History lesson for the Saints and the Pies

The last time an Ashes series went to a deciding fifth Test was 43 years ago, in 1966 -- the year St Kilda and the Magpies met in the grand final. The Form Chart has read the tea leaves too, it seems.

Crikey’s NRL Hot Form Chart

The Greg Inglis situation is a most unwelcome exclamation point on the short and thoroughly miserable sentence that has been the NRL season — sentence being the operable word.

Inglis’ assault charge hurts the game more than previous player indiscretions because, regardless of the reality, the perception was that he rode over the murkier off-field aspects of contemporary rugby league with the same effortless panache as he glides across the turf. But now the game’s most prodigious talent and remaining poster boy has been sidelined in disgraceful, but all too familiar, circumstances. It is a body blow to the game.

And, of course, to the Storm, who begin their life without their best player away to the Knights. The adversity may galvanise the players, but few will like Melbourne’s chances.

Tonight’s matches are where the round-23 action lies. The Cowboys are at home but the Dogs’ form cannot be ignored, and the Bunnies are bouncing and could force their way back into the top eight with a win over the Gold Coast.

The premiers are just holding on to a finals’ spot, if not their tempers. Anthony Watmough and Matt Orford blueing on field is not a good look. But if anyone can make the Sea Eagles’ alpha-males friends again, the Roosters can.

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

*Form over the past five games

Crikey’s Hot Form Tips for round 23 are:

Bulldogs
Rabbitohs
Parramatta
Dragons
Manly
Broncos
Tigers
Newcastle

Last week: 7 (Season total: 102)

Crikey’s AFL Hot Form Chart

Yikes! Tipsters will still be groggy from the short, sharp jabs to the head that were last week’s results. But a glance at the Hot Form Chart will help sharpen the footy fan’s fuzzy focus. Geelong, for instance, is in trouble. The former favourites suddenly look incapable of winning the flag and, this week, must search for their missing mojo against Sydney; a team that, incredibly, could be in the eight with a win over the Cats.

Others in the log-jam for eight spot include Hawthorn, who seem to have lost the self-belief; Essendon, who play the Saints; and Port Adelaide, football’s equivalent of Josephine Joseph, the performer who was half man, half woman and pretty much always disappointing.

The Bulldogs are gone. They will give up fourth spot to Brisbane and may even fall further before the home-and-away rounds are done.

And for those that seek portends, consider this: the last time an Ashes series went to a deciding fifth Test was 43 years ago, in 1966 — the year St Kilda and the Magpies met in the grand final. The Form Chart has read the tea leaves too, it seems.

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