Macca

Good odds for Ellicazoom DZ ... I'm a fan and the horse is from the Hayes clan as well. Big fields at Caulfield so the dividends will be up - especially for trifecta punters like me. I've included 'Santos' in a Box5 trifecta as well as 'Seabrook' at good odds. Santos just needs a good possie on the pace and we know how well Seabrook can finish.

Ha ha ... I like the Tottenham call DZ but I can't bet against my Hammers no matter how bad we're traveling! I've never bet against the Demons or Packers either. I fancy the Spurs to score a few too ... they'll be smarting from their CL defeat same for PSG which is one of my tips (see above) Have you got anything in the Championship that I can add-on?

Agreed BM ... the line seems too low and it's easy to envisage Richmond swamping the Pies in the 2nd half with their superior game plan and the extra week's rest to enact that game plan. The 40+ margin is tempting @ $3.75 but the safer line option virtually doubles your outlay. Edit: er ... how about a re-take! Pies all over them up until quarter time. And now lead by 44 at half time.

Best Bets Saturday Midnight EPL Match Score +2.5 Goals & Manchester United Win ($2.45) vs Wolves Sunday 11pm Ligue 1 (French League) Rennes vs PSG Win & Match Score +2.5 Goals ($1.87)

Best bet Caulfield Race 7 No.10 Night's Watch $3.90

New England, Packers & Oakland. Another tough week ... there were 7 road winners in week 1 and just the 4 in week 2. But any given week can deliver 6 - 7 road winners.

New page so here are the games again ... Leaderboard in the Comp 0 - Take a wild guess (we are all 'leading' so that is some consolation!) 1 point only on offer this week (and next week as well) but points are hard to come by in this comp! Not sure it gets any easier this week either ? Guess the Lines Week 3 With Cousin Sal | The Bill Simmons Podcast (Ep. 415)

Yes although I reckon most Match Committees/Coaching Departments look at the next block of 4 games in just about any sport ... the players just need to get ready for the next game but the coaching departments often have to plan ahead with regards to scouting and future match-ups. We fans can do as we please as we're just mere onlookers anyway ... it's all out of our control. I much preferred sport when I had some sort of say in proceedings layz! Can you imagine the planning ahead that would go on at an NFL team?

4 standout races for Saturday with another 6 Group races on offer in 3 States. 2 of those being at Morphettville with both being good betting races. Anyway, here are the 4 main features. Rosehill Race 7 Golden Rose 1400m Group 1 3YO SW $1Million Caulfield Race 8 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes 1400m Group 1 Hcp $500k Rosehill Race 6 Golden Pendant 1400m Group 2 F&M SW + P $400k Caulfield Race 7 Naturalism Stakes 2000m Group 3 QLTY $150k

@ KC first up might shed some light ... if you could somehow eke out a win either at the Chiefs or at the Chargers a week later then you're in with a chance. A good win away from home instills real confidence much like it has with our Demons. Win and then you can win again. Your run home isn't too tough.

I just had a look at your Niner's next 5 ... oook! You've got Arizona at home but the other 4 are real tough. We're about to find out very quickly whether you've got a chance at the playoffs.

I don't mind the QB's being tackled to the ground ... their way of avoiding that is to get rid of the ball quickly or to show some elusive skills. If they come out of the pocket they should be fair game and if they hold on to the ball too long, the same. It's fair enough that their head and knees can't be targeted but the torso tackle or torso hit is fine by me. And the above is coming from someone who's premier QB has had 2 broken collarbones in the last 5 years. It's getting way too soft for QB's and the new breed of QB may not require much courage to play the sport. Who's got the best arm wins (without much contact) should not be the norm but it is heading that way. Great for those who are nuts on fantasy sports but I do not watch the sport for that reason and I doubt I ever will.

Try this link which takes you to youtube ... Cam Newton helmet to helmet hit @ Atlanta As for the lifting up part of a tackle ... the refs often just get the one look at it without the aid of video replay. A natural lift occurs when 2 players meet each other going in opposite directions so how can any incident be adjudicated correctly? Asking for trouble with this new ruling - Grey area/interpretation/ill-defined rule = inconsistent outcomes. I hope we're not talking about it beyond this week but I'm not holding my breath on that.

Packers go to the Rams in week 8 after our bye week but we've got a huge battle on our hands in the NFC North ... the Bears are a much improved team whilst the Vikes seem to be the team to beat and the Lions are also quite capable on their day.

On a brighter note your lads racked up a 34 - 0 win and didn't get out of 3rd gear by all reports. You've got one hell of a roster there with no apparent weak spots.

Yep, you're right Dappa. It stands to reason that we'll see all sorts of variable decisions with this new rule. But the NFL have double-downed on the new ruling by sending a video of the incident to all of the 32 clubs - in terms of what not to do. We know that some refs are more over-zealous than others so therefore inconsistent outcomes can be expected. If I was McCarthy I'd be at the refs for the entire game pleading for penalties against Rodgers ... they lay a fingernail on him and I'm bleating like a sheep ? Brady does it constantly so we should join in hey? Anyway, watch the 2 videos that I posted directly (above) and see for yourself

Ok ... here's the video of the Matthews tackle. You can make up your own mind about it but my view is that it is a bad rule. The other new rule is the helmet to helmet ruling which in my opinion is a good new rule. Below the Matthews video is the video of the hit on Cam Newton from the weekend. The link can be viewed on youtube.

Not aggrieved as such because bad calls can happen in your favour ... for instance, the 'Fail-Mary' Golden Tate catch in Seattle with the replacement refs versus the Des Bryant catch that was ruled a non catch in a playoff game against the Pack. We well and truly won out on that score even though it took a couple of years! I just don't like bad rulings or bad law ... the 2 calls against Brayshaw & Lewis last Friday is a classic case of an ill-defined rule. And it could have cost us. In an earlier post I intimated that this new rule on 'Roughing the Passer' is going to suit the Packers hands down ... you give Rodgers a 15 yard penalty and he'll make you pay. So I hope we milk the new ruling until the cows come home (no pun intended ?) And I reckon the new rule was created because of the Rodgers injuries. Are they going to pay the Matthews-like 'indiscretion' all the time? I highly doubt it. Thus, another problem is created. Zero consistency with a new bad rule.

Green Bay will be nice and fired up though II am tipping that Rodgers will have a field day and that Green Bay will get a few questionable calls their way.

The Matthews (legal) tackle video has been sent to all the NFL teams with a reminder of what NOT to do. Get ready for that type of tackle to now carry an 'Ejection' as well as a 15 yard penalty. The sport has changed overnight and Rodgers now has virtually no chance of being injured again ... and I don't want that at all.

What about you Dappa? You'd normally be all over the Matthews incident ... nothing to say? The story led just about every NFL show in the States and is an absolute game-changer.

The week 2 incident was not late at all ... nor was it illegal. Nor does it have anything to do with whatever happened in the past. It is simply a bad rule You should be totally outraged by the decision and I am wondering why you aren't outraged because normally you would be?

Leaderboard in the Comp 0 - Take a wild guess (we are all 'leading' so there's some consolation) 1 point only on offer this week (and next week as well) but points are hard to come by in this comp! Not sure it gets any easier this week either ? Guess the Lines Week 3 With Cousin Sal | The Bill Simmons Podcast (Ep. 415)

It reminds me of the slide-in tackle in footy layz ... fair enough for feet or knees first but if a player is 1 metre from the ball and goes to pick it up? Madness! Again, we ended up on the receiving end but just because it can happen the other way around down the track for the footy team doesn't make it a sound ruling. Those charged with overseeing the rule changes need to be thinking of these things. It's not set and forget. And with regards to the NFL the QB's can be easily taught how to milk the penalty with this new ruling ... flop back or accentuate the contact so as it looks like the tackler is lifting the QB. The law of unintended consequences rears its ugly head as well. At the end of the day we might end up in a 'Throw-ball' situation where any given QB knows he can't really be hurt by a tackler. Don't like it, don't like it one bit.

Bortles playing very well too ... proving a lot of people wrong.