Friday Night NRL Rugby League

Panthers Keep the Faith, and steal Win
Penrith Panthers 29 defeated Brisbane Broncos 28
(Golden Point Extra Time NRL at Suncorp Stadium)

David Gallop and his merry men at NRL Rugby League HQ must be over the moon with two nail biting finishes to NRL clashes last night. Two golden point games at the same time, in different states!

In Brisbane, a new found confidence from Penrith. Keeping absolute faith, when down 28-20 with only 4 minutes to go - they somehow conjured up 2 tries to send the game into overtime and then Peter Wallace pops a 4th tackle, 45 metre field goal to win them the match - sending the Brisbane Broncos to a 0 from 3 record in 2007 NRL. Click here for full report.

Jub-EEL-lation - as Eels finally break duck
Eels 22 defeated Tigers 20 (Golden Point Extra Time)

Parramatta recorded it's first win last night and kept the Tigers winnless for 2007.

In a poor quality game, where generally the Tigers looked the better side - the desperate Eels somehow hung on and fought hard in the scrappy battle to secure the win.

Once again the Eels looked lost in attack, when the blue and gold side were deep in the Tigers half - seemingly every attacking play ended poorly. Final tackle kick options or movements where the ball was swung wide were easily read and shut down by the Tigers.

The Eels really need to find some cohesion in attack or the road ahead is long and hard. The Tigers showed some impressive line breaks and tackle busts in parts but their final pass and decision making in try scoring situations let them down badly. Seemingly on 3 or 4 occasions the Tigers were certain to score and somehow missed out.

The Eels will take some confidence from the victory and it may be just the stepping stone they need to awake their inner giant for 2007.

In the back-end of the game, with only a 2 point lead and PJ Marsh in the sin-bin - the Eels looked tired and sure to conceed a try, but somehow they the held fast. Finally giving away a penalty to allow the Tigers to lock the game up.

When the match went to golden point, the Tigers changed - and began to play 'safety first' football and moved away from how they'd played in the previous 80 minutes. This brought them down to Parramatta s level and saw them ultimately lose the golden point battle.

For the Eels, Reddy performed well in his late call up for Eric Grothe, his early try looked slick and he had a lot to do - putting a nice in and away on the Tigers defender to score in the corner. However he did have a few bad reads in defence, one leading to a Marshall try.

Luke Burt was solid, and played the sweeper role in defence nicely.

Cayless continued his impressive 2007 form and was a standout again in the forwards.

Feleti Mateo the Eels rookie forward once again looked the goods. While the youngster dropped some ball, he has a distinct SBW look about him and is the attacking threat the Eels so desperately need.

For the Tigers, Marshall and Morris looked dangerous with the ball for most of the match. Their trademark across field dummy and go kept the Eels guessing.

Hodgson was always effective for the Tigers and forward Keith Galloway was always eating up the metres for Wests and scored a nice try from 8 metres early on. Both teams will need massive improvement moving forward or they will be cannon fodder in 2007.

Round 3 NRL Predictions in Text format

Dragons: Hornby Out
Eels: Grothe Out Ian and Nathan Hindmarsh In
Bris: Hodges cleared to play
Cowboys: J.Smith Out
Sharks: Dykes, Pommeroy and Thompson cleared to play

Click here for full NRL Round 3 predictions / tips.

Thursday - Round 3 NRL Preview / Prediction

Paging George Piggins?
Adam Sutcliffe - NRLnews.com

Well they say a week is a long time in NRL Rugby League, but these weeks must be extra long for one time South Sydney saviour George Piggins. The former father of the South Sydney Rabbitohs must be feeling a little bit uncomfortable after such a brilliant run of form from the Rabbits in the 2007 NRL.

The high flying Rabbits have turned on champagne Rugby League this year and are boasting a side full of committed contenders.

While it is only Round 2, the Bunnies are equal first and have an enviable defensive record so far this year. If the Rabbits win next week, they will equal last years total winning game number. The magic 3.

With the Crowe / Holmes Acourt take over looming last year, Piggins fought staunchly to block the planned takeover and chose to spread the gospel of fear throughout the Souths faithful. Piggins contacted old players, he held press conferences and told anyone that would listen - this takeover would be bad for Souths!

Fast forward to now, with the new ownership of Crowe and A Court in control, the Bunnies now have decent training facilities, a star studded playing roster, the largest sponsorship deals in the league, massive crowds, a younger audience and a new found passion for winning.

With the early signs pointing to a successful takeover - no one in the current South Sydney management fold would go public in saying 'Look at us now George!' - but surely there would be some back room sniggering, as George Piggins certainly made any changes to the proud club much more difficult.

The South Sydney Club has a deep and proud tradition, but after many years of on-field and off-field disasters - it was well overdue for some changes. The old guard consisting of Piggins and his allies simply prevented any change implementation and confined themselves to mediocrity.

As the old saying goes 'The only constant is change' - and George Piggins' resistance to this delayed the famous club from once again reaching the great heights it deserves.

In a show of true professionalism the current management group and inner sanctum at the Rabbitohs have offered Piggins and his close supporters the olive branch. Welcoming them back into the family that is South Sydney.

It is unknown whether Piggins has accepted this offer and it has been widely reported that George has stated he'll never watch another South Sydney game again.

So if someone reading this knows George Piggins, tell him to turn on the Television or get out to a Souths game! Because the Rabbits are 2 and 0 - and they are playing like true contenders for the NRL 2007 Title!

Was it the right thing to do for Souths? Well the public certainly think so, because they are voting with their feet!

Titans bag maiden win
Titans 18 - Sharks 16

By Joel Zander

The NRL's newest franchise has taken just two rounds to open their account, with the Gold Coast Titans coming from behind to beat the Sharks 18-16 in a thriller at Carrara Stadium on Monday evening.

Down 16-6 with 30 minutes remaining, Wests Tigers recruit Scott Prince and former Shark Preston Campbell combined to steer the Titans home in their first NRL match on the Gold Coast.

Prince and five-eighth Matt Hilder put Mark Minichiello over in the 57th minute and then Prince's short pass to Campbell saw the little full-back force his way over with six minutes remaining.

Campell made it three conversions from three to put the Titans in front and ultimately give them the win.

The Sharks had led 10-6 at half-time in "the battle of the beaches" after scoring just seconds before the break.

"I'm very happy, it was looking a bit dodgy with 20 minutes to go, they had the ascendancy and were playing well," Titans coach John Cartwright told a press conference.

"But we really dug in well from there, we got a couple of tries when we needed them and held on well in the end.

"The tries that we scored were good understanding between guys."

The Titans came from behind against St George Illawarra in their debut match last week only to fall short, but had no such problems this time.

"I suppose the most impressive thing from the coach's points of view and the fans that were here was the fightback again. They fought hard and were very courageous," Cartwright said.

Prince, who was a doubt in the lead-up because of injury, was happy to be part of the maiden win.

"The people on the Gold Coast have been waiting a long time for this, just to have the Titans back on the coast," he said.

"I suppose now we've got the monkey off the back and the two points in the bag."

Sharks coach Ricky Stuart was understandably disappointed, saying his players had dropped too much ball early in the tackle count.

"We had it there to beat them and when you let is slip, it's disappointing," he said.

But he said he was happy for Cartwright, who was his assistant at the Roosters.

"I'm really happy for Johnny, it's good for rugby league that the Gold Coast are up and running," he said.

He said he might leave a beer with Cartwright for a later date and the Titans coach said he understood.

"I'll let him cool down, I know what he's like after a loss," Cartwright quipped.

Entertaining Warriors bust up Broncos
Warriors 24 - Broncos 14
An exciting NZ Warriors outfit has gone back to back in their victory over the Broncos in Auckland today. Stylish, flowing Rugby League was turned on by the Warriors with their Aussie contingent of Witt, Crocket, Price and Martin all playing brilliantly. The Broncos slump to their second loss for the year and last years premiers have nothing to show for 2007. Click here for full review.

Brilliant Bunnies belittle the Eels
Souths 31 - Eels 6
In a comprehensive display the fast improving South Sydney clan simply cruised past the Eels today in NRL Sunday at Telstra Stadium. The Bunnies were slick in attack and rock solid in defence, and made the again poor Eels look like a reserve grade team. It was a Rugby League lesson for Parramatta as their former coach Taylor and old boys Kidwell, Irvine, J.Smith and Widders made them pay. Click here for full report.

Storm outlast Toiling Raiders
Storm 32 - Raiders 16
A brave Raiders team put up an impressive fight against NRL giants the Melbourne Storm last night in the ACT. The class and experience of the Storm eventually came through, with the powerhouse club scoring a telling blow just before half time. Click here for full review.

Cool Cowboys toast Roosters
Cowboys 43 - Roosters 6
A slick Cowboys outfit ran rings around the average Roosters in Townsville last night. We can almost hear Nick Politis' screams from Bondi as the Roosters do some soul searching.
The Cowboys were in the zone from the first minute, and were an excitement machine! Click here for full review.

Manly beat Woeful Wests
Many 19 - Wests 8
In shocking conditions at Liechhardt Oval, the West Tigers have handed 2 points to Manly on a platter after dropping a tonne of ball in the wet. Manly did enough to close out the match without being dynamic. Click here for review.

Aiton Show, as Panthers pummell Dogs
Penrith 40 - Bulldogs 10
Video Review: Click Here
Tonight it was Penrith of yesteryear, as the Panthers put on a Rugby League clinic against the highly fancied Bulldogs. After a physical, yet sloppy start to the game - in which both sides took an age to settle. The injection of hooker Paul Aiton for Penrith - saw the tides turn big time. Aiton set the benchmark and the rest of the Penrith players followed. Read full article here.

Good Knights
Knights 16 - Dragons 12
Video Review: Click Here

In a close affair the Knights have defeated the Saints by 4 points at Oki Jubilee tonight. For the Knights, Kidley, Abraham and new boy McManus were dangerous with every touch. The Knights look to have a stronger and more willing defensive line in 2007 - it seems coach Smith has installed pride in the line. They showed nice attacking flair in parts with Mullen having good involvement. Click here for full article.

Friday Night Football Guide
by NRLnews.com
Your survival guide for tonights match-up's between the Dragons / Knights and Bulldogs / Panthers. Be sure and get all the information before you finalise your tipping. Don't forget to check our predictions table also. Click here for preview article.

Money or the Box.....or NRL
The Rugby Union ranks continue to poach NRL talent with no end in sight. Today Peter Roy from NRLnews.com discusses the trend and gives his view on why some players leave the NRL game to join the Rugby ranks. This article is sure to raise debate amongst League and Union men alike.
Click here for article.

NRLnews.com Predictions for Round 2
Who will win in Round 2? NRLnews.com checks out who will win and why. Click here for predictions.

Tahu signs with ARU
Shocking the League world, Parra and Australia Centre Tahu has signed with the Rah Rah for 4 years. Full article here.

Round 2 Teams Named.
Click here for full listings.

Rnd 1 - How did your team rate with NRLnews.com?
Click here for review sheet.

Bunnies 18 bath Roosters 6 at Aussie
The promised land was finally reached tonight for the long suffering South Sydney club. The rejuvenated Rabbits did more than enough to dispose of a disappointing Roosters side 18-6 at Aussie Stadium tonight. Click here for full review.

Andrew Johns Cleared of Injury
Word has filtered through tonight that Johns has not suffered any long term damage to his face or neck. X-rays taken at John Hunter hospital have confirmed no broken bones and Johns may be back for the Knights as soon as Round 3. Click here for article.

Knights run over 12 man Bulldogs 25-24
Video Review: Click Here
A spirited performance by the Newcastle Knights allowed them to topple a 12 man Bulldogs team without the aid of chief playmaker Andrew Johns. Click here for review.

Dragons babes hold out courageous Titans 20-18
Video Review: Click Here
A young Dragons side showed their wares today to hold out an impressive Gold Coast Titans outfit. The newly formed Titans went within a whisker of stealing the win, but full credit to Brown's babes featuring many unknowns in the usually star studded Red Vee. Click here for review.

Sonny Bill floors Andrew Johns
Dogs 24 - Knights 25
Bulldogs vs Knights - Sonny Bill Williams has been sent off 3min into the match after smashing Johns with a high shot. The extent of damage to Johns is unknown, however the star looked in a world of pain and was taken from the field on a stretcher after a long delay. Johns has been transferred to John Hunter hospital by ambulance for further tests and x-rays to his face.
Kurt Gidley kicks a 72 minute field goal to seal the win for the Knights. The Bulldogs had two golden opportunities to score tries in the final minutes - but last throw passes didn't stick and the occasion got the better of them. The Knights did well to win without Joey, and the Dogs did well to hang in with only 12 men for the entire game. Full review here.

Sharks shut-out Panthers 18-0
Video Review: Click Here
The Cronulla Sharks snapped a 10 game losing streak and have welcomed Ricky Stuart in the best way possible - a win without conceeding a point. The Panthers were disjointed all night and never looked like penetrating the rock solid Sharks defence. Click here for article.

Manly blows Raiders away 32-6
Video Review: Click Here
A slow starting Sea Eagles side eventually clicked into gear to deal the Raiders a crushing defeat at Brookvale. New buy Jamie Lyon bagging a double in the Brooky romp. Click here for article.

Warriors upstage sloppy Eels 34-18
Video Review: Click Here
A dangerous NZ Warriors outfit sent the Eels packing tonight, in a solid performance at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland. The Warriors blew the Eels off the park in the first period and did enough to close out the match in the dying stages. Click here for full report.

Cowboys pip Broncos in Thriller
Nth Queensland won out 23-16 over the Broncos in a stylish affair at Suncorp tonight.
Click here for full article

Storm beat Tigers in Wrestlemania NRL
A brave Tigers outfit narrowly missed out against a strong Melbourne Storm tonight, in a match that featured constant ruck wrestling and holding. The slick Storm side held solid winning 18-16.
Click here for full game review

Exclusive Interview with Joe Galuvao
NRLnews.com chats with Joe Galuvao about Souths in 2007. Big depth and high motivation are positive signs from the Redfern bunker. Click here for full article.

Wests Tigers Happy to Be Underestimated in 07
NRLnews.com hears from the Wests Tigers and how they are shaping up for 2007. Tigers captain Brett Hodgson is excited with the new playing talent at their disposal - as Sheens prepares for their big trip to Melbourne tomorrow night. Click here for article.

No stopping Smith at 35
New Cowboy Jason Smith turned 35 today. NRLnews.com has a look at his current situation and what the future holds for the oldest player in the NRL. Click here for article.

NRL Season 2007 Officially Launched
Tonight the who's who of NRL turned out for the first every launch function outside of New South Wales. Hosted high above the Gold Coast in the Q1 Super Skyscraper - league heavyweights and players were officially introduced to the Gold Coast Titans and the eagerly awaited NRL TV commercials were aired for the first time. Click here for full article.

How to get your NRL Tips right in 2007
Its that time of year again, where Rugby League supporters will play god and try to predict the winners of each round. Yes, tipping season is about to start and NRL News wants to give you the advantage in 2007! The team has come up with the ultimate guide to getting your tips right.

Read Full Article here.

No proof found of Broncos rorting Salary Cap
NRL heavyweights including auditor Ian Schubert visited the Broncos today, with no initial evidence found of cheating. The 2006 NRL champions can breathe a sigh of relief, as will their fans and sponsors - in the leadup to the 2007 kick off. Click here for article.

NRL investigates Broncos Cap Situation
As reported by NRL News yesterday the, the situation at the Broncos has firmed from rumour stage to panic stage for officials and fans alike. The NRL has now officially stepped in to investigate their 2006 books and apparently the problem relates to Darren Lockyer and cash payments. Stayed Tuned for more info from NRL News. We also touch on the following topics in this post:
Souths: Lote loss Titans: Walker win Parra: Hindmarsh and Cayless locked in to 2010, and Ian Hindmarsh safe to play-on Penrith: Pritchard Situation
Click here for full article

If the Broncos are guilty, should they lose the NRL Title for 2006 or should points be deducted for 2007? Please leave your comments below. (No sign up needed)

Cap rumour sees spoon betting on Broncos
Conspiracy theory loving NRL punters have started a betting plunge on 2006 NRL Premiers the Brisbane Broncos to take the NRL Wooden Spoon in 2007. As a rumour sweeps through mostly Queensland, bookies may look to halt betting on the NRL wooden spoon market as things heat up. NRL Salary Cap auditing results are to be released shortly. Click here for full article.

Paul 'Fatty' Vautin Cops $300,000 paycut as Sterlo leaves
Today NRL Rugby League news looks at the Rugby League Footy Show for 2007. Sadly, with the on-going cost cutting at Channel 9 TV Studios - it seems the Rugby League Footy Show has become the next victim. Cutbacks have seen the Rugby League variety show lose one of it's most admired panel members in Peter 'Sterlo' Sterling. The other major change sees lead panelist Paul 'Fatty' Vautin lose almost half of his estimated $600,000 yearly pay. Click here for full article info.

We'd like to hear from readers, who is your favourite Footy Show panel member? Will you miss Sterlo? Please click comment below.

Wayne Bennett Talks NRL and Salaries
NRL News Rugby League
In one of the better articles of this year, Wayne Bennett writes a column regarding the Sonny Bill Williams re-signing and how NRL Rugby League salaries are skyrocketing. Bennett also talks about Sonny Bill Williams and comparisons with Andrew Johns and Darren Lockyer.
Click here for full article.

We'd love to hear your comments on this article by Bennett. Especially Bulldogs fans, please click the comment button below and voice your opinion.

NRL News
Sonny a Dog for 5 more years
Bulldogs superstar Sonny Bill Williams today resigned with the Bulldogs for a contract term of 5 years, with a total value estimated at 2 million dollars. Sonny Bill Williams discusses the reasoning behind the new Rugby League Contract and what eventually made his mind up. Speculation was rife the Dogs may lose Sonny Bill Williams to the NZ Warriors or possibly the UK. However this is a major boost for the Bulldogs and for Rugby League in general. Click here for full article.
We want your opinion - is Sonny still the star he was? Will he stay fit? Please comment by pressing the link below (No Sign Up Needed)

NRL News Report
Salary Cap Squeezing too Many
Today NRL News discusses the salary cap and how it's forcing the games best to places such as the UK Super League and the Australian Rugby Union. Click here for full article.

NRL News Report
Bring Back the Post Try Celebration
Today NRLnews.com looks back at the rugby league post try celebration. What started as a simple theme created by the Footy Show, turned into an exciting and highly anticipated component of an NRL game. Fans were craving the new form of NRL entertainment. We look at how the post try celebration died off and discuss why the NRL should bring it back. We are also running an NRL News Poll for the first time, so be sure and participate. Click here for article or Click here for NRL News Poll

NRL News Report
Storm Warning: The Future is Bright
Today NRL News looks back over the Melbourne Storm and their massive achievements after nearly 10 years in the NRL Rugby League Competition. With their NRL trial game form in 2007 absolutely scintilating - we at NRL News believe these guys can get even better. We talk about their battles through drug scandals, low crowds and constant attacks by NRL personalities like Ray Hadlee and Denis Fitzgerald. Expect records to be broken when these guys take to the NRL this season. Click here for full NRL News article.

NRL News Report
Contract Discussions Hurting Dog Bond
Today NRL News has a look at the Bulldogs and how tense contract discussions between Sonny Bill Williams and Mark O'Meley are hurting the club. NRL News discusses how relationships between Willie Mason and the two players in question have been damaged and how this deal will affect the Bulldogs long term. As Bulldogs management sets a 1 week deadline for both players to re-sign, will Malcom Noad and his officials successfully defuse to the situation or potentially see more big name NRL players leave the Bulldogs for greener Rugby League pastures.

NRL News
Knights Thriving under Brian Smith Regime
NRL News today received word from a Newcastle Knights source regarding the state of play inside the Knights camp.
With Brian Smith taking control this year after several seasons under Michael Hagan, much has been said about the Andrew Johns / Brian Smith relationship and how the controlling nature of Brian Smith would affect the usually relaxed style we see from the Knights.
It seems the Knights could really excel in NRL Season 2007 - word has it that players are enjoying the new policies. Players are taking more knowledge from training sessions, and Brian Smith has arranged a food delivery scheme for players to receive specialised meals three times a day.
Knights players have also whispered about the fact that the installment of Smith as coach has reduced the control wielded by Andrew Johns during the Hagan years. Apparently players were occasionally frustrated by the influence Johns had over the team, as he would pick and choose sessions to attend, arrive late and never have to answer to the coach.
Smith's initiatives have led to many players improving their playing weight and individual fitness levels are at their peak. This rang true in the recent trial against Cronulla, where the Knights hung on for the majority of the match and were able to steal the win at the death.
Another new initiative was the Newcastle Knights forward pack being sent away to train with the NSW Tactical Response Group. The Knights big men were put through brutal routines with the Police's elite squad and have relished the challenges and have enjoyed the experience.
While NRL News believes all the early signs for the Knights are positive, we eagerly await the Knights' performance in the NRL with Brian Smith guiding from the watchtower.
NRL News Article Sunday Night 4th March 11.59pm

NRL News Trial Game Reviews
Dragons 16 def Souths 14 in Charity Shield
The St George Illawarra Dragons have won the 2007 NRL Charity Shield Trial match. In a good test for both sides, the Dragons team of mainly rookies was able to steal the prize from the star studded South Sydney Rabbits line-up..
Storm 46 def Broncos 0 in Grand Final Rematch
Raiders 26 def Wests Tigers 4 in massive upset
Warriors 36 def Bulldogs 6 in Auckland Demolition
Knights 12 def Sharks 10 in late victory
Roosters 30 def Eels 22 in High Quality match
Manly 14 def North Queensland 12 in Hot Cairns affair

Titans 28 def Panthers 6
NRL News reports on an impressive display by the newly formed Gold Titans tonight against the Panthers in front of 13,500 new Gold Coast fans. The Titans clicked in attack, and their big names all bagged tries. The win sees them grow in confidence and sends the Panthers scurrying away to do extra homework before the NRL kicks off in 2 weeks.
Source: NRL News

Bailey happy with no-name Titan pack
Luke Bailey rates the temporary Jetstar Titans forward pack among the best he has played with. Attitude and hunger are impressing the man they call "The Bull". NRL News has a look at what Bailey has to say about his new team mates and how they shape up for the trial clash with the Matt Elliot coached Penrith Panthers up in Queensland tonight.
Source: NRL News

NRL News lists the make up of all trial teams
All trial game information for this weekend. NRL News will discuss the results of each match and look at how teams are shaping up for the season commencement.

Dragons expect keenly contested Charity Shield
St George Illawarra have named a strong side for the big trial and Brown expects both teams to go all out for the Shield. NRL News looks at the Dragons starting side and we talk to Nathan Brown about what he expects to get from the trial. The Charity Shield is sure to draw large interest with Souths sending their top squad in to do battle for the title.

Nocturnal NRL?
NRL News asks why are 75% of games played at night now? Sunday now remains the only NRL daytime fixutre.
Source: NRL News