Here we go here we go here we goooooooooooooo.

Well, in a few weeks time anyway.

Tigers for another Premiership this year, no doubt. Pay no heed to the trial match in England last weekend - they were just warming up (trying too anyway - soooo coooooold I've been told.

Best story of the pre season so far is about John Hopoate:

Quote:

---

Hopoate wants to be referee
By Dean Ritchie and Phil Rothfield
February 10, 2006

HE taunted and tormented them for 12 years as a player but former Manly problem child John Hopoate is now ready to become a rugby league referee.

Hopoate, sacked by the Sea Eagles last year after a series of indiscretions, has contacted the New South Wales Rugby League to seek his referee's ticket.

Ironically, Hopoate is serving a one year ban imposed by the NSWRL for abusing a touch judge during a junior match last year.

He is also on probation until 2010 for the same offence.

But Hopoate last night said: "If you can't beat them, join them. I just thought it was worth having a go at.

"I'm really keen to do it at junior level and then see what eventuates.

"If I enjoy it I might try to progress up the grades.

"But I could never see myself at NRL level. Could you imagine all the abuse I'd have to cop?

"I don't suppose I can send myself off or put myself on report either."

Hopoate has contacted NSWRL special projects manager Eric Cox to discuss obtaining his ticket.
"I've rung Eric Cox today to get it all organised," he said.

"He said they were only too happy to put me through the course.

"I'm also doing a level 1 coaching course.

"I've had more than my share of dramas over the years but I'm still keen to put something back into the game, particularly at the kid's level."

Hopoate's junior club, Manly Cove, is assisting its former player in his bid to become a referee.

"I think it's a good thing that John will get to see things from a referee's perspective," Cove president Scott Taylor said.

"I think he'll be a very, very good referee.

"He's got a good understanding and knowledge of the game.

"We support anything that furthers John's rugby league resume."

The NRL said last night Hopoate may now appreciate what referees endure each week.

"When John finishes his current suspension, if he is serious about becoming a referee, it might give him a greater appreciation of the difficulties that go with the job," NRL operations manager and former international referee Graham Annesley said.

Hopoate was cut by Manly nearly a year ago after being found guilty by the NRL judiciary of elbowing then Sharks forward Keith Galloway to the head during a controversial match at Brookvale Oval.

He was suspended for 18 matches.

Hopoate has since taken up amateur boxing but is yet to contest his first fight.

His jump into refereeing will not tarnish his desire to fight.

The Daily Telegraph http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,18095025-23214,00.html

---

After last year being such a close comp I am not sure what to expect this year. It's certainly not a given the the 'top' teams will be in the finals - will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

First round is 10-12 March

Tigers v Dragons
Knights v Eels
Bulldogs v Panthers
Sea Eagles v Raiders
Warriors v Storm
Broncos v Cowboys
Rabbitohs v Roosters
Sharks BYE

New Zealand will start the comp on minus 4 points after salary cap breaches last year. First team to ever start at a minus http://nrl.com/News/News/tabid/55/NewsId/695/Default.aspx

Tigers have an attitude problem. *sigh* Think I will be resting on last years success for some years to come.

Tigers are on the menu .. Dragons are having them for dinner this Friday night!

Just like in the finals last year, huh?

lol, you should meet the new chef

HA!!! Nice comeback

24-15 for the Tigers. Haven't been able to watch it, and wasn't able to get onto NRL.com for the second half live updates but it sounds like a heart stopper of a game.

And you realize this means that the Tigers are winning the premiership?

Watched the replay and what a great game. Silly mistakes all round but that's being early in the season for ya. Benji look woeful until the final few minutes and then finally found his feet just when needed. And a good bit of biff! Love a good brawl (bad for the game my &^%^!!!) and although it didn't quite go that far there were a few good punches thrown. And one sinbin - could've been much more though.

Our pack looks bigger than last season which can only be a good thing and all over I don't think Tigers were as crap as everyone thought they'd be. (PHEW!)

27,865 crowd! Excellent!

Poor benji got a broken cheek bone,Poor boy looked a little like a fish out of water.Trent barret thought he was so good when he kicked that field goal to take the dragons to a 1 point lead the dragons seemed to under estimate the power of the Tigers.Well as for gasnier he might have scored 3 wonderful tries according to the commentators,But that meant nothing at fulltime yes the dragons were gob smacked(giggle).

Have you heard how long Benji will be out for, Deb? Not heard myself - hope he comes back SOON - those last few minutes and that second last try are why he's a champion. You can forgive him a bad first half just for that.

Just watching the Parra Knights game and it's a ripper also.

Benji is out for 6 weeks,Poor bugger he trained so hard to get his shoulder back up to scratch to make the first game and now his got a fracture to his cheekbone,just criminal.

Read somewhere that he hopes it will be four IF he doesn't need surgery.

Sheesh - how about that for a starting week? A few good close games and a couple of blowouts too.
Cowboys 36-4 over Broncos!
Raiders 27-14 over Manly.
Wonder how the premiership odds will change now.

From the NRL website about the Cowboys game.

"The massive crowd of 46,229 saved it's biggest roar for the season's first, and hopefully last tubby streaker, who ran across the field wearing only a bright pink hat and a smile before being accosted by security guards and led away."

Forty two thousand!!! Yowsers!!!

"Pink hat and a smile"

Well i dont know about anyone elses opinion, but i think the bronco's should change thier name to the dinosaurs thier heydays are long gone.
A streaker(giggle)I just love footy,
I just watched the replay how rude they didnt show the streaker M/F just for trivial interest.

Liam Fulton is out for probably the rest of the season for the Tigers after dislocating his shoulder last week. Bugger. I think one of the biggest factors for the sucess last year was that we were free of major injuries the entire season. Now we have Fulton out all year and Benji out for 6 weeks after one game. Uh oh!

Adrian Morley pled guilty and took the two week suspension from a high tackle. If there was "absolutely no intent" as Ricky Stuart maintains then why didn't they fight it? Hmmm?

oooooo. That hurt.


Bring Back Benji!

Ok well the steam that was coming out of my ears has subsided after the game friday night.After witnessing the Tigers being literally beaten to a pulp.The bulldogs fans behavior was apalling(so whats new)Mark omealy's hit on bryce was sickening to say the least, and even more stomach churning was the rest of the bulldogs congratulating him on his attack.Well i think the bulldogs should be stripped of thier 2 points for bad behavior allround. :P

Oh really? Yikes. I didn't watch it. Don't get the Friday game til after midnight so was on nrl.com for the updates. Didn't want to put myself through the misery

Souths have been privatised which can only be a good thing for the club - can understand those that didn't want it to happen though. Vote went through with only .8%!


Have heard/seen more about the Friday night game and the Canterbury supporters. There is talk of them not being allowed to have night games any more. When are they going to actually DO something about it? My mother even told a group of them to "p*** off". My mother!!! She just doesn't do that sort of thing! Some of you may be aware how fanatical she is but she even said that it would almost be worth not playing games against them, because of the supporters and the players and letting them have the two points.

Well I reckin yay Mum,As for Russell Crowe buying souths I dont think that will make a difference.Loved lastnights game haha bulldogs got slaughtered.I think they should only have strong police presence at the bulldogs home games.The bulldogs fans were totally outnumbered lastnight and the extra police was a total waste of the tax payers money.

30-28 Tigers over Melbourne, phew! Finally! I'd hate to be thought of as a one man team but with Marshall coming back this week it's hard to argue it. Prince has been so flat this year but from what we've seen of Benji, he's firing.

That scoreline sounds a lot closer than it was, Balmain were miles a head all through the game but jsut got scrappy towards the end and let them in too often ... last one right on the siren.

Amazing how quiet I get when the Tigers lose but I should bite the bullet and say something.

What a horrible weekend

Nah, I'll say more than that. Tigers/Cowboys game was a practical exercise in how NOT to ref a game (was also a good lesson in how not to broadcast it - my local channel was shocking, putting ad breaks in every penalty ) - god it was bad. But anyway, not blaming that on Tiges losing, Cowboys were pretty good. Benji Marshall injured the shoulder (again!!!) Bugger. Best case senario at the moment is 8 weeks but could be the season in he needs surgery. Uh oh.

Craig Gower has a bruised lung too - can't be good.

How about the Knights/Dragons? 54-6 to the Knights. Yikes.

Looks like another hard tipping season ahead.

I think I may tip the Warriors to lose every match for the rest of the season . So far I have tipped three wins which they duly lost, and 2 losses which they managed to win (Copago, sorry for bringing back bad memories ). Still, I need to add to my spoon collection, who knows what they will be worth some day.

It is that time of year where New Zealand players will be mysteriously put on report and suspended for a certain upcoming match.