Amazing to think we're now at 20 years since Billy the Kid came to Origin town with this masterpiece:
Before that he was a trackwork jockey for Gai Waterhouse, and after that he was the greatest fullback of the modern era, despite playing that series on the wing.
Alright folks, Damien Cook is off to St George-Illawarra, the very club he started his NRL career at years ago, the Wests Tigers are sick of Fox Sports, Latrell Mitchell is back in the New South Wales team because they're so far up the creek, which must mean it's time for the Origin II affected Round 16 of the club season, the warm-up act before the big dance in Melbourne this Wednesday night.
Looking at the Origin squads for both New South Wales and Queensland, it amazes me that the North Queensland Cowboys can sit in 10th on the NRL ladder, struggling to put 2 wins together, and yet they have 7 players in State of Origin squads, which even more than the freakin' Panthers (5) and Roosters (4).
That is criminal underachievement for a squad that good.
Anyway, here's the shortened slate for Round 16:
- The Redcliffe Dolphins, fresh off finally winning a game in Sydney for the first time as an NRL club, take on the Melbourne Storm after another win in New Zealand, play off at Suncorp without half the Queensland team on the field, so this'll be a far less interesting game than it otherwise would've been, especially with both teams sitting in the Top 4, but the good news for all of us is that Ryan Papenhuyzen is back for the first time since Round 9.
- The Titans host the Warriors on the Gold Coast, as the Warriors have to recover from the shock of not only losing last week, but this time having Kurt Capewell selected for the Queensland Origin side for the first time since 2022, replacing Selwyn Cobbo on the bench.
Moved to the Warriors and still got picked for Queensland... he's basically Steve Price.
- The Roosters host the up and coming Bulldogs in Gosford, and assuming nothing untoward happens this'll be one of the more even contests of the weekend, as the mere presence of James Tedesco in the Roosters' 13 makes them a clear cut favourite despite Canterbury's recent purple patch.
- Souths have got momentum at last in 2024 after whacking the Broncos, and they now get Manly in the Las Vegas rematch with the Silvertails having no fewer than 14 players out through Origin, suspension and injury, including the entire forward pack from the win against St George-Illawarra, which also means Luke Brooks might be thrust into the captaincy with DCE in Maroons camp.
Seriously, it's at least 14 players:
Daly Cherry-Evans, Jake Trbojevic and Haumole Olakau'atu are all in Origin camp.
Tom Trbojevic is a long-term hamstring injury, Reuben Garrick and Lachlan Croker are concussed, Taniela Paseka broke his thumb, Matt Lodge has a torn bicep (Although he did get his hair back), Toafofoa Sipley hurt his knee, Jake Arthur broke his foot, Dean Matterson the same, Aaron Woods has an old man's calf injury, and Josh Aloiai got lucky by only being suspended for tripping Izack Tago.
- And the Wests Tigers are hosting the Canberra Raiders, and one of these teams looked like a semi competent football team last weekend, and the other was the Canberra Raiders.
And now for the Succinct NRL Tips for Round 16, here we go...
Last week I thought I was on for a 0/8 on Saturday evening...
Then I ruined it by scoring 3/8.
Round 15 Score = 3/8
Running score after Round 15 = 69/116 (59.4%)
Lock of the Week
Does it even matter by this point?
To be honest, looking at the weather last Friday night during the Rabbitohs-Broncos game, I'm probably a week late on this one...
Souths to defeat a woefully understaffed Manly team, set to the sounds of the most musical Rabbitt of them all....
EDDIE RABBITT with I Love A Rainy Night!
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