Rather infrequent in my case really
Confession
The truth is that historically I never really took that much notice of Rugby League and was not in any tipping competions until 2014 or 2015. But of course you can’t live in the South Sydney area (or go to South Sydney Uniting Church) without something getting to you. So in 2009 I posted this in my then blog:
Later in 2014 explaining: “I posted that in April 2009 in Surry Hills. The mug I was presented with at Sydney High on my retirement. I still have it but the badge has faded badly over the five years. The bunny I found one day near Redfern Oval. Alas, he has vanished since my coming to Wollongong. Of course, he represents the South Sydney Rugby League team (the Rabbitohs) who tonight meet the Sydney Roosters in quite an historic preliminary final.”
They went on to win the Grand Final.
And here I am at the local bus stop on my way to Diggers on 3 October 2014.
2015 I joined the City Diggers Footy Tipping competition
It was a great topic of conversation, of fun, and it was free. I brought to the table almost total ignorance, but I did go to the newsagent and buy a relevant guide for the ignorant…
March 2015
In April 2016 I reported:
King of the tipsters, me!
Well, co-regent now with DL. Earlier this month I posted:
I am in the Diggers competition again this year, though it is smaller than last year. Believe it or not by the end of last week (Round 5) I was running equal second, just behind DL who was a mere two points ahead! Just shows real knowledge of the game is not essential.
Last week I scored 100% in Round 8 – but so did DL. Now Round 9. I offer you my picks:
- RABBITOHS vs Tigers
- EELS vs Bulldogs
- PANTHERS vs Raiders
- ROOSTERS vs Knights
- Sea Eagles vs COWBOYS
- Warriors vs DRAGONS
- Titans vs STORM
- Sharks vs BRONCOS
Let’s wait and see how that goes. You might like to compare with a site called The Thinker (NRL tips from the biggest mind in Rugby League.) I see there a guest set by one of the greats of the game, Wally Lewis.
Wally Lewis – round nine selections (in bold)
- RABBITOHS vs Tigers
- EELS vs Bulldogs
- PANTHERS vs Raiders
- ROOSTERS vs Knights
- Sea Eagles vs COWBOYS
- WARRIORS vs Dragons
- Titans vs STORM
- Sharks vs BRONCOS
Close, eh!
And in the end: Posted on September 24, 2016
Today Chris T and I are going to cash in my (third) prize for the City Diggers Tipping Competition: see Shakespeare and footy tipping. The prize turned out to be a $25 bistro voucher and a bottle of house wine.
The Rabbitohs of course are no longer in the 2016 competition, but my hometown team the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks last night got themselves into the Grand Final!
In August 2018 I expanded to two competitions
City Diggers
Lately I have done OK at footy tipping at City Diggers, coming equal third, but not so well at Steelers, though last time I looked I was still in the top six there. I do have an occasional bet each way — no money actually changes hands, I should add — by choosing an opposing team at Steelers compared with Diggers. Last week my two each-way bets at Steelers both lost! One of them being St George/Illawarra — i.e., Steelers themselves.
So far this week there has been one match. I got it wrong. So, I suspect, did just about everyone else! Here I am as of Wednesday at Steelers, cogitating on my choices.
Covid put a stop to such fun — but in 2021 we resumed
But City Diggers didn’t, so in 2021 I enrolled in the comp at Illawarra Leagues Club.
But the chat around “the table of knowledge” at Diggers — which did indeed include former Lord Mayor Alex Darling back in the day — and cameraderie were lacking. Aside from the Diggers one being free.
On Alex Darling (RIP) and “the table of knowledge” — Week 33 — Sunday 13th August to Saturday 19th August — 6.
2022 — distance tipping with the Great Pottsville Tipping Coven! And 2023 also…
My friend and former colleague Rosemary is in Pottsville and welcomed me to the coven…
It has been a pleasure to have you become the 15th tipster in the Potty Tipping club which began over a bottle of Shiraz 11 years ago with three locals deciding to inject a little competition into footy selections with the winner collecting a bottle of red. This year you became our 15th and most southern tipster. There are two from Sydney, a few from Ipswich and the Gold Coast with the remainder locals. A few trivia and card competitions and BBQ functions amongst those of us who can get together socially raise $100 prize for the winner. That winner is named at a grand final BBQ for those who can make it. Hope you will participate again in 2023. I will let you know how you fared this year even though your tips weren’t included in the first couple of rounds. In fact I know you did better than at least two who tipped for all 25 rounds!
I posted on March 28, 2023
Footy tipping
I have dropped out of the Wollongong City Diggers comp as it has not generated the numbers or the interest of former years. If you go into the club at the moment you would be hard pressed to know there was such a competition, whereas in past years the weekly results were very prominently displayed and extra bells and whistles too. It was also a great subject of speculation and discussion.
Still in the elite Pottsville comp via Facebook though.
A very belated update re the state of play in the select and prestigious
Pottsville tipping competition! At the end of Round 3 there were a few changes in the names of the front runners. Two tipsters were lucky enough to be the only ones to pick the winners of two games, Titans and Raiders, and for that they scored 2 bonus points*. Currently the joint leaders are on 32 points and you and one other are next on 30 points. There are seven others with between 20 and 28 points. One tipster, who tends to follow the games rather closely trails on only 12 points……but it is still very early in the season.
So, as the sole tipster from the Gong, you are doing Wollongong proud!
Now here we are in 2024 in the midst of Round 1
The first two games were a tad different:
Now on Thursday night as I draft this things are back to normal, and the Kiwi Tipster has done his stuff…
The American you will note doubts the 40,000 figure.
My tips?
10 pm: Not the greatest start for The Kiwi or me!
Neil's Commonplace Book 