Yep, I hate typing this but DAISY is right. Not only lost a couple in premier, lost a couple in Divvy I too it was all too hard so I cut the leagues back so I didn't have to send out a hundred emails.
Time gentlemen (and Hambone) please! That’s a rap lads it’s time for the top eight to suit up for the finals. HORNY goes in as the minor premier to try and defend his title but this one is perhaps the most even Premier League competition that I can recall. Roosters and HORNY were miles in front with both teams coming back to the pack in recent weeks, even Roosters who copped a rare loss to REBCats. Ah, nothing like winning a game when you can’t make finals. For me it’s Poon Army who wins this title. Been in excellent recent from in recent weeks and scoring has been good as well. With three of the top eight in scoring not playing in the finals this means that recent form is the best indicator and I reckon Poon wins his first title since 2007 this season. For the also rans no one really had a bad season. With sixteen teams in no one is going down but fact is none of us do deserve to be relegated on 2024 form. It was a solid league from top to bottom and there are no spud teams who got lucky this season. So long as blokes don’t quit the Hogg in mid March then we will go back to having 18 teams again so this season’s sixteen team comp was a bit of a one off in that regard. Looking forward to the finals congrats to Sharks who (I think) has qualified for the Premier League finals for the first time. I think he can upset Ecky and advance. Reckon George gets Jobby and in the quallies I’m liking HORNY and Poon to get the week off. All the best to those teams that made the finals. As for us mere mortals, see you all next season.
Pre-Finals flag favourite Poon Army missed Captain Obvious last Friday and paid the price as the rejuvenated Roosters ambushed him in the Qualifying final to earn the week off. It was a closer affair in the other quallie as Captain Who made every post a winner to come in under the radar and earn the week off in something of an upset. My tipping form went from bad to worse in the knockout finals as Ecky enjoyed some Shark fin soup while Jobby topped the scoring for the finals as they smashed Summer of George into the winter of his discontent. Looking at the Semis I reckon Poon has himself a very tricky match up against the goat but I’m prepared to back him in to bounce back provided he can pick the right captain this time. I’ve been underestimating Ecky for most of this season but I might stick my neck out here and back in the Fevs to roll HORNY and end their premiership defence.
It is ironic that HORNY’s premiership defence ended on a week where JHF dominated and won his side the game over in Melbourne. HORNY along with Roosters looked a mile ahead of the pack at one stage so it’s been a pretty limp finals effort by Bertie even though he scored fairly well this week but alas, not well enough to contain the Fevs. In the other semi Poon absolutely nailed the captaincy this time as X marked the spot where Jobby’s season ended. Jobby’s best season in Premier is over but he has certainly not been disgraced this season. Reckon the Goat will be back bigger and better next season.
It's going to be a slight changing of the guard with Delicious, Far Callers, Mediocre at Best and Wild HORNY Berry gone but Ecky and Roosters in particular have been around the business end a bit in recent years. Poon will have to go in favourite to return to the Grand Final as he plays Captain Who, a team that Hammo has beaten twice this season. Although I won’t be surpressing a hearty chuckle if the Captain wins the one that counts. In the other Prelim I reckon the Roosters can get the job done against Ecky who must be thrilled as I keep tipping against the Fevs and the Fevs keep winning.
As always, good luck to all teams and good luck with the CARNAGE!
It’s Grand Final week in the Premier League after a couple of top Preliminary Finals set the stage for the big one. Poon Army is looking good for his second Premier League title and his first for 17 years on the back of some excellent scoring during the finals. Poony was far too good for the Captain for the third time this season and you’d reckon Groover would be pretty sick of Hambone by now. I’m sick of him and he only beat me twice. In the other Prelim it was a much closer affair and it was the Roosters who were crowing at the end of it as they finished 41 points to the good over the Fevs. Don’t mind the old Roosters, unlike the rest of you mongrels he never goes big against me, then seems to smash everyone else. You blokes could take a leaf out of their book. The Roosters have never won the Premier League title but did make the Grand Final in 2020 and has had premiership success winning the Division II Grand Final in 2018.
Looking at this match up though and I hate to roll it out again but Houston we have a problem. While Port can cover the loss of Houston this week, I’m not sure if the Roosters can. Meanwhile, how fit is Tim English? With the Bulldogs needing to win at Ballarat to make sure they make the eight and the week off afterwards English might suit up but you couldn’t bank on him being fully fit and he got flogged by ROB of all people last time out when he wasn’t fully fit. Poon’s only worry is the availability of Harry Sheezel but even if does miss he’s got the freakishly talented Cat rookie Lawson Humphries to step into the breach. If the Chooks are out of trades, it’s a tough break for them but, surely, they saved something when they and HORNY were so far ahead of the rest eight weeks ago? I’m tipping Roosters has at least one in the bank and Houston will be out and that trade will be vital. English is another problem and it looks like too much needs to go right for Roosters to get up here. Poon will be unbearable (even more so) but I see no reason to change my premiership tip that I went with at the start of the finals.
Yes it was the even hundred for Poon as the Chooks copped their second Hogg Premier Grand Final defeat (know those feels mate let me tell ya!). And so ends the longest premiership drought in Hogg history as Poon won the first ever Hogg Premier League title back in 2007. I'd say this league was decidedly tougher to land for Hambone.
All over for another year Congratulations Poon Army Hogg Premier League Premiers.
Hopefully back to eighteen teams next year and the inevitable relegation scrap headed my way! See you all next season.