Sportsbet Blog

There a two standout games this weekend with Hawthorn and Carton going head to head with both clubs needing to answer to their critics. Hawthorn were less than convincing after a win against a bottom 8 side in the Eagles where they should have stretched the winning margin out alot more than 18 points.

The St Kilda V Bulldogs game is the match of the round with both teams destined to do well in 2009. This will be the biggest test for the Saints this season and the result will show if they can match it with the big teams after a perfect start to the year.

AFL Tip of the Week: For all the punters my tip of the round is Hawks, West Coast and Adelaide to win in a multi that at IASbet will pay around $6.30. You can place this bet on at IASbet and get a $100 free bet when depositing $50 or more.

North Melbourne V Collingwood. Friday night at Etihad Stadium

Selection: Collingwood

The Pies have had an average start to what was expected to be a real contender after making it to the pre-season final. After a disappointing loss to their arch rival Carton last week I think they will bounce back against the Roos and have a comfortable victory. Also with Brett Harvey out for up to 12 weeks through injury it will only make the task tougher for the Kangaroos.

Hawthorn V Carlton. Saturday at the MCG

Selection: Hawthorn

This should be a very high paced, high scoring game. Both clubs have fast game styles which makes for great footy. This game will ultimately come down to which team makes the most of the inside 50 entries that both teams are very good at creating. The big forwards in Fevola, Buddy Franklin and Roughhead will be the key to success and I think the Hawks will come out on top. With premiership players Stephen Gilham, Brent Guerra and Michael Osborne returning for the Hawks their form from last year will start to return.

West Coast V Fremantle. Saturday at Subiaco Oval

Selection: West Coast

West Coast are usually an unstoppable force in Subiaco and with the added hype of the local derby the Eagles should fly high over what looks to be another disappointing year for the Dockers. As I have said in previous tips never to tip Freo. The battle of the WA rucks will be worth a look with both Cox and Sandilands going head to head in the middle. Sandilands dominated the leagues top ruck Darren Jolly last weekend with 46 hitouts.

Brisbane V Essendon. Saturday Night at the Gabba

Selection: Brisbane

This one is tough to make a prediction but I think home ground advantage will come into play at the Gabba. Brisbane should make up for the huge loss to a top class Geelong outfit last weekend. Essendon are showing good spirit with three wins this year and a massive 5 point win against a skilled Collingwood side, but they will find it hard to play enough consistent footy to do it on a regular basis. The Lions will be out to put a stop to Brent Stanton after a gallant 34 touches of the football last weekend.

Port Adelaide V Adelaide. Saturday Night at AAMI Stadium

Selection: Adelaide

The other derby played this weekend is at AAMI stadium know as Showdown XXVI. Both South Australian teams are on 3 wins, 2 losses making this a must win for both clubs. The result will spring board the winner to a two game advantage over their rival and a likely top 4 position at the end of the week, where the loser will drop out of the 8. Tipping between them is hard, but I think Adelaide has enough class in the midfield with 7 players last week getting over 25 possessions and should account for Port in a low scoring match.

Sydney V Richmond. Sunday at the SCG

Selection: Sydney

Sydney should have an easy win over an unorganised Tigers team. The Tigers don’t seem to have a great deal of flow to their game which sees them get caught up in the mid field. Jolly should be the game breaker in the middle giving Sydney first use of the ball at stoppages.

Melbourne V Geelong. Sunday at the MCG

Selection: Geelong

The Cats are the team to beat this year and Melbourne don’t have the players or mindset to overcome majority of teams let alone the leagues top. Geelong should win by over 45 points, anything less would be a disappointing day for them. The umpires will have 3 Brownlow Medal points written for Gary Ablett before the game has started after a staggering 88 possessions in his last two games.

Western Bulldogs V St Kilda. Sunday at Edihad Stadium

Selection: St Kilda

This weeks game of the round will be a huge test for both clubs. I think if the Saints play with the confidence they have been playing with they will blow the game apart early in the match. The Dogs may cause a headache for the Saints across the wings with their speed and tackling pressure forcing errors and turnovers, but the they will struggle with inside 50 marking contests where it counts. Sam Fisher, Lenny Hayes and Jason Gram will be the ones to watch dominating the opposition every game this year

Don’t you just love it when the Poms start whingeing…especially if its about Australian cricketers in an Ashes year.

Just a couple of months out from the Ashes and the verbals have begun already, with Australia well and truly taking the early upper hand.

Last month English cricket officials were bemoaning the fact that some Australian cricketers were being allowed to fine tune their preparations for the Ashes by playing County cricket during April and May.

Hughes Impresses In Debut

They now have a legitimate reason to be upset – in his English debut at the hallowed grounds of Lords, Macksville’s favourite son Philip Hughes has announced himself to the English cricket community with a commanding century for Middlesex in their first innings against Glamorgan.

To rub salt into the woulds he belted them around again in the second innings to finish 65 not out, with the match ending in a draw.

The Glamorgan bowlers were all at sea against the 20 year old, whose flashy technique lulls bowlers seeing him for the first time into thinking they are always on the verge of taking his wicket.

This actually feeds to Hughes’ strengths and allows him to score a mountain of runs through the offside as he creates a little room for himself before punishing the bowlers.

The Poms may be complaining about Hughes (and other Aussies) being allowed to play in England before the Ashes, but they should now try and turn it around to their advantage.

Rather than bowling to Hughes for the first time and struggling to come up with plans in the Ashes, they now have six weeks to put together some sort of strategy on how to dismiss him early in his innings – because once he’s set, he has a thirst for runs that could seriously deflate the determination of the England bowling attack.

In Other Cricket News

American Premier League Cricket?

I was reading a story yesterday about a 20/20 tournament being organised in the U.S without the official approval of the cricket’s governing body. Apparently the ICC has already warned players that they will lose their international eligibility if they decide to play in the tournament.

The tournament appears to be in the very early stages of development, with the current plan being to play matches on a converted baseball field in Staten Island, NY.

Some players have apparently been approached already, with the bulk of the signings so far coming from Pakistan. The ECB has already warned County players looking for a quick pay day to seriously consider the implications of signing up.

In response to the ICC’s non-sanctioning of the event, John Aaron the secretary of the USA cricket association has replied:

“…blessing was not sought in promoting the tournament”. He added that “the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in the USA, therefore many individuals continue to seek opportunities to arrange events”.

Aussie Old Hands Slaying 20/20 bowling attacks.

Retirement seems to have done little to diminish the talents of two of Australia’s greatest ever cricketers. Both Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist have enjoyed success early in the IPL tournament currently underway in South Africa.

Hayden belted 65 from 35 deliveries playing for the Chennai Super Kings in their match against Bangalore, while Gilchrist thumped 71 from 45 deliveries against the same team.

Crooksy

Round 7 of the NRL kicks off tonight with a couple of fairly unexciting games -  Brisbane take on the Eels and and The Sharks are looking for a win against the Rabbitohs. The game of the round should be the annual ANZAC Day clash between the Sydney Roosters and the St George-Illawarra Dragons.

Brisbane vs Parramatta at Suncorp Stadium

Parramatta could not have looked any worse last week against the Bulldogs, especially in the second half where they were expected by many to take advantage of the relatively short rest period the Dogs had after their previous Monday night game.

The exact opposite was the case with the Dogs storming home for a huge win over the Eels, further shortening their odds to take out the wooden spoon this year.

The Bronco’s on the other hand continue to impress and should win by double digits at home.

Broncos – $1.27

Eels – $3.85

Broncos by 14

Cronulla vs South Sydney at ANZ Stadium

At the start of the season there were high hopes for Cronulla fans with the signing of Trent Barrett and their strong showing in 2008. So far however, there has been little to cheer for supporters in the Shire with The Sharks sitting at the very bottom of the ladder.

Their opponents tonight, The Rabbitohs have surprised many with some strong showings early on and go into this game as the hot favourites to come away with the two points which would cement their place inside the top 8.

Rabbitohs – $1.60

Sharks – $2.35

Rabbitohs by 6

Sydney Roosters vs St George Illawarra Dragons at the SFS

The Dragons have been one of the strongest teams of the comp so far this season and are really coming together well under new coach Wayne Bennett. The thing to like about the Dragons is their lack of ego – there are no big name superstars just a well drilled group of skilled players coming together as team.

This couldn’t be further from the truth with their opponents the Roosters, many of whose players seem to suffer under the burden of expectations. Their squad consists of many more rep players than the Dragons, but going on their form so far this year they are very hard to back.

One positive for the Roosters is that their last two losses have been very close and to strong opposition so they may closer to hitting some winning form than many people think. The only thing wrong with that idea is that they were 16-0 up last week against the warriors and were run down in the second half.

I think the match will be closer than the odds would suggest.

Dragons – $1.55

Roosters – $2.47

Dragons by 4

Melbourne Storm vs Warriors at Olympic Park Stadium

The Warriors were lucky to get the win last week against the Roosters and face a much tougher task this week on the road against the Storm.

Storm – $1.48

Warriors $2.35

Storm by 8

North Qld Cowboys vs Manly Sea Eagles at Dairy Farmers Stadium

Both of these teams have had extremely disappointing starts to their season, falling far behind what the expectations were. The return of Brett Stewart seemed to fire Manly inot action so it will be interesting to see how they perform with him now out of action due to injury.

Cowboys – $1.65

Sea Eagles – 42.25

Cowboys by 6

Raiders vs Bulldogs at Canberra Stadium

The Bulldogs have had just the one loss so far this season and while the Raiders are a fast improving side and are playing at home, I think the Dogs have enough to get them across the line.

Raiders – $1.74

Bulldogs – $2.11

Bulldogs by 4

Wests Tigers vs Newcastle Knights at Campbelltown Stadium

While the Knights are the team sitting higher on the ladder, the Tigers are undefeated at home this season and will start this game as slight favourites in what should be a great match up in the west of Sydney

Tigers – $1.85

Knights – $1.95

Knights by 4

Penrith Panthers vs Gold Coast Titans at CUA Stadium

The Titans are the surprise competition leaders after round 6 and are playing a team who have managed to scrape together just the two wins so far this season. There form has suggested they are playing better than that and this should be a close match.

Panthers – $1.74

Titans – $2.11

Titans by 2

To bet on any of these games with Centrebet click here now to get a sign up bonus of up to $100 when you join.

Crooksy

The past couple of weeks have seen a fairly dramatic turnaround in the Super 14 competition. Teams that looked to be cruising have stumbled and the middle of the pack teams have lifted their performances to the point where there is now only 5 points separating the top eight teams on the ladder.

Early on two of the hot team to watch were the Waratahs and the Sharks, with the latter being especially dominant and looking for all intents like they would clearly finish ahead of the pack.

Fast forward to the present and how the mighty have fallen. The Waratahs have slipped from second on the ladder to sixth faster than the dogs at Dapto, and with a tough three game stretch in South Africa to close out their campaign are actually eighth in the betting to win the tournament this year.

The Sharks have slipped to second on the table with all the signs indicating that this downwards move may be just the beginning. They have some tough games ahead including the Bulls and the Waratahs and will be looking over their shoulder for the rest of the season as they desperately attempt to cling on to their top four spot.

So Who Are The Teams To Watch

The Chiefs

After losing their first three games of the season, the Chiefs have surged to the top of the table, and while they are experiencing some injury concerns at the moment they should have enough in the tank to get them into the finals.

The Crusaders

Currently sitting in eighth place, the Crusaders should be the strongest finishing team in the competition. Three of their last four games are against teams ranked currently outside the top ten so they should be on a roll by the time the finals roll around – they may even score themselves a home final if they rack up enough bonus points against these weak teams.

The Hurricanes

If any team finishes as strong as the Crusaders it will be the Hurricanes. Much like their rivals from across the Cook Straight they have been gifted with a run of soft games at the end of the season which will almost guarantee they finish in the top four.

The Bulls

The Pretoria based outfit is currently lying third on the ladder and should be able to maintain that position in the run home. Their last game of the season is at home against the Sharks and it is possible that results over the next couple of weeks will lead to that game being a playoff for a finals position.

Current Betting

Sharks – $4

Chiefs – $5

Bulls – $5.50

Hurricanes – $6.50

Crusaders – $8

Blues – $8

Brumbies       $17

Waratahs       $21

If you’d like to place a bet on any of these teams taking out the Super 14 title click here now to head over to Centrebet where you can get free bets of up to $100 when you sign up.

Crooksy

Round 5 has some great games starting with the Port V Saints, both teams are going better than expected and will be a big test for both teams. The Bulldogs V Blues game will also be another to watch with both teams having start studded lineups and exiting game styles. We should see what Carton is truly made of after that match.

Here are my predictions for Round 5

Port Adelaide V St Kilda. Friday Night at AAMI Stadium

Selection: St Kilda

This is one of the games on the weekend with both teams coming off great wins. Saints are in perfect form with a dream start of 4 wins and no losses and a percentage of over 200. This will be St Kilda’s biggest test so far with Port convincingly beating the 2008 premiers at the MCG last weekend. The saints have shown good form over in Adelaide a few weeks ago with a win against the Crows and I think this will see them play a confident attacking game that will show many weak spots in the Port lineup. Watch out for the Saints midfield with Lenny Hayes, Nick Dal Santo and Luke Ball all in super form.

Essendon V Collingwood. Saturday at the MCG

Selection: Collingwood

The Pies are playing good footy at the moment and this should continue against the Dons. An Essendon V Collingwood game is always huge and the players lift to the expectations of the day and I think the Pies have much more power and skill that will see them run over the top of Essendon early. Tarken Lockyer and Scott Pendlepury will likely be the game breakers with Scott’s tackling pressure and Tarkyn’s push forward they both will be ones to watch.

Hawthorn V West Coast. Saturday at Aurora Stadium

Selection: Hawthorn

Surely the Hawks can start to play as they did last year! They have been the surprise after 4 rounds with only 1 win to show for it after a steller 2008. Maybe they are still on the Premiership honeymoon but if they don’t win this weekend in Tazzie things will go very sour very quickly. They have the class and skill to heavily out weigh the Eagles it just depends what Hawks teams comes out to play. The Hawks play well at Aurora and all eyes will be looking for a winning score from both Lance “Buddy” Franklin and Jarryd Roughead usually produce.

Fremantle V Sydney. Saturday Night At Subiaco Oval

Selection: Sydney

If there’s one tip that can be made every week, its not to tip Freo. They continuously lose games they are favourite to win and this year they look to only disappoint more especially after last weeks thumping only scoring four goals, their second lowest score ever. This game will still be a tight finish that will be won in the ruck with the two best ruckmen in the comp Darren Jolly and Arron Sandilands.

North Melbourne V Richmond. Saturday night at Docklands Stadium

Selection: North Melbourne

Richmond are in crisis control and this will show in their game. I think Richmond will lose the game on their own rather than the Kangaroos winning it. Once again Ben Cousins along with Nathan Brown will be wondering about their futures in the game with the Tigers starting to look to youth rather than the six over 30 year old players Richmond have.

Geelong V Brisbane. Sunday at Skilled Stadium

Selection: Geelong

The Cats have continued their great form from last year and look near unbeatable especially at Skilled Stadium. Ablett has started the year off huge equaling the handball record of 33 in last weeks win against Adelaide. Brisbane will struggle to make a decent score with Johnathan Brown out of touch and Matthew Scatlett beating anyone who enters his defense.

Western Bulldogs V Carlton. Sunday at Docklands Stadium

Selection: Western Bulldogs

The Bulldogs played an ugly game last week in the Perth heat against the Eagles which on paper they should have easily won. Most people say any team that plays in WA will lose the next week due to the long traveling taking a toll on the body. I think they will overcome any slight strains and should have a decent win over an up and flying Carlton if they can stop the likes of Chris Judd and Fevola.

Melbourne V Adelaide. Sunday at the MCG

Selection: Adelaide

This ones a no brainer! Melbourne have had their one and only win for the season which will see Adelaide have a comfortable win over a struggling (both on and off the field) Demons side. Adelaide played a great 3 quarters against a classy Geelong unit last week to show good promise but failed to close the game out.

I was watching the Sunday afternoon rugby league game yesterday, and being a long time Bulldogs supporter (and Eels hater) I have to admit I was pretty happy with the punishing the Dogs dished out. They are having a great start to the season and have won as many games in the first six rounds of the competition as they managed to win in all of 2008.

One of the keys reasons for this success has been the signing of veteran Brett Kimmorley. He is having an obvious impact on the field, and if you listen to the reports and read the players comments there is  no doubt his presence off the field has also had a positive impact at the Belmore club.

Love/Hate Relationships In Sport

Here’s the thing…Kimmorley used to be one of my most disliked players. I mean right up there, top three players who I really enjoyed seeing smashed by the biggest forward on the park as he steamed in from a 20m run-up and hopefully raised the leg old school Mad Dog MacDougal style.

What made things worse for me was that Kimmorley normally handled this fairly well.

I think it kind of goes back to the days where NSW selectors were trying to squeeze both Kimmorley and Andrew Johns into State of Origin teams, so they’d push Johns out of position and I always felt kind of robbed I didn’t get to see more of Johns at half back for NSW.

Anyway, so now Kimmorley’s at the Bulldogs…and I can’t help but like the guy all of a sudden. I’m laughing at his jokes in interviews, urging him on as he sprints 80m to score a try and so on.

One-Club Players A Dying Breed

This then got me to thinking about player loyalty and how much of a rarity it is to see guys these days like Hasim El Masri who’s just three games away from notching up 300 games with the Bulldogs.

300 alone is a huge achievement, let alone with the same club. It’s just not the done thing in the professional sports era.

IPL The Ultimate In Cash Over Substance

This idea of cash over loyalty has now been stretched to it’s furthest extreme in the ‘business’ of the Indian Premier League cricket tournament which has just begun it’s second year.

Teams known as franchises, players auctioned off, Warnie hanging out with Bollywood starlets…I think old school cricketers would be turning in their graves, but the die has been cast and it seems 20/20 cricket is here to stay.

So as this new age of the mercenary sportsman evolves (and my ramblings reach some sort of point), the question becomes how do officials ensure the traditional forms of sports such as cricket remain vital.

In ten years time will nations such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the islands of the Caribbean still place value in their test cricket. Or will the deadly combination of lucrative profits and economic instability create a money comes first attitude and a devaluing of the long form of the game?

Taking Cricket To The Heathens

Many consider it an exciting time for cricket as the sport’s money men now have a product they can market outside of the regular strongholds of the game.

The traditionalists on the other hand give their approval through gritted teeth as they come to the realisation that this is not a passing fad and they attempt in vain to influence the direction this new version of the game takes the sport.

I’ll admit I wasn’t a fan of Twenty20 to start with – and not much has changed since the first match I watched. I like one-off games with players miked up and the half time entertainment, but I just can’t see myself becoming a die hard supporter of one particular IPL franchise, no matter how many big hitting foreign cricketers turn out for their million dollar paychecks.

And I think that’s where the problem is going to be down the track. Officials are talking of creating franchises with a brand identity to match that of the big European Football clubs.

In the words of the great Darryl Kerrigan…”Tell ‘em their dreaming”.

There will be fervent support on the sub-continent without doubt. Outside that market I can’t see it happening in my lifetime.

But I could be wrong – only time will tell.

Crooksy

PS If you agree or disagree with anything, or you just want to voice your own opinion feel free to do so below.

The second running of the Indian Premier League has begun with the first two matches of the tournament being played over night in the temporary host country of South Africa. Last years defending champions the Shane Warne led Rajasthan Royals were demolished in their first hit out against the Bangalore Royal Challengers, while in the other match the Tendulakar led the Mumbai Indians to victory over the Chennai Super Kings.

Shaun Tait Forced To Withdraw…By Cricket Australia

The major news out of the first match – apart from Warne’s team recording the lowest ever score in the short history of the tournament – was that Cricket Australia has forbidden Shaun Tait from playing for his club The Royals, ordering him to spend more time recovering from the hamstring tear he suffered in February.

Tait is said to be fairly upset with the verdict, not only losing the opportunity to prove his fitness ahead of the upcoming 20/20 world cup, but also forgoing the cool $500,000 he would have earned for a month and a bit worth of effort.

This is understandable but from my way of thinking it is a positive sign for Tait that CA is keen for him to be involved in more important fixtures coming up including a one day series against Pakistan, and the tour of England after that.

The news comes as a further blow to Warne’s team who will also be without last years player of the tournament, Shane Watson.

Who’s Playing For Who?

If you’re trying to figure out players are playing for which team….scan the teams below.

Bangalore Royal Challengers
Australian players: Cameron White, Nathan Bracken

Others: Anil Kumble, Kevin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Ross Taylor

Kolkata Knight Riders
Coach: John Buchanan (AUS)

Australian players: Brad Hodge, David Hussey, Mark Cameron, Moises HenriquesOthers

Others: Chris Gayle, Brendan McCullum, Ishant Sharma

Kings XI Punjab
Coach: Tom Moody (AUS)

Australian players: Brett Lee, Burt Cockley, James Hopes, Luke Pomersbach, Shaun Marsh, Simon Katich.

Others: Mahela Jayawardena, Yuvraj Singh, Kumar Sangakkara, Irfan Pathan

Chennai Super Kings
Australian players: George Bailey, Matthew Hayden.

Others: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Andrew Flintoff, Albie Morkel, Muttiah Muralitharan

Delhi Daredevils
Coach: Greg Shipperd (AUS)

Australian players: Andrew McDonald, David Warner, Dirk Nannes, Glenn McGrath

Others: Virender Sehwag, AB DeVilliers, Paul Collingwood

Rajasthan Royals
Coach/captain: Shane Warne (AUS)

Australian players: Lee Carseldine, Robert Quiney, Shane Harwood.

Others: Graeme Smith, Morne Morkel

Mumbai Indians
Australian players: Luke Ronchi

Others: Sachin Tendulkar, Dwayne Bravo, Sanath Jayasuriya, Harbajhan Singh

Deccan Chargers
Coach: Darren Lehmann (AUS)

Australian players: Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, Ryan Harris.

Others: Chaminda Vaas, Fidel Edwards, Scott Styris, Herchelle Gibbs

Betting

If you’re looking for some betting action on the tournament over the coming weeks, Sportsbet has a wide range of options to choose from for each game including methods of dismissal, most sixes, highest opening partnership etc.

Click here now and you can also get a free bet of up to $100 with your initial deposit.

In the two games of rugby league played last night it was the clubs from north of the border that asserted themselves in strong showings over quality opposition to move to the top of the NRL ladder.

Brisbane vs Penrith

At the start of the season their was conflicting arguments about how the Broncos would perform with the loss of their long time mentor Wayne Bennett. Many insisted there would be a slump, others stated that there is too much quality in the team for this to be the case.

Their loss to Bennett’s Dragons further fuelled this debate, but so far that has been their only loss this season and their victory over Penrith last night, while far from convincing, was enough to show they will be contenders this year.

Early on they showed their attacking flair as they jumped out to a 24-6 lead at the end of the first half and looked for all money like they would rack up a big win.

Penrith had other plans and hit back hard in the second half to score two tries and claw their way to within 6 points of a suddenly fragile Broncos outfit. While Brisbane managed to regain their composure and finish with two late tries to claim victory 38-18, there were worrying signs that will need to be addressed.

Closing out teams in the second half would be the chief among these, and coach Ivan Henjak admitted as much himself after the match.

“It’s always a concern when you let teams back in” Henjak said “We know what’s going wrong, we just need to find a solution to it, I thought we addressed (the problem), but we haven’t fixed it yet obviously”

The Broncos will be hoping to have this sorted before the rep season begins, where the loss of manpower has traditionally hit them harder than any other team in the competition.

Gold Coast vs Canberra

The second game of the night saw the Titans and the Raiders involved in a keenly fought match with the Titans only managing to break the deadlock minutes before the final whistle with a try that saw them win 16-10.

The standout performer of the night was Titans halfback Scott Prince whose form has been improving exponentially, and last nights game was probably enough to see him installed as favourite to wear the number seven jumper in the upcoming test match against the World Champion Kiwi’s.

It is interesting to look at what the Titans have achieved so far this season and the players they have that are fuelling this success. Old hands like Preston Campbell, Luke Bailey and Mat Rogers are showing great form as is Chris Walker, the former magnet for trouble who is showing a much more level head on the field.

These players along with Scott Prince and Nathan Friend are leading the way for their younger, less experienced team mates and they are currently seeing the fruits of that with their position at the top of the table.

What is even more impressive about their start to the 2009 season is the quality of their opposition in the first 6 rounds which has included wins over the Knights, Bulldogs and Storm as well as a narrow loss away to the Dragons.

Far from having a lucky start to their season, the Titans are looking more and more every game like a club that will be right there in September fighting it out for a Grand Final berth. Their odds are shortening to take the title and are currently at around $12.50.

If you’d like to place a bet on who you think will win the NRL premiership in 2009 click here now and you can also receive a free $50 bet just for signing up.

Crooksy

The FA Cup semi-finals are set to be played this weekend, and with three of the four teams still involved in the Champions League it has been a pressure filled week for these clubs.

Arsenal vs Chelsea

Both of these teams were involved in Champions League quarter final action mid-week and managed to progress to the semi-final stage of that tournament so it will be interesting to see who comes through and plays the better football in the first of the FA Cup semi-finals.

Of the two teams, Chelsea definitely had the tougher Champions League opponent where they had to fight off an extremely spirited Liverpool to progress through to the semi-finals of Europe’s top competition.

Arsenal on the other hand had a home game against Spanish team Villareal and were convincing in their 3-0 victory.

Chelsea are showing a new lease on life under coach Guus Hiddink and will be looking to improve on their poor record this season domestically against top four teams. The only point they have come away with from these matches was thanks to a 1-1 draw with Manchester United. They suffered a 2-1 loss at home to Arsenal in their last encounter and will play them again in May at Emirates.

Arsenal have had another steady season, and like their opponents are showing good form at the business end of the season. They are currently lying fourth on the EPL ladder, but have a very tough run home with matches against all three of the other top teams. How well they play over this period could determine whether Liverpool can snatch the title away from Manchester United.

The bookies have found it hard to split Arsenal and Chelsea for the FA Cup semi, with a Wembley game offering no home advantage to either side. Chelsea have been installed as slight favourites due to their recent strong form but it is worth mentioning that over the past 12 games the two teams have an identical record – 9 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss.

Should be an exciting match.

Chealsea – $2.45

Arsenal – $3.00

Draw – $3.15

Manchester United vs Everton

Everton are having an excellent season and will provide a definite challenge to a Manchester outfit that is heavily stretched at the moment between trying to defend their European title and fending off Liverpool’s challenge in the Premier League. This will leave Everton feeling they have a chance to slip under the radar and take the cookies in a one off game at a neutral venue.

Everton will be looking to draw on their last successful FA Cup campaign in 1995 where they claimed victory in the final…against Manchester United. To progress this far they have had victories over Aston Villa and Liverpool but will face the sternest possibly test to reach the final.

The past couple of months have exposed some weaknesses in the Red Devils. They should have had the Premier League trophy in the cabinet by now, but by allowing Liverpool a sniff they have created extra pressure on themselves at the business end of the season and it wouldn’t be a surprise if at some stage we saw them stumble in either the FA Cup, The Champions League or the EPL.

The fact that this is a one-off game further fuels the chances of the Everton outfit.

The bookies have installed Manchester as red hot favourites and deservedly so when you look at the superstars in the team and what they have achieved over the past couple of seasons.

But the beauty of the FA Cup is that on any given day any team can achieve the unthinkable – and being a fan of Manchester not winning everything I’m hoping that day comes this weekend…and that Tim Cahill is in the thick of the action.

Manchester United – $1.75

Everton – $5.25

Draw – $3.40

If you’d like to place a bet on either of the semi-finals click here now and you can also get a free bet of up to $50 from Centrebet just for signing up

Crooksy

The Aussie cricket team has created huge headaches for anyone trying to gauge their form over the past month in an attempt to pick results in their matches. The only consistency to their performances has been in their inconsistency.

They recently arrived in South Africa as fairly large underdogs to win the test series which was fair enough after losing at home to the Proteas just a month earlier. They had managed to claim the third test which was a dead rubber, but no one seriously thought that meant they had turned things around and were ready to bounce back.

Which they of course did as soon as they arrived in South Africa where their performances in the first two tests saw them cement their number one test ranking and claim a series win.

Heading into the third test you’d have been forgiven for thinking the Aussies were back and the Africans may have been a little down.

It soon became apparent this was not the case as the South Africans were the ones to come out firing and salvage some pride in a dead rubber on their own soil.

Which left things fairly evenly poised heading into the one day series. There were of course a couple of 20-20 games but I don’t think anyone really uses those as any sort of form guide to a full one day series. The only form you could really take into account was South Africa’s 4-1 win against the Aussies in the one day series in Australia…but as the tests had shown this wasn’t necessarily the best guide.

So when Australia smashed the Proteas in the first game, there were many who thought we were seeing the Aussies back to their best – their third test loss was just a come down and they had regrouped and were ready to take back their number one ranking in the shorter version of the game.

Which they weren’t.

Since that first loss the South African bowling attack have managed to tear shreds through the Aussie top order, and even the public urgings of captain Ponting have done nothing to drive the top five to the performances required to win matches consistently.

The second match saw Australia score it’s lowest total in thirty years – but even that embarrassment was not enough spark them into form and they have now lost three in a row and the series to boot.

So to recap the past few months in Australian cricket against South Africa…

We were favourites to take the test series at home…and lost.

We were fairly even to claim the one day series at home…and got punished

We were underdogs to win the away test series…and won.

We were favourites to claim the one day series away after our first win..and haven’t looked close to winning since.

If you’re a punter and you can work out a pattern for all of that good luck to you. 

So what does this all mean for the Aussie cricket team going forward?

Obviously our one day form is poor at the moment and we are set to play a one day series against Pakistan in the UAE immediately after this tour so there needs to be some improvement if we are to win that.

The most worrying thing is the Ashes. If we can maintain our form from the first two tests in South Africa where our inexperienced bowling attack were magnificent, then we will have no problems. But that’s the problem with lack of experience…it generally brings with it a lack of consistency.

This in turn creates extra pressure on the top order to get the job done and at the moment this is just not happening. Luckily two of the form batsmen from the tests, Katich and Hughes will come back in at the top but there needs to be some support from the likes of Hussey, Clarke and Ponting. Hopefully they find their touch again in the next couple of months so we can avoid similar scenes to 2005.

As an Aussie who was over in the British Isles in 2005 when we lost the Ashes I can honestly say it was not the best time to be living with a Pom.

Crooksy