Queensland Roar, Queensland Roar; I kind of wish it had only been four.

...instead of 5-0, so I could say "Queensland Roar, Queensland Roar. Four? Are you freakin' kidding me? Four?", but I managed to use the rhyme anyway; so, no biggie...

5-0: that's us -- the number six team -- over number two Newcastle.

I haven't been writing much about the Roar recently. I'm a pessimist, so I always expect the worst and the expected eventual heartbreak is easier to take if you haven't been gloating about apparently promising temporary successes. (I'm pretty quiet around NRL State of Origin time.)

But I don't care. One round left in the season, against Central Coast at home on February 4, and it doesn't really matter what happens. Of course, we'd like to win, not just because it's the season-ender at home but because we have to, to have any chance of qualifying; but I think they've finally put a team together that has gelled, and that's got to be good for next season. (Of course, now we'll discover Brosque is leaving for Sydney...)

Richter has been fantastic all season and Brosque has finally got on the end of a few. Last week against Sydney was great. It was good to see Jonty getting a goal finally. Same for Merdocca - he's a favourite of Boycat's Mum ever since we went to see a game in September.

So: Brosque, Baird and Reinaldo near the front with Richter, Merdocca, Dilevski and Seo behind them. McCloughan, McKay and Gibson at the back. How many is that? Ten? Okay, Higgins in goal. I like Tom Willis, but Higgins has been there for the past two weeks.

>>>The best results for us out of this weekend's remaining games are if Central Coast lose to Melbourne and Perth lose to Sydney. I'd also like New Zealand to have a win. Those results would leave us one point out of the four, but it would also leave us one point above seventh.

The final round is too hypothetical at present, but we would want Melbourne and Perth to lose and of course, we have to win.

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