In the Spotlight - Round 10

As the NRL competition heads into double-digits this weekend, it's time to celebrate the excellence of this weekly article.

I am proud to say that my weekly rant changes lives, re-energises careers and feeds the poor. Or, more accurately, it does none of the above. Luckily for all* my readers, I am a resilient fella and ready to get stuck into round number 10 of ITS.

*My mum. G'day mum.

In round nine I threw the gauntlet down to Billy "not as well-known as Kelly" Slater and Willie "or won't he" Mason. Young Bill stepped up to the mark as he and his Storm team-mates comfortably accounted (I was tempted to make a Cameron Smith accountant jibe here, but will give it a miss) for the Jekyll-and-Hyde Parramatta Eels. Slater did his Origin chances no harm with a two-try performance that proved there's still plenty in the tank yet.

Mase played 31 minutes and got through seven hit-ups for 64 metres and I would assume at least 16 different sledges of his former Newcastle mates. Not a bad effort I suppose. He even got a free rub and tug from an ex-teammate.

This week I have two fresh victims. Don't be scared gents.

Darius Boyd

D. Boyd. The king of charisma, the sultan of the short answer. Alright alright, I'll admit he has turned the corner and has matured a fair bit since that famous interview back in his Saints days. After obliterating his ACL and looking at 4 years on the sidelines, he has come back in three months and looks all set to play the ‘finisher' (aka, run two metres and fall over the line after another Inglis break) role for the Maroons. Boyd's Broncs' faced a red-hot Cowboys this weekend, so we got a good indication of his Origin chances in balmy Townsville.

Jeff Robson

"Wake up' Jeff Robson. He's like the yin to Jack Bird's flashy yang; the original Doritos to Bird's fancy cool ranch flavour. Robbo's game is a bit like Forrest Gump - simple yet effective.

The Sharkies thought they had the Warriors beaten last weekend, after Fifita ran 450 metres and beat 213 defenders on his way to the try line late in the game. That is, until former ITS subject Shaun Johnson shimmied, danced, waltzed and Pride-of-Erin'ed (I hated that bloody dance in school) over the chalk to snatch an unlikely 20-16 win for the visitors. Heading up to face a Gold Coast ‘remember the' Titans ‘is an outstanding movie' side who got sliced and diced by the Green Machine won't be easy.

While Jack Bird provides the pizazz, Jeff needs to keep it simple and return Cronulla to the winner's circle.