We couldn’t hold Crackerjack back. He had to preview all three games.
Mind you he was a a bit of a ball hog at school.
CJ’s three-way
by Crackerjack
1. Riverview v Scots
After getting tidied up by plenty in their ‘Round 7 horribilis’ against Newington, Kings put it all over the match favourites, Riverview, in last week’s encounter.
So you just gotta know those View boys will not turn up at their Lane Cove homestead to be some cannon-fodder for Scots.
Scots lads, listen up, and listen good! Beware the wounded pride and passion that’ll spring forth from the Blue and White in great gushes this week coming. Add in a big home crowd keening for a ‘get square’ on Scots for the earlier 2015 season loss, and Riverview’s best foot will indeed be put forward against the marauding Lions. Any expected dampness under-foot will just make for some marginally softer landings, but it won’t take any of the sting out of the contact!
Scots will be pumped by Joeys’ last Round win over Newington which, all of a sudden, put the boys in the Gold kit into joint-leadership for this year’s Premiership. They are sure to want to follow up and follow through.
For this one, plus one more to go next week, anything can happen for Scots. They could fall out of the Premiership race altogether with a loss (unlikely the way they’ve been playing, but still possible). They could win outright if New somehow stumbles at either of the final hurdles (even less likely to the point of being unimaginable). Or they could end up sharing the chocolates with New (most likely, you’d think).
BBQ battles aside, Scots will want to push their Premiership credentials in this one, but they won’t have it all their own way.
Prediction: Scots by 7 in the match of the round
2. Joeys v Kings
Surprising almost everyone apart from The Azzuri, Kings had a cracker of a win last week against quality opposition in View. So, unless that was their own particular GF for the second round of Home and Aways, it’s hard to imagine the Kingsmen won’t be plenty fired up for this week also. (Will Azzuri need to threaten the boys with the Massie Flats again?!)
Joeys last week put in a whole 70 minute performance against the previously undefeated Newington, and in the process, both ‘redeemed’ themselves for their first round narrow loss and, I think, regained some hard-driving self-belief in the quality they have right across the park. There’s no real magic in this one, I don’t think. Joeys will want to finish huge at home for Season 2015 and send the Rugby Mums off to Jack’s Bar all cock-a-hoop.
Kings will be bold and brave, but I think unlikely in the end, and that’ll leave The Azzuri with lots to ponder on approach if he’s contemplating some post-match rucking with those Rugby Mums.
Prediction: Joeys by 14, and it could well be more.
3. Shore vs Newington
Surely, this couldn’t be a ‘ditto-repeato’ for the Shoremen from last year, could it? Surely not?
No-one was expecting much of anything from Shore late in Season 2014, but they popped up in the second last Round and put Riverview to the sword even though the View boys were still title contenders.
Crossing now to the second last round of 2015 and Shore are at home to face New who remain in the sweet-spot of this year’s Premiership calculations. Again no-one is expecting a thing from Shore other than that all thinking folk are just hoping that they won’t cop a caning.
So, surely, it can’t happen again, can it?!? Here’s the thing…
Everyone sees and acknowledges the ticker, the heart and the never-say-die approach that the North Sydney lads display out in the middle each and every week. It’s only a 2-horse race on match day. And it’s a very odd-shaped ball that they use, which now and then bounces in the most unpredictable and unexpected ways.
Newington, understandably, were left deflated after their last start loss to the Joe Boys, so will they bounce straight back? Frankly, I think yes.
Prediction: Another touch-up by 40 or so for the north of the harbour lads.
Henry VIII photo by Getty – others by “Lee Grant”
