Stats Insider has provided every NRL club's schedule difficulty for the final five rounds of the season.
The opposition's team rating and home ground advantage are the main factors in grading the difficulty of the fixture, as seen here by Stats Insider.
The ratings factor is an aggregation of all the matches the team is yet to play.
The Warriors have the hardest run home with a rating of 2.1, including away clashes against the Roosters and Canberra and a home clash against the Rabbitohs.
The Raiders' run is the second toughest at 1.6, with a home clash against the Roosters and a trip to Melbourne to take on the Storm.
Manly have the third most difficult run, visiting Canberra in round 23 before facing Melbourne in round 24.
The Eels have the easier schedule with a -1.6 rating, facing just two sides in the top eight for the rest of the way (Brisbane and Manly).
The Dragons have the second easiest run at -1.2 with three of their last five games at home.
The Knights and Wests Tigers are tied for the third easiest run home at -1.1, which could go a long way in determining their finals prospects.
Here is Stats Insider'sย full NRL Schedule difficulty (fixture from round 22 onwards):
When it comes to horses for courses Ashley Klein is on a 8 match winning streak if the Roosters beat The Raiders tomorrow.
The last time the Roosters lost a game where Klein officiated was in R8 2018 v Dragons in the Charity Shield.
In the 7 games since then where Klein was the ref the Roosters have won all which included the semi and GF last year.
Since the 2018 semi Roosters v Souths and GF v Storm Ashley Klein has in 2019 officiated in 3 crucial Rooster games (v Broncos R4, v Storm R6 and v Knights R18 after the Knights beat them in R 11).
The Roosters won all 5.
In the 10 games the Roosters have lost since R8 2018, Ashley Klein has not officiated in any of them.
I am not accusing Ashley Klein of cheating or exercising deliberate bias but it just may simply be an amazing case of coincidence regarding this streak and that his appointment as ref is in crucial games for the Roosters with tomorrowโs game against The Raiders no exception.
Now that we are once again nearing the business end of the competition my curiosity will be focussed on which of the Rooster games Klein will be appointed and if this winning streak currently at 7 becomes 8 tomorrow.
I will be watching with keen interest for the next time the Roosters lose a game where Ashley Klein is behind the whistle.
If the Roosters were a race horse and Ashley Klein was a jockey the form would read very well for this horse to make it 8 straight with this jockey in the saddle.
MR EDwoodwood19 you can offer as many excuses and scenarios as you like but simply stating facts.
For example, penalty counts dont necessarily win games, its when and where they are given.
There are many other subtleties that a ref can influence in a game and those who are astute followers are able to see them.
Not accusing Klein of any of this but answering your usual , one sided bias.
BTW if you are going to Canberra MR EDwoodwood19, ask one of the ground officials if you can have a peep into the members bar there so you can see what one looks like with people in it at a home game. LOL