Tag Archives: queensland cup

NRL Tips – Round 25, 2019

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I wrote about Sydney as an obstacle to expansion yesterday.

It started as an intro to this post but ended up being over 1000 words and I thought it should stand alone. It’s the result of thoughts that have been bubbling since I started paying proper attention to rugby league when I started doing this in 2017, clarified somewhat this year by League Digest (you should go listen), crystalised by Heartland by Joe Gorman (you should go buy and read it) over the last few weeks. I’m far from the only one who thinks this way: Nick Campton from the Daily Tele and NRL Boom Rookies touched on very similar themes this very week.

Whether this is having any impact in the real world is unlikely but at least we can all furiously agree with each other.

Here’s some other stuff:

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On Expansion and its relationship with Sydney

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Another week, another expansion bone has been tossed to the ravenous dogs that are NRL nerds on social media to endlessly chew over. I say that like I wasn’t in there first and not still gnawing on it. I just can’t help myself.

This week, the target was the south-east Queensland expansion team dropped into the competition in 2007 that hasn’t turned out to be another Broncos, denying the broadcasters an opportunity to have multiple games with one million viewers each week.

In true Australian fashion, instead considering the historical accidents that have led to this point (i.e. basing the footprint of a supposedly national competition on the demographics of Sydney circa 1908 whose growth has then been fuelled by pokie dollars or previous south-east Queensland franchises that have failed, undercut by a hostile media and inept management) and attempting to rectify them or improve the presentation of the product so that it might appeal beyond Nine’s core audience of decrepit boomers, an executive contacted a buddy in the extremely accommodating media to have a good old fashioned whinge, Gerry Harvey-style. The consequence was the publication of several of the same think pieces we’ve seen before about why Sydney clubs must be protected at all costs.

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NRL Tips – Round 24, 2019

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Some additional rugby league reading for you:

(I’ve read the book, it’s good)

 

Here are the tips for this weekend’s action:

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Intrust Super Cup

This is the last round of the Queensland Cup. I’m still on the fence as to whether I’m going to continue doing tips through the finals series for this and the NRL. It feels a little misleading to do so because the impact of the individual results are so grossly out of proportion with my ability to predict them with the tools at my disposal. They work well over the longer term of the season, less so with the unpredictability of nine knock out games. People might still be interested though?

If you’ve made it this far down, you’re probably the kind of reader I want to hear from so let me know your thoughts via the Twitter or the email.

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NRL Tips – Round 23, 2019

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Apologies for there not being any tips last week. I was in Perth. And before you start with your jokes, especially when a bunch of you go to the Nines next year:

HuR DuR wE sHoUlD rElOcAtE a TeAm ThErE

Actually, we should relocate two there. Perth Sharks. Fremantle Sea Eagles. Friday 10PM games every week. Move the Bulldogs to Christchurch and we can stash the 6PM game in New Zealand to boot.

Rugby league can thank me later.

Here are the tips for this weekend’s action:

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National Rugby League

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Intrust Super Cup

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NRL Tips – Round 21, 2019

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It was a relatively quiet week for odd rugby league news, so here’s some analytics you might not have seen (mostly from me, yes):

Here are the tips for this weekend’s action:

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National Rugby League

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Intrust Super Cup

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NRL Tips – Round 20, 2019

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I’ll spare you the lengthy and moderately pompous words I had written about cheating. The last week has been dominated by refs faulting to a sickening degree and to a lesser extent, the lack of appreciation of Super League on the Gold Coast.

The announcement of St Helens coach Justin Holbrook as the Titans new head coach has been given the tick by those who know what they’re talking about and less so from those that don’t. The important thing is that the Gold Coast didn’t sign Kevin Walters (<40% win percentage while at Catalans compared to Holbrook’s >70% at St Helens). Hopefully this is the first step in the Titans becoming a real NRL franchise. The people running it honestly make it look a lot harder than it is.

Here’s some other stuff you might have missed:

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NRL Tips – Round 19, 2019

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Unrelated to the NRL premiership itself, it’s been a good week for rugby league headlines (except for Ottawa). Here’s what you might have missed:

Not sure if that’s going to be a regular thing but thought I’d share.

Here are the tips for this weekend’s action:

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