Crikey’s NRL Hot Form Chart

First, haiku:

The sun rises
A Rabbit takes Wing
PR shudders

Who knew Japanese rugby even had a second division? Let’s hope Craig Wing’s Foxtel fans can live without his top-and-tailing their favourite Marlon Brando documentaries as he gets honourable for new employers NTT Communications. His team, however, are back in contention and the Rabbits will continue to hop up the Form Chart with a Monday night victory over the chickens. (And sayonara Freddy Fittler, BTW).

Trending the other way is Brisbane. The Broncos, with just one “W” amid a lot of “L”s in recent times, have fallen out of the top eight and all the way to 15th on the Form Chart. Tonight, they face the Gold Coast, a team undefeated at home and heady on the scent of local rivalry.

Like the promises in so much spam mail, Manly has been slow in coming. But the Sea Eagles are finally here much to the detriment of the Knights, whose motivation may be brittle after coach Brian Smith declared his tumbrel would be tied at Bondi Junction from next year.

As the Japanese say: money grows on the tree of persistence.

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

*Form over the past five games

Crikey’s Hot Form Tips for round 20 are:

  • Manly
  • Titans
  • Bulldogs
  • Cowboys
  • Melbourne
  • Souths
  • Tigers
  • Dragons

Last week: 4 (Season total: 86)

Crikey’s AFL Hot Form Chart

It’s rivalry round and almost entirely through sheer blind luck, the AFL has managed to put on what could be the best weekend of football for the season. There are even some real rivalries on show: West Coast v Freo; Adelaide v Port; Collingwood v Mick Malthouse.

The Hawthorn-Geelong enmity has flared latterly but is no less intense for it. Geelong’s form has dipped while the Hawks are rallying in the face of season’s oblivion. The Cats will be favourites but did the Form Chart detect a swagger in the premiers victory walk last week? Geelong, but only just.

The challenges keep coming for Form Chart darlings the Saints and this week seems a perfect time for the Bullies to end their undefeated run. Of course, last week was perfect for Adelaide too and look what happened to them. No Kosi or Cougar Dawson hurts, but it’s a brave online footy column that turns its back on the ant army two weeks in a row.

Collingwood has distractions of the coaching variety. None of that will matter tonight when it grapples with Carlton in a rivalry of ye olde proportions. The Blues recent form is flattering but Collingwood’s hiccup last week suggests a full-on bilious attack is not out of the question. Certainly, Malthouse will be spewing if his team gives the board further reasons to dither.

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

*Form over the past five games

Crikey’s Hot Form Tips for round 17 are:

  • Carlton
  • Geelong
  • Fremantle
  • Brisbane
  • St Kilda
  • Adelaide
  • Swans
  • Essendon

Last week: 5 (Season total: 84)