a memorable and great match !

“The game’s the winner !”

Now back to NRL. And - despite Nathan Rees pleading for “ALL NSW to get behind the Eels”  -        I ( for once ) will be happy to cheerfully barrack for the Eels. What a turnaround year it has been for them. From a fairly average start to the season, they have certainly had a great finishing flourish.  I think they’ve won 10 out of their last 11 matches - and they just managed to finish in 8th position by the skin of their teeth. Parramatta beat Storm 18-16 in round 19 - and I expect them to win by at least 12 on Sunday.

The match will be played in daylight (  NSW Daylight Saving starts on Sunday 4 October 2009   at 2:00 am when clocks are put forward one hour. )

GRAND FINAL DAY matches :

2009 Telstra Premiership Grand Final   Melbourne Storm v Parramatta Eels 5:15pm

2009 Toyota Cup Grand Final             Melbourne Storm v Wests Tigers 2:10pm

2009 NSW Cup Grand Final               TBC v Balmain Tigers   12:10pm

From the 2010 NRL draw I note that Eels and Storm will meet again in Round 13 ( June 4-7 ) at ( probably ) Parramatta Stadium. ( You can find next year’s draw at :
http://www.nrl.com/News/Latest/tabid/10874/default.aspx?newsid=56836  )

So - in the lower grades - I say “Go the Tigers !”

Please don’t have the Storm winning the Telstra Premiership AND Toyota Cup.  I wouldn’t be able to stand it!

Unfortunately, Bankstown City Bulls are hot favourites to win the NSW Cup.  We’ll see eh Kev?

Yes - it’s Friday already. And I predict “stormy” weather for Sunday afternoon - and “Parramatta by 12” ;)

And they all said :

Oh well, there’s always NEXT year…

In another piece of shocking news, Hong Kong beats Japan in soccer!

And subsequently lose to Guangdong Province.  Goes to show it was just a fluke!

How good are the Dragons (rugby league) going!

NRL scandal…

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-tipped-to-dock-melbourne-storm-points-over-salary-cap-breaches/story-e6frexnr-1225856965748

NRL hit Melbourne Storm with $1.5 million salary cap breach

The Daily Telegraph   April 22, 2010   4:10PM

THE MELBOURNE Storm have been stripped of two premierships and three minor premierships for rorting the salary cap by $1.7 million over the past five seasons.

NRL chief executive David Gallop has just announced the punishment at a 4pm press conference at NRL headquarters at Moore Park.

Gallop said the Storm had gone to “elaborate lengths” to conceal a systematic method of keeping two separate sets of account books relating to player payments.

The NRL has stripped the 2007 and 2009 premiers of their two Telstra Cup trophies, fined the Storm $500,000 and ordered them to hand back $1.1 million in prizemoney.

The Storm have also had three minor premierships ripped from the record books and the $1.1 million in prizemoney will be re-distributed evenly among the 15 other NRL clubs.

“The Storm has engaged in a long-term system of operating what might conveniently be called two sets of books,” Gallop said.

“To their credit this morning the Storm representatives have come in and confessed to a well-organised system of paying players outside the cap.

“On what we know this ammounted to $1.7 million over the last five years, including approximately $700,000 in 2010.

“The elaborate lengths that they went to to hide the payments was quite extraordinary.

“The breakthrough in the investigation was the discovery by the salary cap auditor and his team of a file in a seperate room at the Storm to the room that contained the file with the players contracts, outlining payments to the players not declared to us.

“Theses payments have allowed them to recruit and retain some of the best players in the game. The results of their practices on the field speak for themselves.

“This is not a time to debate the cap. The rules are the rules, everyone in this competition knows them.

“Particularly after the Bulldogs, they knew the risk they were taking. There’s no alternative for the NRL in terms of penalty.

“The penalty will be the stripping of three minor premierships and two premierships. The return of $1.1 million in prize money that will be distributed to the other 15 clubs evenly.”

Leading sports bookmakers Sportingbet Australia was even forced to suspend wooden spoon betting after a series of bets on the premiers at $251 to finish last.

Certainly an incredible sermon illustration about sin and its consequences. But how sad it is for all those NRL players and officials who are doing the right thing - and yet will be tainted and affected by this scandal. It was the last thing that NRL needed right now - and just as a really good season was underway.

How innocent yesterday looked !

I saw that on one site half an hour ago, and thought it was some sick joke played by someone in the media.

Unfortunately not so…

To reiterate ... how good are the Dragons (rugby league) going!

My mates’ soccer team (Hurstville Glory Open Es) just made the finals with a 2-1 win.  Yay!

Meanwhile in rugby league, I’m seeing the Dragons play Manly tonight.  Should be a cracker!

Poor friends ‘lost’ 1-1 against a higher ranked team in the semis, thus getting eliminated.  At least the Dragons continue to top the ladder.

*Amended as I remember that the Dragons lost the last match - but they are still topping the ladder*