I'm now a freelance blogger, as I wrote this as a fill-in for my work tipping competition email.
The only amendment to the original copy here is the removal of one inside joke at the tipping competition administrator's expense.
So here's an NRL Round 5 recap, plus a bonus hot tip for Round 6.
Bulldogs 10 def Broncos 7
It was very wet and the games turning point was when Jordan Kahu forgot that neither team can grab the ball from a set kick that doesn't go 10m. Personally I think Kahu was onto something - you can pick-up a knock-on and play advantage, why not be able to pick up a comically bad line dropout?
Sea Eagles 18 def Roosters 12
I missed the NRL early birds special between the Sea Eagles and Roosters, as like most people, I have more pressing matters than watching footy at 6pm on a Friday. Those matters used to be drinking (responsibly, of course), now it's children. Seemed like a good game though, decided in the last two minutes by a very well-executed try. Manly were arguably the worst team in rounds 1/2, and arguably the best team in rounds 3-5.
Cowboys 20 def Rabbitohs 6
This was a pretty average performance blamed by the commentators on humidity. There were also a lot of moths visible on camera, not sure if it was a problem, but I'd take it as an excuse if I were Souths. Both teams tried really hard, Cowboys executed slightly less worse.
Sharks 19 def Knights 18
Raiders 30 def Eels 18
Storm 28 def Panthers 6
On Saturday afternoon, I attended the GWS Giants AFL game. My brother-in-law got a family membership because it meant they could go to the Royal Easter Show for free. He then somehow got at least 7 free tickets. We sat front row behind the goals, which I think is good.
The official crowd on a sunny afternoon with no NRL games in Sydney was just over 8,000. Based on my own ticketing experience, and factoring that 1400 juniors did a lap of honour before the game (accompanied to ground by parents and guardians) I'd be shocked if more than 3,000 people actually paid to enter.
So AFL not quite taking over yet.
The Giants won by 102. I was mostly looking at the above NRL scores. The two highlights were that it really is a nice stadium and the Parra stadium renos will be great for the NRL (if clubs agree to play there), and that the GWS team was founded about five years ago yet their team song sounds like a Soviet propaganda tune. Look it up, it's amazing.
Warriors 28 def Titans 22
This was a match that happened.
Dragons 28 def Tigers 6
I got my two older kids pumped to watch the "Go Dragons" on TV. They even wanted to wear their Dragons jerseys. Then they insisted I wear mine, which I negotiated down to a Dragons polo shirt.
At the last minute one of them then decided to watch ABC4 Kids because "he just wanted to wear the Dragons, not watch it". The other spent the first half asking me stuff like "why are they called the Tigers?", and "who are the blue team?" (the referees) over and over again before I banished him.
I probably have as much work to do as GWS to win over hearts and minds.
By half-time, this one was over as the Dragons exposed the Tigers terrible right edge defence through a hat trick to future Immortal Jason Nightingale. Nighty might have scored five if Tim Lafai or Josh Dugan knew how to pass a ball properly.
Round 6 Preview
Dragons v Sea Eagles as the best game of the round this week is something unexpected. My hot tip is that the Panthers NSW Cup side will win handsomely, after three players including the State of Origin fullback were dropped to the reserves for disciplinary issues. You're on your own for picking all the other winners.
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