To be honest, it was as much a Reds win as a gift from the Highlanders. The Highlanders botched practically every try-scoring opportunity they had with dropped balls, horror passing or slack ruck defence. The one big plus for the Reds was their scrum worked really well. A bit of a concern to see Alex Hodgman limping for about 5 minutes before he was replaced. Mind you he could have been knackered playing his 1st game for quite a while. 😂 Coach Kiss needs to pray that no more injuries hits him team.

The Thugby Box of Chocolates goes to the 50th gamer Ryan Smith. He was massively impressive with his defence reads and tackling, as well as some big carries up the guts as well as pretty good LO and maul work. And Ryan got a lovely meat pie to eat before his box of choccies. Good one and seems a down-to-earth kind of bloke! For mine, Capt Liam Wright was outstanding in the first half and led his troops well throughout his match. In fact I thought all the starter pigs went well, although H.Wilson was way below his best. And ofc Hunter Paisami had a great match against his opposite S.Gilbert, who also played well but in a fumbling and disorganised outclassed team.

And ofc I tipped the Highlanders to come out of their coma and win this match. Ha, wtf do I know of rugby. 😢

I said it last week that K.Thomas’s passing in the Moana Pasifika was a horror show. Lots of passes were harbour bridge and/or slow to get out. Even in tonight’s game, H.Paisami had to reach well over his head to catch Thomas’ pass to score that early try. And Thomas didn’t improve much after that. 😔

Like everyone else 2 out of 4 from Round 8 was a par score. Some got nowt and I don’t think anyone got all 4 tips. Onto Round 9 and I have a feeling in my water that it might be a rotten weekend for the Aussie sides:

– Fijian Drua will grow an arm and a leg but General F.Lomani is a massive loss to them. Hurricanes look far more settled and should take this game convincingly. The Canes have a Queensland boy as starting lock (Ben Grant) so interesting to see how he goes with the heavyweights. Canes by 15, perhaps 35.

– Reds will really miss F.McReight, both for his ruck presence and if a forward does get through the line there is no McReight backing up. The Highlander’s back row might have a field day here. Scrums will be interesting as 5 of the 6 starter front rowers are kiwis. K.Thomas’s harbour bridge passes scare me also, I hope T.Lynagh has good rib pads. I’ll go the Highlanders here as their backline (especially the bench backs) looks more settled that the Queensland Walking Wounded. Penguins by 6. 😔

– I don’t think this Brumbie’s pack can put the squeeze on the Blues’ big boppers, and if they have no front foot ball the Brumbies backs will really struggle to get past or contain the big Blues backline. The Canberra outside centre and right wing look ripe for a Blue onslaught. Blues by 9, could be 29.

– The Force will huff, the Force will puff, but the Crusaders will blow their house down. For mine, some of the Force reserves look better than the starters. Crusaders know they MUST win this one, so they put fat-boy C.Grace onto the bench and brought in the more agile C.Lio-Willie. That is almost sacrilege to the Borg faithful. 😛 This Force pack is not the Tahs pack from last week, so expect Crusaders to go up the guts. Saders by 8.

In short, Canes, Highlanders, Blues and Crusaders.

If I get 4 from 4, I will not look at the Roar for a week. Only way to avoid all the gloating from Far East Sydney. 😂

Like almost everyone else, 4 from 4 last week and its quite possible most of the ROAR punters will get 4 out of 4 again this week. I’m surprised the Rebels are getting so much love against a side that is so damned tough to beat. Onto this week:

– Reds by 15. The Reds have now had a rest and some introspection on their mindset and game management over the last 2 matches. Reds speed from ruck to ruck and good attacking points will have the Moana Pasifika boys gasping for air after 25 minutes. Some of the Reds’ injured are returning and this will ease the burnout in the big boys. Will be interesting to see how HMP goes. I am not super impressed as of yet, plays well and puts in decent field kicks but he doesn’t control the game like T.Lynagh as he prefers to jink and run with the ball. Might work in U18s, but this is the big time where everyone can tackle.

– Sadly I must agree with the mob and go for the Crusaders here. The scrums will not be pretty for Them Noble Tahs (TNT), but at least they got a bloke from grade footy instead of some kid from the Academy at reserve LHP. The olde firm back row of E.Blackadder joins T.Christie and C.Grace will blitz TNT back row and own the breakdowns. I’ll be at the ground, just look for the bloke crying in row 15. 😢

– This game is definitely a banana skin. Hurricane forwards have bruised their way through all and sundry and will look to do the same against a Chiefs’ pack who have looked out of sorts in their last 2 games. Canes by 6, maybe a card for S.Finau as he tries to send B.Cameron into Rugby Heaven. 😛

– Another banana skin. The Rebels are winning plus some good players are returning. Their backline is electric when they sniff a chance and they should win at AAMI. However the Highlanders are no mugs, they have played some top footy of late and were pretty hard to beat so a win would not be all that surprising. Rebels by 5.

In short: Reds, Crusaders, Hurricanes, Rebels.

Gutters, Very droll. 😂

Those last 2 Brumbies tries were things of beauty. Well worked in creating the space and the carry/pass was superb in both.

Its a killer when moves from the training field actually work in a fair dinkum game. Made the Tuesday night training a happier place to be. 😛

I didn’t see this reported on the Roar but I did read it elsewhere that Joe Schmidt and the scrum doctor Mike Cron were in Melbourne recently and had chats with players on aspects of play they would like to see.

Having read that, I sat back and wondered if this had any role in the improvement in the Rebel’s play over the last couple of weeks and further, when are those two going to chat to the Tah players or have they given up on the whole group? 😱

Good luck Kurtley and a wise move, as no way would KB get past das Wunderkinder M.Jorgensen and J.Sualii at Them Noble Tahs (TNT).

The Force are getting pretty skinny on reserves with SR experience and even if KB just gets time on the bench I’m sure he can pass on some tips to the up-n-comers. As all coaches will think and say, except Eddie the Clown, rugby IP in the team is super important.

I watched that Club championship final and yes, Kurtley did one good run and played OK, but but but ….. coffs quietly as I ask the author “do you honestly think he played the house down??” 😔

I should have added that if Moana Pasifika beats the Chiefs by more than 7 then Chiefs get no table points and Rebels stay in 4th spot on the table. I’m guessing that you could get damn good odds on that. 😁

TWAS, you’re correct. The Rebels have so far gone L Brumbies, W* Force, W* Moana, L Reds, L Hurricanes, W Tahs and tonight’s win W* (the W* means bonus point win).

As of late Friday night the Burn sit on 4th spot on 19 points, although the Chiefs can overtake them if they get a win or even a losing bonus point playing Moana on Saturday.

Sounds like a company of accountants. 😛

Oh Paul, as the Bishop said to the young buck in the pub “Have Faith, my son!”

He later continues “…then you can have Susan, Mary and Annabelle after”. 😂

Blimey, roosters to feather dusters in 2 weeks. N.White and H.Stewart were certainties for gold jerseys after the Force vs Reds match, now after a frolic in the pool in Fiji and a slaughter against a top SRP team and the dream is over. 😢

How did the GOAT #10 go, the reject from the Tahs? A decent game or helpless in the swamp?

Always count on the Biscuits to give a well-reasoned balanced preview of a game. 😛

Have picked all the home games this week. Fair dinkum, the Tahs and Crusaders are a nightmare for we tipsters. Picked Saders 2 weeks ago on the back of they were showing some form and they are flogged, go against them last week and they knock the bleeding Chiefs off. They BURIED the Chiefs’ piggies. As for picking Them Noble Tahs (TNT), HA! Ha! HA! 😂

– Blues by 15+, Force have improved but need more beef up front. On the flip side, the Blues backline looks very skinny in quaity and cohesive glue compared to the last couple of seasons. Force could get some nice backline tries here but Blues will bash them.

– Rebels by 6, this one could be the banana skin. On the road the Fijian Drua are hot or cold, no in between for them. Rebels should stick to the script and play tight rugby, live off forward dominance to gain ground, lineouts, scrums and penalties. Eight times 3 plus one maul try = 31 points which betters 4 converted tries. Lets hope C.Gordon brings his kicking boots. 😛

– Chiefs just too strong for Moana Pasifika. A great idea but not enough quality throughout the team and it doesn’t help when their two gun backs are pinched by cashed up franchises waving AB shirts in their faces.

– Wanna say Tahs but sadly, Ponies by 5. I think Tahs will be up for this game and give everyone a shock in a tight match, but the Brumbies’ reserves will bring the flag home. The Fijian trip and game seemed to take the gas out of TNT, plus losing 3 top forwards just prior to the game sure didn’t help the cause or mind-set. I really expect the Tahs back row to dominate the much slower Brumby threesome and put loads of pressure on the ruck ball. Also like the look of the centre combo of L.Foketi and J.Walton, loads of brains mixed with talent rather that the crash-barge-get knocked over stuff served up to date. However the Brumbies are a tighter unit and should win.

In short: Blues, Rebels, Chiefs and Brumbies. But I don’t mind if I am wrong in one of these games. Guess which one! 😛

Colvin, I sit at home drinking copious amounts of grog asking myself “where did it go wrong?” I also am on 21 points with the Chookman and Jacko.

I can’t even flog those two? OMG! 😂

A big crash to Earth last week of only 4 from 6, thanks to a ridiculous pick of the Crusaders and the Force hounding the Reds out of business over in Iron Ore country. Onto this week:

– Chiefs by 7 in a hard fought game, broken close to the end by the quality of the Chiefs backline.

– Rebels were playing great rugby last year but the hot and cold Them Noble Tahs (TNT) ate them for breakfast at Sydney. This year the Rebels’ minds are elsewhere and the Tahs have also beefed up their side. This could get ugly and perhaps a couple of cards from spiteful get-evens late in the game. TNT by 17. I’ll be at this match, the main interest will be to see if L.Foleti has kept his good form. Currently he is easily the best inside centre in Australia.

– Last week the Force were fortunate to (a) have their piggies ready to eat raw meat after their shocker the week before and (b) met a team that looked like they had been running up and down sand dunes 8 hours a day all week, then flew to Perth 1 hour before the match. Force will gladly bank that win but will return to drab reality on Saturday as the Fijian Drua show them some Pacific Power. In the Force’s favour, the Tahs showed how to play against the Drua in the 2nd half. Are the Force that structured? Drua by 10. As an aside regarding the WB outside centre position; surely we can get someone to doctor the Force’s Sam Spink’s lineage and claim him for the Wallabies on the back of his recently-discovered grandmother’s antipodean ancestry. 😂

– Moana Pasifika are playing at home, then again so are the Orcland Blues. Passion only gets you so far but teamwork and skill wins more games. Blues to turn it on once they get 15 in front and win by heaps.

– Highlanders will fight to the death and show off some good rugby. Hurricanes will still blow them away.

– A tough call is this one. If the Reds play as they did against the Canes and Chiefs then the Brumbies are off to the knackery. For mine the Reds looks really tired last week (knackered??) and their week’s rest in Round 7 can’t come soon enough. Brumbies have a 6:2 bench containing some quality forward cattle to pick up the pace and power in the 2nd half. Reds have 5 quality reserve forwards but their reserve backs are not that flash. Brumbies by 8.

In short: Chiefs, Tahs, Drua, Blues, Hurricanes and Brumbies.
Only 2 home teams to win. Go TNT. 😛

Carlin, I saw the Chiefs’ squad and wondered who this Josh Jacomb is. He must be some player to be getting a run in front of Josh Ioane. I actually tipped the Crusaders to finally come good last week but the Hurricanes were just too damn good. However I don’t think the Saders are that far off, their forwards are starting to gel.

Could this be the shock of Round 6? 😁

P.V’Landys or his ilk would never ever come to rugby because when all is said and done his major aim in life seems to be to keep the betting agency money coming into the NRL and Racing NSW. It’s some serious coin.

Even his great adventure to the Land of the Free is more about getting a percentage of the betting currently in the USA than promoting the game world wide.

Biscuits, who among their non-disclosed candidates for the board, and what are their plans for the salvation of rugby, that has so enthused you to the letter writers’ complaint? Or are you simply saying “Blow the joint up and put in any group who can write a general moan”?
Do you think the 2019 stirrers, AKA the 11 Captains, should be on the board or the 3 characters who put their names to this letter?
I too want to see most of the current board punted for their disasterous roles over the last few years, but before I press the bomb trigger, I would love to know who are the replacements and what are their plans.

So this letter seem long on complaint but extremely short on answers, except to say “our picks for the board are World’s Best, but we ain’t telling you who they are or their plans. Just trust us!” This has all the hallmarks of the infamous “11 Captain’s Letter” which saw the CEO of the time Raelene Castle resign (or got punted, who knows?). To be honest I suspect one of their picks is the genius Phil Kearns, a devotee of former chairman Ham McLennan.
I agree with other writers on this blog that the rot is still within the RA Board and heads certainly need to roll. For starters, the current CEO and chair of RA seemed to be complicit in the sack D.Rennie for Eddie disaster. Knowing the cost to a financially stricken game, did no-one in the board have the conjoles to tell Hamish to bu99er off with his crazy ideas? Or did they all say nothing in fear or swallow the PE golden egg story? Either way, they were fools and should be drafting their resignation letters. But no, they cling to their sinecures and put all the blame on McLennan thus absolving their part in the disaster.
What got up my nose at the RWC2023, while the players were on the plane back to Oz, the CEO didn’t seem to be complaining too loudly sipping all the French wines and scoffing canapes with family at 5-star hotels in Paris, while Hamish made his run for WR Chairmanship. I guess none of us could say no to such a nice junket.
This board is filled with secrets. They certainly need to be more open with the members, such as full disclosure of the RWC2023 spending (and not just the $2.7M overspend) and publish the full review of that disaster. And how many of them agreed with the rotten so-called “centralisation agreement” with the Tahs, which was written at the time as no staff losses, RA takes on your debt and you can keep control of the joint. I certainly don’t think the Reds members would have agreed.

Don! How much can a Bare Bear Bear?
I barely know! 😂

Dylan Peitsch has been playing really well this year. Not only does he run hard with the pill and looks for support, he is a very good defender and is constantly into defence breakdowns and stealing the ball. I would consider D.Peitsch in a WB 23, most likely left winger. I would leave the rest of the remaining Tah backline from today’s match at home. They can watch the game on TV.

As for TNT, its the bloke on the other side who is bringing the name of ill repute to Tah wingers. 😁

Maybe Ginger Meggs tackled him with a high shot one day. 😁

Seth, that rating of #1 outside centre was by a Tah-o-phile journo. Would you expect anything more? LoL