Blair
Coach
- Messages
- 11,513
Well, that's Origin done for another year - and it was good, real good - but it still adversely affected the competition and hangs around this weekend, with all the 'will he or won't he?' back up talk.
Friday, it's a teeth-chattering, nerve-tingling, opener in Canberra. Two teams battling it out in the cold, and two coaches (and, of course, two sets of fans) knowing it's probably curtain time if they lose. Raiders v Warriors, who needs Origin to make someone feel alive on a mid-winter's night, eh?
Saturday, we're in the money with three goodies once again. Souths have lost a key player in Cameron Murray to suspension and that will hurt. Wests are feeling the pressure off the field with Benji and Robbie parting ways at the end of the season. Wests have acknowledged that they need more experience with their coaching. For all his faults, you can't lose a stalwart like Sheens and replace him with novices, and expect there to be no fallout. This week Wests owned up to that.
Newcastle are more than good enough to almost officially end the finals hopes of a disappointing Broncos squad, whilst keeping their own alive. The Storm v Roosters is big, real big. Grand final-preview big, in fact, and that's saying something as the Roosters were slow out of the coop this year.
Penrith will laugh at that GF preview though, and they have Cleary back just to add volume to it. I doubt the Dolphins can upset them at a chilly Penrith Park, but the boys from Redcliffe are tough, we know that.
Dessie's back at Brookie as his Titans play Manly, and he has a three-game winning run blowing behind that mad mop of his. We close with NQ needing their five Origin stars back if they're to be considered favourites at home to a Bulldogs side that looks to be ending an eight-year finals drought.
Enjoy.
Friday, it's a teeth-chattering, nerve-tingling, opener in Canberra. Two teams battling it out in the cold, and two coaches (and, of course, two sets of fans) knowing it's probably curtain time if they lose. Raiders v Warriors, who needs Origin to make someone feel alive on a mid-winter's night, eh?
Saturday, we're in the money with three goodies once again. Souths have lost a key player in Cameron Murray to suspension and that will hurt. Wests are feeling the pressure off the field with Benji and Robbie parting ways at the end of the season. Wests have acknowledged that they need more experience with their coaching. For all his faults, you can't lose a stalwart like Sheens and replace him with novices, and expect there to be no fallout. This week Wests owned up to that.
Newcastle are more than good enough to almost officially end the finals hopes of a disappointing Broncos squad, whilst keeping their own alive. The Storm v Roosters is big, real big. Grand final-preview big, in fact, and that's saying something as the Roosters were slow out of the coop this year.
Penrith will laugh at that GF preview though, and they have Cleary back just to add volume to it. I doubt the Dolphins can upset them at a chilly Penrith Park, but the boys from Redcliffe are tough, we know that.
Dessie's back at Brookie as his Titans play Manly, and he has a three-game winning run blowing behind that mad mop of his. We close with NQ needing their five Origin stars back if they're to be considered favourites at home to a Bulldogs side that looks to be ending an eight-year finals drought.
Enjoy.
