Battler's NRL Finals Week 1

One of the main reasons I’m looking to fade your boys tonight AB is their alarmingly poor record away from EAS. To find their last victory on the road, I had to go back to Round  10, on May 16 when they pummeled a hapless Roosters outfit 38-6. This is how they have fared since:

R11 @ Cowboys: Lost 36-10

R14 @ Warriors: Lost 13-0

R17 @ Storm: Lost 18-14

R20 @ Sea Eagles (Bluetongue): Lost 44-20

R22 @ Eels: Lost 40-8

R25 @ Raiders: Lost 30-14

It ain’t pretty reading, and it contributes to a mediocre 3-9 record on the road. Now they travel to face the Bulldogs on a six day break (against eight for the Dogs) who really should have been minor premiers (even if you disregard the fact they should have stomped the Tigers, they deserved those two points they were stripped of against Penrith). And while I suppose it can be argued they will be rolling into this one on the back of a 35-0 shutout of the Panthers, I kind of wonder whether they may have gotten up for their ‘final’ last Sunday.

 Add to this a relatively inexperienced side, finals-wise (and for Rick Stone also) and it begins to look a formidable challenge for the Novocastrians. I realise no Kimmorley is a huge loss but the Dogs still match up well all over the park and I see Roberts as being capable of lighting up the backline. I’m still undecided as to whether to lay the -5.5 (getting to six at at least one major Australian corporate) but a ML price is very worthwhile at a tick over 1.50.