just read coach beveridges take on this game(nbl.com) i like his theory with hodge,i dont like his plan with big luke,he will lose that battle with anstey.

also,beveridge didnt mention s mack....beware

tigers by 12

my reasoning - if beveridge is going to double up at the point(defensivly) and have his 5 out gaurding the 3 ball,good luck with keeping s mack off the boards.

Want to see Mike Rose get some time and show his wares. If he is half the shooter his reputation says he is, he will be the difference.
Tigers by 10 for mine.

I think the Tigers will get this one too...but it will be close. My prediction is Tigers by 4.

Perth to put the dagger into Melbourne's season. Here's hoping anyway.

i thinking the Cats will win in a thriller in both games, should be a interesting game! Tigers better play some D otherwise they are gonna get killed by the Wildcats Shooters!

As a cats fan I'm very nervous but excited about tonight's match up !! great to have two rivals playing with so much on the line, something we haven't had much of in recent years due to teams winning championships or making grand finals and then not around the next year. Its a toss of the coin for me and really depends on how the younger guys for the cats perform especially Weigh,Williamson,Wagstaff against a seasoned side such as the tigers who will be in your face from tip off !! I think the cats can win but Melbourne have so much to play for and will be set for this one !! will be playoff intensity

hopefully they can fill the place up and have it rocking !!

Cats by 1 point in Double over time

Look out for the Cat comming of the bench

Cat has been sick as a dog all this week! which isnt cool :(

I think he was sick when they played NZ away and scored big . ill be backing him in and Robo will shut down Hodge and keep him under 10 points

5 of Melbourne's wins have come against Adelaide and NZ. 2 have come against Wollongong - the second of those was without McKee playing for the Hawks and they were emotionally flat after lifting to cover his last minute loss 2 nights before.

I just don't see Melbourne as a top 3 contender - even with Anstey playing reasonably well, as he is. Hell, they struggled to get over the line against Adelaide when the 36ers were coming off a tough game the night before. And Adelaide don't present the same challenge Perth will.

Melbourne will be competitive against Perth, but I only see them winning if Perth play badly. The chances of that seem low, as they had their flat spot a couple of months back and Beveridge seems to have gotten them back on track, leading to the finals.

Perth by 7.

Interesting - Schenscher started badly, replaced by Gay Young who is playing very well.
Hodge is trying to do it all, but missing his shots.

Never cook dinner when a Tiger's game is on; there's no way I'm keeping my meal down with Hodge carrying on like a tool all night.

I'd pay Cat good money to take him out at the moment.

*sigh*

Still reckon the Wildcats will get them in the end.

Halftime - Tigers have had 16 free throws.

Wildcats have had 4.

Bless the Cage... you need to be up 20 to get home in Melb. Why can't the Dome be like that?!

Looks like he led all the stats annd they emptied out the bench agen, in an easy win.

"I'd pay Cat good money to take him out at the moment."

I was just thinking at that moment, if he was to just smash Hodge in the face, I don't think he'd have to pay a cent of his fine. I know I'd chip in a fitty. Would still get suspended... dammit.

It's gone beyond hate, it's just kinda sad now, you've gotta feel sorry for the little bitch.


Two things:

That was the worst defensive performance I've seen all year by Schenscher, completely soft.

And the double-flop by Redhage and Anstey just made me embarrassed for the league. The fact that Monopoly man (how is he still refereeing?) called the fouls only made it worse.

Quick reality check duder...

I never said the Tigers won because of the foul count.

I just said it was uneven. Tigers looked great tonight. Arrogant, but great. They earnt it.

And why do I respond to Anons?

Then again, I'm not a fan of NBL "referreing (?)" in general.

Wonder what the Tiger's odds look like to win the whole thing at the moment? Would have been a decent bet when they were bottom, Knight etc. went down and Anstey's comeback was in doubt. You'd make a decent stack I reckon.

BTW, has anyone ever seen the douche try to start a fight WITHOUT 3 guys holding him back? I'd love to see Wortho give up just once and let him go. Just for fun. Either he'd run away or someone like Cattalini would destroy him.

Let him go Wortho!

I never thought I'd say it, but...

... I like Wortho these days. Dude can flat out play... and is classy (by comparison - which, to be fair, isn't overly hard with his current offsider).

Agreed. The man's on fire. And when he's on the same floor as Judas and Redhage he's just about my favourite player :P

"And the double-flop by Redhage and Anstey just made me embarrassed for the league. The fact that Monopoly man (how is he still refereeing?) called the fouls only made it worse."

What was your take on the double foul? They both flopped, but I was just wondering how a foul could have been ignored, then called later once they realised it was...fair? Surely if the first one was called, then the second shouldn't have occured?

Tigers too strong, so many weapons.
When they get Corletto (playing time)involved they look very good.
Hard to see them not winning over in Perth, who rely heavily on the 3 for offense and never get to the line.

Tigers had too m,any weapons for Perth.

From today's Herald-Sun in Melbourne...

"NOT long ago the Melbourne Tigers couldn't have strung together a bead of pearls if they lived on an oyster farm."

"Now, having strung together five straight wins, the Tigers sit just outside the NBL playoff bracket, waiting for one of the top four teams to tumble into their jaws, after last night beating the Perth Wildcats, 100-86, at The Cage."

Link: http://linky.com.au/kceoa

Wortho had a fair few calls go his way. The charge on REDHAGE especially was a joke after the 2 50/50 blocking fouls went Wortho's way in the first.

REDHAGE on 4 fouls mid way during the 3rd had a bit to do with the outcome. Would it have been a different story if Worthington was sitting on 4 fouls instead? I say YES

But hey once again MELBOURNE have a sixth man on court at home.

There is a difference between getting away with physical play (as in, the refs let a lot go) and an over zealous ref who influences the game with bogus calls that effect the outcome. Redhage's third and fourth fouls weren't terrible calls.

Yeah E i find it interesting that Perth pretty much do what they wish at home but when they get different referees that dont see them every home game the games are "called" and its less physical than in Perth. Then you guys whinge! And whinge! And whinge!

No ref, except for Ray Hunt, would even consider calling fouls on either of those plays. It has nothing to do with physical play - its about one ref seeing a guy fall over and deciding a foul must be called.

"What was your take on the double foul? They both flopped, but I was just wondering how a foul could have been ignored, then called later once they realised it was...fair? Surely if the first one was called, then the second shouldn't have occured?"

It was bizarre. Obviously neither was really a foul. But once Ray Hunt ignored the first on and called the second, you could hear one of the other refs say "I didn't think there was much in either of those". They must have decided to then pay both of them to even it out.

Bizarre, to say the least.