Crikey’s NRL Hot Form Chart

Unabashed Edith Piaf fan Sonny Bill Williams has followed his heart and purse-strings to France, and in so doing may bring down the salary cap and the NRL as we know it. But it’s hard to sit in judgement — after all, once you’ve had s-x in a public dunny what else is there to achieve as a rugby league player in Australia? The Hot Form Chart just hopes he knows how sparse the conveniences are on the continent.

SBW’s sometime team the Bulldogs did not fare too well in the face of his abrupt departure and, given they are losing players faster than the NRL is losing the war of codes, probably won’t provide much competition — even for the Tigers.

At least the Warriors have given league loving Kiwis something to trill about, knocking off the premiers and shooting to the top of the Form Chart. On Saturday, they take on the Bunnies in Sydney and look good things to crack in to the top eight.

Ladder leaders Manly and the Storm both stumbled last week but have the chance to bounce back tonight against the Panthers and Titans respectively. The Gold Coast are fading but Penrith are every chance of ruffling the Sea Eagles’ feathers.

The Roosters got their season back on track with a thumping win over bogey-team Manly last week and could threaten top spot after cleaning up the Cowboys on Saturday, while the Knights and Eels battle to turn the lights out on each other’s seasons.

But it is in Brisbane — a town that still draws a crowd — that Crikey’s match of the round can be found. The Broncos and Raiders are coming off wins and will be desperate to maintain momentum as the shadows on the regular season grow long.

And how about Nathan Brown’s mob? The Dragons’ coach may have been slapped with a piece of wet lettuce over his call to beat up on Melbourne but his team are looking strong and very capable of matching it with Cronulla. So, il regrette rien? Non!

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

*Form over the past five games

Crikey’s Hot Form Tips for Round 21 are:

  • Manly
  • Melbourne
  • Roosters
  • Warriors
  • Dragons
  • Broncos
  • Tigers
  • Knights

Last week: 4
Season: 89

Crikey’s AFL Hot Form Chart

Well, the Hawks have lost their last two but their latest setback at least showed they can take it up to the Cats. And they may be the only team that can.

A horror week for tipsters saw the Hot Form Chart turned on its head as almost all the likely September challengers stumbled against less fashionable opposition.

Chief among these were surely Collingwood and St Kilda. The Pies face Hawthorn tonight in a match that is attracting clichés faster than Dockers are collecting pension cheques. “Blockbuster”; “season-defining”; call it what you like, the Pies simply must win what few believe they can.

The Saints were abysmal away to poor opposition last week and give the impression that, even if they were to bounce back against Port Adelaide, the form would be fleeting.

But the flipside of disappointment is advantage and Richmond, Carlton and the Bombers have rightly taken theirs. Essendon’s terrific recent run sees them in fourth on the Hot Form Chart, a position unlikely to be under threat from the lowly Demons.

Carlton travel to Adelaide — another surprise winner last week — and must be given every chance of stoning the Crows. The Tigers, though, have drawn the short straw: they play Geelong.

The credibility stakes pit the Bulldogs and Swans against each other: but at least those teams will play finals. No such assurances can be given to Brisbane, which has slipped to 10th on the Form Chart. Another loss to the irrepressible Roos and not even the poor form of their rivals will keep the Lions in the eight.

And who would have thunk it? The Eagles and Dockers meet in the derby both on the back of wins. Nothing more than pride is on the line but that should not stop the game that stops a suburb being a wholly torrid affair.

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

*Form over the past five games

Crikey’s Hot Form Tips for round 18:

  • Hawthorn
  • Essendon
  • Carlton
  • Geelong
  • North Melbourne
  • St Kilda
  • Sydney
  • Fremantle

Last week: 3
Season: 92