Round Eight – Stiff-Arm Sunday
Overview
With no Moustache Monday this week, we end the eighth round of the NRL season with a Stiff-Arm Sunday double header. Two stiff-arms to the head would usually leave you feeling slightly dazed and confused, how many fingers am I holding up?
The first match sees the red hot sharks head to the Blue Mountains to tackle the Panthers. The way the Sydney weather has been lately, it would not be surprising if a couple of real sharks got blown all the way to the Blue Mountains – a Sharknado type situation. The Sharknado looks set to swallow the Panthers as the form of both teams couldn’t be more different.
The Bunnies are on the rebound after a disappointing loss last week and Raiders are their date. The defending premiers are doing it tough and have opted to take this game north to tropical Queensland which should provide a nice change of setting to get their season back on track.
Players to watch
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak – DWZ, the man with the double barrelled name (or triple barrelled depending on your definition) , is pressing hard for a Kiwis wing spot. A couple more freakish tries today will surely lock in that coveted jersey for young Dallin.
Jack Bird – The Bird that hasn’t pissed on a cop car, to our knowledge. He’s looking the goods and there’s even been chat he could be included in the Aussie test team. While that might be a stretch too far, he should take the Sharkies to another victory today.
Blake Austin – We usually highlight BA, mainly because he is an unofficial NNRL ambassador, but also because the man keeps taking his game to the next level. He has found his spot at the Raiders and is coming up trumps. He also seems to be transforming into Todd Carney, pre-bubbler.
Result and score predictions
Throw a Panther into a Shark tank and that should be a fair representation of what will transpire this Sunday. With the ground odds on to be underwater, Cronulla should swim to a comfortable win.
Surely the reigning premiers can’t drop three in a row? We think Canberra will be on the end of a shellacking today, 32-10 Bunnies.
Most likely to be confused
The fans in North Queensland – who will they support? The majority will probably just show up in Cowboys jumpers.
Most likely to go unnoticed
Jeff Robson – for a ‘journeyman’ he has notched up a fair few games in the big time. Not a flashy player but he gets the job done. His name may or may not be mentioned during commentary.