TipResumen

INTRODUCTION

Can you smell the excitement of September Football?? Apart from one game in this round (Titans v Cowboys) each game has some major implications for the finals bound team. In this instance the Dragons are the side that are confirmed as in the finals, BUT, until the weekend is done, this tight competition could see them finish anywhere from 2nd to 8th. Incidentally other than the Storm, any of the 7 finals qualified teams can finish 2nd through 8th. The lowest the Storm can finish is 4th.



NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS

Newcastle cannot make the finals, but can really hurt the Dragons. A win here would resign the Dragons to the lower half of the Top 8 and possibly as low as 8th spot, which will mean a near impossible task of making the final. The Knights are definitely a side on the improve, considering where they have been over the past few seasons, to finish around 11th, where they reside at the moment is a solid, but not fantastic result and I am sure in seasons to come with Kalyn Ponga as a draw card, the Knights are seemingly on the right track. Last weekend Newcastle played away to the Sharks. Without Ponga (he is injured and will not play this weekend either) the Knights struggled to gain any ascendency over the Sharks who were just a class above ultimately winning 38-12. Newcastle did look a little lost in attack at times and did lack defence at times as well. For them to have any hope against the Dragons, Newcastle must hold onto the ball, complete sets and tighten up on defence. Jack Cogger comes in at five-eighth for Connor Watson (groin), Jamie Buhrer taking his starting second row spot. Luke Yates drops off the bench with Jacob Lillyman and debutant Tom Starling the new faces on the pine.



ST GEORGE DRAGONS

The Dragons had an almighty start to the 2018 season going unbeaten for the opening 6 games, then proceeding to beat the Roosters and Storm over back to back weekends. St George certainly were the side to beat early on. Sadly, of late, the Dragons have slipped into a bad run where in their last 7 games have only won twice, with some embarrassing score lines to boot. This poor form has soured the resolve of the Dragons Fans and they let the team have it by booing them off in their last outing. Last weekend St George played at home and were hoping to get their season back on track against a Bulldogs outfit who were assigned to missing the finals many weeks earlier. Things did not go to plan for St George trailing 0-18 at HT and then failing to score again in the send half to go down 0-38, this has to be viewed as the lowest point of the season and with the finals just one week away, the Dragons are very lucky they started the season so well. Zac Lomax replaces Euan Aitken (hamstring) at centre. Jason Nightingale (elbow) is out with fullback Matt Dufty to start, Jai Field called up on the bench. Cameron McInnes (concussion) has been named. Blake Lawrie is added to the Bench.



THE BETTING VERDICT

With both sides not exactly setting the world on fire we have a relatively close betting decision. Both sides have been poor on defence with many injuries not helping their cause. This has also played a major part for both on attack with only 12 points between them combined from their last outing highlighting a major issue. The question here then, does the poor defence mean both sides score plenty of points or is it the poor attack that means we have a low scoring, error ridden match? With that question literally a lottery I am more interested in just picking an outright winner. The major factor here is the Dragons just have to win, no question, if not they will have no hope come next week.