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Rocky's Round 17 Review!
by
Monday July 07, 2003
Every Sunday night Rocky's Review will come to you! It will be a review of Broncos game on the weekend, and my thoughts on issues on other games or incidences. It will also include my 'Team Of The Week'! Then on Thursday, I'll be sharing my thoughts with you about any issues that might have risen throughout the week, plus my thoughts on the upcoming Broncos game, and also my tips for the next round
Well, what a weekend of footy! Upsets here and there, and the Panthers flying high! And what about the Bulldogs? Are they finally starting to show what they're capable of? Do the Knights have any hope of winning the comp after their dismal performance against the Bulldogs? We'll see!
Firstly, onto the Broncos match on the weekend. What a dreadful performance. We were totally outclassed by the Red V's. Firman, Gasnier and Blacklock were terrific, while Bailey and Ryles run riot over our forward pack. Well deserved win by the Dragons, they outplayed us, and they won fair and square, regardless of some very poor refereeing decisions. Only players who I thought played well for our mob were Tallis, Frawley, Lockyer, Swain and Kelly.
So what happened? I'll tell you what happened. We lacked 5th tackle options, we were lost in the opposition 20, our kicking game was terrible, and our backs were starved of possession. It's quite evident that our halves combination isn't working.
It's a big call, but I don't believe we can win the comp with Berrigan and Ikin as our halves. While I admire Ikin's courage to get back on the field and try his heart out, I still don't think he has up to it. His kicking game this year has been quite disappointing, and his defence is nonexistent. Ikin's a good bloke, very friendly, and he's passionate about his footy. But in my honest opinion, he's not up to it, and he needs to have a stint in Toowoomba for the remainder of the year. He then can work on his defence and his kicking game, so maybe next year he'll come back better than ever. I would like to see that, and it's only fair to give Seymour a go since he's been in excellent form for the Clydies.
Now on to Berrigan. He's a tough little bloke isn't he? Always breaking through tackles and in return, putting the big hits on. But playing him at halfback isn't the position he should be playing. He would be much more suited in the centres or on the bench used as an impact player. Berrigan doesn't offer us a decent passing game, nor does he have decent kicking game. We need a creative halfback that can create opportunities close to the line, and we need a halfback that can offer us something on the last tackle - At the very least, a decent kick downfield would be nice. Therefore, Prince should be the Broncos halfback. Scotty Prince is one of the most naturally talented players I have ever seen. He's a top class player, and he's a wasted talent if Bennet wants to keep him in Toowoomba for the remainder of the year. Prince at halfback would be perfect, he offers us a good kicking game as well as a good passing game, with plenty of skill and good vision.
Prince and Seymour is our answer, because I don't think we can win the comp with a halves combination that doesn't offer us much in attack. (i.e. Berrigan & Ikin).
Remember, this is not an attack on Berrigan and Ikin. They're good players, but Berrigan should be used elsewhere, and Ikin needs to gain his confidence back and have a stint in Toowoomba.
It seems like every week there's a new favourite to win the comp. People are now tipping the Panthers to take it out after a great 20-0 victory over the Sharks at Toyota Park on Saturday night. But what about the Bulldogs? They absolutely hammered the Knights in a 34 point victory at Telstra Stadium this afternoon, showing a glimpse of their 2002 form. And lets not forget the Dragons. Firman is a real talent, and the Dragons showed they can really match it with the top teams. But does anyone have any faith in Canberra or the Warriors anymore after their gloomy performances on the weekend?
Well if you asked me, Canberra, Warriors and the Knights don't have a chance, where Penrith, Broncos, Bulldogs and the Roosters seem to have what it takes to go all the way.
It seems like there's not much left in the tank for Canberra, and as for Newcastle, they've got the second worst defence in the competition, and they can't win without a decent defensive record. As far as the Warriors go, they're up and down like a Yo Yo.
Rocky's "Team Of The Week"
Here's my team of the week for this round! (Round 17)
1.Hornby
2.Blacklock
3.Gasnier
4.Harris
5.Rooney
6.Anasta
7.Firman
8.O'Meley
9.Wing
10.Rahihi
11.Tallis
12.Mason
13.Morrison
Well that's my round in review, check out Rocky's say on Friday morning for my round 18 previews, and tips!
Cheers,
Rocky.
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