Prophecies from the Peninsula

If it's not clear as I write this for a rugby league website, I enjoy watching rugby league, and I also enjoy some of the side dishes that go with it.

On a weekly basis I put my pride and my hard earned on the line, I am mixed up in all sorts of tipping competitions and fantasy leagues, and push my luck with a small wager or two on a weekend, they all make a game I love even more interesting.

The internet has made access to these pursuits for your average league fan, a very simple process.

Tipping competitions are automatically updated, you don't have to call Fred and give him your tips on a Thursday night, and there is no mistake over the results.

Punters can sit in the comfort of their living room and place a wager on any number of options through online betting agencies.

Fantasy leagues have probably been the biggest benefactor of technological progress, instant access to a wide variety of statistics has seen fantasy competitions booming and they appear to be getting larger every year.

The rise in participation in these recreations has created a whole different type of league fan, one who has an investment in every game, and in the case of fantasy competitions, every play.

I for one will watch a game on Friday and be cheering on Brisbane for my tipping comp, on Sunday I will be hoping Josh Morris gets the first try so my $5 investment pays off, and on Monday night I will be urging Robbie Farah to get a few try assists and Bryce Gibbs to make a few more tackles to get me over the line in my fantasy league.

There is one thing which conjures up frustration while participating in these pastimes.

That is team selections, or more clearly, the lack of clarity that comes with them when they are released on a Tuesday. There is really no way of knowing who will be running on to the field until one hour before kick-off, and the ins and outs can have a big impact if they were unexpected.

The biggest culprits seem to be the more experienced coaches who like to play ducks and drakes with their 1-17 every week.

My solution would be to adopt something similar to what the National Football League uses.

During the week players with injuries are designated a certain grade, they are one of