Mydree

Rabbitohs (15) v Newcastle Knights (4)
Round 8
Sun. Apr. 30, 12:30 am ET.
Spread: off the board
Line: off the board
Updates Online: listen at 2GB.com (uses Real Player¹)

It looks like Andrew Johns won't play for the Knights but does it really matter? The Souths played so uninspired last week that if they play that way again it won't matter if Newcastle have Joey or not.

Note: Joey is such a force in rugby league that his questionable status has led many sports books to take this match off the board (not take bets on it).

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Harlequins RL (9) v Huddersfield (8)
Round 12
Sat. Apr. 29, 1:00 pm ET.
Spread: Quins -10
Line: Quins 1.30, Giants 3.40, Tie 23.00
Listen online: BBC Radio London (Real Player required)

I'm feeling lazy today, so here's the preview from the BBC:

Harlequins give a debut to Henry Paul after his arrival from Gloucester union side on Thursday.

Winger Ricky Sheriffe and loose forward Danny Williams are also back in their squad as they look to avenge a 64-14 hammering at Huddersfield in March.

The Giants have lost skipper Chris Thorman with a broken thumb.

But they welcome back full-back Paul Reilly from a head injury and also include forward Paul Smith and young half-back Thomas Hemingway.

It's also the first double-header at The Stoop, Harlequins rugby union will play in the afternoon followed by Harlequins rugby league in the evening.

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Wakefield 42-22 Harlequins
Round 11
The Quins found themselves down 24-12 at the break. Second half tries by Luke Dorn and Mark McLinden got them as close as 24-22 but then Wakefield ran in three tries in seven minutes and that was it for the Harlequins. In the first half Thomas Leuluai touched down two tries for the Quins.

The loss puts the Harlequins into ninth place in the league table.

next match, Round 12:
Harlequins RL (9) v Huddersfield Giants (8)
Sat. Apr. 29, 1:00 pm ET.

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Leeds 42-6 Castleford
Round 11
Leeds had an easy time at Headingley. Matt Diskin (#9, hooker) and Keith Senior (#4, centre) led the Rhinos in tries with two each. With Kevin Sinfield (#13, loose forward) still out due to injury, Ashley Gibson (#27, full back) handled the kicking duties and had three goals. Note: Rob Burrow (#7, scrum half) did play (my bad, I missed his name in the announced rosters before the match).

Leeds coach Tony Smith was not happy with the way Castleford played:

"It's not often that I come away from any game of Rugby League and I have not enjoyed it. But I don't think anyone enjoys games like that. I thought we were the only team who came here today to play Rugby League and some of the tactics out there were clearly designed to control the scoreboard."

Coach Smith said that the Tigers tactic of slowing down play and having three players in the sin bin in the first half is not what Rugby League is all about. He also said:

"Having said that I am really proud of our players efforts on the back of a tough schedule. The average age of the team tonight was 23, only 3 of our 17 man squad were overseas and at the start of the second half there was only one overseas player, Scott Donald [#2, wing], in the team. That bodes well for our future but also for Great Britain."

"This club is not about looking for quick fixes, we are not interesting [sic] in throwing money at a situation and not caring about the long term affect that will have. We are about building consistency to compete at the highest level over the years to come."

And this is one of the reasons that I'm following Leeds. The other is that Coach Smith along with the Leeds players showed poise and class last season despite losing in both the Challenge Cup Final and the Grande Final of the Super League.

next match:
Warrington Wolves v Leeds Rhinos
Mon. May 1, 10:00 am ET.
Check back for my preview Sun. Apr. 30.

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N.Z. Warriors 46-14 Rabbitohs
Round 7
Oh, the huge manatee! For a change in losing the Souths really sucked in the first half, rather than the usual keeping-it-close and then stinking up the second half.

The Warriors got four tries down in the first half and the Rabbitohs got just one down (Ben Rogers 29'). The Bunnies did open the second half scoring with two tries (Paul Mellor 47', John Sutton 53') in about seven minutes but it was not enough and the remainder of the match belonged to the Warriors.

Ben Walker did play for South Sydney but it sounds like he was not a major factor in the match.

The Rabittohs are now in last place in the NRL table and the only team still without a win this season.

next match, Round 8:
South Sydney Rabbitohs v Newcastle Knights
Telstra Stadium
Sun. Apr. 30, 12:30 am ET.
Will Joey play for the Knights?
Check back Sat. Apr. 29 for my match preview.

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N.Z. Warriors (15) v Rabbitohs (14)
Round 7
Sat. Apr. 22, 5:30 am ET.
Spread: Warriors -7.5
Line: Warriors 1.42, Rabbitohs 2.90
Listen Online: at 2GB.com (uses Real Player¹)

The Souths have yet to win this season and the Warriors have two wins, so how is New Zealand in last place and not the Rabbitohs? The Warriors were penalized four points in the league table for off-season salary cap violations and the Bunnies got their two points from the Bye Week.

Can South Sydney win this week at Auckland?
Yes, but is it likely? No, they have a lot of injuries.
I'm not sure if Ben Walker will play, it looks like he will miss this match.

Both sides are not the best defenders, I look for a high scoring match.

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Wakefield (9) v Harlequins (8)
Round 11
Sun. Apr. 23, 10:30 am ET.
Spread: even up
Line: Quins 1.90, Wakefield 1.90, Tie 17.00
Listen online: BBC Radio London (Real Player required)

The Quins have played well on the road so hopefully they can get a win here.

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Leeds (2) v Castleford (11)
Round 11
Fri. Apr. 21, 3:00 pm ET.
Spread: Leeds -38
Line: Leeds 1.00, Castleford 34.00, Tie 67.00
Listen online: BBC Radio Leeds (Real Player required)

You do the math: Leeds have scored the most points in Super League so far this season and Castleford have allowed the most points. Also Castleford have lost four straight games.

Not on Leeds roster for the match are Kevin Sinfield, Chev Walker and Rob Burrow (to name a few big name starters) but they should still win easily.

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Shame on Billy King
The Philadelphia 76ers played their last home game last night. It was also fan appreciation night. It was also being touted as possibly the last time Allen Iverson would be playing in Philadelphia in a Sixers uniform. The 76ers have failed to make the play-offs and there is rampant talk that the team will try and trade Iverson in the off-season.

So Far, So Good
These circumstances pushed attendance to over 19,000 last night, up from a season per-game average of a little over 16,000. I'm certain that most of those extra 3,000 tickets were sold at the last minute to see A.I. in what may have been his last game as a Sixer at home.

By the way, the Sixers attendance has been horrible this season. They are ranked 21st in NBA, down from 10th last season. (There are thirty teams in the league.) Last season's final home game drew just 17,605 fans - below last season's average of 17,870.

What's the Problem?
Allen Iverson and Chris Webber decided yesterday afternoon that they could not play due to injuries. The public was made aware of this less than an hour before game time. Today Sixers' GM Billy King, by his own admission and apology, says that he should have let the fans know earlier. (Ooops, 'sorry!)

By keeping his mouth shut yesterday Billy King saved the Sixers about a quarter of a million dollars. Go ahead and do the math, I'll wait. . . . [3,000 tickets, average ticket price $60, parking, over-priced concessions, crappy trinkets - you can easily get over $250,000 dollars.] . . . Let's just say Comcast, the owners of the Sixers, were not too upset at Mr. King's little "mistake."

The Answer, a Convenient Scapegoat
The Philadelphia sports media, ever on the ball, noticed that the two Sixers' stars were missing and started to ask Mr. King questions. Where's Iverson and Webber? They're hurt and not playing tonight? Just what did Billy King know and when did he know it? (This morning Billy King said that he knew after yesterday's morning shoot-around that they would not play.) Why weren't fans made aware of this sooner? (Uh-oh, someone's got some splainin' to do!)

According to Philadelphia Daily News columnist John Smallwood when reporters started asking Mr. King such questions that's when he started an F-bomb laden tirade against Allen Iverson.

from Smallwood's column 4/19/06, Billy King speaking to reporters:
"I'm not sitting here worrying about, yes, should they be here? It's going to be addressed. They're going to be fined. That's all the [bleep] I can do about it. I can't sit here and keep a stopwatch to let you guys know when they're here.

"They're not here. When they get here, they'll be late and they'll be [bleeping] fined. That's what the [bleep] I'm going to talk about. All right?"

King continued.

"Our team is not good right now. I know that, and worrying about the [bleep] that they're late or not doesn't do any [bleeping] bit of good to be sitting here worrying about it.

"We didn't make the playoffs. I'm got a lot of [bleeping] work to do, and this is some [bleep] that is a distraction to me. Am I pissed off? You're goddamn right I am. Is that what you want to hear? You [bleeping] heard it."

Shame on Who?
I take this to be a calculated response by Billy King to shift heat away from himself and onto Iverson. And it has worked, all day today Allen Iverson has been vilified in the press on on the airwaves. Meanwhile no one is criticizing Billy King at all. I thought Philadelphia sports fans were smarter than this . . . on second thought, shame on the Philadelphia fans for being so stupid and easily distracted.

D'enouement
After falling behind the Nets early, the Sixers won the game 91-88. Allen Iverson did not play, suit up or sit on the bench with his teammates (he was up in a luxury box). That's just what I have come to expect from him. Previously I expected class and honesty from Billy King but after this fiasco I will expect him to be a corporate whore - to do or say (or not say) anything for a buck and to cover his ass.


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Salford 18-24 Leeds
Round 10
Leeds recovered quickly from their loss at home to Bradford to beat the Reds at Salford. The Rhinos were without Kevin Sinfeld and Chev Walker.

Wigan 18-30 Harlequins
Round 10
Wigan's woes continue. The Warriors have just one win this Super League season and sit at the bottom of the table. Luke Dorn was the leading try scorer for the Quins with two.

Super League Table
(team, points after 10 rounds)

1. St Helens, 20
2. Leeds, 16
3. Bradford, 15
4. Salford, 14
5. Warrington, 10
6. Hull FC, 10

7. Huddersfield, 8
8. Harlequins, 7
9. Wakefield, 6
10. Catalan, 6
11. Castleford, 6
12. Wigan, 2

Two points for a win, 1 point for a draw,
0 for a loss (point differential breaks ties in ranking).
The top six teams make the play-offs.
Last place is kicked out of the league
(relegated to National League 1).

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R.Diddy on da Iggles
Ray Didinger, football hall of fame sports writer and a producer at NFL Films, was on a Philadelphia sports-talk radio station Saturday morning. He talked a little about the Eagles and the upcoming draft.

Ray thinks the Eagles will try to trade up in the draft and take a defensive tackle, either Haloti Ngata or Broderick Bunkley. They will need to trade up to get one of these players since both are expected to go in the first ten or twelve picks (the Eagles have the 14^th pick). If the Eagles are unable to trade up and get Ngata or Bunkley then they will most likely trade down as there is a real drop-off in quality at DT after those two.

DT Haloti Ngata, junior Oregon
6'4'', 338 lbs.
Strengths: outstanding size and frame . . . fast and quick . . . can rush the passer as well as stop the run . . . potential to be a dominate nose tackle . . . great upside.

Weaknesses: not consistent, takes plays off . . . needs to master subtleties of position . . . missed the 2003 season with a torn ACL . . . not a finished, polished product.

DT Broderick Bunkley, senior Florida St.
6'3'', 306 lbs.
Strengths: solid and compact . . . very strong . . . holds ground, won't get pushed around . . . decent penetrator into backfield . . . could be one of the best DT to ever come out of Florida State.

Weaknesses: Lacks great size and bulk . . . durability a question, has history of knee and ankle injuries (he has torn his left knee, ACL and MCL), . . . on the ground too much . . . 2003 arrested for stealing a video game.

Danger, Danger!!
DT Gabe Watson from Michigan has the potential to be a bust.

WR Important Too
After a defensive lineman, Ray thinks the Eagles next position that needs help is wide receiver.

Jabar Gaffney, signed as a free agent from Houston, has been a huge disappointment considering that he was a second round pick. He had 55 catches and 2 TDs last season. (stats at Yahoo)

Javon Walker, WR Packers, would be a good addition to the Eagles. If he's healthy then Ray would consider trading a second round draft pick for him. If Green Bay does trade him then it will probably be closer to draft day and maybe even during the draft. (stats at Yahoo)

Right Here, Right Now
R.Diddy also said that if he had to rank the NFC East right now then it would look like this:
1. Cowboys
2. Giants
3. Redskins
4. Eagles

It sounds like the Eagles have some real hard work to do before the season starts.

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Rabbitohs 18-26 Bulldogs
Round 6
South Sydney blow it again in the second half.

The Rabbitohs led 18-8 at the break but failed to score in the second half and the Dogs scored eighteen points for the win. The Souths have yet to win in the NRL this season.

Ben Walker was a last minute scratch for the Bunnies.

next match, Round 7:
New Zealand Warriors v South Sydney Rabbitohs
Ericsson Stadium
Sat. Apr. 22, 5:30 am ET.
Check back Fri. Apr. 21 for my match preview.

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Leeds 18-20 Bradford
Round 9
This was a good match, unfortunately Leeds came up short.

After a fairly even first half ended 6-6, Leeds came out and played well and took the lead. It looked like the Rhinos had win in hand when Rob Burrow (#7, scrum half) kicked a penalty goal to put Leeds up 18-16 with just minutes until the end of the match.

However Bradford went the length of the pitch with less than two minutes left and scored the match winning try on the last play of the contest.

To make matters worse for Leeds, Chev Walker (#3, centre) limped of the pitch at the end of the match.

Note: Leeds captain Kevin Sinfield (#13, loose foorward) did not play and is expected to be out another three or four weeks with an injury. Jamie Peacock (#10, prop) is team captain in his absence.

next match:
Salford Reds v Leeds Rhinos
Mon. Apr. 17, 3:00 pm ET.

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