TAB review Aug 3

[dave nz]

The start of the ITM Provincial rugby competition brought out some of the larger punters last week and in several cases they got it wrong.

The opening match on Thursday night featured Taranaki, with a lot of new faces imported into the province, against Northland, with Taranaki the hot favourites. In the first upset of the tournament the unheralded northerners played too well and got the points.We had one bet of $50,000 at just $1.18 on Taranaki. The big aquisition for Counties this season is 37 year old Tana Umaga and he would have been thrilled with his team's first up win against Otago. Again we had a brave punter who took the favourite, Otago, and missed out. The bet was $30,000 at $1.65. There was some good news for one provincial rugby punter : $5,000 at $1.20 on Northland in live betting.

Strangely enough, given their dominance this season, the All Blacks were not the subject of any major bets as they took apart Australia in Melbourne. There was a $5,000 wager at $1.65 on New Zealand/New Zealand halftime/fulltime, which was successful, and also a halftime bet of $6,800 at $1.87 on Australia getting a 21 and a half point start, also successful, just.

Another week in the NRL and another week where winners were difficult to find. St George,Souths, the Warriors, and Manly, were all beaten, but there were no punting disasters as a result. In fact, the largest rugby league bet was on the Warriors under 20 side beating Gold Coast. The bet was $12,716 at $1.25 and was a winner. Monday nights seem to produce the biggest upsets and that was the case once again when the Newcastle Knights easily accounted for the warm favourites, Manly. Contrasting bets on the match in live betting, $8,500 at $1.07 on Newcastle, $7,000 at $1.40 on Manly, and $5,500 at $1.30 on Newcastle. One team that didn't look like letting it's supporters down was the Roosters, who hammered the Parramatta Eels. We took a bet of $7,200 0 on the Roosters in live betting at $1.13.

Some other random bets to report, all winners : $10,000 at $1.05 on Youzhny to beat Sadecky in the pro tennis in Gstaad, $10,00 at $1.18 on Germany to beat Nigeria at the under 20 Womens World Cup of football, $10,000 at $1.30 on Phoenix Mercury to beat Chicago in women's pro basketball, and $6,000 at $1.85 on San Francisco and the LA Dodgers to produce 7 runs and over in Major League baseball.

[Seanie Mac]

Tab soda very underrated, sweet nectar of the south