Tipping Competition2024

Revenge is the theme of Friday night’s brutal encounter
between the two rivals from the south of Sydney, writes the GRL Phantom.

Sydney Roosters (4th) V South Sydney
Rabbitohs (14th)

Friday August 29th, Sydney Football Stadium

Kick-off: 7.30pm

The two-arch rivals of the competition meet in a special
centenary game.

It's exactly 100 years to the day, when the Rabbitoh's
and Roosters played in the foundation year of the game. Since that time there
has been no love lost between both camps.

Over the years there have been several Roosters leave to
join the Rabbitoh's and also several Bunnies hop over to Bondi Junction.

Craig Wing has been in both camps. He was a Souths junior
who then shifted to the Roosters where he spent eight years.

Now's he back in red and green colours.

Wing got badly injured in the opening game of the season
against the Roosters and missed 14 weeks of the season with a bunged up
shoulder.

Former Souths and Roosters great, Ron Coote won grand
finals for both clubs.

He played in nine overall and won four with Souths and
two with the Roosters and was a runner-up on three occasions.

In fact Souths and the Roosters are playing for the Ron
Coote Cup, such is the high esteem in which Coote, the former champion lock, is
held.

I fancy the Rabbitohs to clip the Roosters;wings this
Friday.

The Roosters' forwards have been relying on a power game
and appear flat.

Too many times in recent weeks the Roosters have played
''one out footy'', by simply belting the ball forward while making themselves
easy targets for tacklers.

The Sharks exposed this one out play last Friday night,
gang tackled the forwards and effectively slowed down the play the ball tempo.

Halves Mitchell Pearce and Braith Anasta have been
passing too far before the line and are also crabbing across field.

Pearce isn't playing square at the line but is rather
drifting across field and turning the ball back inside.

Souths' defence was poor against the Raiders in the
second half.

However their attack, variety and innovation has been
much better than the regimented, stagnate and non-attacking football they
played in the first eight weeks of the season.



Chris Sandow and Craig Wing have improved the variety.

Verdict:


Souths by 7 at the Sydney Football Stadium before a
bumper crowd.

Manly Sea Eagles (2nd) V Gold Coast Titans
(13th)

Monday September 1st, Brookvale Oval

Kick-off: 7.00pm

I still believe the Eagles will win the title and stop a
rampant Melbourne in the grand final, But that piece is for another time.

Manly love playing at Brookie and they won't leave
the arena without a win for their champion Menzies.

Manly will take advantage of the fact the Titans lost an
extra-time thriller to Brisbane.

Preston Campbell, whom I believe should be named the
Dally M Player of the Year, just in front of Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk, is
a huge loss.

He played 45 minutes last week against the Broncos with a
broken jaw.

Scott Prince has made a difference in recent weeks with
his ball play, scheming, kicking in general play and orchestrating of the
Titans' attack and defence.

Manly will play it tight early and work the Titans
centres and halves either side of the rucks with his power plays.

Glenn Stewart who wears 13 on his back, tackles like a
lock, but runs like a centre and ball plays like a five-eighth, will work down
the right side of the field and look for his brother, Brett, right centre Steve
Bell and flying winger David Williams.

Adam Cuthbertson when he takes the field works the left
edge and links with Menzies and power centre Steve Mattai and the vastly
underrated winger and flyer Michael Robertson.

Verdict:


Manly by a dozen and two tries for Menzies. - Read More, Here