re, Cruz said, and asking me about how I am feeling.

With the 2016 finals fast approaching, ESPN NRL expert Brett Kimmorley identifies the good, bad or otherwise from an action-packed round 25 in his latest edition of Set of Six.Cowboys title defence alive and kickingI am now convinced the Cowboys can go back-to-back: how do you stop them? Just the creativity they have - we talk about Johnathan Thurston, but they also have Lachlan Coote, Michael Morgan, Jake Granville, Jason Taumololo, who is the wrecking ball of their side, and Matt Scotts been rested.I saw enough on Thursday night to say the North Queensland Cowboys are the best team in the competition and its made me sway away from the Melbourne Storm.I think the Cowboys only won one of their last five games last year leading into the finals and went on to become premiers.They know how to win tight games, they have the best player in the world in the halves, they have momentum now and they are relatively injury free.Brisbanes mystery mentor is no Average JoeTheyve been working with a touch football expert in Brisbane since Kevin Walters left and hes apparently a life coach as well. He popped up a few weeks ago when Wayne Bennett didnt bring Walters back into the fold and as much as you try and do some research, people dont tell you a great deal about him. As far as people get is Joe someone.The two things I took out of the Broncos win against the Storm on Friday night was the energy they had. They all continually mentioned energy at every media interview they did after the game and the fact that they trained for the past month with this touch football mentality where they pass the football more had an add-on effect against Melbourne.It helps you avoid the wrestle and if players know they are going to get the ball as a support runner, they are going to be more encouraged to support the ball and it generates a lot more momentum and its very hard to defend against.I dont know if the Broncos will play that style every week, but certainly that positivity and energy goes a long way to getting the job done with the talent they have in their roster. If Im a half-back and Ive got people around me willing to run in support, then Im loving that because it gives me so many different options to pass the ball to. Weve seen Ben Hunts and Anthony Milfords running game increase over the last two weeks and that only happens when youve got support.Matt Moylan holds the key to Penriths seasonMatt Moylan is just an amazing football player and he doesnt get the raps that Cooper Cronk, Johnathan Thurston and Jarryd Hayne get; but hes so great to watch. We talk about Nathan Cleary and the forwards, but if Penrith do something this year Moylan will be the star of the occasion.I like his ability to play both sides of the field; sometimes play first pivot; second pivot; third pivot; he can goal-kick. Moylan ticks every box in my mind and obviously being Panthers captain at such a young age shows he is very calm in the head which is what guys like Thurston, Cronk, Darren Lockyer and Andrew Johns had.?He is always smiling and he looks like hes a kid going out to play park football. He wont swear, throw the football or do any of the other rubbish you sometimes see from players when they make a mistake.Its refreshing to see a kid with a smile on his face, enjoying his football and going out onto the field each week and having a dig.Cronullas fantastic farewell for Michael EnnisIt was a great farewell for Michael Ennis from Southern Cross Group Stadium on Saturday night. The Sharks did an amazing tribute to Ennis after the win against the Roosters;?hes only been at Cronulla for two years so its not like he is a club local junior or anything, but I think they appreciate how much hes done for the club.It was a great ceremony and a special moment for a player I spent a bit of time with, and I think this is the type of appreciation that players cherish when they come to the end of their careers.Most fans hate him until he joins their club; hes the ultimate competitor but a lovely fellow and a really great family guy. Id love to see the Sharks go all the way for him, but that will be the last time he plays at Southern Cross Group Stadium so it was nice that he gets the opportunity to play his last game there.Unfortunately, Jamie Lyon didnt get that opportunity to know that he was playing his last game at Brookvale Oval for Manly and I think theyre special moments for a player.?Raiders can win it all, but ...The Raiders are one of the sides that can win the competition but I thought their mindset against the Sea Eagles was a bit off on Saturday. The fact they scored 40-odd points without Blake Austin is great,?but the fact that Manly scored 30 points against them showed they slipped back into that we score, you score mentality that has been their weakness in the past.Theyve been so good for a number of weeks staying mentally switched on for the full 80 minutes, but I thought this was an indication that they can get a little bit loose or a little bit disinterested and this competition is such a mind game.The Raiders showed me a little bit of that loose mindset and they wont get away with it in the finals. Theyve won nine straight games now and its hard to stay up each week.It just shows that if youre up for so long and drop a little bit, you can lose to anyone.?Cheap ruck penalties need to be addressedCameron Smith was spot on Friday night in debating Anthony Milfords tactic of throwing the ball into an opposing player in the play-the-ball to milk a cheap penalty.If you dont do it deliberately then you should get the ball back and another set of six. But in Milfords case, he almost threw the ball along the ground to hit a Storm player behind the ruck, and I think its a rule we need to look at it.Its a bit of gamesmanship and I congratulate Milford for knowing the rules because not many may know that rule. But I have a concern that a pocket ref could get in the way one day and it will cause a fair bit of embarrassment when a team gets another set of six in a critical moment.?I thought Felise Kaufusi had done enough to get himself out of the way but it is very ironic that Cameron Smith went off his head because hes done it plenty of times in the past and milked other penalties from falling over in the ruck as well.It is a rule that was probably introduced when we had one referee in the game but now we have two referees, and one sits close in the pocket to adjudicate, it is probably time to review it.Discount Shoes Ireland . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Buy Shoes Ireland . -- Stanford squashed Oregons national championship hopes again, schooling the Ducks in power football. https://www.shoesirelandsale.com/ .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. Cheap Shoes Ireland Online . Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. Shoes Ireland From China .ca NBA Power Rankings, ahead of the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs.EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants big-bucks, revamped defense found a way to hold off the Dallas Cowboys in the Ben McAdoos debut as coach. Facing the New Orleans Saints on Sunday will show whether spending more than $100 million to help Steve Spagnuolos unit was cost effective.The Giants (1-0) arent going to be facing Dak Prescott, a rookie making his first NFL start.Its Drew Brees this week. The 37-year-old leads the league in passing and comes into the season with 10 consecutive years of passing for more than 4,000 yards, with no less than 4,870 in the last five, which includes three 5,000-yard campaigns.If those numbers dont impress the Giants, all they have to do is recall last year: Brees passed for 511 yards and tied an NFL record with seven touchdown passes in a 52-49 win.I dont even remember that, Giants cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie quipped.He does, though.When you are playing a guy like that who has been doing it for a long time, you know he has a good arm and has some good receivers who can definitely take the top off a defenses, and you have guys who understand football, and the way he throws and gets it out quick, Rogers-Cromartie said. Man, its going to be tough.Its also going to be tougher for Brees. He will be seeing a lot of new faces.Defensive tackle Damon Harrison and end Olivier Vernon are new, and end Jason Pierre-Paul did not play last year because of his fireworks accident.Middle linebacker Kelvin Sheppard is new, as are cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Eli Apple, safeties Darian Thompson and Nat Berhe, who was on injured reserve last year.I would say while its the same scheme for the most part, Steve Spagnuolo, theres a lot of good players over there that seem to be playing really well, Brees said. I dont really look at last year as any type of indication as to how this is going to go. I think theyre much improved. Theyre playing really well right now. I have a lot of respect for coach Spagnuolo and his scheme. Im sure theyre going to be ready for us. We need to make sure were ready for them.New Orleans put up 34 points last week as Brees passed for 423 yards and four touchdowns. The Giants edged Dallas 20-19.SECONDARY CONCERNS: With Delvin Breaux going out for six to eight weeks with a broken leg, the Saints are relying on a trio of cornerbacks with only one regular-season game to their name: starter P.J. Williams and reseerves DeVante Harris and Ken Crawley.dddddddddddd However, a pair of recently acquired veterans could suit up in New York -- Sterling Moore and B.W. Webb, who both practiced this week. Moore knows the Giants well from playing three seasons in the NFC East with the Cowboys (2012-2014). He also played against the Giants last season with Tampa Bay.GIANTS DEFENSIVE BACKS: The Giants limited Prescott to 227 yards passing and no touchdowns. His longest pass was 21 yards.I feel like we have guys that can match up, said Janoris Jenkins, who held Dez Bryant to one catch for 8 yards. We have Eli Apple and DRC. We can match up all the way around the board with anybody as long as we play within the system and play within the scheme.Jenkins said Brees is a `blast from the past, noting he throws deep and works the hash marks most of the time.POUND IT: Running backs Rashad Jennings and Shane Vereen combined for 113 yards on 24 carries in the opener for New York. Expect them to get the ball more after seeing the Saints give up 167 yards on 26 carries in the loss to the Raiders.MORE BREES: Brees looks as good at 37 as he did at 27, if not better. Hes coming off his 14th career 400-yard game, which tied him for first for such single-game production with Peyton Manning in NFL history. His touchdowns included a thread-the-needle throw over the middle to Brandin Cooks, and a Saints-record 98-yarder to Cooks with a pass down the left sideline. That one was so well-timed the speedy receiver never seemed to break stride. With 36 yards passing, Brees will move into third in that category, eclipsing Dan Marinos 61,361 yards.BACK TO NORMAL: Giants receiver Victor Cruz returned in style from a series of injuries, scoring the winning touchdown in his first game since October 2014. This will be his first home game since that season.The only thing that is indicative of things being back to normal is you guys not asking me about my body anymore, Cruz said, and asking me about how I am feeling. But yeah, for the most part it just feels like business as usual, getting out there, playing football again and worrying about our next opponent.---AP Sports Writer Brett Martel in New Orleans contributed to this report.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '