The greatest week of sport in the UK is upon us, the latest renewal of the Cheltenham Festival starts tomorrow and it is as eagerly anticipated as ever. Britain and Ireland's leading National Hunt horses will go to post over the next four days in a week which contains no less than fourteen group one races with the highlight being the 'Magners Gold Cup' on Friday where last years winner 'Al Boum Photo' goes into the race as the ante-post favourite. I will be watching on with an eager eye (and a slightly hungover one on Friday) throughout the week and this is where I will be saying my main fancies and tips for the week ahead.
Tuesday
Tuesday's headline race is the Champion Hurdle and the favourite for the race with odds of 3/1 is the Nicky Henderson trained Epatante, ridden by Barry Geraghty and is unbeaten this season. Epatante will face stiff opposition from stablemate Pentland Hills who is the mount of Nico De Boinville and the Willie Mullins trained Cilaos Emery who has a perfect record this season bar a fall back at Leopardstown back in early February when it didn't even clear the first fence. Epatante looks good value for its favourite tag even if it was slightly disappointing at last years festival finishing 9th in the Mares Novices Hurdle and I do feel it will be victorious in this race, so that is my tip. Another headline race on the first day of the festival is the 1 mile 7 furlong Arkle Chase which is headed this time out by the much fancied 'Notebook' which will be ridden by the female jockey, Rachael Blackmore, another horse which doesn't have the greatest of records in the festival. My tip for this race is the French trained Fakir D'oudairies who has won round the course and was 4th in the Supreme Novices hurdle last year. Going off at odds at 4/1, I feel it has a great chance for Mark Walsh who's record at the festival last year was pretty strong, winning the Champion Hurdle on Espoir D'Allen. The 4:10 Mares Hurdle could not only be the most exciting race of the day, but it could be the most exciting race of the festival and the narrative that is being built is that the race will be a shoot out between Honeysuckle and Benie des Dieux, the latter of which had the race won last year before falling at the last fence. I feel it will be between the two, this is a race I cannot call.
My 3 Tips - Tuesday
All odds according to skybet.com
1:30 - Abacadabras (5/1)
2:10 - Fakir D'oudairies (4/1)
3:30 - Epatante (3/1)
Wednesday
Wednesday over the last couple of years has been the day of Altior, however this year there are fitness concerns about the reigning Queen Mother Champion Chase winner. If Altior is to be found out this year then that will leave Defi Du Seuil as the leading contender for Wednesday's headline race. The big fancies for Wednesday's races is the favourite for the Ballymore at 1:30, Envoi Allen, the winner of the Champion Bumper last year and the mighty Tiger Roll, winner of the last 2 Grand Nationals as well as the reigning champion in the Cross Country chase. Tiger Roll has been a lot of people's choice for the most likely horse to win over the whole four days and I do believe that to be the case, with the course record it has gained the last few years joined with the relationship jockey Davy Russell has with the horse, it looks a winning formula and one I see continuing this week. As for Envoi Allen, I've liked the look of this horse since watching it cruise up to win the bumper last year and I feel it will continue its winning festival record this time around. I don't see Altior regaining its crown in the main event on Wednesday. I feel like it would take a fully fit and firing Altior to beat Defi Du Seuil and Chacun Pour Soi and after the reports from the Henderson yard saying he was lame on Sunday afternoon, I feel it will be one race too far for the champion.
My 3 Tips - Wednesday
1:30 - Envoi Allen (5/4)
3:30 - Politologue EW (20/1)
4:10 - Tiger Roll (Evens)
Thursday
Thursday sees the return of Stayers Hurdle winner Paisley Park to the Cheltenham Festival. A horse I fell in love with last year, with its explosive speed when it comes round the corner when it comes to crunch time in the race, it really is a sight to behold. I can't see it being overly troubled this year either, even if it is not looking as explosive as it was last year, a faultless record in the last 2 years round the course and a festival favourite, I can't see there being many more popular winners if Paisley Park was to go back to back, especially with the bond it has with owner, Andrew Gemmell, who looked overjoyed last year when his horse conquered the field. The other feature race on Thursday is the Ryanair Chase, won last year by Frodon, the mount of Bryony Frost who I feel is a fantastic jockey and is a great ambassador for women's sport. Will they repeat their heroics this time round, or will there be a different winner? I feel the winner will be the Willie Mullins trained Min, who won at Aintree last year in a high calibre race and has always been a solid horse and a tough horse to beat. At the present moment there are a few standout names in the first race of the day, with Samcro, Faugheen and Melon all currently in the running for the 1:30 Marsh Novices Chase. None of the 3 formerly mentioned horses are currently the favourite, that tag belongs to Itchy Feet, the mount of Gavin Sheehan, who is unbeaten in its last 2 races. However I feel if all the above were to run, Faugheen will be the horse to beat.
My 3 Tips - Thursday
1:30 - Faugheen (7/1)
2:50 - Min (11/4)
3:30 - Paisley Park (4/7)
Friday
Friday sees the conclusion of the Cheltenham Festival for 2020 and also the biggest race of the week in the Magners Gold Cup which is always such a tricky race to call, with the world's leading 3 mile chasers primed for action. Everything was looking rosy for the Irish trained Kemboy going into this race 6 months ago, winning in numerous conditions and even ended up ante-post favourite at a point, however after a few poor runs in Ireland, Kemboy finds itself out of favour and replaced as favourite by last years winner, Al Boum Photo, who won at 14/1 last year. Do I feel it will replicate last years result? No is the answer simply, it is so tricky to win back to back Gold Cups and I feel the field is stronger this year than last years renewal. I was so impressed by Clan Des Obeaux in the King George, outstaying the hugely impressive Cyrname to victory at Kempton on boxing day and I feel that is the horse to beat, however the impressive Delta Work for Gordon Elliott will be a firm contender, 3 wins this season, including the group 1 Savills Chase back in December beating the afore mentioned Kemboy and other contender Presenting Percy in a strong renewal. The other very interesting race on Friday is the 1:30 Triumph Hurdle which has a battle for favouritism between Goshen, Solo and Allmankind, 3 strong contenders and all worthy of the favourite tag, however Solo is the one that has caught my eye, I feel that is the strongest horse going to post, winning by 13 lengths at Kempton last time out.
My 3 Tips - Friday
1:30 - Solo (3/1)
2:10 - Aramon EW (10/1)
3:30 - Clan Des Obeaux (6/1)
Monday 9 March 2020
Tuesday 25 February 2020
Premier League 2019/20 - Team of the Season so far!
With the Premier League now back in full swing after the winter break, I felt it was time to reflect and come up with my 'Team of the Season'. There have been so many impressive performers this season, from runaway leaders Liverpool to surprise package, Chris Wilder's Sheffield United. There has been a debate that the standard of the Premier League has not been as good this year due to the dominance of Liverpool, but there has still been enough players to make this decision a tough one.
GOALKEEPER - Alisson Becker (Liverpool)
The Brazilian has carried on his phenomenal form from last season in this year's campaign. Liverpool's number 1 was injured for the first 8 games of the season but has still registered a total of 10 clean sheets in the league and even notching an incredible assist for Mohamed Salah in the game against Manchester United. There have been a couple of other contenders for this award, Dean Henderson at Sheffield United has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water and Ederson is always a reliable source for Manchester City however on this occasion its the Liverpool 'keeper that gets my vote.
RIGHT BACK - Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
For a lad who plays at right back, Trent Alexander-Arnold has such an influence on how this Liverpool side show their teeth and show how deadly they are going forward. Scoring in crucial games at Stamford Bridge and the King Power, Alexander-Arnold is breaking the mould for the common right back and showing how the modern full back is expected to play. As a youngster you may have questioned his defensive abilities but this season he has matured into a fine defender and has probably gained a reputation as the best in the world. Along with his goal scoring he has also equalled his own record of 12 assists for a defender in the Premier League and looks a certainty to win PFA Young Player of the Season.
CENTRE BACK - Joe Gomez (Liverpool)
Don't be warned, this team is not going to be 1-11 of Liverpool players, however saying that Joe Gomez's recent form must not only be putting a smile on the face of Jurgen Klopp but will also be pleasing Gareth Southgate ahead of the European Championships. Gomez, alongside Virgil Van Dijk have looked a formidable partnership and for somebody who is just 22 years old, Gomez looks to be on the way to a wonderful career. The fact he only came back into the team because of an injury to Joel Matip could have scared the average player and influenced on performances in the season. That certainly hasn't been the case with Gomez who has taken Liverpool's defence to a different level this season and the confidence the Liverpool team have in each other defensively is exceptional.
CENTRE BACK - Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool)
I am genuinely running out of words on how to describe Virgil Van Dijk. Robbed of a Ballon D'or victory back in December but possibly on course to become a back to back winner of the PFA Player of the Year. Van Dijk has been an absolute colossus at the back for Liverpool once again this season, he seems to improve whatever defensive partner he plays alongside whether it is Gomez, Joel Matip or Dejan Lovren. A threat in either box for the opposition, he sets the tone for every game Liverpool play and his passing range is simply sensational. This season looks as if it is finally the end of Liverpool's title drought and Virgil Van Dijk has played a big a part as anyone in ending that, he will go down as a club legend without a doubt and once again he is a definite for the Team of the Season.
LEFT BACK - Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
Arguably the easiest decision this season due to the lack of quality in the position is yet another Liverpool player in the form of left back, Andrew Robertson. Robertson unlike the rest of the left backs in the league has performed very well this season even popping up with a rare goal in the win at Villa Park which turned out to be crucial in this season's title race. His playful competition with Alexander-Arnold when it comes to assists shows how competitive the Liverpool full backs are, even though Robertson only has 7 in comparison to Alexander-Arnold's 12. The way Liverpool widen the pitch with diagonal passes between players is such a crucial part of how they have played this season and Robertson has been a huge part of that this season.
CENTRAL MIDFIELD - Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)
This lad does not deserve to be where he is in the table at the moment, he is carrying Aston Villa! If the Midlands club were to stay in the Premier League this season they have their captain to thank for it, he has been absolutely tremendous. There has been an ongoing debate this season on who is the better player out of Grealish and James Maddison at Leicester City, for me, Grealish is a better player and will become a more influential player in the future than Maddison. I expect Grealish to get his first national team call-up in the coming months and Gareth Southgate would be foolish not to start him in the Euro's.
CENTRAL MIDFIELD - Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
The man who is the spearhead of a wonderful Manchester City team, Kevin De Bruyne has had a tremendous season. De Bruyne has an outstanding total of 16 assists in just 26 games and add to that 8 goals, including a goal of the season contender at St James' Park. He is now the player in the Premier League where when he stands over a dead ball or has the ball in a dangerous area, you know your team is in trouble. The fact that Liverpool have been so dominant yet De Bruyne is still one of the favourites for the end of season accolades shows just quite how influential he has been this season and reflects what a special talent he is. I cannot see De Bruyne winning the player of the season however he has been quite magnificent for Manchester City.
CENTRAL MIDFIELD - Jordan Henderson (Liverpool)
The current favourite for the player of the season is Liverpool's captain, Jordan Henderson. What an achievement it will be to be the captain of the Liverpool team that wins its first title in 30 years. Henderson has already became the 5th Liverpool captain to lift the European Cup back in June so he is on the way to hero status at Anfield. Apart from exceptional leadership, Henderson has also taken his game to a different level this season and he has even chipped with a few more goals from midfield, scoring 3 including a crucial equaliser at home to Spurs. With an injury for Harry Kane there is a good chance Henderson will captain England at the Euro's in the summer and his experience could come in handy when it comes to crunch games at the end of the tournament.
RIGHT MIDFIELD - Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Mohamed Salah has now scored 15 goals in the Premier League this season yet people still seem to think he is not having a good season. Salah is still the player in the Liverpool team who you would be looking for if you need a moment of magic in a game or if you need that goal to start things off. There have been so many goals that Liverpool have scored this season which spring to mind but the one that sticks out is Salah's goal against Manchester United, a goal which seemingly sealed the title for Liverpool and broke Salah's duck against the red half of Manchester, a goal which showed all of Salah's strengths, pace, composure, strength, it had it all and it epitomises Salah's Liverpool career, coming up with the goods when they need him.
LEFT MIDFIELD - Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Another member of Liverpool's fantastic front 3 gets into this team in the shape of Sadio Mane. The man who seems to be the one who is scoring the late goals for Liverpool this season, his winner at Aston Villa giving Liverpool the confidence boost going into the Manchester City game earlier in the season. Mane has gone to another level this season, terrorising full backs down the wing this season and becoming the most feared winger in the premier league. Mane was an easy choice for this team for me, I don't feel a winger has put in as many important performances as the Senegalese international this season and his link up play with Andrew Robertson has been deadly down Liverpool's left hand side and if they don't get you down the right with Alexander-Arnold and Salah, they will get you with Robertson and Mane.
CENTRE FORWARD - Danny Ings (Southampton)
Danny Ings is probably keeping Southampton in the Premier League this season and he has performed magnificently. Ings has 15 goals this season, 2 off the leader's for the golden boot Jamie Vardy and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Southampton looked in a rut when they lost 9-0 at home to Leicester City and their days in the Premier League looked numbered, however manager Ralph Hasenhuttl rallied his team and with Ings upfront the goals started to come back. Ings could be playing himself in to a starting berth at the upcoming Euro's with the injuries to Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford and also with the international retirement of Jamie Vardy. What Tottenham would have paid to have Ings upfront now with the injuries to Son Heung-Min and Kane, there are a couple of top 6 teams who will be looking at Danny Ings in the summer and Southampton will do well to keep hold of the England international if he carries on his wonderful form.
GOALKEEPER - Alisson Becker (Liverpool)
The Brazilian has carried on his phenomenal form from last season in this year's campaign. Liverpool's number 1 was injured for the first 8 games of the season but has still registered a total of 10 clean sheets in the league and even notching an incredible assist for Mohamed Salah in the game against Manchester United. There have been a couple of other contenders for this award, Dean Henderson at Sheffield United has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water and Ederson is always a reliable source for Manchester City however on this occasion its the Liverpool 'keeper that gets my vote.
RIGHT BACK - Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
For a lad who plays at right back, Trent Alexander-Arnold has such an influence on how this Liverpool side show their teeth and show how deadly they are going forward. Scoring in crucial games at Stamford Bridge and the King Power, Alexander-Arnold is breaking the mould for the common right back and showing how the modern full back is expected to play. As a youngster you may have questioned his defensive abilities but this season he has matured into a fine defender and has probably gained a reputation as the best in the world. Along with his goal scoring he has also equalled his own record of 12 assists for a defender in the Premier League and looks a certainty to win PFA Young Player of the Season.
CENTRE BACK - Joe Gomez (Liverpool)
Don't be warned, this team is not going to be 1-11 of Liverpool players, however saying that Joe Gomez's recent form must not only be putting a smile on the face of Jurgen Klopp but will also be pleasing Gareth Southgate ahead of the European Championships. Gomez, alongside Virgil Van Dijk have looked a formidable partnership and for somebody who is just 22 years old, Gomez looks to be on the way to a wonderful career. The fact he only came back into the team because of an injury to Joel Matip could have scared the average player and influenced on performances in the season. That certainly hasn't been the case with Gomez who has taken Liverpool's defence to a different level this season and the confidence the Liverpool team have in each other defensively is exceptional.
CENTRE BACK - Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool)
I am genuinely running out of words on how to describe Virgil Van Dijk. Robbed of a Ballon D'or victory back in December but possibly on course to become a back to back winner of the PFA Player of the Year. Van Dijk has been an absolute colossus at the back for Liverpool once again this season, he seems to improve whatever defensive partner he plays alongside whether it is Gomez, Joel Matip or Dejan Lovren. A threat in either box for the opposition, he sets the tone for every game Liverpool play and his passing range is simply sensational. This season looks as if it is finally the end of Liverpool's title drought and Virgil Van Dijk has played a big a part as anyone in ending that, he will go down as a club legend without a doubt and once again he is a definite for the Team of the Season.
LEFT BACK - Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
Arguably the easiest decision this season due to the lack of quality in the position is yet another Liverpool player in the form of left back, Andrew Robertson. Robertson unlike the rest of the left backs in the league has performed very well this season even popping up with a rare goal in the win at Villa Park which turned out to be crucial in this season's title race. His playful competition with Alexander-Arnold when it comes to assists shows how competitive the Liverpool full backs are, even though Robertson only has 7 in comparison to Alexander-Arnold's 12. The way Liverpool widen the pitch with diagonal passes between players is such a crucial part of how they have played this season and Robertson has been a huge part of that this season.
CENTRAL MIDFIELD - Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)
This lad does not deserve to be where he is in the table at the moment, he is carrying Aston Villa! If the Midlands club were to stay in the Premier League this season they have their captain to thank for it, he has been absolutely tremendous. There has been an ongoing debate this season on who is the better player out of Grealish and James Maddison at Leicester City, for me, Grealish is a better player and will become a more influential player in the future than Maddison. I expect Grealish to get his first national team call-up in the coming months and Gareth Southgate would be foolish not to start him in the Euro's.
CENTRAL MIDFIELD - Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
The man who is the spearhead of a wonderful Manchester City team, Kevin De Bruyne has had a tremendous season. De Bruyne has an outstanding total of 16 assists in just 26 games and add to that 8 goals, including a goal of the season contender at St James' Park. He is now the player in the Premier League where when he stands over a dead ball or has the ball in a dangerous area, you know your team is in trouble. The fact that Liverpool have been so dominant yet De Bruyne is still one of the favourites for the end of season accolades shows just quite how influential he has been this season and reflects what a special talent he is. I cannot see De Bruyne winning the player of the season however he has been quite magnificent for Manchester City.
CENTRAL MIDFIELD - Jordan Henderson (Liverpool)
The current favourite for the player of the season is Liverpool's captain, Jordan Henderson. What an achievement it will be to be the captain of the Liverpool team that wins its first title in 30 years. Henderson has already became the 5th Liverpool captain to lift the European Cup back in June so he is on the way to hero status at Anfield. Apart from exceptional leadership, Henderson has also taken his game to a different level this season and he has even chipped with a few more goals from midfield, scoring 3 including a crucial equaliser at home to Spurs. With an injury for Harry Kane there is a good chance Henderson will captain England at the Euro's in the summer and his experience could come in handy when it comes to crunch games at the end of the tournament.
RIGHT MIDFIELD - Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Mohamed Salah has now scored 15 goals in the Premier League this season yet people still seem to think he is not having a good season. Salah is still the player in the Liverpool team who you would be looking for if you need a moment of magic in a game or if you need that goal to start things off. There have been so many goals that Liverpool have scored this season which spring to mind but the one that sticks out is Salah's goal against Manchester United, a goal which seemingly sealed the title for Liverpool and broke Salah's duck against the red half of Manchester, a goal which showed all of Salah's strengths, pace, composure, strength, it had it all and it epitomises Salah's Liverpool career, coming up with the goods when they need him.
LEFT MIDFIELD - Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Another member of Liverpool's fantastic front 3 gets into this team in the shape of Sadio Mane. The man who seems to be the one who is scoring the late goals for Liverpool this season, his winner at Aston Villa giving Liverpool the confidence boost going into the Manchester City game earlier in the season. Mane has gone to another level this season, terrorising full backs down the wing this season and becoming the most feared winger in the premier league. Mane was an easy choice for this team for me, I don't feel a winger has put in as many important performances as the Senegalese international this season and his link up play with Andrew Robertson has been deadly down Liverpool's left hand side and if they don't get you down the right with Alexander-Arnold and Salah, they will get you with Robertson and Mane.
CENTRE FORWARD - Danny Ings (Southampton)
Danny Ings is probably keeping Southampton in the Premier League this season and he has performed magnificently. Ings has 15 goals this season, 2 off the leader's for the golden boot Jamie Vardy and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Southampton looked in a rut when they lost 9-0 at home to Leicester City and their days in the Premier League looked numbered, however manager Ralph Hasenhuttl rallied his team and with Ings upfront the goals started to come back. Ings could be playing himself in to a starting berth at the upcoming Euro's with the injuries to Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford and also with the international retirement of Jamie Vardy. What Tottenham would have paid to have Ings upfront now with the injuries to Son Heung-Min and Kane, there are a couple of top 6 teams who will be looking at Danny Ings in the summer and Southampton will do well to keep hold of the England international if he carries on his wonderful form.
Tuesday 11 February 2020
Grand National 2020 - 5 Horses to Watch
With the weights announced today for the 2020 Grand National, I have drawn up a list of the 5 horses I am tipping to look out for in the coming weeks. With the amount of leading contenders going to post this year, it has the makings of a classic at Aintree, so many horses with so many different stories, one story however will take over the news in the build up. Are the history books going to be rewritten? Wouldn't it be excellent if they were.
POTTERS CORNER - 20/1
My first contender for the race is Welsh Grand National winner, Potters Corner. The Christian Williams trained contender is having its first run in the big race and would love for the rain to come in time for the race as those were the conditions back in December at Chepstow. A worry going into the race is the inexperience of jockey, Jack Tudor. The 17 year old will be having his first ride in the race and although Derek Fox and David Mullins have both won on their first rides in the race in the last 4 years, you worry that the inexperience could work against Tudor on this occasion. However saying that, Potters Corner is my leading contender for the race, going off a mark of 10 st 6 lbs I feel if Tudor can get round the treacherous Aintree course, it'll take a good horse to stop it. It's current odds in the market with Sky Bet are 20/1 but I expect that to be a lot narrower once the race goes off. I feel you may see Potters Corner go off at around 14/1 for the Grand National and I wouldn't be surprised if this is the horse that goes on to win the race.
Here is Potters Corner winning the Welsh Grand National in December
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvMYVWdtSB4
Cadmium - 25/1
A horse that knows how to win over the famous Aintree obstacles is Cadmium. A winner at the Grand National meeting last year on the Friday in the Topham Chase at 8/1, trainer Willie Mullins is opting to go for the big one this year with the 8 year old. With jockey Paul Townend in the saddle you would fancy that he will have the know how on how to get the horse round and sustain the energy for the key parts of the 4+ mile round trip. My main concern for Cadmium is its recent form since the win at Aintree, going off as an outsider at Leopardstown in December and failing to make an impression, eventually finishing 7th, a whopping 94 lengths behind winner, Delta Work. I feel Cadmium will run a big race, whether it will be able to handle the extra distance is a huge question mark hanging over its chances, but Mullins has been around long enough to prepare the horse for such a test. I can see Cadmium going off around its current mark of 25/1 for the big race.
Kimberlite Candy - 16/1
One of the most fancied horses for the Grand National is the Tom Lacey trained, Kimberlite Candy. 2nd in the Becher Chase back in December behind Walk in the Mill and looked as if it was still travelling with a decent stride which bodes well for its staying power. Another impressive performance at Warwick in January has got the attention of the punters with a 10l win, stretching the field out in a 3 mile 5 furlong race must bode well for the chances. Jockey Richie McLernon has been around for many a year now and has great experience in the big race, there aren't many other jockeys who know Aintree as well as him. I expect Kimberlite Candy to be second favourite for the Grand National as I believe Native River will be more focused for a second triumph in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. I think we will see odds of around 10/1 for the Grand National for Kimberlite Candy and it has every chance.
Ramses de Teillee - 28/1
Pulled up in last years Grand National, the David Pipe trained Ramses de Teillee is going for its second crack at the race in 2020. You would be forgiven for excusing last season's run with it being just a 7 year old and the last 7 year old to win the Grand National was Bogskar back in 1940 so you could say it is a rarity that a horse that young would win the National. Tom Scudamore will probably be the jockey on board, a jockey without a National victory in such an illustrious career, you'd imagine he will surely get one win at the Aintree centrepiece, is this the year this wait comes to an end? I feel Ramses will have a far better tilt at the race this year, whether it will be able to keep up the gallop and not pull up this year we will have to see, however I expect it to go off at around 18/1.
Tiger Roll - 5/1
Well you can't overlook the Tiger can you? The overwhelming favourite for the race and the possible history maker going for its 3rd straight Grand National, the first horse to win 3 Grand National's since Red Rum. I would love to see Tiger Roll win the National for a 3rd time and you have to say it's in the best position to win the race over its rivals. Davy Russell has given the Tiger 2 wonderful rides in the last 2 renewals of the National, timing his pursuit of the leader wonderfully, after coming round the bend into the final 2 fences, delivering its charge and on both occasions jumping the last either in front or joining the leader. You just worry how much weight will hamper the chances of a 3rd straight win, whether it will be too heavy for such a little horse. Owner Michael O'Leary was quoted as saying he did not fancy the chances last year before the triumph over Magic of Light. I don't feel Tiger Roll will win the 2020 Grand National, however I feel it will be the shortest priced favourite in such a long time, I feel it will touch 11/4 with the Aintree crowd backing it all the way.
Here are Tiger Roll's victories in the Grand National.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2K29d_mxoc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V83Jm_gdC8
POTTERS CORNER - 20/1
My first contender for the race is Welsh Grand National winner, Potters Corner. The Christian Williams trained contender is having its first run in the big race and would love for the rain to come in time for the race as those were the conditions back in December at Chepstow. A worry going into the race is the inexperience of jockey, Jack Tudor. The 17 year old will be having his first ride in the race and although Derek Fox and David Mullins have both won on their first rides in the race in the last 4 years, you worry that the inexperience could work against Tudor on this occasion. However saying that, Potters Corner is my leading contender for the race, going off a mark of 10 st 6 lbs I feel if Tudor can get round the treacherous Aintree course, it'll take a good horse to stop it. It's current odds in the market with Sky Bet are 20/1 but I expect that to be a lot narrower once the race goes off. I feel you may see Potters Corner go off at around 14/1 for the Grand National and I wouldn't be surprised if this is the horse that goes on to win the race.
Here is Potters Corner winning the Welsh Grand National in December
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvMYVWdtSB4
Cadmium - 25/1
A horse that knows how to win over the famous Aintree obstacles is Cadmium. A winner at the Grand National meeting last year on the Friday in the Topham Chase at 8/1, trainer Willie Mullins is opting to go for the big one this year with the 8 year old. With jockey Paul Townend in the saddle you would fancy that he will have the know how on how to get the horse round and sustain the energy for the key parts of the 4+ mile round trip. My main concern for Cadmium is its recent form since the win at Aintree, going off as an outsider at Leopardstown in December and failing to make an impression, eventually finishing 7th, a whopping 94 lengths behind winner, Delta Work. I feel Cadmium will run a big race, whether it will be able to handle the extra distance is a huge question mark hanging over its chances, but Mullins has been around long enough to prepare the horse for such a test. I can see Cadmium going off around its current mark of 25/1 for the big race.
Kimberlite Candy - 16/1
One of the most fancied horses for the Grand National is the Tom Lacey trained, Kimberlite Candy. 2nd in the Becher Chase back in December behind Walk in the Mill and looked as if it was still travelling with a decent stride which bodes well for its staying power. Another impressive performance at Warwick in January has got the attention of the punters with a 10l win, stretching the field out in a 3 mile 5 furlong race must bode well for the chances. Jockey Richie McLernon has been around for many a year now and has great experience in the big race, there aren't many other jockeys who know Aintree as well as him. I expect Kimberlite Candy to be second favourite for the Grand National as I believe Native River will be more focused for a second triumph in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. I think we will see odds of around 10/1 for the Grand National for Kimberlite Candy and it has every chance.
Ramses de Teillee - 28/1
Pulled up in last years Grand National, the David Pipe trained Ramses de Teillee is going for its second crack at the race in 2020. You would be forgiven for excusing last season's run with it being just a 7 year old and the last 7 year old to win the Grand National was Bogskar back in 1940 so you could say it is a rarity that a horse that young would win the National. Tom Scudamore will probably be the jockey on board, a jockey without a National victory in such an illustrious career, you'd imagine he will surely get one win at the Aintree centrepiece, is this the year this wait comes to an end? I feel Ramses will have a far better tilt at the race this year, whether it will be able to keep up the gallop and not pull up this year we will have to see, however I expect it to go off at around 18/1.
Tiger Roll - 5/1
Well you can't overlook the Tiger can you? The overwhelming favourite for the race and the possible history maker going for its 3rd straight Grand National, the first horse to win 3 Grand National's since Red Rum. I would love to see Tiger Roll win the National for a 3rd time and you have to say it's in the best position to win the race over its rivals. Davy Russell has given the Tiger 2 wonderful rides in the last 2 renewals of the National, timing his pursuit of the leader wonderfully, after coming round the bend into the final 2 fences, delivering its charge and on both occasions jumping the last either in front or joining the leader. You just worry how much weight will hamper the chances of a 3rd straight win, whether it will be too heavy for such a little horse. Owner Michael O'Leary was quoted as saying he did not fancy the chances last year before the triumph over Magic of Light. I don't feel Tiger Roll will win the 2020 Grand National, however I feel it will be the shortest priced favourite in such a long time, I feel it will touch 11/4 with the Aintree crowd backing it all the way.
Here are Tiger Roll's victories in the Grand National.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2K29d_mxoc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V83Jm_gdC8
Tuesday 28 January 2020
Betfred Super League 2020 - Season Preview
Thursday sees the return of the Betfred Super League, and the curtain-raiser for the 2020 season is a blockbuster matchup between 2 of this years favourites in the Wigan Warriors and the Warrington Wolves, 2 sides who have invested heavily in the off-season with new recruits, such as Gareth Widdop and George Burgess. This is going to be an overview of the season, predicting the season of all teams and the end of year 'Steve Prescott Man of Steel' award.
Castleford Tigers (Last Season - 5th)
Castleford will go into this season with yet another half-back partnership and that will be the biggest question asked of the Tigers this season. Will Jake Truemen and new signing Danny Richardson gel together? I feel they will work well together, however I do think it will take them a season to fully get to know how to adapt themselves to each others game. Castleford's key player this season in my eyes is 2019 Man of Steel contender Liam Watts who has been impressive for the Tigers since signing from Hull FC and I am expecting Australian import Sosaia Feki to be their top try scorer this season. I feel they will fall short of the playoffs this season after creeping in to the post-season in 2019 at the expense of Hull FC. They're an easy team on the eye are Castleford and an exciting team to watch when chosen to be the televised game.
My Prediction - 7th
Catalans Dragons (Last Season - 7th)
Well haven't Catalans brewed up a storm, whilst I am writing this they have just completed the signing of disgraced Australian rugby union player Israel Folau on a 1 year deal, something I didn't see coming. However with other signing James Maloney, favourite for the Man of Steel, also coming in to the side, I do see this being a good season for the Perpignan outfit. I'm a huge fan of the pack of the Dragons, especially captain Remi Casty who I feel has been fantastic the last couple of seasons and I expect him to lead from the front once again this season. It's also hard to ignore England international Sam Tomkins when talking about the Dragons who I felt had a good season last year off the back of his move from Wigan and proved a reliable goal kicker when needs be last season. They have lost the talented Tony Gigot but I do see this being a season where Catalans make the playoffs.
My Prediction - 4th
Huddersfield Giants (Last Season - 10th)
This is an interesting season for the Giants who I do feel will be battling to save themselves from the drop. They have brought in half-back Aiden Sezer and immediately decided he will captain the Giants this season, they will be hoping he can fill the void left by Danny Brough before his move to Wakefield before the start of last season. I do worry for their depth at the hooker position with the departure of Kruise Leeming to Leeds in the offseason and therefore leaving them with just Adam O'Brien in that position, they have also lost the talented Alex Mellor to Leeds as well which could hurt them in the long run as I felt he had a good season in the Second Row last season. Overall I do see Huddersfield having enough to beat the drop, as long as they keep Jermaine McGillvary fit you know he will provide tries for the Giants. I am also a fan of Darnell McIntosh at full-back and I'm expecting a big year from him.
My Prediction - 10th
Hull FC (Last Season - 6th)
Possibly the trickiest team to predict in the Super League are Hull as you just do not know what is round the corner with Lee Radford's team. They've made solid signings in the offseason such as winger Mahe Fonua and second rower Josh Jones, but their marquee signing has to be the 'Tongan Terminator' Manu Ma'u, all of this on top of a solid team which includes such players as Jake Connor and in my eyes underrated full-back Jamie Shaul. I see Hull having a good year this season and I do believe they will creep into the playoffs come the end of the season, however I just don't see them progressing far as I do feel the 3 powerhouses come the end of the season will have enough to see them off. Hull are also my pick for the Challenge Cup, they have had a great Wembley record lately, winning the trophy back to back in 2016-2017. I will back Marc Sneyd to control the game and collect the Lance Todd Trophy.
My Prediction - 5th
Hull KR (Last Season - 11th)
I feel it's going to be another long season for Hull KR, they didn't hit the heights last year and losing the experience of Danny McGuire and Mose Masoe will really hurt them in 2020. They have however improved their backs with players such as Greg Minikin and Shaun Kenny-Dowall, and their solution to the retirement of McGuire is to bring in London Broncos stand-off Jordan Abdull in his place, he will probably partner Jamie Ellis or young Mikey Lewis in the halves. I do feel as if they are going into this season as arguably the weakest outfit and with the fitness doubts of Weller Hauraki and Mitch Garbutt, I do feel it could be a season too far for the Robins. It'll be tight come the end of the season at the foot of the table, but I'm predicting this could be our relegated side.
My Prediction - 12th
Leeds Rhinos (Last Season - 8th)
Leeds go into this season with a point to prove and so does their new signing, 2017 Man of Steel winner, Luke Gale. Gale has been injury ridden since that Man of Steel victory and it will be interesting to see if he can reclaim his wonderful form when he was the spearhead of a brilliant Castleford team, his kicking game putting teams on the back foot and working with Paul McShane down the right edge of a devastating attack. This year Gale will probably be partnering Rob Lui in the halves, so if Leeds want to achieve playoff rugby this year, they will have to gel quickly. Leeds have also strengthened with the addition of prop Matt Prior and it'll be interesting to see who plays at hooker with Kruise Leeming and Brad Dwyer battling for the starting spot. Big seasons expected from youngsters Jack Walker and Harry Newman as well, Walker a recognised starter and Newman will push for the centre spot alongside man mountain, Konrad Hurrell.
My Prediction - 6th
Salford Red Devils (Last Season - 3rd)
They may have brought in numerous offseason recruits but make no mistake about it, this is a weaker Salford side than the one that played St Helens in the Grand Final in October. Any team in the Super League would miss a player of Jackson Hastings' calibre, especially a team like Salford who exceeded everyone's expectations last season. They've opted for an experienced replacement in Kevin Brown from Warrington, however you have to feel Brown will not be able to live up to the heights of Hastings last season, who was crowned Man of Steel. The Red Devils have also been able to attract centre Dan Sarginson from Wigan, Chris Atkin from Hull KR and have also loaned in prop Sebastian Ikahihifo from Huddersfield to bolster a pack including Lee Mossop and Gil Dudson, who were so impressive the second half of last season. I don't see Salford being in danger of being relegated this season but I do however see them finishing outside of the playoffs, I don't see last season as a one off but this season will certainly not hit the heights of the 2019 campaign.
My Prediction - 8th
St Helens (Last Season - 1st + Grand Final champions)
St Helens were the runaway leaders of the league last season and I do see them as the team to beat this season as well. It'll be an interesting transition for Saints as they are now under the leadership of new coach, Kristian Woolf as he takes over from outgoing Justin Holbrook who has moved to Gold Coast Titans. Saints just have proven quality all over the field, wingers Tommy Makinson and Regan Grace, both scored over 20 tries last season, stand-off Jonny Lomax was my personal Man of Steel, showing his class in that position with a superb partnership with Theo Fages. Prop forwards Luke Thompson, Alex Walmsley and young player of the year, Matty Lees went well all season, and loose forward Morgan Knowles gets better every year. Expect a big season this year from youngster James Bentley who will play either second row or fill in for the ever-dependable hooker James Roby. I don't see Saints having the league won as easy as they did last season but I still see them coming out on top. I also do believe Saints will go on to lift the Grand Final as well for the 2nd year running, with Lachlan Coote collecting the Harry Sunderland Trophy.
My Prediction - 1st
Toronto Wolfpack (Last Season - Promoted)
Sonny Bill Williams is here. The man who seems as if he has done everything in rugby has signed for the Canadian outfit. The Wolfpack have divided opinion on their inclusion into the Super League, however, I think it is great for the game to see a team with huge ambitions join the league. They come into the league with some greatly experienced Super League players such as ex-Saints captain Jon Wilkin, full-back Gareth O'Brien and prop Brad Singleton. I don't see the Wolfpack going straight into the playoff picture however I don't see them going straight back down. I think they will give a good account of themselves in their first season and the only way is up for Toronto.
My Prediction - 9th
Wakefield Trinity (Last Season - 9th)
Another team I think may be looking over their shoulder towards the end of the season are the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. They're a good side on paper but year in year out they have a constant burden with injuries, losing both Tom Johnstone and Bill Tupou for an extended period in 2019, losing one of their left edge is a worry but losing arguably their 2 most influential attacking players has the potential to ruin a season. The key for Wakefield this offseason was keeping hold of prop forward David Fifita which they have been able to do, Fifita also a player who struggled with injuries last season. I don't think Wakefield will go down but I do believe they'll be the ones fighting with Hull KR and Huddersfield for survival, Chris Chester's side will really need to battle this season.
My Prediction - 11th
Warrington Wolves (Last Season - 4th)
Last years Challenge Cup winners Warrington will go into this season with all confidence they can break their Grand Final duck. They have done some superb business in the offseason bringing in such players as Anthony Gelling, Gareth Widdop and newest recruit, Leilani Latu. The Wolves have however lost centre Bryson Goodwin who will be a big miss to them this season, however they do have the afore mentioned Gelling and Luther Burrell who can adapt to that position. Blake Austin is always a threat with his running game and can confuse the defence with a dummy better than anyone in the league, however the biggest threat in the Warrington team for me is hooker, Daryl Clark. Clark, the 2014 winner of the Man of Steel trophy, is a fantastic player and scored the final try in the Challenge Cup final victory in August. I do think Warrington will give the title a good run this season but as has been the case, they just won't get over the line this season.
My Prediction - 3rd
Wigan Warriors (Last Season - 2nd)
Wigan will want to get revenge for losing their Super League crown last season and losing out in both semi-finals in the playoffs to St Helens and Salford. They've made a huge statement in their recruitment of Man of Steel, Jackson Hastings in the offseason who will be a replacement for the outgoing George Williams to Canberra Raiders. Hastings will probably slot in to the halves alongside Bevan French who has been given the 6 jersey by the Warriors this season, so it will be interesting to see yet another new half-back partnership in Super League this season and how it will develop. Wigan have also boosted their pack with the acquisitions of George Burgess and Mitch Clark, 2 players who will run hard for the warriors and will cause defences all sorts of trouble especially if Tony Clubb performs this season, another impressive member of the Wigan side.
My Prediction - 2nd
Steve Prescott Man Of Steel
My pick for Man of Steel this year is the 22/1 rated Warrington hooker Daryl Clark. I'm backing Clark to win this for a 2nd time because of the way the points are tallied I see him being the stand-out performer in so many Warrington games this season, especially whilst Widdop and Austin gel in the halves. I think the other 4 contenders he will beat to the award will be Jonny Lomax, Sonny Bill Williams, James Maloney and Jackson Hastings. I feel Lomax will lose out due to the versatility of Saints and how many players will pick up points this season, Williams will lose out due to his side not winning enough games and the opposition players will pick up the 3,2 and 1 points on a weekly basis, however he will still impress enough to end up in contention. Maloney and Hastings will be in a position where they will still pick up a good amount of points but there will be other good performers in their team, they're probably in the same position as Lomax but not to the same extent.
Top Try Scorer
If you're looking for a flutter on who may score the most tries in 2020, look no further than Saints winger Regan Grace. Grace is a 20/1 shot with Betfred to score the most tries this season, with teammate Tommy Makinson and Warrington wingman Josh Charnley joint favourites at 11/1. Grace worked well with Saints centre Mark Percival in their warm-up game against London Broncos, so if they can work well together this season, I expect Grace is the best bet for the award.
I couldn't write this without putting a footnote in for rugby league legend Rob Burrow who it was revealed over the offseason is battling Motor Neurone Disease. Burrow was a wonderful player for the Leeds Rhinos and the reception he received off the Headingley crowd in Jamie Jones-Buchanan's testimonial brought the great man to tears. It was nothing less than Burrow deserved for what he has done, not only for Leeds but the Super League over the years, one of the greatest players to ever play in the Super League and a legend in my eyes.
Rob Burrow fund - https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/displayCharityCampaignPage.action?charityCampaignUrl=robburrow
Castleford Tigers (Last Season - 5th)
Castleford will go into this season with yet another half-back partnership and that will be the biggest question asked of the Tigers this season. Will Jake Truemen and new signing Danny Richardson gel together? I feel they will work well together, however I do think it will take them a season to fully get to know how to adapt themselves to each others game. Castleford's key player this season in my eyes is 2019 Man of Steel contender Liam Watts who has been impressive for the Tigers since signing from Hull FC and I am expecting Australian import Sosaia Feki to be their top try scorer this season. I feel they will fall short of the playoffs this season after creeping in to the post-season in 2019 at the expense of Hull FC. They're an easy team on the eye are Castleford and an exciting team to watch when chosen to be the televised game.
My Prediction - 7th
Catalans Dragons (Last Season - 7th)
Well haven't Catalans brewed up a storm, whilst I am writing this they have just completed the signing of disgraced Australian rugby union player Israel Folau on a 1 year deal, something I didn't see coming. However with other signing James Maloney, favourite for the Man of Steel, also coming in to the side, I do see this being a good season for the Perpignan outfit. I'm a huge fan of the pack of the Dragons, especially captain Remi Casty who I feel has been fantastic the last couple of seasons and I expect him to lead from the front once again this season. It's also hard to ignore England international Sam Tomkins when talking about the Dragons who I felt had a good season last year off the back of his move from Wigan and proved a reliable goal kicker when needs be last season. They have lost the talented Tony Gigot but I do see this being a season where Catalans make the playoffs.
My Prediction - 4th
Huddersfield Giants (Last Season - 10th)
This is an interesting season for the Giants who I do feel will be battling to save themselves from the drop. They have brought in half-back Aiden Sezer and immediately decided he will captain the Giants this season, they will be hoping he can fill the void left by Danny Brough before his move to Wakefield before the start of last season. I do worry for their depth at the hooker position with the departure of Kruise Leeming to Leeds in the offseason and therefore leaving them with just Adam O'Brien in that position, they have also lost the talented Alex Mellor to Leeds as well which could hurt them in the long run as I felt he had a good season in the Second Row last season. Overall I do see Huddersfield having enough to beat the drop, as long as they keep Jermaine McGillvary fit you know he will provide tries for the Giants. I am also a fan of Darnell McIntosh at full-back and I'm expecting a big year from him.
My Prediction - 10th
Hull FC (Last Season - 6th)
Possibly the trickiest team to predict in the Super League are Hull as you just do not know what is round the corner with Lee Radford's team. They've made solid signings in the offseason such as winger Mahe Fonua and second rower Josh Jones, but their marquee signing has to be the 'Tongan Terminator' Manu Ma'u, all of this on top of a solid team which includes such players as Jake Connor and in my eyes underrated full-back Jamie Shaul. I see Hull having a good year this season and I do believe they will creep into the playoffs come the end of the season, however I just don't see them progressing far as I do feel the 3 powerhouses come the end of the season will have enough to see them off. Hull are also my pick for the Challenge Cup, they have had a great Wembley record lately, winning the trophy back to back in 2016-2017. I will back Marc Sneyd to control the game and collect the Lance Todd Trophy.
My Prediction - 5th
Hull KR (Last Season - 11th)
I feel it's going to be another long season for Hull KR, they didn't hit the heights last year and losing the experience of Danny McGuire and Mose Masoe will really hurt them in 2020. They have however improved their backs with players such as Greg Minikin and Shaun Kenny-Dowall, and their solution to the retirement of McGuire is to bring in London Broncos stand-off Jordan Abdull in his place, he will probably partner Jamie Ellis or young Mikey Lewis in the halves. I do feel as if they are going into this season as arguably the weakest outfit and with the fitness doubts of Weller Hauraki and Mitch Garbutt, I do feel it could be a season too far for the Robins. It'll be tight come the end of the season at the foot of the table, but I'm predicting this could be our relegated side.
My Prediction - 12th
Leeds Rhinos (Last Season - 8th)
Leeds go into this season with a point to prove and so does their new signing, 2017 Man of Steel winner, Luke Gale. Gale has been injury ridden since that Man of Steel victory and it will be interesting to see if he can reclaim his wonderful form when he was the spearhead of a brilliant Castleford team, his kicking game putting teams on the back foot and working with Paul McShane down the right edge of a devastating attack. This year Gale will probably be partnering Rob Lui in the halves, so if Leeds want to achieve playoff rugby this year, they will have to gel quickly. Leeds have also strengthened with the addition of prop Matt Prior and it'll be interesting to see who plays at hooker with Kruise Leeming and Brad Dwyer battling for the starting spot. Big seasons expected from youngsters Jack Walker and Harry Newman as well, Walker a recognised starter and Newman will push for the centre spot alongside man mountain, Konrad Hurrell.
My Prediction - 6th
Salford Red Devils (Last Season - 3rd)
They may have brought in numerous offseason recruits but make no mistake about it, this is a weaker Salford side than the one that played St Helens in the Grand Final in October. Any team in the Super League would miss a player of Jackson Hastings' calibre, especially a team like Salford who exceeded everyone's expectations last season. They've opted for an experienced replacement in Kevin Brown from Warrington, however you have to feel Brown will not be able to live up to the heights of Hastings last season, who was crowned Man of Steel. The Red Devils have also been able to attract centre Dan Sarginson from Wigan, Chris Atkin from Hull KR and have also loaned in prop Sebastian Ikahihifo from Huddersfield to bolster a pack including Lee Mossop and Gil Dudson, who were so impressive the second half of last season. I don't see Salford being in danger of being relegated this season but I do however see them finishing outside of the playoffs, I don't see last season as a one off but this season will certainly not hit the heights of the 2019 campaign.
My Prediction - 8th
St Helens (Last Season - 1st + Grand Final champions)
St Helens were the runaway leaders of the league last season and I do see them as the team to beat this season as well. It'll be an interesting transition for Saints as they are now under the leadership of new coach, Kristian Woolf as he takes over from outgoing Justin Holbrook who has moved to Gold Coast Titans. Saints just have proven quality all over the field, wingers Tommy Makinson and Regan Grace, both scored over 20 tries last season, stand-off Jonny Lomax was my personal Man of Steel, showing his class in that position with a superb partnership with Theo Fages. Prop forwards Luke Thompson, Alex Walmsley and young player of the year, Matty Lees went well all season, and loose forward Morgan Knowles gets better every year. Expect a big season this year from youngster James Bentley who will play either second row or fill in for the ever-dependable hooker James Roby. I don't see Saints having the league won as easy as they did last season but I still see them coming out on top. I also do believe Saints will go on to lift the Grand Final as well for the 2nd year running, with Lachlan Coote collecting the Harry Sunderland Trophy.
My Prediction - 1st
Toronto Wolfpack (Last Season - Promoted)
Sonny Bill Williams is here. The man who seems as if he has done everything in rugby has signed for the Canadian outfit. The Wolfpack have divided opinion on their inclusion into the Super League, however, I think it is great for the game to see a team with huge ambitions join the league. They come into the league with some greatly experienced Super League players such as ex-Saints captain Jon Wilkin, full-back Gareth O'Brien and prop Brad Singleton. I don't see the Wolfpack going straight into the playoff picture however I don't see them going straight back down. I think they will give a good account of themselves in their first season and the only way is up for Toronto.
My Prediction - 9th
Wakefield Trinity (Last Season - 9th)
Another team I think may be looking over their shoulder towards the end of the season are the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. They're a good side on paper but year in year out they have a constant burden with injuries, losing both Tom Johnstone and Bill Tupou for an extended period in 2019, losing one of their left edge is a worry but losing arguably their 2 most influential attacking players has the potential to ruin a season. The key for Wakefield this offseason was keeping hold of prop forward David Fifita which they have been able to do, Fifita also a player who struggled with injuries last season. I don't think Wakefield will go down but I do believe they'll be the ones fighting with Hull KR and Huddersfield for survival, Chris Chester's side will really need to battle this season.
My Prediction - 11th
Warrington Wolves (Last Season - 4th)
Last years Challenge Cup winners Warrington will go into this season with all confidence they can break their Grand Final duck. They have done some superb business in the offseason bringing in such players as Anthony Gelling, Gareth Widdop and newest recruit, Leilani Latu. The Wolves have however lost centre Bryson Goodwin who will be a big miss to them this season, however they do have the afore mentioned Gelling and Luther Burrell who can adapt to that position. Blake Austin is always a threat with his running game and can confuse the defence with a dummy better than anyone in the league, however the biggest threat in the Warrington team for me is hooker, Daryl Clark. Clark, the 2014 winner of the Man of Steel trophy, is a fantastic player and scored the final try in the Challenge Cup final victory in August. I do think Warrington will give the title a good run this season but as has been the case, they just won't get over the line this season.
My Prediction - 3rd
Wigan Warriors (Last Season - 2nd)
Wigan will want to get revenge for losing their Super League crown last season and losing out in both semi-finals in the playoffs to St Helens and Salford. They've made a huge statement in their recruitment of Man of Steel, Jackson Hastings in the offseason who will be a replacement for the outgoing George Williams to Canberra Raiders. Hastings will probably slot in to the halves alongside Bevan French who has been given the 6 jersey by the Warriors this season, so it will be interesting to see yet another new half-back partnership in Super League this season and how it will develop. Wigan have also boosted their pack with the acquisitions of George Burgess and Mitch Clark, 2 players who will run hard for the warriors and will cause defences all sorts of trouble especially if Tony Clubb performs this season, another impressive member of the Wigan side.
My Prediction - 2nd
Steve Prescott Man Of Steel
My pick for Man of Steel this year is the 22/1 rated Warrington hooker Daryl Clark. I'm backing Clark to win this for a 2nd time because of the way the points are tallied I see him being the stand-out performer in so many Warrington games this season, especially whilst Widdop and Austin gel in the halves. I think the other 4 contenders he will beat to the award will be Jonny Lomax, Sonny Bill Williams, James Maloney and Jackson Hastings. I feel Lomax will lose out due to the versatility of Saints and how many players will pick up points this season, Williams will lose out due to his side not winning enough games and the opposition players will pick up the 3,2 and 1 points on a weekly basis, however he will still impress enough to end up in contention. Maloney and Hastings will be in a position where they will still pick up a good amount of points but there will be other good performers in their team, they're probably in the same position as Lomax but not to the same extent.
Top Try Scorer
If you're looking for a flutter on who may score the most tries in 2020, look no further than Saints winger Regan Grace. Grace is a 20/1 shot with Betfred to score the most tries this season, with teammate Tommy Makinson and Warrington wingman Josh Charnley joint favourites at 11/1. Grace worked well with Saints centre Mark Percival in their warm-up game against London Broncos, so if they can work well together this season, I expect Grace is the best bet for the award.
I couldn't write this without putting a footnote in for rugby league legend Rob Burrow who it was revealed over the offseason is battling Motor Neurone Disease. Burrow was a wonderful player for the Leeds Rhinos and the reception he received off the Headingley crowd in Jamie Jones-Buchanan's testimonial brought the great man to tears. It was nothing less than Burrow deserved for what he has done, not only for Leeds but the Super League over the years, one of the greatest players to ever play in the Super League and a legend in my eyes.
Rob Burrow fund - https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/displayCharityCampaignPage.action?charityCampaignUrl=robburrow
Monday 20 January 2020
Jordan Henderson
I wasn't going to dip into football in this blog, however I can't let the performances of Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson go unnoticed. Henderson is currently playing the football of his life and if it wasn't for a wonderful fingertip save from David De Gea we would be talking about the Liverpool captain sealing the win against arch rivals Manchester United. However without that goal, Henderson would go on to receive the Sky Sports man of the match award which was truly deserved, it could have went to any Liverpool player on Sunday but Henderson was the recipient ahead of midfield partner Georginio Wijnaldum. This is going to be a review of Henderson's Liverpool career, the up's and downs and how he has got himself into the position of European Cup winning captain and you'd imagine soon to be Premier League winner.
The date is 9th June 2011 and Liverpool announce the signing of 20 year old Sunderland midfielder Jordan Henderson on a long term deal. A signing which was questioned as to whether or not it was the correct decision, possibly overshadowed by the overall business Liverpool did that summer signing such players as Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing, players who lets say, failed to hit the ground running at Anfield. Henderson had a slow start to his Liverpool career however did start the 2012 League Cup triumph over Cardiff City on penalties, being replaced by Craig Bellamy in the 58th minute after a quiet performance. Henderson then went on to play in the FA Cup final where Liverpool went down 2-1 to Chelsea, it overall went down as a disappointing season for Henderson however he was certainly not the weakest link in a poor Liverpool team.
Dalglish left and in came Swansea City manager Brendan Rodgers who's long term idea was to move Henderson from a right sided midfielder in to more of a central minded midfielder. Rodgers did however try to put a deal in place for Fulham forward Clint Dempsey, using Henderson as a makeweight in a swap deal, something when looking back at the situation will go down as a bullet dodged. Whilst working under Rodgers, Henderson started to blossom into a 20 million pound central midfielder playing on the right side of a central diamond formation which saw captain Steven Gerrard move to a more defensive role, Henderson started to add more goals to his game under Rodgers but his strongest season under Rodgers was his first season as vice-captain in 2013/14, the season where Liverpool came within inches of a first league championship since 1990. Henderson starred in a midfield role alongside Gerrard and Brazilian Philippe Coutinho, giving service to the destructive front 3 of Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge and Golden Boot winner and PFA Player of the Year, Luis Suarez. This was the season where Henderson matured into a full international, gaining a call up for his first World Cup with England and gaining plaudits from many saying he had been one of the most important cogs in such a strong Liverpool team. However one of the low points in the season and a moment in which many see as a turning point in the title race, Henderson was sent off in the last minute of the clash with Manchester City and being awarded a 3 match ban which saw him miss the games against Norwich, Chelsea and Crystal Palace, a run of games in which Liverpool took only 4 points out of 9 and ultimately missed out on the title.
At the end of the 2014/15 season, Steven Gerrard was to leave Liverpool after spending his whole career at the club and move to LA Galaxy, a move which saw Henderson promoted to the Liverpool captaincy, a move which was universally agreed by Liverpool fans saying that it was the correct decision and the right direction they wanted leadership to go in. The first season under the leadership of Henderson saw another change in the dugout, Rodgers was sacked after a 1-1 draw away to rivals Everton and in came the former Borussia Dortmund boss, Jurgen Klopp. Klopp decided that Henderson was to be his captain and to carry on leading the side in a season which saw Liverpool get to 2 finals, the League Cup final against Manchester City which they lost on penalties and the Europa League final against Sevilla losing 3-1 in Bern. Henderson was not without his critics for a few years, some fans asking for him to be replaced as captain by either the experienced James Milner or the defensive colossus in Dutchman, Virgil Van Dijk, this something that clearly has not been in the mind of Klopp. Henderson's next final as captain was to be the European Cup final in 2018 in Kiev, a season where Liverpool had performed impeccably going into the final, forwards Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and 'Bobby' Firmino all scoring big goals in the knockout stages to get to Kiev and became the most feared front 3 in Europe. However Kiev was to end in heartbreak, a disastrous game from German goalkeeper Loris Karius handing winners Real Madrid 2 goals in a 3-1 win for the Spanish outfit in a game where Mo Salah was injured by Sergio Ramos who somehow escaped a red card for the challenge.
Going in to the 2018/19 season, this was to be a huge season for Henderson, if he was to struggle, Klopp may have seen the positives in changing the captaincy to the afore mentioned Van Dijk. However what was to come was to be the best full season of Jordan Henderson's career. Liverpool were to have an impeccable season, finishing on 97 points in the Premier League, finishing 2nd behind eventual champions Manchester City after a tussle where neither team gave an inch, both winning every game from mid-March to the end of the season. It was on the European front where Henderson was to finally get his hands on more silverware after a 7 year wait and the first piece of silverware as Liverpool captain. After wins over Bayern Munich and Porto, Liverpool somehow came back from 3-0 down to win 4-3 on aggregate against Spanish champions Barcelona, Henderson outstanding in the return leg at Anfield, you could see how much it meant to the captain at the end of the game with emotion pouring out onto the Anfield turf. English outfit Tottenham stood in the way of Henderson and Liverpool winning a 6th European Cup, Liverpool overcame the challenge of Spurs, beating them 2-0 in Madrid with goals from Salah and cult hero Divock Origi. Henderson in tears at full time after another captains performance where you could see he had put everything into the performance, embracing manager Klopp and struggling to stand up, running on empty and capping off his best season in a red shirt since the 2013/14 campaign.
If the 18/19 campaign was impressive then this season's performances have been nothing short of superb from the Liverpool captain. Tremendous performances against reigning champions Manchester City, away to title rivals Leicester City and the World Club Championship final against Flamengo have stood out and made people aware of exactly what Jordan Henderson is capable of. Flamengo manager Jorge Jesus was quoted as saying he believes Henderson is the world's best midfielder, a statement which would have been laughed at 24 months ago however at this moment, with the captaincy element involved, I feel Jordan would be a fair enough contender for that title. Henderson has formed a formidable partnership in Liverpool's midfield 3 with Fabinho and Gini Wijnaldum which looks like Klopp's preferred trio when going into games and has been solid in the big games, it was also the midfield of choice in Madrid. Liverpool have been without Fabinho for around a month now and Henderson has stepped in to the void and has done his job tremendously, at this moment arguably the best footballer in the league and a good outside bet for Player of the Year. Henderson has also become the first captain of a British team to lift the international club treble, lifting the European Cup, Super Cup and World Club Championship in the last 12 months, a feat many would not have seen coming when Liverpool lost 6-1 to Stoke City in the last game before Henderson became Liverpool captain.
Liverpool sit 16 points clear at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand on their rivals and if they were to go on to win the league, there aren't many people who would deny that there is no man in this current squad that deserves that trophy as much as Jordan Henderson, what a player he has become and the reception he received off the Kop when leaving the field after defeating Manchester United was massively deserved. I just hope that the roar is even louder if his name is hopefully read out before lifting the Premier League trophy.
The date is 9th June 2011 and Liverpool announce the signing of 20 year old Sunderland midfielder Jordan Henderson on a long term deal. A signing which was questioned as to whether or not it was the correct decision, possibly overshadowed by the overall business Liverpool did that summer signing such players as Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing, players who lets say, failed to hit the ground running at Anfield. Henderson had a slow start to his Liverpool career however did start the 2012 League Cup triumph over Cardiff City on penalties, being replaced by Craig Bellamy in the 58th minute after a quiet performance. Henderson then went on to play in the FA Cup final where Liverpool went down 2-1 to Chelsea, it overall went down as a disappointing season for Henderson however he was certainly not the weakest link in a poor Liverpool team.
Dalglish left and in came Swansea City manager Brendan Rodgers who's long term idea was to move Henderson from a right sided midfielder in to more of a central minded midfielder. Rodgers did however try to put a deal in place for Fulham forward Clint Dempsey, using Henderson as a makeweight in a swap deal, something when looking back at the situation will go down as a bullet dodged. Whilst working under Rodgers, Henderson started to blossom into a 20 million pound central midfielder playing on the right side of a central diamond formation which saw captain Steven Gerrard move to a more defensive role, Henderson started to add more goals to his game under Rodgers but his strongest season under Rodgers was his first season as vice-captain in 2013/14, the season where Liverpool came within inches of a first league championship since 1990. Henderson starred in a midfield role alongside Gerrard and Brazilian Philippe Coutinho, giving service to the destructive front 3 of Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge and Golden Boot winner and PFA Player of the Year, Luis Suarez. This was the season where Henderson matured into a full international, gaining a call up for his first World Cup with England and gaining plaudits from many saying he had been one of the most important cogs in such a strong Liverpool team. However one of the low points in the season and a moment in which many see as a turning point in the title race, Henderson was sent off in the last minute of the clash with Manchester City and being awarded a 3 match ban which saw him miss the games against Norwich, Chelsea and Crystal Palace, a run of games in which Liverpool took only 4 points out of 9 and ultimately missed out on the title.
At the end of the 2014/15 season, Steven Gerrard was to leave Liverpool after spending his whole career at the club and move to LA Galaxy, a move which saw Henderson promoted to the Liverpool captaincy, a move which was universally agreed by Liverpool fans saying that it was the correct decision and the right direction they wanted leadership to go in. The first season under the leadership of Henderson saw another change in the dugout, Rodgers was sacked after a 1-1 draw away to rivals Everton and in came the former Borussia Dortmund boss, Jurgen Klopp. Klopp decided that Henderson was to be his captain and to carry on leading the side in a season which saw Liverpool get to 2 finals, the League Cup final against Manchester City which they lost on penalties and the Europa League final against Sevilla losing 3-1 in Bern. Henderson was not without his critics for a few years, some fans asking for him to be replaced as captain by either the experienced James Milner or the defensive colossus in Dutchman, Virgil Van Dijk, this something that clearly has not been in the mind of Klopp. Henderson's next final as captain was to be the European Cup final in 2018 in Kiev, a season where Liverpool had performed impeccably going into the final, forwards Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and 'Bobby' Firmino all scoring big goals in the knockout stages to get to Kiev and became the most feared front 3 in Europe. However Kiev was to end in heartbreak, a disastrous game from German goalkeeper Loris Karius handing winners Real Madrid 2 goals in a 3-1 win for the Spanish outfit in a game where Mo Salah was injured by Sergio Ramos who somehow escaped a red card for the challenge.
Going in to the 2018/19 season, this was to be a huge season for Henderson, if he was to struggle, Klopp may have seen the positives in changing the captaincy to the afore mentioned Van Dijk. However what was to come was to be the best full season of Jordan Henderson's career. Liverpool were to have an impeccable season, finishing on 97 points in the Premier League, finishing 2nd behind eventual champions Manchester City after a tussle where neither team gave an inch, both winning every game from mid-March to the end of the season. It was on the European front where Henderson was to finally get his hands on more silverware after a 7 year wait and the first piece of silverware as Liverpool captain. After wins over Bayern Munich and Porto, Liverpool somehow came back from 3-0 down to win 4-3 on aggregate against Spanish champions Barcelona, Henderson outstanding in the return leg at Anfield, you could see how much it meant to the captain at the end of the game with emotion pouring out onto the Anfield turf. English outfit Tottenham stood in the way of Henderson and Liverpool winning a 6th European Cup, Liverpool overcame the challenge of Spurs, beating them 2-0 in Madrid with goals from Salah and cult hero Divock Origi. Henderson in tears at full time after another captains performance where you could see he had put everything into the performance, embracing manager Klopp and struggling to stand up, running on empty and capping off his best season in a red shirt since the 2013/14 campaign.
If the 18/19 campaign was impressive then this season's performances have been nothing short of superb from the Liverpool captain. Tremendous performances against reigning champions Manchester City, away to title rivals Leicester City and the World Club Championship final against Flamengo have stood out and made people aware of exactly what Jordan Henderson is capable of. Flamengo manager Jorge Jesus was quoted as saying he believes Henderson is the world's best midfielder, a statement which would have been laughed at 24 months ago however at this moment, with the captaincy element involved, I feel Jordan would be a fair enough contender for that title. Henderson has formed a formidable partnership in Liverpool's midfield 3 with Fabinho and Gini Wijnaldum which looks like Klopp's preferred trio when going into games and has been solid in the big games, it was also the midfield of choice in Madrid. Liverpool have been without Fabinho for around a month now and Henderson has stepped in to the void and has done his job tremendously, at this moment arguably the best footballer in the league and a good outside bet for Player of the Year. Henderson has also become the first captain of a British team to lift the international club treble, lifting the European Cup, Super Cup and World Club Championship in the last 12 months, a feat many would not have seen coming when Liverpool lost 6-1 to Stoke City in the last game before Henderson became Liverpool captain.
Liverpool sit 16 points clear at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand on their rivals and if they were to go on to win the league, there aren't many people who would deny that there is no man in this current squad that deserves that trophy as much as Jordan Henderson, what a player he has become and the reception he received off the Kop when leaving the field after defeating Manchester United was massively deserved. I just hope that the roar is even louder if his name is hopefully read out before lifting the Premier League trophy.
Wednesday 15 January 2020
NFL Divisional Week Preview
This weekend see's the penultimate weekend of competitive action in the NFL as 4 teams aim to reach Super Bowl 54 in Miami.
The bookies favourites are the Kansas City Chiefs, lead by their 3rd year quarterback out of Texas Tech, Patrick Mahomes II, who lost out at this stage last season, losing in overtime to the eventual Super Bowl champs, New England Patriots. Chiefs fans out there will be hoping that the experience of losing at this stage last season will spur on the team to their first Super Bowl victory since 1970 where they defeated the Minnesota Vikings 23-7 in New Orleans. The Chiefs must have been cursing themselves in last weeks Divisional Round where after just a quarter they trailed 24-0 to the Deshaun Watson lead Houston Texans, a quarterback they passed on in the 2017 NFL draft where they chose the afore mentioned Mahomes II, trading up to the 10th overall pick, a decision which looking back on it has not raised any eyebrows, however the irony must have been in the back of the mind of GM Brett Veach and HC Andy Reid. Mahomes then showed his class, tossing for 4 touchdowns in the 2nd quarter and hauling the Chiefs back into the picture, after a huge battle on offence, the tie ended up being a high scoring affair, the Chiefs coming out on top 51-31. Mahomes has not hit the glittering headlines of his exceptional first year as starter in 2018 where he tossed for 50 regular season touchdowns, however has still had an above average season, picking out his main targets of Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill more often that not, which means that he is still the quarterback to fear in this offseason, maybe they will become the new force in the NFL, however competing year in, year out with the Baltimore Ravens, with their quarterback Lamar Jackson seems an enticing prospect for any neutral. As a fan of the sport, battles between Mahomes and Jackson is definitely something to look forward to, and with Mahomes only being 24 and Jackson being 23, fingers crossed there are plenty of battles to come. It does look as if the Chiefs are the team to beat but you never know what's round the corner in Playoff Football.
The team looking to take down the chiefs are this years surprise package, Tennessee Titans, who's main man and biggest threat seems to be the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner, running back, Derrick Henry. The Titans mid-season trade for quarterback Ryan Tannehill after his release from the Miami Dolphins, displacing former first round draft choice Marcus Mariota, seems to be a shrewd decision as he has fitted in to the system that the Titans play like a glove. The number 6 seed came into the playoffs with the dreaded task of going to Foxbrough to play reigning Super Bowl champs and the seemingly invicible, New England Patriots, who have been lead since 2001 by the greatest quarterback to ever lace up in the NFL, Tom Brady, or as he is now referred 'The GOAT'. However this is something that the Titans did not fear, taking down the Patriots 20-13, shocking everybody associated with the NFL. The Titans then had to go to number one seed Baltimore Ravens as mentioned above with the sure favourite for the MVP award Jackson, a task which teams haven't exactly looked forward to this season. But in line with the common theme of this Titans team, it certainly did not faze them, Henry running for 195 yards off 30 carries. This has now given the Chiefs something to think about going in to this weekends fixture which looks as if it is going to be an absolute cracker.
MY PREDICTION - I do believe the Chiefs will just have enough to beat the Titans, however it will be a tight affair, I think Mahomes will show his class, the crowd at Arrowhead will drag the team through it and as much as I feel the Chiefs have a vulnerable defence towards the running game of Henry, Tannehill's lack of experience in the playoffs may show, expect a touchdown from the secondary defence of Kansas City. If I had to give a score prediction, I would say Kansas City by 6, with a Hail Mary attempt from Tannehill being intercepted late on.
Now in the NFC Championship game, a real comeback story vs somebody who has been a constant threat to any side for since I can remember, both teams having the same record in the NFL this season at 13-3.
The San Francisco 49ers after having 2nd pick in the 2019 draft find themselves in the Championship game, something I really did not predict happening before the start of the season, this must have even come as a surprise to the most optimistic of 49ers fans. However with the 2nd pick of the draft, they drafted, for me, the best player in the draft in LE Nick Bosa, which is a name which makes you sit up and listen after brother Joey's performances since being drafted by the Chargers a few years prior. Their quarterback is the former understudy to Tom Brady in New England, Jimmy Garoppolo, who seemed as if he was on the way to a career which was not going to reach the potential it seemed it had a few years ago in New England. When he was traded to San Francisco to the surprise of many it seemed as if they had found their new franchise quarterback, however just 3 games into his career in Santa Clara, the quarterback suffered a torn ACL in an injury that saw him miss the rest of the season, this then poised the obvious question of 'Will we see Jimmy G back firing like we expect him to'? To his credit, Garoppolo has bounced back and has been worth his plaudits this year, leading the 49ers to a 13-3 regular season record, helped by a mid-season signing of Emmanuel Sanders who has looked like the receiver he was in Seattle when Russell Wilson was throwing to the likes of him and Tyler Lockett who is still looking like a huge weapon in the Seahawks offence and TE George Kittle who has turned into an absolute machine in the last 2 seasons for San Francisco, looking like he could be a future Hall of Famer. The 49ers have also drawn plaudits for their rushing offence, with the 2nd best record of this regular season behind just Baltimore, who have arguably 1 of the most well known rushing threats in the NFL in Jackson, showing quite how impressive they have been this season. They have been the team to beat all season in the NFC this season having only lost their first game in week 10 to the Seattle Seahawks, this being their 9th game of the season, this is something that people will be looking at when preparing for the 49ers this season, they will not be an easy game for anyone.
Their opponents this weekend and the visitors to the Levi's Stadium are the Green Bay Packers who are lead by future first ballot Hall of Famer, Aaron Rodgers who has been one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, certainly in the bracket of the Tom Brady's, Joe Montana's, the top top tier of players. He has made every team who passed on him in the 2005 draft definitely rethink their decision to pass on him, proving to everybody that he should have been the number 1 pick in that draft over QB Alex Smith who has not had a bad career, but certainly has not hit the heights that Rodgers has hit in his career. Rodgers was a Super Bowl champion in 2011 defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl 45 by 31 points to 25 and he will be hoping that he can upset the odds and take the Packers back to the promised land as they have not been in the National Championship since then and its a question of should Rodgers have won more possessing the class that he has done? Well he may just add to his total if WR Davante Adams is on his game, Rodgers main target has been tremendous this season and has grown into the role of number one target since the loss of Randall Cobb to Dallas and Jordy Nelson to Oakland. Some of the route's that Adams ran in the Divisional Round victory vs Seattle were nothing less than superb, obviously helped out at times by tremendous throwing by Rodgers, one throw sticking out which created the first score in the game, a beautifully floated throw by Rodgers but Adams making the defensive back look silly by checking his run and being wide open when going into the corner, it looked as wonderful as it sounds. Another player who has really impressed me this season for Green Bay has been running back Aaron Jones, who has ran in for 19 touchdowns this season, impressive for anybody but in an offence which is usually pass orientated, Jones must be impressing HC Matt LeFleur in practice to be able to get the ball out of the hands of Rodgers. As a neutral going in to this round of fixtures, if I had to pick a team I would like to see lift the Vince Lombardi trophy on the 2nd February, it would definitely be the Cheeseheads but it will be a tricky task for even a quarterback of Rodgers class to overcome stiff opposition, however I was impressed by the Packers against the Russell Wilson lead Seahawks.
MY PREDICTION - I feel this is a tighter call than the AFC Championship as we have 2 Super Bowl winning quarterbacks on show (albeit Garoppolo as a backup) however working under Brady and coach Belicheck must give him the knowhow of how to handle the pressure in these situations. This is something I believe will give them the edge in this game, unfortunately for Rodgers, I do think this is the end of the road for the Packers this season, and I also do think this is the last chance for Rodgers to lift his 2nd Super Bowl, I'm going for San Francisco to win by double digits and I feel their running game will kill the Packers, I feel like the offensive line of the Packers looked weak at times against Seattle and I feel like people like Nick Bosa will put enough pressure on Rodgers and he is not the scrambler he once was, leading to opportunities for sacks and to push the Packers further back on offence and gaining better field position for San Francisco.
The bookies favourites are the Kansas City Chiefs, lead by their 3rd year quarterback out of Texas Tech, Patrick Mahomes II, who lost out at this stage last season, losing in overtime to the eventual Super Bowl champs, New England Patriots. Chiefs fans out there will be hoping that the experience of losing at this stage last season will spur on the team to their first Super Bowl victory since 1970 where they defeated the Minnesota Vikings 23-7 in New Orleans. The Chiefs must have been cursing themselves in last weeks Divisional Round where after just a quarter they trailed 24-0 to the Deshaun Watson lead Houston Texans, a quarterback they passed on in the 2017 NFL draft where they chose the afore mentioned Mahomes II, trading up to the 10th overall pick, a decision which looking back on it has not raised any eyebrows, however the irony must have been in the back of the mind of GM Brett Veach and HC Andy Reid. Mahomes then showed his class, tossing for 4 touchdowns in the 2nd quarter and hauling the Chiefs back into the picture, after a huge battle on offence, the tie ended up being a high scoring affair, the Chiefs coming out on top 51-31. Mahomes has not hit the glittering headlines of his exceptional first year as starter in 2018 where he tossed for 50 regular season touchdowns, however has still had an above average season, picking out his main targets of Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill more often that not, which means that he is still the quarterback to fear in this offseason, maybe they will become the new force in the NFL, however competing year in, year out with the Baltimore Ravens, with their quarterback Lamar Jackson seems an enticing prospect for any neutral. As a fan of the sport, battles between Mahomes and Jackson is definitely something to look forward to, and with Mahomes only being 24 and Jackson being 23, fingers crossed there are plenty of battles to come. It does look as if the Chiefs are the team to beat but you never know what's round the corner in Playoff Football.
The team looking to take down the chiefs are this years surprise package, Tennessee Titans, who's main man and biggest threat seems to be the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner, running back, Derrick Henry. The Titans mid-season trade for quarterback Ryan Tannehill after his release from the Miami Dolphins, displacing former first round draft choice Marcus Mariota, seems to be a shrewd decision as he has fitted in to the system that the Titans play like a glove. The number 6 seed came into the playoffs with the dreaded task of going to Foxbrough to play reigning Super Bowl champs and the seemingly invicible, New England Patriots, who have been lead since 2001 by the greatest quarterback to ever lace up in the NFL, Tom Brady, or as he is now referred 'The GOAT'. However this is something that the Titans did not fear, taking down the Patriots 20-13, shocking everybody associated with the NFL. The Titans then had to go to number one seed Baltimore Ravens as mentioned above with the sure favourite for the MVP award Jackson, a task which teams haven't exactly looked forward to this season. But in line with the common theme of this Titans team, it certainly did not faze them, Henry running for 195 yards off 30 carries. This has now given the Chiefs something to think about going in to this weekends fixture which looks as if it is going to be an absolute cracker.
MY PREDICTION - I do believe the Chiefs will just have enough to beat the Titans, however it will be a tight affair, I think Mahomes will show his class, the crowd at Arrowhead will drag the team through it and as much as I feel the Chiefs have a vulnerable defence towards the running game of Henry, Tannehill's lack of experience in the playoffs may show, expect a touchdown from the secondary defence of Kansas City. If I had to give a score prediction, I would say Kansas City by 6, with a Hail Mary attempt from Tannehill being intercepted late on.
Now in the NFC Championship game, a real comeback story vs somebody who has been a constant threat to any side for since I can remember, both teams having the same record in the NFL this season at 13-3.
The San Francisco 49ers after having 2nd pick in the 2019 draft find themselves in the Championship game, something I really did not predict happening before the start of the season, this must have even come as a surprise to the most optimistic of 49ers fans. However with the 2nd pick of the draft, they drafted, for me, the best player in the draft in LE Nick Bosa, which is a name which makes you sit up and listen after brother Joey's performances since being drafted by the Chargers a few years prior. Their quarterback is the former understudy to Tom Brady in New England, Jimmy Garoppolo, who seemed as if he was on the way to a career which was not going to reach the potential it seemed it had a few years ago in New England. When he was traded to San Francisco to the surprise of many it seemed as if they had found their new franchise quarterback, however just 3 games into his career in Santa Clara, the quarterback suffered a torn ACL in an injury that saw him miss the rest of the season, this then poised the obvious question of 'Will we see Jimmy G back firing like we expect him to'? To his credit, Garoppolo has bounced back and has been worth his plaudits this year, leading the 49ers to a 13-3 regular season record, helped by a mid-season signing of Emmanuel Sanders who has looked like the receiver he was in Seattle when Russell Wilson was throwing to the likes of him and Tyler Lockett who is still looking like a huge weapon in the Seahawks offence and TE George Kittle who has turned into an absolute machine in the last 2 seasons for San Francisco, looking like he could be a future Hall of Famer. The 49ers have also drawn plaudits for their rushing offence, with the 2nd best record of this regular season behind just Baltimore, who have arguably 1 of the most well known rushing threats in the NFL in Jackson, showing quite how impressive they have been this season. They have been the team to beat all season in the NFC this season having only lost their first game in week 10 to the Seattle Seahawks, this being their 9th game of the season, this is something that people will be looking at when preparing for the 49ers this season, they will not be an easy game for anyone.
Their opponents this weekend and the visitors to the Levi's Stadium are the Green Bay Packers who are lead by future first ballot Hall of Famer, Aaron Rodgers who has been one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, certainly in the bracket of the Tom Brady's, Joe Montana's, the top top tier of players. He has made every team who passed on him in the 2005 draft definitely rethink their decision to pass on him, proving to everybody that he should have been the number 1 pick in that draft over QB Alex Smith who has not had a bad career, but certainly has not hit the heights that Rodgers has hit in his career. Rodgers was a Super Bowl champion in 2011 defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl 45 by 31 points to 25 and he will be hoping that he can upset the odds and take the Packers back to the promised land as they have not been in the National Championship since then and its a question of should Rodgers have won more possessing the class that he has done? Well he may just add to his total if WR Davante Adams is on his game, Rodgers main target has been tremendous this season and has grown into the role of number one target since the loss of Randall Cobb to Dallas and Jordy Nelson to Oakland. Some of the route's that Adams ran in the Divisional Round victory vs Seattle were nothing less than superb, obviously helped out at times by tremendous throwing by Rodgers, one throw sticking out which created the first score in the game, a beautifully floated throw by Rodgers but Adams making the defensive back look silly by checking his run and being wide open when going into the corner, it looked as wonderful as it sounds. Another player who has really impressed me this season for Green Bay has been running back Aaron Jones, who has ran in for 19 touchdowns this season, impressive for anybody but in an offence which is usually pass orientated, Jones must be impressing HC Matt LeFleur in practice to be able to get the ball out of the hands of Rodgers. As a neutral going in to this round of fixtures, if I had to pick a team I would like to see lift the Vince Lombardi trophy on the 2nd February, it would definitely be the Cheeseheads but it will be a tricky task for even a quarterback of Rodgers class to overcome stiff opposition, however I was impressed by the Packers against the Russell Wilson lead Seahawks.
MY PREDICTION - I feel this is a tighter call than the AFC Championship as we have 2 Super Bowl winning quarterbacks on show (albeit Garoppolo as a backup) however working under Brady and coach Belicheck must give him the knowhow of how to handle the pressure in these situations. This is something I believe will give them the edge in this game, unfortunately for Rodgers, I do think this is the end of the road for the Packers this season, and I also do think this is the last chance for Rodgers to lift his 2nd Super Bowl, I'm going for San Francisco to win by double digits and I feel their running game will kill the Packers, I feel like the offensive line of the Packers looked weak at times against Seattle and I feel like people like Nick Bosa will put enough pressure on Rodgers and he is not the scrambler he once was, leading to opportunities for sacks and to push the Packers further back on offence and gaining better field position for San Francisco.
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