Hi everyone!
Welcome to this first Blog update of 2013.
Again I welcome back returning tipsters, including those former champions who have returned for our 10th Anniversary (since being an Internet competition) season celebrations and also to those who have joined for the first time. Good luck to everyone.
I have added the Prizes and Pools draw at the top of the blog page.
Please don't forget to check out the Competition Rules page too - in there it also mentions how to play your Joker rounds this season. You have 5 in total. Use them wisely.
The NRL is back but apart from the action on the field, all the real drama has been off it as of late!
Firstly leading up the season with all the off season events including the whole ASADA peptides investigations and the 'Face of the Game' curse striking again as Dally M Winner Ben Barba being stood down by the Bulldogs indefinitely due to personal reasons.
Then today Josh Dugan's contract being torn up by the Raiders after his drinking tweets with team mate Blake Ferguson while expected to be at recovery.
Thankfully we had the footy to concentrate on last weekend, but for some fans it wasn't the most encouraging starts to the premiership season.
The NZ Warriors and Wests Tigers, having signed new coaches (Elliot and Potter) in the off season, were both blown off the park in their opening games.
A rejuvenated Parramatta Eels playing expansively and with confidence under former NSW coach Ricky Stuart ran all over a shell shocked Warriors 40-10 while the Newcastle Knights, a season smarter under mastermind Wayne Bennett, had a field day with nearly 70% possession when they made a joke ofa stunned Tigers 42-10.
The opening game was the much anticipated return of ex-Bulldog and All Black, Sonny Bill Williams but it was the South Sydney Rabbitohs who spoiled the welcoming party, cruising home in style over the Sydney Roosters 28-10.
The defending premiers, Melbourne, battled through 33 degree heats on a Sunday afternoon but won comfortably 30-10 over the St George-Illawaara Dragons, while the last year's grand finalists the Bulldogs struggled with life without Barba going down 24-12 to the Nth Qld Cowboys.
Last year's sava4 and runner-up The Neighbour who battled head to head at the top for most of the season, both started nicely with 6 and 5 points respectively, but it was mdt64 who jumped on the early lead with a joker played 6 from 8 round, giving him 12 points.
Scotsta and 1YEARWONDERBARBA also played their Joker rounds to go 2nd equal on 10 points after the 1st Round.
mdt64 with a Joker score of 12 points and a margin of 8. Well played!
Here's what's happened in Week One
SEAEAGLES COME FROM BEHIND TO OVER RUN BRONCOS
The Broncos looked on course to repeat their victory over the Sea Eagles 25 years ago when they entered the premiership but, after leading 14-6 - the same half-time scoreline as 1988 - they were swamped by a Sea Eagles attack led magnificently by half-back Daly Cherry-Evans.It was Cherry-Evans's solo try, busting through four Brisbane defenders in the 48th minute, which not only cut the margin to 14-12 but provided the visitors with the momentum to grab the lead five minutes later when centre Steve Matai crossed for his second try.
Half-back Scott Prince - returning to Broncos colours for the first time since 2003 - admitted it was that momentum that killed Brisbane's chances.
"It was our completion rate," he told the media.
"We invited them back in the game. Manly seemed to get a bit of momentum and scored points with that.
"But we unfortunately ran out of the time in the end to stop the momentum because once a team's got that, you've got to work twice as hard to get it back."
Jamie Lyon's conversion put Manly in front 16-14 which the visitors extended to 22-14 after Brisbane centre Jack Reed spilled the ball in a Cherry-Evans tackle 15 metres out from his own tryline.
Prop Brent Kite grabbed the loose ball and shovelled it on to winger David Williams for the easiest of tries.
"I don't know about the easiest but definitely the most pleasurable," Williams said.
"It's not often I find myself on the right side on the outside of a young Brent Kite.
"He was back to his under 10s form of wearing the number seven I believe ... grubbers inside, is there anything the kid can't do?"
Two magnificent passes by Broncos centre Justin Hodges guided Brisbane to their half-time lead in front of 31,139 fans.
Hodges served up a superb pass in a tackle for back-rower Matt Gillett to score in the 19th minute after Prince had knocked over a simple penalty several minutes earlier.
Gillett powered onto the pass, almost knocking Manly full-back Brett Stewart into the grandstand as he bolted across the tryline.
Matai cut the margin to 8-6, crossing wide out in the left corner after a sweeping shift instigated by Cherry-Evans.
"They seemed to stack that right edge of ours," Prince admitted.
"But I thought we handled it okay.
"There's just a couple of combination issues but we'll sort that out."
Brisbane's second try was a classic, reviving memories of the club's glory days.With members of the 1988 side, including captain Wally Lewis in the stands, Brisbane turned on the razzle dazzle with Prince and finally Hodges producing perfect flick passes for winger Lachlan Maranta to score for the 14-6 lead.
How the fans would have loved to see Lewis or Alfie Langer jump out of the stands as Brisbane's attack was shut down by Manly with a glut of second-half possession.
Manly: 22 (S Matai 2, D Cherry-Evans, D Williams tries; J Lyon 3/4 conversions)
Brisbane: 14 (M Gillett, L Maranta tries; S Prince 2/2 conversions, 1/1 penalty goals)
RANK
|
TIPPER
|
ROUND
1 SCORE
|
ROUND
1 MARGIN
|
TOTAL
MARGIN
|
TOTAL
SCORE
|
1
|
mdt64
|
12
|
8
|
8
|
12
|
2
|
Scotsta
|
10
|
24
|
24
|
10
|
3
|
1YEARWONDERBARBA
|
10
|
43
|
43
|
10
|
4
|
TWiL Nate
|
7
|
12
|
12
|
7
|
5
|
Kiwi_Misty
|
7
|
12
|
12
|
7
|
6
|
Lainey
|
7
|
13
|
13
|
7
|
7
|
Link Abrams
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
8
|
BEAR KNUCKLE
|
6
|
7
|
7
|
6
|
9
|
Gorillagrip
|
6
|
7
|
7
|
6
|
10
|
tais1
|
6
|
8
|
8
|
6
|
11
|
Bronco2020
|
6
|
8
|
8
|
6
|
12
|
Wilshere Wonderland
|
6
|
10
|
10
|
6
|
13
|
sava4
|
6
|
10
|
10
|
6
|
14
|
Simply The Bears
|
6
|
10
|
10
|
6
|
15
|
Richard McCourt
|
6
|
10
|
10
|
6
|
16
|
tawa killers
|
6
|
10
|
10
|
6
|
17
|
Darren Scott
|
6
|
11
|
11
|
6
|
18
|
Bearass
|
6
|
12
|
12
|
6
|
19
|
Keith Wilton
|
6
|
12
|
12
|
6
|
20
|
LOUNGIN SON
|
6
|
12
|
12
|
6
|
21
|
Yo Mama
|
6
|
18
|
18
|
6
|
22
|
jall091 (2008 Champion)
|
6
|
24
|
24
|
6
|
23
|
NO1QPRNZ
|
6
|
26
|
26
|
6
|
24
|
Evra69
|
6
|
28
|
28
|
6
|
25
|
taijay
|
5
|
6
|
6
|
5
|
26
|
The Neighbour
|
5
|
6
|
6
|
5
|
27
|
melz
|
5
|
8
|
8
|
5
|
28
|
trey waldron
|
5
|
8
|
8
|
5
|
29
|
MrBusy
|
5
|
10
|
10
|
5
|
30
|
Warmess
|
5
|
10
|
10
|
5
|
31
|
killswitch
|
5
|
10
|
10
|
5
|
32
|
Gaddaffi
|
5
|
10
|
10
|
5
|
33
|
HUDS99
|
5
|
10
|
10
|
5
|
34
|
Matthew Bowers
|
5
|
10
|
10
|
5
|
35
|
Tubasaurus
|
5
|
10
|
10
|
5
|
36
|
Anu
|
5
|
11
|
11
|
5
|
37
|
Dean Campbell
|
5
|
12
|
12
|
5
|
38
|
Butch
|
5
|
12
|
12
|
5
|
39
|
NZ Tiger (2004 Champion)
|
5
|
14
|
14
|
5
|
40
|
Heath Caldwell
|
5
|
14
|
14
|
5
|
41
|
Joejoez
|
5
|
14
|
14
|
5
|
42
|
Harveysan
|
5
|
22
|
22
|
5
|
43
|
devoid (2009 Champion)
|
5
|
22
|
22
|
5
|
44
|
Rex Kwando
|
5
|
24
|
24
|
5
|
45
|
Redv4me
|
5
|
24
|
24
|
5
|
46
|
Jojo Azrein
|
4
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
47
|
cmcnls+1day
|
4
|
8
|
8
|
4
|
48
|
Kyle Thomson
|
4
|
8
|
8
|
4
|
49
|
melros
|
4
|
8
|
8
|
4
|
50
|
Vee8head
|
4
|
10
|
10
|
4
|
51
|
Jessamine (2005 Champion)
|
4
|
10
|
10
|
4
|
52
|
steven bowers
|
4
|
11
|
11
|
4
|
53
|
eviltwin
|
4
|
24
|
24
|
4
|
54
|
kazgriffo
|
4
|
24
|
24
|
4
|
55
|
ootz
|
4
|
24
|
24
|
4
|
56
|
Sincas
|
4
|
24
|
24
|
4
|
57
|
Feet Little
|
4
|
24
|
24
|
4
|
58
|
Bruiser
|
4
|
24
|
24
|
4
|
59
|
Alfie
|
4
|
24
|
24
|
4
|
60
|
Pet Johnson
|
4
|
24
|
24
|
4
|
61
|
Team Upton
|
4
|
26
|
26
|
4
|
62
|
tank
|
4
|
26
|
26
|
4
|
63
|
Craig Carnihan
|
4
|
26
|
26
|
4
|
64
|
Stevefromoz (2009 Champion)
|
4
|
27
|
27
|
4
|
65
|
Staks
|
4
|
28
|
28
|
4
|
66
|
BT Ross
|
4
|
28
|
28
|
4
|
67
|
Rob Killer (2006 Champion)
|
3
|
10
|
10
|
3
|
68
|
Desire Wilton
|
3
|
10
|
10
|
3
|
69
|
jared francois
|
3
|
12
|
12
|
3
|
70
|
kelren
|
3
|
12
|
12
|
3
|
71
|
Bearette
|
3
|
12
|
12
|
3
|
72
|
boogs_nz
|
3
|
14
|
14
|
3
|
73
|
Kye Hudson
|
3
|
26
|
26
|
3
|
74
|
haze13
|
3
|
28
|
28
|
3
|
75
|
blo1
|
3
|
28
|
28
|
3
|
76
|
rog the dodge
|
3
|
33
|
33
|
3
|
77
|
Rocketane
|
2
|
14
|
14
|
2
|
78
|
Balmainadrian
|
2
|
26
|
26
|
2
|
TO SEE WHO TIPPED WHAT - VISIT THE FOOTY TIPS 'WHO TIPPED WHAT' LINK (YOU MUST BE SIGNED IN TO VIEW).
FOR THE LATEST POOLS TABLES PLACINGS - VISIT THE CURRENT POOLS TABLE PAGE
That's it for this update.
Have a great weekend!
Mark
aka NZ Tiger
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