Well, Queensland won the final State Of Origin game demonstrating that: there is never a huge gulf between QLD and NSW; a side that wins the first two games (and the series) has some sort of let-down in the third game; that Daly Cherry-Evans has been a very unlucky victim of team balance selection choices, but should be one of the first picked next year; and that the man of the series selection points out that there is no current super-star dominating the competition.
Anyway, on with the regular season; the final eight is sorted, people are playing for contracts and prestige between now the finals.
In the AFL things are still up and down. Richmond are favourites because no one is consistently playing well, and I can’t believe Collingwood is second or Port Adelaide is fourth. Time will tell.

NRL (last round 3/4; season tally 71/128)
Penrith
Paramatta
Souths
Melbourne
Canberra
Brisbane
Saint George
Easts

AFL (last round 7/9; season tally 96/135)
Geelong
Saint Kilda
Hawthorn
Melbourne
Essendon
Richmond
West Coast
Sydney
Port Adelaide

Worst round of picks for AFL so far, and I don’t think I’d change any of my selections if I had another chance.
Let’s hope things return to normal this week.
NRL is messed up by another pre State of Origin weekend. Four games and teams weakened by missing players.
Still selecting Queensland for State of Origin.

NRL (last round 5/8; season tally 68/124)
Melbourne
New Zealand
Canberra
Brisbane (Gold Coast for the upset)

AFL (last round 3/9; season tally 89/126)
Sydney
Richmond
Brisbane
Port Adelaide
Hawthorn
Melbourne
North Melbourne
Essendon
West Coast

A full round of games for both competitions.
Sunday night State of Origin was an interesting experiment. The idea of a stand-alone game and not a wid-week game with a round split either side of it on two weekends is attractive.
Queensland are not terrible, and Ben Hunt is worth persevering with. Next year with Ponga at fullback, Munster perhaps in the centres and Milford at 5/8 and they’d be a threat. If a few forwards stand up.

AFL only provided one upset and one near thing.

So, onward.

NRL (last round 5/8; season tally 63/116)
Saint George
New Zealand
Melbourne
Penrith
Canterbury
Brisbane
Wests
Souths

AFL (last round 5/6; season tally 86/117)
Sydney
Geelong
Port Adelaide
West Coast
Collingwood
Hawthorn
Melbourne
Essendon
Fremantle

Things went a bit awry with the AFL last week. Don’t really know what it was, though. Let’s see if things get back to normal or not. If Melbourne and North Melbourne could work out whether they’re serious or not and let the rest of us know, it would be helpful though.
In the NRL North Queensland continue their gap year. Jonathan Thurston is a great, but he’s trying to fit a one-year return from an injury that would normally see him at his best next year. And apparently New Zealand have decided to play this year. It’s about time. At least until this week…

NRL (last round 6/8; season tally 58/108)
Souths
New Zealand
Penrith
Canterbury
Saint George
Cronulla
Melbourne
Canberra

AFL (last round 3/7; season tally 76/105)
Port Adelaide
West Coast
Fremantle
Saint Kilda
Hawthorn
Richmond

Well, it was only a matter of time before I had an NRL washout.
Even there were only four games (plus State of Origin) I’ve never had a winless set of tips before.
It will be interesting to see how State of Origin plays out.
Every NSW win has been cast as a new dawn/end of an era, but this time sheer turnover of players from QLD has made the situation much less discernible.
Anyway, back to club football where consistency means nothing.

AFL keeps chugging along.
Only seven games as winter holiday season kicks in.

NRL (last round 0/4; season tally 52/100)
Penrith
Souths
Manly (Really? What am I thinking?)
Easts
North Queensland
Cronulla
Melbourne
Saint George

AFL (last round 7/9; season tally 73/98)
Richmond
North Melbourne
Greater Western Sydney
Sydney
Essendon
Adelaide
Melbourne

State of Origin means the NRL split rounds begin.
This impacts tips when considering missing players and which teams have had breaks.
Only a point or so from a perfect NRL round of tips last week. That’s about as close as it gets.
AFL has its last round before the byes start.
But at least the players all get uniform breaks.
For some reason I thought I’d tipped Adelaide last week. I must’ve changed my mind.

Oh, and I’m tipping Queensland in the State of Origin.
Without any great confidence.
I’m hoping the QLD forward pack hold their own with NSW.

NRL (last round 7/8; season tally 52/96)
Manly
Cronulla
Paramatta
Wests

AFL (last round 7/8; season tally 66/89)
Sydney
Melbourne
Port Adelaide
Geelong
Richmond
West Coast
North Melbourne
Collingwood
Adelaide