The NRL Round 5 Match Thread

No sooner did I think that my latest trip down under had gone smoothly travel wise, including the bus Journey to and from Sutherland to Woolongong, then I get a 2.5 Hour delay in my QANTAS flight to the UK leaving Sydney

Anyway - Round 5

Melbourne Storm v Brisbane Broncos

Game of the round. If Cameron Munster gets through the captains run that and home advantage favours the Storm. though Adma Reynolds and the baby Broncos proved last week they are no pushover. -Munster Mash ?

Canterbury Bulldogs v Sydney Roosters

By no means a forgone conclusion between a Bulldogs side that was very unlucky nopt to get anything against Souths against a Roosters side that seems to be one game on and one game off. - Return of the plucky bantam ?

Newcastle Knights v St George-Illawarra

The Knights either win by a small margin or lose by a small margin and are favourites not to make the 8 this year, against an SGI side that's got it's wins against Gold Coast and an awful Manly side having been clobbered by the Dolphins and the Cows. - Knight slays Dragon?

South Sydney v New Zealand Warriors

Souths, just, of the mark last week against a Wahs side that appears to be returning to form. Fopr both sides, if you want to be top 8 this is a game you win. I expect huge support from expat Kiwis at Accor Stadium. Wahs to win?

Manly Sea Eagles v Penrith Panthers

Manly cannot play that badly again two weeks in a row can they, But they are up against the form team in the NRL in the Penny Panthers although four-peat is not a given as they are beatable in a one-off game (just ask Melbourne, Wigan and St Helens) but week in week out set the standard regardless of personnel. - Panther power at 4 pines?

Dolphins v West Tigers

The "Entertainers" of the NRL the Dolphins at "home" in Suncorp against a West Tigers team that was the only 100% winning side I saw. The key to this game might be the suspension to young Lachlan Galvin who is more key to the success of this Tigers side than peop[le currently realise - Phintastic?

North Queensland Cowboys v Gold Cost Titans

A get right game for the Cows in Townsville, their penchant for slow starts finally catching uip with them against the Bronx last week, against a Titans side where Des Haesler has thrown the entire squad under the bus having changed the way they play That never goes down well. Stampede at the Country Bank?

Canberra Raidersw v Paramatta Eels

Another coin flip game between two sides both of whom should have won last week and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. It should also focus on two coaches wiyh a long tenure who appear to be living off a losing Grand Final appearance. - Ricky's Rebounding Raiders?

Good luck with your tips, this season continues to maze and entertain with sides brilliant one week and c""p the next. Don't despair as in one of the tipping charts before I left a certain Andrew Johns was bottom of the tipsters so there is hope for us all...

Who predicted these positions, okay it’s early days but…

Melbourne Storm should be able to call upon their first-choice halfback pairing for the first time this season as they take on Brisbane Broncos.

Storm have named Cameron Munster to line-up alongside Jahrome Hughes and that will be a huge boost as they aim to get back to winning ways.
The Broncos are likely to deploy an aerial assault with it working so well in their victory last week but the Storm should be more suited to dealing with it and having won their last six home matches stretching back to last season, they are the likely to have the advantage here, wont’t they?
Not all tipsters have entered our comp yet this week, it’s early days. Still time to join us.

So far:

Storm to win 9

Broncos to win 2

Why not join in the fun this week. You’ll get a warm welcome.

Both teams showing plenty of attacking flair.

Katoa bursts over for Storm.

6-4 Broncos

ktc

Meaney successful kick.

6-6

Coates leapt to catch the bomb from Hughes and scored the try.

10-6 Storm

No goal from Meaney.

That was another enormous flight from Coates. He came down with snow on his head.

Great reply by Brisbane as Storm winger not there. Mam collected the the Arthars kick. Lovely bounce and bingo, try by the posts.

Easy goal for Reynolds.

12-10 Brisbane.

11 minutes to half time.

Mariner battling on with a hip problem.

Another spectacular try from Broncos.

The loose ball was switched acrossfield.

Great kick through by Reynolds collected at speed by Arthars who scored.

18-10 Broncos.

Broncos making and taking every chance.

Great first half this.

After a lot of Storm pressure, Katoa runs through a gap and scores his second try of the game.

18-16 Broncos

2 minutes to half time.

What an astonishing 40 minutes of rugby league 

Reynolds limps at half time.

Just now, marklaspalmas said:

What an astonishing 40 minutes of rugby league 

Thrilling stuff Mark.

Broncos have been devastating in attack.

Storm have done little wrong.

Reynolds not returning for the second half 

Letting the high ball bounce? What???

Mam collects it and runs it in with no opposition!

22-16 Broncos

24-16 Staggs goal.

That was a freebie, though Mam timed things perfectly.

Broncos defence just a bit better than Storm’s.