Crikey’s NRL Hot Form Chart

Perhaps an argument has been settled. Melbourne, Australia’s swine flu epicentre and home of the indigenous code, rolls on blithely through pandemic tinged times of economic woe without a single fixture threatened. Those from more northern climes, however, make one trip south and not only do the wheels fall off the cart but the horse that pulled it has been put out of its misery after failing to negotiate a jump.

Rugby league, battered by violence, drunkenness and sexual assault, is now having the stuffing knocked out of it by the flu just to show that, on top of everything else, Aussie Rules players really are tougher. Oh dear.

But just in case the sky remains where it has always been, the Form Chart likes the Broncos in tonight’s battle of the uncleans, despite Brisbane’s dramatic fall down Crikey’s table. And we’ll plump for the Knights across the ditch having lost all faith in the Warriors.

Manly travels to the mountains for Crikey’s match of the round on Saturday. The Sea Eagles will take some momentum with them, too, but the Panthers are hotter than Ben Hannant’s thermometer at the moment. The Storm, amazingly germ free, (at least that’s what they tell us) should fix up the Bunnies on Saturday night, especially with Greg Inglis currently set to superstar mode.

Hot Form high flyers the Cowboys have a chance to strengthen their premiership credentials at the Dragons’ expense and will do it if champion half Johnathan Thurston can keep his touch through the arduous Origin period. Canberra will end Cronulla’s sensational run of two on end, and the Titans will stay mighty over the Roosters.

And what is about being coach of Australia? Get the gig and your club team travels south faster than shares in Airbus. Tim Sheens’ Tigers have lost five in a row and will make it six against a Parramatta outfit just beginning to pull things together.

Form* Team Last week NRL ladder position Sequence
1 Cowboys 1 6 L-W-W-W-W
2 Penrith 4 7 W-W-W-L-W
3 Melbourne 5 5 W-W-W-L-W
4 Titans 10 3 W-L-L-W-W
5 Manly 11 10 L-W-W-L-W
6 Dragons 2 1 L-W-W-W-L
7 Newcastle 3 8 W-W-L-W-L
8 Bulldogs 7 2 W-W-L-W-L
9 Parramatta 13 13 W-L-D-L-W
10 Canberra 9 11 L-L-L-W-W
11 Cronulla 14 15 L-L-L-W-W
12 Brisbane 6 4 L-L-W-W-L
13 Rabbitohs 8 9 L-W-D-L-L
14 Warriors 12 12 L-L-L-W-L
15 Roosters 15 16 W-L-L-L-L
16 Tigers 16 14 L-L-L-L-L

*Form over the past five games

Crikey’s Hot Form Tips for round 14 are:

  • Brisbane
  • Newcastle
  • Penrith
  • Melbourne
  • Titans
  • Canberra
  • Cowboys
  • Parramatta

Last week: 4 (Season total: 60)

Crikey’s AFL Hot Form Chart

The AFL’s split round kicks off tonight with a corker at Docklands when Carlton comes up against the Saints. So much depends, you would reckon, on St Kilda’s state of mind — is it still hungry after a club-record 11 straight wins? The Blues on the other hand have plenty to prove and could notch three consecutive victories for the first time under Brett Ratten. But it’s still too hard to go past the Saints who might just be back to their miserly best after a few patchy efforts.

Port Adelaide is in Darwin on Saturday night and have to deal with heat, humidity and the howling Dogs who have now won five straight. The Power will shed kilos and percentage after being belted by the Bulldogs.

Hawthorn, despite form and injuries, keeps managing to get enough done and will go into Sunday’s clash against Brisbane as warm favourites in freezing Tasmania. But the Form Chart isn’t so sure and thinks that if an upset is in the offing, this fixture may well provide it.

North is in the middle of a patch of almost unwinnable games — nice time for a coaching review, particularly if you are looking for a certain answer before asking the question. The Crows by lengths.

And the Jade Tiger takes the reins at Punt Rd for the first time and he couldn’t have an easier induction than West Coast. The Eagles were plucky against Geelong last week, but seem as capable as stringing two good performances together as Britney Spears.

Form* Team Last week AFL ladder position Sequence
1 Geelong 1 2 W-W-W-W-W
2 St Kilda 2 1 W-W-W-W-W
3 Bulldogs 3 3 W-W-W-W-W
4 Collingwood 5 5 L-L-W-W-W
5 Adelaide 8 9 L-L-W-W-W
6 Carlton 9 4 L-W-L-W-W
7 Hawthorn 6 7 L-W-W-L-W
8 Brisbane 4 6 W-W-L-W-L
9 Port Adelaide 12 8 L-W-L-L-W
10 Essendon 10 11 W-L-W-L-L
11 North Melbourne 11 12 W-L-W-L-L
12 Sydney 7 10 L-W-W-L-L
13 Richmond 14 15 L-L-L-W-L
14 Fremantle 13 14 W-L-L-L-L
15 West Coast 15 13 W-L-L-L-L
16 Melbourne 16 16 L-L-L-L-L

*Form over the past five games

Crikey’s Hot Form Tips for round 12 are:

  • St Kilda
  • Bulldogs
  • Richmond
  • Hawthorn
  • Adelaide

Last week: 8 (Season total: 55)

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