The Prism - Round 6 2015

Hot topic

The Bulldogs supporters have again disgraced themselves and the NRL. They are sore losers and their aggression can only serve to deter families from wanting to go to their games.

Their history of violence is long and sordid. From the brawls with the Roosters supporters to the explosion in the stands, there have been a number of incidents where Bulldogs supporters have bullied or assaulted opposing fans.

Bulldogs v Roosters brawl

The issue with the Bulldogs fans was satirised by the Chaser. Below is some footage from the show:

There will not be any changes until the club is sanctioned for its poor behaviour. Banning supporters "for life" is impossible to police and is inconsequential. The club should suffer financial loss and the deduction of competition points. In Europe, this sort of behaviour results in a lock-out of the supporters. Although not advocating this outcome, something drastic needs to be done. Let's see what happens next week at the Dragons "home" game at ANZ Stadium against the Dogs.

Performance of the Week

The 20 year old Jack Bird has burst into first grade in style. Unwanted by the Dragons, he has been scooped up by their archrivals the Sharks. After making his debut off the bench, this week he stepped into the vacant 5/8th role with Barba serving a suspension.

Playing against a Premiership favourite, Bird dominated the game like a blue chip half. He has been destined for greatness for a long time, and he has shown that he has the goods to build a career on.

His stats for the game were impressive; 11 runs for 124m, 20 tackles with only two misses, 2 line breaks, and 2 tries with one try assist off a well weighted kick. For leading the Sharks to their first win, Bird was awarded the man of the match in the Sunday afternoon game of the round.

No wonder why the Dragons fans wanted Doust's head for jettisoning him. He now poses an interesting dilemma for the Sharks coach given Barba's struggles with converting to 5/8th. Bird is a real prospect and should become a player that the Sharks can build around if he keeps up his early form.

Predictions

Last week I only picked 4/8. The Dragons upset the league leaders, the Sharks broke their duck against the odds, the Eels clocked off, and the Cowboys got a rare away win. Here are my picks for this week.

Sharks vs. Knights @ Remondis Stadium
The Sharks may back up with another win with a Bird in the hand. Sharks by 4

Broncos vs. Roosters @ Suncorp Stadium
Bennett has got his team on a roll and the Roosters were very flat last week. Broncos by 6

Eels vs. Titans @ Pirtek Stadium
The Eels need to win this one to build on their early form. Eels by 8

Warriors vs. Tigers Mt Smart Stadium
Two flashy teams with a lot of strike power. Warriors by 10

Panthers vs. Sea Eagles @ Pepper Stadium
The Panthers meet a team in free fall with off field dramas just under the surface. Panthers by 6

Raiders vs. Storm @ GIO Stadium
The Raiders were good last week, but may find it hard to match it with the structured Storm. Storm by 4

Dragons vs. Bulldogs @ ANZ Stadium
The Dragons have stoic defence but have given away their home game to assist the depleted Dogs. Dragons by 4

Rabbitohs vs. Cowboys @ ANZ Stadium
Can the Rabbitohs cover for the loss of Reynolds? Cowboys by 4

Form Guide

The form guide calculates which teams have the most momentum, weighting recent performances higher than past wins. Note that it does not take into account injuries, hoodoos or personal bias. The power rankings are as follows:

1.Broncos (+2) : the form team with four wins on the trot
2. Rabbitohs (+3) : battled to the end against the foul play of the Dogs
3. Dragons (+3) : they are defending their way to the top
4. Knights (-3) : failed to score in their last up match
5. Storm (+4) : win | loss | win | loss | win
6. Bulldogs (-4) : reverted to dirty tactics and still lost
7. Tigers (+5) : some late magic from Pat Richards has them back in the winner's circle
8. Roosters (-4) : a no show against the bottom of the table Sharks
9. Cowboys (+4) : two wins after starting the season with three losses
10. Raiders (+5) : picked up a win against the hapless Sea Eagles
11. Eels (-4) : couldn't close out their last game
12. Warriors (-4) : lost against their usual bunnies
13. Sharks (+3) : finally got their break out win
14. Panthers (-4) : should be much higher on the table
15. Titans (-3) : have descended back to expectations
16. Sea Eagles (-2) : the slide continues for the ravaged club

Composite Team

Last week's composite team were noted tough men of their time (quite subjective!). Can you work out the theme for the squad below?

1. Ben Jones
2. Brett Dallas
3. Jack Reed
4. Greg Florimo
5. Joel Monaghan
6. Michael Neil
7. Peter Wallace
8. Keith Galloway
9. Alan Tongue
10. James Graham
11. Lance Thompson
12. Brad Myers
13. Paul Vautin
14. Steve Edmed
15. Nick Graham
16. Ben Creagh
17. Dylan Napa

This team has a strong forward pack with some starch off the bench. The backline has some speed. Predicted placing in 2015 table: 9th

Flash Back

This week's Flash Back is a dual international who played for Wests, Balmain and Manly in the 1970's. Steve Knight played in the three-quarters after converting to League in 1972 after making 6 appearances for the Wallabies.

Knight played for the Magpies from 1972 to 1975, scoring 75 points (25 three point tries). He was selected in the 1972 World Club team for Australia where he played 2 matches. He moved to the Balmain Tigers for two seasons, scoring a further 42 points from 14 tries.

Knight then played two seasons for Manly where he scored 10 tries. In 1978 he played in the centres in the drawn Grand Final against the Sharks. He then backed up three days later in the replay where Manly won 16-0.

In 1979, Knight added to the rivalry between the Manly "Silvertails" and the Wests "Fibros", his first league team. He was suspended for two matches after he was sent off for an illegal hit on Wests forward John Donnelly. Donnelly earned a three match suspension and a $200 fine for punching in the ensuing brawl. Knight retired at the end of that season.

Knight scored 49 tries in his 142 games in Rugby League. He will be remembered as a supremely fit outside back with a nose for finding the try line.