Crikey’s NRL Hot Form Chart: Round 20

The Crikey-NRL Hot Form chart delivers some fascinating insights into this week's round of matches and, indeed, the rest of the season.

Crikey

Aug 03, 2007

Crikey’s NRL Hot Form Chart was trying to tell us something last week. Perhaps it was that Melbourne, after winning seven in a row, was due for a loss. Perhaps it was that the Roosters’ unbeaten run under coach Fittler was set to continue. Or perhaps it was simply to never bet on anything that can talk.

The premiership favourites being upset by the 12th placed Roosters was one the form lines were never going to predict. Overall, however, the Crikey Hot Form Chart is lining up pretty well for those who can’t resist a dabble on the sentient.

The TAB’s four shortest-priced teams for the NRL premiership also make up the top four on the Form Chart. Drifting in both markets is Parramatta. The Eels’ loss to Manly on the weekend sent them tumbling to ninth on the Form Chart and this week they face a renewed and in-form Bulldogs outfit.

If Parramatta lose and the Dragons overcome the Knights in Newcastle as the Form Chart predicts, 12 teams will be within three games of each other on the NRL ladder. And that should set up the remaining rounds very nicely indeed.

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

* Bye counted as win. Columns indicate: Comparative form over the last 5 weeks; Position on form as of last week; Position on NRL ladder; Win/Loss sequence.

Crikey’s NRL Hot Form Tips for Round 21 are: