There is no chance of seeing this sight again as John Hopoate had him NRL contract terminated

Two weeks into NRL 2005 and only four sides have full points. Only three have none. After this weekend only one will have failed to break their duck, and perhaps just one will have full points. Sydney could fall to Brisbane, the Rabbitohs are capable of upsetting the Raiders and with the Sea Eagles playing the Storm, only one of those two can continue to retain the maximum haul come Sunday night. It’s shaping up to be a closer competition than ever before.

Most pundits would say 24 points will get you into the finals. Ten of twenty-four is all it will take given each team gets two byes. Even last year’s wooden-spooners, Souths, can win ten games this season. But in saying that, there are a multitude of factors that will stop teams from achieving finals glory: injuries, suspensions, in-fighting, personal dramas and of course, poor refereeing decisions. Confidence can play a major part in overcoming those challenges, and even the Bunnies have confidence now. Prepare for the dog fight.

Roosters v Broncos
The traditional Good Friday game of the Roosters v Broncos opens an intriguing third round of the NRL competition. The Broncos were ousted by a fired up Warriors last week while a couple of intercepts were the only thing that got the Roosters over the line against the Panthers. Both sides are full of potential match winners. This weekend the battle of the international props would have been scintillating as Kangaroo pairing, Webcke and Civoniceva took on Kiwi Jason Cayless and Great Brit Adrian Morley. But Cinoniceva is out and Brisbace will miss the stopping power he and Toni Carroll provide. Normally the team who makes the most mistakes loses this one, but with the two experienced forwards missing, the Broncos will struggle. Prediction: Roosters by 8.

Panthers v Dragons
If someone had told you at the start of the season that the match between Penrith and St George in round 3 would determine last on the table, you would have laughed. But that’s exactly the scenario we face on Saturday night. With Newcastle having the bye and two points in the bag, the loser of this encounter will sit alone at the foot of the NRL ladder. Not that either side needs to worry too much about that yet. Penrith had had patches of lethargy over the last two weekends where they have been exploited by their opposition. But not this weekend. With a high profile injured list and three other Dragons coping at least a one week suspension from the Storm game, it will be an almost reserve grade quality side that runs onto Penrith Stadium. A landslide is the only outcome likely here. Prediction: Panthers by 24.

Warriors v Cowboys
The game that is likely to create the most entertainment is the game over the Tasman. New Zealand host the Cowboys in a clash where both teams play with flamboyant abandon at times. The Warriors showed a glimpse of their potential against Brisbane while North Queensland accounted for the Premiers. The weather may be the biggest influence on this game. If Auckland turns on less hospitable weather, the adventurous play will give way to the hard slog and while both sides have capable forward packs, the size of the Kiwi outside backs may prove the difference. This will be a close run thing, but at home, the Warriors will be keen to reverse the wrongs of their match against Manly. Prediction: Warriors by 2.

Eels v Sharks
There are not many teams that have had Souths score forty points against them. Parramatta produced awful defence that ended their 10 year stranglehold over the Bunnies. Cronulla without playmaker Brett Kimmorley struggled for options. It surprises me that Adam Dykes wasn’t left at five-eighth to allow Michael Sullivan to slot in as the halfback. This weekend the Sharks will have options on either side of the ruck and Sullivan impacting from the bench. If the Eels plan on living up to expectation it will need to start this weekend. On paper, the Eels have the quality to annihilate the Sharks, but we all know the game isn’t played on paper. Dykes’ ability to offload in the right holes will be the difference against his old club. Prediction: Sharks by 8.

Sea Eagles v Storm
On Sunday, Manly begin the post-Hopoate era (again). With one of the most mobile forward lines in the league, the Sea Eagles will try and get an early roll on and make the Storm chase them. The Storm will only go behind if starved of possession and that seems unlikely. Fullback, halfback, five-eighth and fullback – the key positions on the park – are filled by superstars down south. Even with Menzies and Hill inspiring from the front, the Eagles won’t be able to match the quality of the Melbourne playmakers. Prediction: Storm by 18.

Bulldogs v Tigers
After being outplayed by the Cowboys, the Bulldogs take on a team that has had the wood on them early in the season over the past few years, the Tigers. Wests, no matter what the roster, have been able to topple the ‘Dogs in the first half of the season for the last three years. I’m sure Steve Folkes will be keenly aware of under-estimating the Tigers who come off the bye. But the last time Canterbury lost two in a row was right after the 2002 salary cap scandal. The quality of the Premiers across the park is enough to leave the joint venture winless after Sunday afternoon. For the Tigers to have a hope, someone will need to play the match of their life. Prediction: Bulldogs by 38.

Rabbitohs v Raiders
Sunday afternoon will be the next stepping stone in South Sydney’s revival as they meet the Canberra Raiders. While Canberra discarded a useless Knights team last weekend, most sides in the competition would have scuttled them by far more. A few late tries made the Raiders look more impressive than they were. On the other hand, the Rabbitohs had spring in their step and moves on the ground as they scored the most points for the club in a single match since 1992. Confidence is a powerful thing and it’s all going the right way for the Bunnies who should account for Canberra who usually take poor away for with them. Prediction: Rabbitohs by 14.

As is always the case, being able to pick the upsets is the key to going well in a tipping competition. Can you pick the upsets this weekend?

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source: MasterTips