Join The Roar
Become a member to join in Australia's biggest sporting debate, submit articles, receive updates straight to your inbox and keep up with your favourite teams and authors.
Oops! You must provide an email address to create a Roar account
When using Facebook to create or log in to an account, you need to grant The Roar permission to see your email address
By joining The Roar you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions
Login and get Roaring
Oops! You must provide an email address to create a Roar account
When using Facebook to create or log in to an account, you need to grant The Roar permission to see your email address
Expert
Joined August 2013
9.93m
Views
3.1k
Published
209k
Comments
Scott has penned over 3000 articles and is one of The Roar's longest-serving writers, covering a wide range of sports. When he isn't writing about sport, you'll find him umpiring at the cricket, or on the hill at Kogarah supporting the Dragons.
Published
Comments
The NRL ladder is beginning to take shape with a quarter of the season done, and a couple of close games – including some upsets – gives us plenty to discuss out of Round 6. Here are my talking points from the weekend.
Big changes were needed, and Kevin Walters bit the bullet at Red Hill this week.
After a week where rugby league proved once again it’s a sport without certainties, The Roar’s NRL expert tipping panel are back for Round 6 to tell you which teams are taking home the spoils this weekend.
More blowouts, a couple of upsets and one premiership candidate moving their name further ahead of the pack headlined Round 5. Let’s get into my NRL talking points for the weekend that was.
If a list of the worst contracts in NRL history was to be made, Anthony Milford’s four-year extension in Brisbane will go down as potentially the poorest of the lot.
The trend of big victories reached fever pitch in the NRL last weekend, but there could be more on the cards as Round 5 rolls around. The Roar’s NRL expert tipping panel are here to tell you who is winning what.
Round 4 in the NRL resembled a smash-up derby as teams triumphed big more often than they didn’t. Let’s get into my talking points from the weekend that was.
If there has ever been a more worrying performance on the Northern Beaches than the one the Manly Sea Eagles dished up last night against the Penrith Panthers, I’d like to hear about it.
COVID has forced changes to the NRL for the first time in 2020 as we head into Round 4, but how will it impact this weekend’s games? Let’s find out with The Roar’s NRL expert tipping panel.
There are a couple of upsets, the grand final re-match and a small mountain of injuries to wade through. Round 3 in the NRL is complete, so let’s get into another edition of talking points.
The Penrith Panthers weren’t supposed to win on Thursday night.
The grand final rematch, the book of feuds and a whole lot of desperation will highlight Round 3 in the NRL. Here to talk you through this week’s games are The Roar’s NRL expert tipping panel.
Some startling upsets, a few close games and biblical rain has brought about an enthralling weekend of footy. Here are my NRL talking points for Round 2.
It was wet and wild, but the Parramatta Eels have stamped their claims as a genuine contender in 2021 with a gutsy victory over defending premiers the Melbourne Storm to open Round 2 on Thursday night.
One week down, 24 to go. It feels nice to say that as we return to some sort of normality in the NRL after last season’s COVID chaos.
The first round of 2021 is in the books, with new rules, some surprises and people streaming back through the gates as COVID-normal NRL got underway. Let’s get into the first instalment of talking points for the year.
The footy is back, the Rabbitohs making errors has returned and the Storm being somewhere near the top looks like it’ll be the story once again as they extended their miraculous Round 1 record in the NRL season opener last night at AAMI Park.
Here we are! The shortest off-season is over, Cameron Smith has officially retired and the path leading to Round 1 has been walked.
Life after Cameron Smith will begin for the Melbourne Storm as they launch the 2021 NRL season at home against the South Sydney Rabbitohs, with both sides carrying high expectations.
Another day, another top performance from James Pattinson with the new ball.
Jee, harsh on Dufty. He has been excellent this year.
Eight talking points from NRL Round 6
Yeah Papali’i has been excellent – such a loss for the Warriors.
Eight talking points from NRL Round 6
Yeah spot on – and it goes for most of the top teams. Bully them up the middle.
Eight talking points from NRL Round 6
The only way Latrell is playing is if it’s at centre… I reckon Lomax has one of those spots locked away. Be interesting to see what Freddy does with the other… On the limited evidence, Tom T might be the front runner.
Eight talking points from NRL Round 6
That’s a fair comment regarding Melbourne & Penrith, but my thoughts are that Penrith have been excellent. This is probably, in all likelihood, a blip on the radar. For Melbourne, handling errors and not having a great fifth-tackle option on a consistent basis are issues, and it’s not the first time we have seen it this year.
Eight talking points from NRL Round 6
It’s going to be hard to get a read on the Dragons this week against an injury-ravaged Roosters… Titans against Souths should be intriguing though.
Eight talking points from NRL Round 6
I think it definitely could open up more attacking options, but I quite like the 2-point field goal personally. Risk for reward.
Eight talking points from NRL Round 6
Hmm, maybe doing things at 1am isn’t for the best after all 😂
The Roar’s NRL expert tips and predictions: Round 6
I don’t blame Milford for signing the contract Kurt – anyone in his position certainly would have, and I am no exception. You get offered 4 million over 4 years, well, of course you’re not going to say “oh no thankyou good sir.”
I blame a lot of this on Brisbane. They have tried to turn Milford into an organising half when in fact, he was never ever going to play that role, nor should he… It’s a point I made in the article. He is a ball-running half, and it’s why at the start of 2020 I wrote calling for Brisbane to sign Blake Green. In hindsight, his injury makes that a bad idea, but they need someone in his style
The Broncos must make radical changes, starting with Milford
I mean, at least we didn’t pick up a spoon, but point taken.
Also, potentially.
The Broncos must make radical changes, starting with Milford
Yup – they need a Chad Townsend/Blake Green type of figure in the halves though… Milford just isn’t the answer with all the youth & inexperience around him.
The Broncos must make radical changes, starting with Milford
You bring Croft off the bench with 10 minutes to go though with the game gone, forwards gassed and team on the back foot. What exactly is that going to achieve?
The Broncos must make radical changes, starting with Milford
He needs all the help he can get doesn’t he? 😂
Not that tipping Canberra is likely to help him this week…
The Roar’s NRL expert tips and predictions: Round 5
It was so good I just outright refuse to talk about it…
The Roar’s NRL expert tips and predictions: Round 4
I have been burned far too often tipping the Warriors!
The Roar’s NRL expert tips and predictions: Round 4
Don’t tell me you were one of those fans on Penrith’s Instagram last week Baz…
The Roar’s NRL expert tips and predictions: Round 3
I briefly considered it because they were at home… But their attack is just awful.
The Roar’s NRL expert tips and predictions: Round 3
So the only reason I’m not on the money is because I tipped against your mob? 😂
The Roar’s NRL expert tips and predictions: Round 3
Hate to break it to you, but Dragons-Sharks is at Kogarah Albo.
The Roar’s NRL expert tips and predictions: Round 1
It depends if he can reign in that side of his game… I’m starting to doubt it more and more. It’s a shame because he is excellent.
Marnus Labuschagne to the rescue as Australia's opening woes worsen
Does that even go ahead? 4 weeks of quarantine for 1 final in potentially the second-biggest COVID hotspot on the planet.
More interesting is, who will Warner’s partner be in… I’m going to say Perth… When we play South Africa in about 6 weeks.
Marnus Labuschagne to the rescue as Australia's opening woes worsen
The Stars are floundering. Hurricanes going brilliantly and, to me, the only team which can break up the Sydney teams at the moment.
Are we headed for an all-Sydney Big Bash final?
Yeah and that’s just it TB – consistency… It’s been a buzz word for as long as I can remember, but it just doesn’t exist.
And ah… No intentional reference to the Beatles, but hey, I’ll take it
Eight talking points from NRL Round 6