Posted by Crooksy on March 12th , 2009 under Rugby League | 
The Roosters got it all wrong last year – they finished 6th on the ladder but they had mis-timed their run, with their best football having been played in the first half of the season. This was not entirely their own fault with a couple of key injuries forcing younger players to be thrown into the fray at the business end of the season.
Having learned from this, Brad Fittler has been structuring their training sessions to help them maintain their skill level in pressure situations when fatigue becomes a factor. This along with the return to full fitness of Willie Mason and (hopefully) Anthony Minichello gives Roosters fans real hope that the team can crack a top four berth this year.
The Strength Is In The Pack Read more of this article »
Posted by Crooksy on March 4th , 2009 under Golf, Rugby League |
By claiming victory for an Australian team for the first time in six years in last weekends World Club Challenge, the Manly Sea Eagles have fired out an early warning to rival clubs that they haven’t let any complacency creep into the camp over the off-season.
Back-To-Back, Can It Still Be Done?
No team has won back to back premierships in the last decade and it has become a much more difficult achievement than in previous eras. The days of the rugby league dynasty would appear to be over – just don’t tell the boys from across the bridge.
Compared to the high player turnover seen at some other clubs, Manly has managed to retain the core of the team that was so dominant during the second half of season ’08. The most obvious loss has been Steve Menzies, with three of his team mates following him to colder climates. Read more of this article »
Posted by Crooksy on February 18th , 2009 under Rugby League |
The NRL season kicks off in a little less than a month, and the bookies have pretty much gone with last years top eight to finish in around the same positions this year with the two noticeable exceptions being the Raiders and the Cowboys. After finishing the ’08 regular season in sixth position, the bookies have given the Raiders little chance of a top eight finish this year and are rated as being just good enough to avoid the wooden spoon
The Cowboys on the other hand have been installed as top six material, even after their 2008 season finished with them barely avoiding the wooden spoon as a result of a superior points difference. Much of this has to do with the return of Matt Bowen to the team, and that extra strike power at fullback will be enhanced by the addition of Willie Tonga to the centres. Thurston will have more options than he did last year, and this should see the team finish higher up the ladder.
Over the next couple of weeks I’ll take a look at the teams with the greatest chance this year and see how this year may be better or worse for them than ’08. Injuries and player movements are always a factor as new players settle in at teams, and new combinations are tested. Read more of this article »
