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Breaking News Statman previews NRL round 10
Breaking News Statman previews NRL round 10Fox Sports, AustraliaThe 1995 breakdown was: Mat Rogers (Cronulla) 4, Steve Renouf (Brisbane) 4, Ken Nagas (Canberra) 4, Peter Jorgensen (Sydney Roosters) 3, Rod Silva (Sydney Bulldogs) 3, and Noel Goldthorpe (St George) 3. What a memory! In a tough week for the code, ...
Source: http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25481801-23210,00.html
Statman previews NRL round 10
By Statman
May 14, 2009
Statman returns for the country's weekly dose of enlightenment with his unique way of looking at the important events in rugby league on the field.
This week there is: Newcastle's joy at home, and misery at Moore Park; Rangas on the rage in Orange; Slippery Morris's challenge to Brett and Josh; a wet and windy day in 1963; and, as usual, loads more.
While Statman was sitting at home enjoying one of Mrs Statman's famous roast dinners on Saturday night - TV tray on his knees so he wouldn't miss any of the action as North Queensland Cowboys played St George Illawarra live and exclusive on Fox Sports 2 - he got to wondering why there was an eerie sense of deja vu come across him. Then everything became clear, with Johnathan Thurston reminding him so much of Graeme Langlands. What was it? Can't have been the headgear, as Langlands didn't wear any. It wasn't the boots, as Thurston’s were red and Langlands only wore the white boots once anyway. And while Thurston is quick, he sure doesn't run like Langlands did. Then it hit home as Thurston scored his third try of the night, and his fifth in two days. Of course, it was on a windy, wet weekend back in 1963 that Langlands had produced the same heorics: after scoring two tries against South Africa, "Changa" backed up the next day to score three tries and eight goals for St George (minus Illawarra in those days) against North Sydney. Sure Thurston kicked one more goal, and his tries were worth four points not three, but the resemblance was amazing. Those great roast dinners really get the brain working, and stop Statman from losing his memory.
If Newcastle Knights keep winning at home, they may have to continue demolishing the grandstands around the ground to keep the streak going. Sunday’s somewhat controversial win over Gold Coast Titans was their eighth consecutive victory at the partially demolished "EAS", equaling their club record. And kicking out on the full obviously does not affect a team's chances of winning, judging by the Knights' effort, as they kicked out on the full four times - the most of any team in the past three seasons.
Let's be very clear: Statman isn't a betting man and backing odds-on favorites is not his go; but if you are desperate for a win this weekend, it is very difficult to go past Melbourne Storm against Canberra in the Monday Night Football game. Firstly, Melbourne have won their past 13 matches against Canberra, since 2002, and they have lost only one of 11 matches against the Raiders at Olympic Park. Since 2007, Melbourne have won 10 of their 12 Monday night matches
(including four from four at Olympic Park) while Canberra have won only two of their past six Monday night matches (both in Canberra). But wait. There's more. Canberra have lost their past three matches, and six of their past eight; they have won only one of their past six away matches; and they have won only seven of their 29 away matches since the start of 2007. For whatever reason, the "Green Machine" simply cannot get rolling against the Storm, winning only
five of their 23 games overall (22 per cent) - easily their worst winning percentage against all opponents. Not surprisingly, only two of Melbourne’s 17 named players this weekend have tasted defeat against Canberra - Brett Finch and Matt Cross - neither while playing for Melbourne. To top it all, Melbourne have not conceded 20 points this season while the Raiders have won just two of their past 26 games in which they have scored 20 points or less.
A lot of things have changed over the past 100 years, but, in some cases, everything stays the same. The first time Newcastle played Eastern Suburbs in the Moore Park suburb of Sydney saw the beginning of a not so wonderful tradition (for the visitors). Newcastle first played Eastern Suburbs at the Royal Agricultural Ground in 1908, tasting defeat to the tune of 34-17. For the winners that day, the great Dally Messenger scored two tries and kicked six goals for a personal tally of 18 points. Fast forward 100 years, or so, to look at the Knights' record against Sydney Rosters, and Moore Park continues to give no joy for the visitors. Since 2002, the Knights have won only three times against the Roosters - losing 10 - with the three wins achieved not in the Moore Park area, and not at home, but in Gosford. However, if form means anything it's tough to see anything but a big Knights win, which would reverse a five-game losing sequence against the Roosters at Sydney Football Stadium. During that streak, the Novocastrians have scored just 40 points while conceding 190 - or 38 points per game. For Roosters fans scratching their heads trying to remember the last time their side scored 38 points at home, Statman has the answer: When they defeated the Cowboys 64-30 in 2007.
Peter Wallace did his New South Wales State of Origin selection chances no harm with a dominant performance in the annual City v Country match, scoring 16 points (the individual record tally since the match became "Origin" in 1987) and leading his side to their biggest win in the Origin period. Wallace wasn't the only "Bluey" to put his Origin hand up, with Keith Galloway, Joel Monaghan, Shane Shackleton, Ben Creagh and Alan Tongue also having big games. This is no surprise really; Why did you think they played the game in Orange?
Statman can almost hear the words from Steve "Slippery" Morris to his boys, twin sons Brett and Josh: "Not too bad fellas, but you've got a long way to go to get near the old man." And Statman reckons that's a fair call. Patriarch Steve was a try-scoring favorite for the Dragons, between 1979 and 1986, and then with the Roosters, from 1987 to 1990, crossing for 121 tries in 247 matches - many featuring a spectacular burst of speed along the touchline. But his boys sure have started their careers in rousing fashion, and fans can look forward to a battle royale as their sides go against each other this weekend. Brett became only the ninth player in premiership history to score four tries in a losing side, when his Dragons team went down 24-20 against the Cowboys last Saturday night. He also became only the seventh player to score all of one team’s tries when the side scored four tries or more. Brett has already scored 27 tries in just 44 games. Across town at the Bulldogs, Josh Morris has scored 25 tries in just 52 games, and, like his brother, has both size and speed in his armory. Dad Steve, on the other hand, had to rely entirely on his speed.
Manly fans, excited by their team's surprising comeback win against Brisbane Broncos, will be hoping the resurrection continues all the way through to the semi-finals. But with just three wins and six losses in their opening nine matches, a semi-final position will see them equal their best comebacks after nine rounds - achieved in 1966 and 1998. And while that would be some achievement for the Sea Eagles in their 62nd year, it is fast becoming a regular occurrence for teams to come from nowhere to reach the finals series. In 2008, St George Illawarra made the semi-finals, eventually finishing seventh after starting the season with three wins and six losses. In 2007, Brisbane snuck into eighth spot after starting the season with a 3-6 win-loss record. And Parramatta, in 2006, also came eighth after starting the season with 2 wins and 7 losses. But the best comeback of all was Brisbane’s effort in 1999, when they started the season with one win, one draw and seven losses but still recovered to reach the finals.
With three hat-tricks in just four club matches last weekend, Statman thought "what a time to look at the most hat-tricks in a single round". After rummaging through the dusty, old filing cabinet, which started a sneezing attack, he soldiered on determined to find the answer. But he could not find the notes. Statman then thought "I don’t need my notes, I can recall that one off the top of my head". The answer was easy. In round 18, 1952, and round 22, 1995, there were six hat-tricks scored. In 1952, the breakdown was: Bob Lulham (Balmain) 4, Stan Ponchard (Balmain) 3, Peter O’Brien (North Sydney) 3, Bob Sulllivan (North Sydney) 3, Ken Macreadie (South Sydney) 3, and Bill Callinan (Western Suburbs) 3. The 1995 breakdown was: Mat Rogers (Cronulla) 4, Steve Renouf (Brisbane) 4, Ken Nagas (Canberra) 4, Peter Jorgensen (Sydney Roosters) 3, Rod Silva (Sydney Bulldogs) 3, and Noel Goldthorpe (St George) 3. What a memory!
In a tough week for the code, let's focus on the various match-ups of this week's Heritage Round - and the many old stories of past battles recalled. There may be standing room only at Sydney Cricket Ground when Wests Tigers and South Sydney do battle. Talk of the so-called "lay-down grand final" in 1969 grand final has surfaced. And the Tigers have aired their frustrations about the farcical 1909 final, in which Souths belatedly turned up to take the title after both sides had agreed not to play because the match was only a curtain-raiser. The Tigers have even gone to the trouble of flying their goal-kicking winger from the 1969 grand final-winning side, Len Killeen, out from South Africa. On a special day for players and spectators alike, Hazem El Masri plays game No.300 as the Bulldogs go against St George Illawarra, Gold Coast Titans halfback Scott Prince plays his 200th game in the fixture against Brisbane Broncos, North Queensland Cowboys prop Carl Webb plays his 150th game in the match against the Warriors, Bulldogs forward David Stagg plays his 100th game, and Warriors back Jerome Ropati plays his 100th in the match against the Cowboys.
Breaking News Statman previews NRL round 10Fox Sports, AustraliaThe 1995 breakdown was: Mat Rogers (Cronulla) 4, Steve Renouf (Brisbane) 4, Ken Nagas (Canberra) 4, Peter Jorgensen (Sydney Roosters) 3, Rod Silva (Sydney Bulldogs) 3, and Noel Goldthorpe (St George) 3. What a memory! In a tough week for the code, ...
Source: http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25481801-23210,00.html
Statman previews NRL round 10
By Statman
May 14, 2009
Statman returns for the country's weekly dose of enlightenment with his unique way of looking at the important events in rugby league on the field.
This week there is: Newcastle's joy at home, and misery at Moore Park; Rangas on the rage in Orange; Slippery Morris's challenge to Brett and Josh; a wet and windy day in 1963; and, as usual, loads more.
While Statman was sitting at home enjoying one of Mrs Statman's famous roast dinners on Saturday night - TV tray on his knees so he wouldn't miss any of the action as North Queensland Cowboys played St George Illawarra live and exclusive on Fox Sports 2 - he got to wondering why there was an eerie sense of deja vu come across him. Then everything became clear, with Johnathan Thurston reminding him so much of Graeme Langlands. What was it? Can't have been the headgear, as Langlands didn't wear any. It wasn't the boots, as Thurston’s were red and Langlands only wore the white boots once anyway. And while Thurston is quick, he sure doesn't run like Langlands did. Then it hit home as Thurston scored his third try of the night, and his fifth in two days. Of course, it was on a windy, wet weekend back in 1963 that Langlands had produced the same heorics: after scoring two tries against South Africa, "Changa" backed up the next day to score three tries and eight goals for St George (minus Illawarra in those days) against North Sydney. Sure Thurston kicked one more goal, and his tries were worth four points not three, but the resemblance was amazing. Those great roast dinners really get the brain working, and stop Statman from losing his memory.
If Newcastle Knights keep winning at home, they may have to continue demolishing the grandstands around the ground to keep the streak going. Sunday’s somewhat controversial win over Gold Coast Titans was their eighth consecutive victory at the partially demolished "EAS", equaling their club record. And kicking out on the full obviously does not affect a team's chances of winning, judging by the Knights' effort, as they kicked out on the full four times - the most of any team in the past three seasons.
Let's be very clear: Statman isn't a betting man and backing odds-on favorites is not his go; but if you are desperate for a win this weekend, it is very difficult to go past Melbourne Storm against Canberra in the Monday Night Football game. Firstly, Melbourne have won their past 13 matches against Canberra, since 2002, and they have lost only one of 11 matches against the Raiders at Olympic Park. Since 2007, Melbourne have won 10 of their 12 Monday night matches
(including four from four at Olympic Park) while Canberra have won only two of their past six Monday night matches (both in Canberra). But wait. There's more. Canberra have lost their past three matches, and six of their past eight; they have won only one of their past six away matches; and they have won only seven of their 29 away matches since the start of 2007. For whatever reason, the "Green Machine" simply cannot get rolling against the Storm, winning only
five of their 23 games overall (22 per cent) - easily their worst winning percentage against all opponents. Not surprisingly, only two of Melbourne’s 17 named players this weekend have tasted defeat against Canberra - Brett Finch and Matt Cross - neither while playing for Melbourne. To top it all, Melbourne have not conceded 20 points this season while the Raiders have won just two of their past 26 games in which they have scored 20 points or less.
A lot of things have changed over the past 100 years, but, in some cases, everything stays the same. The first time Newcastle played Eastern Suburbs in the Moore Park suburb of Sydney saw the beginning of a not so wonderful tradition (for the visitors). Newcastle first played Eastern Suburbs at the Royal Agricultural Ground in 1908, tasting defeat to the tune of 34-17. For the winners that day, the great Dally Messenger scored two tries and kicked six goals for a personal tally of 18 points. Fast forward 100 years, or so, to look at the Knights' record against Sydney Rosters, and Moore Park continues to give no joy for the visitors. Since 2002, the Knights have won only three times against the Roosters - losing 10 - with the three wins achieved not in the Moore Park area, and not at home, but in Gosford. However, if form means anything it's tough to see anything but a big Knights win, which would reverse a five-game losing sequence against the Roosters at Sydney Football Stadium. During that streak, the Novocastrians have scored just 40 points while conceding 190 - or 38 points per game. For Roosters fans scratching their heads trying to remember the last time their side scored 38 points at home, Statman has the answer: When they defeated the Cowboys 64-30 in 2007.
Peter Wallace did his New South Wales State of Origin selection chances no harm with a dominant performance in the annual City v Country match, scoring 16 points (the individual record tally since the match became "Origin" in 1987) and leading his side to their biggest win in the Origin period. Wallace wasn't the only "Bluey" to put his Origin hand up, with Keith Galloway, Joel Monaghan, Shane Shackleton, Ben Creagh and Alan Tongue also having big games. This is no surprise really; Why did you think they played the game in Orange?
Statman can almost hear the words from Steve "Slippery" Morris to his boys, twin sons Brett and Josh: "Not too bad fellas, but you've got a long way to go to get near the old man." And Statman reckons that's a fair call. Patriarch Steve was a try-scoring favorite for the Dragons, between 1979 and 1986, and then with the Roosters, from 1987 to 1990, crossing for 121 tries in 247 matches - many featuring a spectacular burst of speed along the touchline. But his boys sure have started their careers in rousing fashion, and fans can look forward to a battle royale as their sides go against each other this weekend. Brett became only the ninth player in premiership history to score four tries in a losing side, when his Dragons team went down 24-20 against the Cowboys last Saturday night. He also became only the seventh player to score all of one team’s tries when the side scored four tries or more. Brett has already scored 27 tries in just 44 games. Across town at the Bulldogs, Josh Morris has scored 25 tries in just 52 games, and, like his brother, has both size and speed in his armory. Dad Steve, on the other hand, had to rely entirely on his speed.
Manly fans, excited by their team's surprising comeback win against Brisbane Broncos, will be hoping the resurrection continues all the way through to the semi-finals. But with just three wins and six losses in their opening nine matches, a semi-final position will see them equal their best comebacks after nine rounds - achieved in 1966 and 1998. And while that would be some achievement for the Sea Eagles in their 62nd year, it is fast becoming a regular occurrence for teams to come from nowhere to reach the finals series. In 2008, St George Illawarra made the semi-finals, eventually finishing seventh after starting the season with three wins and six losses. In 2007, Brisbane snuck into eighth spot after starting the season with a 3-6 win-loss record. And Parramatta, in 2006, also came eighth after starting the season with 2 wins and 7 losses. But the best comeback of all was Brisbane’s effort in 1999, when they started the season with one win, one draw and seven losses but still recovered to reach the finals.
With three hat-tricks in just four club matches last weekend, Statman thought "what a time to look at the most hat-tricks in a single round". After rummaging through the dusty, old filing cabinet, which started a sneezing attack, he soldiered on determined to find the answer. But he could not find the notes. Statman then thought "I don’t need my notes, I can recall that one off the top of my head". The answer was easy. In round 18, 1952, and round 22, 1995, there were six hat-tricks scored. In 1952, the breakdown was: Bob Lulham (Balmain) 4, Stan Ponchard (Balmain) 3, Peter O’Brien (North Sydney) 3, Bob Sulllivan (North Sydney) 3, Ken Macreadie (South Sydney) 3, and Bill Callinan (Western Suburbs) 3. The 1995 breakdown was: Mat Rogers (Cronulla) 4, Steve Renouf (Brisbane) 4, Ken Nagas (Canberra) 4, Peter Jorgensen (Sydney Roosters) 3, Rod Silva (Sydney Bulldogs) 3, and Noel Goldthorpe (St George) 3. What a memory!
In a tough week for the code, let's focus on the various match-ups of this week's Heritage Round - and the many old stories of past battles recalled. There may be standing room only at Sydney Cricket Ground when Wests Tigers and South Sydney do battle. Talk of the so-called "lay-down grand final" in 1969 grand final has surfaced. And the Tigers have aired their frustrations about the farcical 1909 final, in which Souths belatedly turned up to take the title after both sides had agreed not to play because the match was only a curtain-raiser. The Tigers have even gone to the trouble of flying their goal-kicking winger from the 1969 grand final-winning side, Len Killeen, out from South Africa. On a special day for players and spectators alike, Hazem El Masri plays game No.300 as the Bulldogs go against St George Illawarra, Gold Coast Titans halfback Scott Prince plays his 200th game in the fixture against Brisbane Broncos, North Queensland Cowboys prop Carl Webb plays his 150th game in the match against the Warriors, Bulldogs forward David Stagg plays his 100th game, and Warriors back Jerome Ropati plays his 100th in the match against the Cowboys.
