Round 1
Wests Tigers 34 d. Canberra Raiders 26

2009 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: Aus_NZ > National > First Grade Competition: NRL Telstra Premiership

Analysis: Wests Tigers 34 v Raiders 26
Tue March 17, 2009
Source: NRL Stats: Wests Tigers 34 v Raiders 26

In no surprise the most entertaining and end to end game was left to last with the Wests Tigers and Canberra playing out a high scoring thriller.

Another excellent crowd of 17,392 turned up to Campbelltown Stadium to see two of the NRL's most creative sides do battle and neither side disappointed.

The two referee system will benefit clubs such as Wests Tigers and Canberra as it opens up the game more and allows sides that want to play free flowing football with adventure the upper hand.

The lead changed on several occasions in the first half, but two tries in the final three minutes before the break saw the Green Machine up 26-18 and a rare away victory aside from ANZ Stadium or Penrith Stadium was on the cards.

Canberra's jitters on the road got to them in the second half as the Wests Tigers scored three unanswered tries to claim the two points.

Englishman Gareth Ellis was the shining light for the home side playing all 80 minutes and topped the tackle count with 38. Ellis for good measure made 13 hit ups for a total of 105 metres and showed he will be a good signing this year.

Statistically Canberra played quite well, but the only stat that matters went the Wests Tigers way.

WESTS TIGERS
Positive: The debut performance of Gareth Ellis and the two tries to winger Taniela Tuiaki.

Negative: Defence still seems to be an issue leaking in four first half tries.

Verdict: Will continue to be one of the NRL's genuine crowd pleasing sides. Not having a settled home ground could affect them.

CANBERRA RAIDERS
Positive: Showed they'll always be competitive and they are a side that never gives up in any situation. With eight offloads Canberra can build a lot of second phase attack around Bronson Harrison.

Negative: Should have won the game leading by eight points at half-time and once again stumbled when traveling on the road.

Verdict: The Canberra Stadium factor will be a huge asset for them and will do well at home this year. David Furner needs to tap into the secret formula in how they can perform better on the road, although Campbelltown would be their closest away trip.

TALKING POINT
Will the Wests Tigers and Canberra benefit from the two referee system in that the game will be faster and cleaner?

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LEADING STATISTICS
All Runs Metres
David Milne 154
David Shillington 150
Chris Heighington 111
Taniela Tuiaki 108
Gareth Ellis 105

All Runs
David Shillington 24
Chris Heighington 17
Justin Carney 14
Gareth Ellis 13
David Milne 13

Offloads
Bronson Harrison 8
David Shillington 3
Chris Heighington 2
Joel Monaghan 2
Terry Campese 2

Tackles
Gareth Ellis 38
Bryce Gibbs 31
Robbie Farah 29
Alan Tongue 28
Dene Halatau 27

1-on-1 Tackles
Joel Monaghan 4
Alan Tongue 4
Adrian Purtell 3
Gareth Ellis 3
Keith Galloway 2

Tackle Breaks
Taniela Tuiaki 6
Justin Carney 5
Chris Lawrence 4
David Milne 3
John Morris 3

Line Breaks
Taniela Tuiaki 2
Chris Lawrence 2
Robbie Farah 1
Tim Moltzen 1
David Milne 1

Penalties Conceded
Glen Turner 2
Daine Laurie 2
Alan Tongue 1
Keith Galloway 1
Robbie Farah 1

Missed Tackles
Joel Monaghan 4
Alan Tongue 4
Dene Halatau 3
David Shillington 3
Daine Laurie 3

Kicks
Terry Campese 13
Benji Marshall 7
Robbie Farah 6
Marc Herbert 1
John Morris 1

Errors
Benji Marshall 6
David Milne 2
Bryce Gibbs 2
Glen Turner 1
Terry Campese 1

Gets
Glen Buttriss 72
Terry Campese 58
Robbie Farah 57
Benji Marshall 49
Stuart Flanagan 37

NRL Stats: Wests Tigers 34 v Raiders 26
NYC Stats: Wests Tigers 10 v Raiders 50
Wests Tigers v Raiders Match Thread


Round 1 NRL Preview & Best Bets
Fri March 13, 2009
Source: www.tabsportsbet.com.au

TAB Sportsbet previews Round 1 NRL action.

Melbourne v St George Illawarra
St George Illawarra will be chasing their first win in Melbourne in a decade when they tackle the Storm at Olympic Park tonight.

While much of the attention has been focused on new Dragons coach Wayne Bennett, the spotlight now shifts to the playing field where St George Illawarra halves Jamie Soward and Ben Hornby will carry a heavy weight of responsibility.

The pair will be expected to direct a new-look outfit which will feature four players on debut for the club. They will confront a Melbourne side which has lost some key men since last season but which retains three of the leading players in the game - Slater, Inglis and Smith - along with high quality halfback Cooper Cronk.

The Storm haven't lost a night-time game at Olympic Park since 2005 and look good things to continue their impressive home record here. Look to Melbourne by a 1-12 margin (paying $3) and for First Tryscorer consider Billy Slater ($9), Steve Turner ($11) or Will Chambers ($13) for the Storm or Matt Cooper ($15), Chase Stanley ($17) or Wendell Sailor ($15) for St George Illawarra.

Brisbane v North Queensland
The Broncos have won their last three matches against the Cowboys but will field a vastly different team to the one that reached the semi-finals last season.

Gone are seasoned stars Tonie Carroll, Michael Ennis, David Stagg, Ben Hannant, Greg Eastwood, Darius Boyd and Denan Kemp - along with veteran coach Wayne Bennett.

Bennett's successor, former Canberra, St George and Western Suburbs halfback Ivan Henjak, has selected seven newcomers in the team that will take on the Cowboys at a sold out Suncorp Stadium tonight.

Three of the newcomers will make their first grade debut, making 22-year-old fullback Karmichael Hunt the senior man among the outside backs.

There is great anticipation in Brisbane over the debut of former Storm star Israel Folau, who has reportedly added yards of pace over the off-season.

The Cowboys are boosted by the return of fullback Matt Bowen and his combination with halfback Johnathan Thurston could hold the key to a successful season for the Townsville-based outfit.

Look to a Cowboys try as First Scoring Play ($2-35) and consider also a Cowboys win by 1-12 points ($3-75).

Players to include in First Tryscorer betting include Karmichael Hunt ($13), Israel Folau ($9) and Jharal Yow Yeh ($13) for the Broncos or Matt Bowen ($11), Ty Williams ($13) or Willie Tonga ($15) for the Cowboys.

NZ Warriors v Parramatta
Huge crowd support will greet the Warriors when they take on Parramatta at Mt Smart Stadium this Saturday night.

Bumper crowds attended the Warriors' trial matches in the Shaky Isles last month and the performances of the team over the latter half of last season has their fans excited for the 2009 campaign. Although he won't play this week, the return of favourite son Stacey Jones has also generated excitement and there will be additional support for popular captain Steve Price, who will become the first Queensland-born player to appear in 300 premiership games.

That support will lift the home team and make like especially difficult for the Eels, who were twice beaten heavily by the Warriors last season.

New coach Daniel Anderson has a good knowledge of the Warriors' methods after almost four seasons as coach of the club earlier in the decade but he faces a huge task to lift the Eels after a mostly disappointing 2008.

The Warriors are capable of running up a win by a 13+ margin ($2-35) despite the absence of a recognised goalkicker in their starting 13.

First Tryscoring chances rest with Wade McKinnon ($11), Manu Vatuvei ($10) and Jerome Ropati ($13) for the Warriors or Jarryd Hayne ($17), Krisnan Inu ($13) or Joel Reddy ($15) for the Eels.

Bulldogs v Manly
The Sea Eagles have copped a torrent of criticism over the past week as the Brett Stewart incident and reports of poor player behaviour have dominated the news.

They can expect to cop more from Bulldogs fans at ANZ Stadium this Saturday night and their clash with the new-look 'Dogs is shaping as a serious test of character for the premiers.

If they can somehow shut out the distractions and challenge the Bulldogs to 80 minutes of pure football then they are every chance of coming away with the two competition points but in light of the events of the past seven days that may be impossible.

The suspension of Stewart detracts seriously from the team's attacking potential; in fact he has been worth almost a try per game for the club since his debut in 2003.

Lock Glenn Stewart has been forced to watch his brother endure a tormented week while second-rower Anthony Watmough has also borne the brunt of intense media pressure.

New Bulldogs coach Kevin Moore has named seven new players in his line-up and has been able to prepare for his first game in charge without any fanfare whatsoever.

All eyes will be on Bulldogs winger Hazem El Masri, who requires seven points to break Andrew Johns' premiership pointscoring record.

Look to a Bulldogs try as First Scoring Play ($2-40) and a Bulldogs win by 1-12 points ($4).

First Tryscoring options consider Jamal Idris ($15), Luke Patten ($13) or Hazem El Masri ($15) for the Bulldogs or Michael Robertson ($13), Jamie Lyon ($13) or Steve Matai ($13) for Manly.

Cronulla v Penrith
Pressure will quickly mount on the shoulders of key Cronulla recruit Trent Barrett if he cannot deliver instant success to expectant Sharks fans this season.

The Shire outfit has been building steadily under the coaching of Ricky Stuart in recent seasons and fans are desperate for the club to take another step towards a maiden premiership title in 2009.

With playmaker Brett Kimmorley moving onto the Bulldogs, the onus is on Barrett to step into the director's chair from day one. He will celebrate his 200th premiership game when he runs onto Toyota Park this Saturday night but it will be immediately down to the business of securing the first two competition points of the season for his team.

Barrett, fresh from two seasons with Wigan, he will be joined by fellow newcomers Corey Hughes and Anthony Tupou, along with teenager centre Blake Ferguson, who will be making his top grade debut.

The Panthers have only one new face in their line-up, 23-year-old second-rower Gavin Cooper who moved south from the Gold Coast.

Look to a Panthers/Sharks outcome in Half/Full Double betting ($6) but stick with the Sharks at the 1-12 margin ($3-10).

Best chances to score the first try are Misi Taulapapa ($13), Brett Kearney ($13) or Ben Pomeroy ($13) for Cronulla or Michael Gordon ($13), Michael Jennings ($13) or Luke Lewis ($17) for Penrith.

Gold Coast v Newcastle
The Gold Coast have distinguished themselves over their first two seasons in the NRL as fast starters. In both 2007 and 2008 they were among the front-running teams in the competition until injuries to leading players cut into their depth.

For their opening game of 2009, the Titans will field their strongest possible line-up, featuring internationals Scott Prince, Anthony Laffranchi, Mat Rogers and Luke Bailey, along with Preston Campbell and Mark Minichiello.

It is apparent that the Titans need their core of stars to remain fit and healthy if they are to make a splash in this competition because of the club's moderate back-up strength. But with the stars in two, the Titans look as competitive as any side in the competition.

Prince remains arguably the second best halfback in the country, while Campbell continues to offer attacking variety that few other clubs can match.

The Knights will find life tough following the departure of leading hooker Danny Buderus and with little addition to their playing roster.

Stick with a Titans try as First Scoring Play ($1-90) and a Gold Coast victory by 1-12 points ($3-10).

For First Tryscorer consider Preston Campbell ($15), Brett Delaney ($17) or Josh Graham ($17) for the Titans or James McManus ($15), Kurt Gidley ($13) or Adam MacDougall ($17) for the Knights.

Sydney Roosters v South Sydney
The Roosters have been among the most inactive clubs in player recruitment over the off-season and their starting line-up for the first game of 2009 is almost identical to the one that finished the 2008 season.

That must be a concern for fans after their team fell away at the end of last year, dropping seven of their last 11 games.

The only newcomer can be found on the Roosters' bench where 22-year-old Fijian forward Sisa Waqa has won an early call-up. The one big name missing from the Roosters' squad is prop Willie Mason, who is close to making a return after last year's knee reconstruction.

The Rabbitohs will be without their biggest name, too, with utility Craig Wing still feeling his way back from off-season surgery.

There is a new look about the South Sydney backline, where recruits Rhys Wesser and Colin Best have secured places, along with 21-year-old centre Shaune Corrigan, who played with feeder club North Sydney in 2008.

This local derby is always fiercely fought but over the past decade the honours have belonged to the Roosters who have won 18 of the last 20 clashes.

Look to a Roosters try as First Scoring Play ($2-05) and a Roosters/Rabbitohs ($7-50) or Rabbitohs/Roosters ($6-50) result in Half/Full Double betting.

Players to consider for First Tryscorer include Anthony Minichiello ($11), Mitchell Aubusson ($15) and Shaun Kenny-Dowall ($11) for the Roosters or Colin Best ($11), Nathan Merritt ($11) or Rhys Wesser ($13) for Souths.

Wests Tigers v Canberra
Monday Night Football did not agree with the Wests Tigers in 2008, with all four of their appearances ending in defeat.

But with a full strength line-up, the Tigers will be favoured to kick off the new season on a winning note against a Canberra side that struggles for form away from home and which has already been gripped by injury concerns.

Missing from this opening round match will be front-rowers Scott Logan, Dane Tilse and Troy Thompson.

New Raiders coach David Furner will be hoping his team can recapture the form that surprised almost everyone last season and catapulted Joel Monaghan and Terry Campese into Australia's World Cup squad.

There will be plenty of interest in the performance of the Tigers' new halfback Benji Marshall, especially in view of all of the attention he received in the media during the off season.

Look to a Tigers try as First Scoring Play ($2) and a Wests Tigers win by 1-12 points.

First Tryscoring options include Chris Lawrence, Benji Marshall or Dean Collis for the Tigers or Joel Monaghan, David Milne or Adrian Purtell for the Raiders.

ROUND 1 NRL TEAMS & STATS

Tue March 10, 2009
• Tongue set to lead Raiders
  

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