Champion footballer. Champion bloke 

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 All those head-knocks will come back to haunt them.

 

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Olsen Flipaina who was awesome at his best, has passed away at age 64 from kidney failure. 

Along with the Sorensen brothers, Mark Graham and Hugh McGhan, Olsen was the cream of the crop form NZ in the 80's. 

Condolences to his family and friends!  

Will do that Monday.

 Who decides?

  

 

Has to sell his medals to pay for his treatment but spend a million on a funeral. 

 agree about the uniforms.

 

Premiership Finish. (For the record, the term a soft score, refers to the fact that if a team has injuries to certain players the score drops. So for instance if Luke Keary is lost again for the season, the Roosters drop 3 points with any replacement.)  

1. Penrith - 129. The youngsters played really well last season and they played hard to win the grand final, although a little luckily. Basically the same squad with only Capewell and Burton missing. Naden leaving drains their outside back depth but the two youngsters vying for Burton's centre position can do their job at least. With the lure of back to back, they will be somewhere in the preliminary finals and get their chance. 

2. Melbourne - 124. This is a very soft score due to Kamakamika and Asofa Solomona potentially being out for two entirely different reasons for the season. With Funicane, Hynes and Addo Carr now missing the teams depth will be tested. If they do not have the other two the teams score drops four points. The Brandon Smith off field nonsense may be distabilising but Bellamy should keep that in check and if he is a negative influence he will be left out of the team. With many leaving next season, including the coach, for me this is the last best hope for them to push for a title. They need Munster to regain his 2020 form and they need Papanhuyzen to shake off that injury last year. Expecting Xavier Coates to be a very nice replacement for Addo Carr on that side of the field, he might lack the Fox's pace but he is a good mover and he will be one of the best finishers for the season, if he can stay injury free.

3. Eastern Suburbs - 120. Have lost a few players with both Morris boys gone and Liu up to the Gold Coast. I have selected Radley in the hooking position as he for me is a better option than the alternatives. Obviously Keary needs to stay healthy and like last year if they get some injuries they will struggle. Have enough talent to make the eight but for me they are again a second week finals, at best team. Interested to see the improvement in Suaali this season.

4. Parramatta - 118. I have said it before and I will say it again, they need to win this season, as they are losing to many good players next year. Now fully aware of their situation, I am expecting this team to be very strong late in the season. Simonsson is a good winger and pick up from the Raiders, and should fill Fergusons shoes well. This is a defining season for Mitchell Moses! He needs to step up and lead the team.

5. Manly - 117. Same team and same game plan, just get Turbo involved in everything, even the coin toss. He needs more help in attack. Foran, Cherry Evans and Schuster need to not just sit back and hope for a Turbo onslaught. I can not see Turbo playing as well this season as he did last season because that was one of the best seasons (18 games for him) from any player. While he is fit and well the Manly side will challenge but they need him at full strength in the finals to be a serious challenger.

6. Souths - 117. Some huge downgrades for this team this season, and the two main ones are the captain and coach. They are missing Mitchell for the first four matches and they need Cody Walker to start the season I similar form to last year.  He does not have much help attacking wise and if Cook does not reach his best again, the teams looks pedestrian in attack compared to others. Cameron Murray and Walker are 10 point players but they need the other players to do their job. 

7. New Zealand - 116. This is the second year in a row I have had them making the eight, but as usual it comes down to attitude and dedication. With Ash Taylor and Shaun Johnson in the halves and Reece Walsh and Kody Nikamora at Fullback and Hooker respectively I can see a good spine developing there. The forwards are good enough to defend any team on their day, and if Harris and Fonua Blake can lead the forwards, I am expecting them to at least be a bit more consistent this season. 

8. Gold Coast - 116. Not sure they have improved here. Taylor and Fogerty gone. Will Brimson be his best at five eight, and the half back options are limited. Also rumors are starting that Fifita wants out, and this team needs dissention in the ranks about as much as I need a hole in my cerebral cortex. Can improve on last season, but they are a half back and a dynamic fullback short of a grand final win. 

9. Canberra - 112. Not sure what to make of this club. I like Fogerty who can organise with Hodgson while Wighton can play the Laurie Daley function. The forwards are fine with Tapine looking good and    Adam Elliott a nice pick up if he can keep his mind on the field and stay out of trouble off it. Croker was a shadow of his former self last season and it was not good for the team. Ricky needs to make the hard decision if Jarrod can not hit form early. The team need to get away to a good start and that will be difficult with the draw. Cotric back home is a good improvement and hopefully Nicol Klokstad can be injury free. They will be fighting for the final two finals spots.

10. Canterbury Bankstown - 110. Good improvement player talent wise here. Addo Carr, Burton and Pengai Jr give the team a more solid look. Add the extra year for the Pommy Luke Thompson who showed improvement last year and  if Hetherington can not be suspended they have a good front row rotation. Still a few outside backs short of reaching the finals but I am expecting improvement from this team.

11. Wests Tigers - 109. Again some improvements here. I have Hastings playing lock, and I would put Peachey in at hooker, considering the other options available. The Tigers have struggled attacking wise when Brooks has been quiet but with the two new players mentioned adding to Dane Laurie who had a good season last year and Adam Douehi who looks settled in at the 6 now, the speed they have out wide can now get more opportunities. If Luciano Leilua can be a bit more consistent, and younger bench forwards can keep improving, they look a better team on paper this year.

12. Cronulla - 108. Did better than  thought hey would last season, but they are still in their rebuilding phase and with anew coach this could be a holding year. Hynes and Finucane add experience and quality, but they still have to many questions all over the field. Wade graham should be an improver after coming into last season of a knee injury, they have speed out wide, but Hynes and Moylan will need help to create the opportunities and I am not sure the other players are capable.

13. Cowboys - 105. The team looks a little more structured coming into this season. Chad Townsend gives them a quality controlling half. Taumalolo hopefully will be sued with more minutes in a match. Tabuai Fidow back at fullback gives the attack a better rythym and Holmes is one of the best wingers in the game so if they can get him the ball in the open he can finish the chances. The forward pack still lacks help for JT but Luki looks an improver and as he is off contract if he can keep improving off his efforts last season I am expecting him to be highly sought after. Can not see them improving but they will win their share of matches.

14. St.George - 104. I think they have improved on paper but there are a lot of questions here. A teams forward pack with Aaron Woods, McGuire, and a returning George Burgess has to have question marks about the depth. The form last year of Jack Bird was good and if he can improve on that he offers a better assist to Hunt attacking wise. De Belin will surely be better for a full season back and if Lomax can stay injury free he forms a very dangerous center paring with Moses Suli. 

15. Brisbane - 104. I can see improvement in this team but this is a team who need to get back to te former clubs professionalism, they have talent but some players last year looked like they did not want to be there. Obviously Reynolds adds experience and quality. Not sure Staggs in at five eight is a winner, but it is worth a try while Kurt Capewell looks a nice fit as the flanking second rower. I also think Ryan James is a very very good pick up. His form for Canterbury last season when loaned out by the Raiders was very good and if he can stay sound, he might be a good buy for the team i the forwards where Haas needs help. 

16. Newcastle - 104. Sorry Knights fans but I am not seeing a good season coming up here. The young forwards are slowing in their development. Daniel Saifiti and Frizzell are the stars in the pack, but the other players need to step up. Dane Gagai adds some quality in the backline but while he is still a good finisher, his ability to create something himself has diminished. Jake Clifford is a drop in quality from Mitchell Pearce and the club needs more from Bradman Best as he has the size speed and agility to be one of the elite centers in the sport. This is a huge year for the Knights because Ponga is one of the generation that does not consider loyalty a thing, so if the Knights are not showing improvement I am expecting him to start squeezing the club for a release. 

In the end I think this season sees just about every team with a few exceptions actually improve through their recruitment. 

With that said I have the final four looking this way.

Penrith vs Parramatta

Melbourne vs Manly

Grand final - Parramatta vs Melbourne

Premiers: Melbourne

Dally M: Mitchell Moses

Dally M Team of the year:

Fullback - Clint Gutherson

Wing - Xavier Coates & Brian To'o                        

Center - Justin Olam & Waqa Blake

Five Eight - Jerome Luai

Halfback - Mitchell Moses

Hooker - Harry Grant

Props - James Fisher-Harris & Payne Haas

Second Rowers - David Fifita & Cameron Murray

Lock -  Nathan Brown

Coach Of The Year - Not sure. Justin Holbrook, Nathan Brown, Brad Arthur, Bellamy and Cleary to be the five. 

Top Point Scorer - Reuben Garrick

Top Try Scorer - Either Jason Saab or Xavier Coates, I will go Saab.

State Of Origin - N.S.W 3-0 

Clive Churchill Medal - Brandon Smith

Good luck to all teams, players and supporters for the 2022 season and lets hope we get a season where we have a more competitive competition.   

 I agree with your assessment of Souths. Losing Reyno is huge. Mitchell's absence is telling. Damien Cook needs to play 'running', because Cody plays off him in a lot of instances. We are little chance of winning the big one unless a miracle occurs with the new half.  

 Have you ever heard anything so crazy?

  NFL teams only do 3.

 

This on the back of the Tigers beating the Roosters under 8s on Friday night to get their fans dreaming of September, although those dreams will be forgotten by round one when the Storm continue their proud tradition of tearing the Tigers a new one.

And I agree with JJ. Voyager's comment above that Parra will have a strong back-end to the season will only happen if they have a shocking start & are out of finals contention. You automatically lose your ticker when you put an Eels jumper on 

Anyhow - always good to discuss - even if you don blue & gold   

  No Reynolds is going to tell in the long-run, despite Ilias doing some good things. And without Cam Murray, the forwards are pedestrian. 

 As for Paulo and The Sauce, the less said...

 

 

You heard it here 

 Both can't tackle one-on-one.

 Not sure we have replacements apart from Milne.

 Blake Taaffe was found out, too. 

 I know it's only trials, but Souths value the Charity Shield.

 As do I. I met my husband at the charity shield.

  

 No-one prevented Turbo from tackling To'o...

 Here we go again.

 

 

Penrith dominated the first half but after Manly scored a converted try seconds before the break, they only lead by 12 - 6. A couple of controversial disallowed tries haven't helped them.

l

 Manly are a one-trick pony. Take Turbo out and there is nothing.

 

 Souths v Brissie with Ashley Kline as referee is always controversial (though he refereed fairly).

 We only had one attacking weapon...Damian Cook and his darting runs...after Walker was injured. 

 Jaxson Paulo is not a kicker's bootlace. Going into any match without a recognised kicker is a huge blunder. But I have no problems with his general play, except he's more value on the wing. Milne and The Sauce are pedestrian and need to go.

 When Fattrell comes back, next week, he should slot into the centres. Alex Johnson played well at fullback and should stay there. His positional play is better than Mitchell's and we need a solid centre to partner Graham...which is where Mitchell has always been more effective.

 The forwards frustrate me. They waste tackles, give away penalties and never make line breaks...bar Cookie. At least they tackle, though. 

 We have three hard matches coming up. If we can't beat Brissie (who showed a lot of ticker), then we certainly won't beat Melbourne, The Chooks and Penrith.

 Could very easily be 0-4 after four rounds.

 As for no Adam Reynolds ...as Fatty Vautin described it..."It's not so much Brisbane are without Reynolds, but Souths don't have him either." 

 They will live to regret that decision. We have no rudder to steer the ship.

 

 

 

* Panthers came out all guns blazing - even with the best player in the comp sitting on the sidelines. How stupid are the the bookies - Manly favourites against the reigning premiers playing at home. They should give me a job

* Turbo seemed to have misplaced one of his superchargers during the off-season. Early days for him & the team - will be very competitive 

* Souths looking ordinary - even with the human headline not playing. Will finish more towards the bottom of the table than the top I'm thinking. Bronco's showing enough to suggest a good year with Reynolds in the wings.

* Canberra can thank Jesse Ramien for their 2 points. Absolute bone head giving up that penalty with a few minutes to play. Sent to reserves i hope. Cronulla will become a finals contender - Canberra not so. Couple of Raiders big boofy forwards need moving on.

* Ricky Stuart continues to be the coach most people dislike. (as her should be - sook)

 good assessment.  I think Souths will struggle without Reynolds and Bennett, especially if they continue to play the same pattern as last night. Everyone is onto the left hand attack on the fourth (after three wasted tackles barging up the middle)...hence the intercept. Our two wingers are always AWOL, which puts pressure on the centres to cover. We need speed, not bulk. T Burgess is non-effective. Should retire. (I reckon I could solve a few of the potential problems...give me the coaching job). 

 I am a realist.

 

I would have said the same if the Panthers had a bad start 

 We could beat the Chooks in two weeks and be 1-2 after three rounds. I'm not counting my chickens in regards to the Storm. We have a shocking record against them. 

 thank you Knights...

 

 I saw some film of him being floored.

 

 

 poor Viktor...

 

 , so far I've picked 2  , better luck today at the races marble. 

 

 A Chook supporter making jokes about the salary cap...

 ironic much?

 

 

 rubbish.

 

 

 

  

 

 But he's not there and we go in with part-time kickers...and lose.

 At least we made a game of it...

 

May have just been a tough night on kickers as the Storm only kicked 1/3 themselves.

 Yep...it's all about him.  

 Camera focuses on him beating his chest after the field goal. Only one interviewed.

 As I said...if we had gone in with Reyno, the result might have been different.

 That said...it took a bloody long time for them to show some cohesion in attack.

 Paulo isn't a centre. Neither is Milne. When Taaffe is fit, put him back in as fullback and put Fattrell in the centres where he belongs. 

 

 

 

 typical headline. There is only one person in our team when he is playing.

 

 He's not a fullback's arse...

 Centre, centre, centre...

 Put him where he belongs and I might shut up...

 

 

Give the coach a ring , he's only over the road , I'm bloody 2000 k away. 

 He would be devastating in the centres...he has great hands...and we wouldn't have to worry about his crap positional play, lack of lone defence and how slow he is. 

 Johnno and Paulo would score a motza of tries off him at centre. At fullback, he is only any good if he can pick where Cody is going to go.

  

 I'd love to see Manly go 0-2, like us.

 I reckon we might take you, next week. Especially if the Manly fairies rough you up before they lose.

 

A lot of players returned from serious injury and I think there were a few playing tentatively.