Chokers, Chargers, Creepers and Capitulators

There are five rounds to go and this year’s top eight is far from decided. In a week where plenty of questions have been asked about various teams, I will give my view on where four of the most popular sides are at.

Dragons Choking?

We saw it last year and the warning signs are back again, so after leading the comp all year are the Dragons stumbling towards an early finals exit again? One thing many underestimate is the pressure in leading the ladder for a sustained period of time. Every team you come up against is out to beat you and make a statement about the state of their club. It can’t be easy for the Dragons to contend with this on a weekly basis rather than a 6-8 week period leading into the Grand Final. Especially since they have had their top eight spot sealed since May.

Wendell Sailor told NRL on Fox “if the Dragons were in a form slump they would be getting beaten by 20 each week”. That’s a reasonable point and the criticism and blame on Mark Gasnier for the Dragons woes is a bit unfair too.

I don’t think the Dragons are choking, I think they are stumbling through a rough patch where other teams are on the rise. They’re playing a bit tired but quite possibly are simply saving and conserving themselves for September. I think they can get back to their best and it would really surprise me if, after last year, Wayne Bennett did NOT have something special up his sleeve for the Finals.

Roosters Charging?

The other big story doing the rounds regards the Roosters and their amazing winning streak courtesy of a breathtaking brand of attacking football. However, as the story goes, have they peaked too soon?

I think the Roosters are well placed and it’s not as if they are beating teams 12 to 16. The Chooks have knocked over genuine Finals aspirants Brisbane, Parramatta, Souths and the Bulldogs (at the time).

I don’t think they have peaked too early as such. They’re going to face some quality, and possibly desperate, sides in the coming weeks including Gold Coast and Manly. If they have the toughness to hang in those games the Roosters will confirm themselves as genuine title contenders. If they were to lose those games and succumb to a meek exit, hindsight will tell us a truer tale.

Very little is really known about the side with a still fresh halves combination (in terms of playing together) and a heap of solid yet relatively unknown players throughout the squad. No matter what happens, the Roosters story from wooden spooners to top four pace-setters is a nice one.

Broncos Creeping?

Brisbane are a sleeping giant in this competition. I’m biased towards them but I genuinely think the Broncos, if they make the eight, are in this competition up to their eyeballs. Who’d have thought after a 2-6 record two months into the season!

The Broncos have three good things going for them – combination of youth and experience, proud history and culture of the club and finally, Darren Lockyer. Throw in x-factors like Israel Folau and it will take a good team to beat a momentum-riding Brisbane.

However they still have plenty of work to do in order to qualify with any loss suffered over the next five weeks possibly slipping Brisbane out of the eight. But if they can make it, they’ll shake it.

Eels Capitulating?

After Parramatta’s debacle last week I got on Twitter to determine if I should lead with Hayne Train Derailed or Hayne Plane Grounded. This club relies solely on the one player. He relies on the forwards etc, but at the end of the day if Hayne doesn’t play well the Eels WON’T win.

A month ago I wrote them off as a title contender and nothing has changed my mind. They beat the Cowboys and an ordinary Bulldogs side, with a freakish win over Penrith in the middle – a win that happens for a club once every few seasons, if that.

Parramatta finally came up against a real premiership threat last week, in a ‘fair’ match void of freak displays, and got their bums smacked. The Eels were flogged from bell-to-bell and that performance showed me where they are really at.

The Eels play the Titans and Broncos in Queensland in the next two weeks. Honestly I think they need to win both but would be happy with one. However I’m not confident they can win either ... having said that I will reluctantly (not confidently) tip them under the ‘Hayne factor’ to get over the Titans this week.

TIPPING
Tips – Broncos, Eels, Storm, Tigers, Sharks, Bulldogs, Dragons, Penrith
Last Week – 7/8
Total – 87/152 (57%)

Thanks for reading and as always you can email me (andrew.keyte@gmail.com), tweet me (@keyto316) or comment me below.

Cheers,
Keyto