Either way, I was not overwhelmed by enthusiasm following the weekend's games.
Roosters v Rabbits
This was not much of a game to watch. The Roosters laid an absolute dog-shot on Craig Wing in the 7th minute, taking him out of the game, and out of the next 7+ weeks. This really put the brakes on for Souths for a long time. The Roosters did not play a particularly flashy brand of footy, but they were effective at what they did. They took advantage of some inexperience in the Bunnies' backline and scored a number of tries from kicks. They also scored a couple of nice tries from blindside plays or set plays. Minichiello looked very good at the back, and Anasta also had a good game. The one worrying thing for the Roosters was that they seemed to clock off early. Im not sure if this was from a fitness issue, or a discipline issue, but Souths came back well at the end. Led by Isaac Luke, they took full advantage of some gaps that opened up around the ruck.
A scrappy game with no real brilliant play
Titans v Cowboys
After the Roosters v Souths game, this was much easier on the eye. Flashy, fast and frantic. There was some brilliant playmaking in this game, and a number of excellent tries. The Cowboys were not too bad, but it looked Thurston's timing was out a bit. That will return in time, and they will be a formidable opponent. But on Friday they missed too many tackles, and the Titans took full advantage. The Titans half, hooker, fullback (and 5/8) combo is very good, and they look promising for the year.
Bulldogs v Eels
I listened to this game, and it was the proverbial game of two halves. Parra were awful in the first half. The Dogs were awful in the second. Not really much more to say about that. Both sides have a lot of potential, but Parra seemed to be the stronger of the two, and went on to win . They exposed a potential weakness in the Doggies outside backs, in particular Matt Utai, who is getting on in years, and looked like a real liability under the high ball.
Manly v Cronulla
Nobody (except Sharks fans) could have given Cronulla much of a chance of winning this game. But they did, It was another scrappy affair, but they were the more disciplined, structured side. As much as I dont really like Ricky Stuart, he does coach a structured approach. Manly are going to miss Michael Monahan this year, and the pressure will be on Matt Orford to really step up and show his worth. The Eagles were made to look like geese in last years' grand final, and they really need to back up a good 07 with a good 08 to prove their worth. ,They are still not a proven force in my mind.
Newcastle v Canberra
Didnt hear or see much about this game. What can you say? Home field advantage was probably the key difference here.
Penrith v Brisbane
A disappointing start for the Panthers. Like 2007, there is a lot of promise about the team at this time of the year. Some key signings, and some good reports out of pre-season training made me optimistic about this game. I still tipped Brisbane though, and that was a good decision! Dont know how to excuse this one for Penny, Brisbane seemed to get on a real roll and we just couldnt stop it. I didnt realise some of the quality signings that Brisbane made. Peter Wallace is a decent signing playing alongside Lockyer. Joel Clinton is not much of a signing. But they also have Ashton Sims, and PJ Marsh, who are very effective impact players. Things look good for Brisbane at this stage, and if they can keep up these sorts of performances, they will be very hard to stop.
Wests v Saints
Didnt see or hear much of this one either. Sounds like the Dragons are up to their same old tricks. But possibly they just need a bit of time to gel. They are usually slow starters I think. Brownie will want them to pick up their act soon, or he might find his head on the chopping block. Wests were good, but injuries to Payton and Marshall will make things tough in weeks to come.
Melbourne v Warriors
Same old story for Melbourne here. They have had some interesting encounters with NZ in the past, but not last night. Too many errors cost NZ the game. They can certainly score points and have explosive impact, but fitness and handling issues (as always) seem to be concerns.
My rankings after round 1
- Brisbane
- Melbourne
- Gold Coast
- Wests
- Easts
- Parra
- Newcastle
- Cronulla
- Cowboys
- Souths
- Bulldogs
- Manly
- Canberra
- Warriors
- Saints
- Panthers
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