IT training maxim australia TruePDF april 2019

BIGGEST CHANGE IN THE GAME Over the last three years we’ve seen a shift towards more structured football, but I’m tipping that will change in 2019 as teams try and break up the Roosters

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MAXIM’S GUIDE TO SEXY NEW YORK

SPOTLIGHTGETTING TO

KNOW BEAUTY ROXY HORNER

STYLEBOLD, MASCULINE

TIMEPIECES ATTAIN A NEW

FOOTYTHE FOX LEAGUE

TEAM GIVE US THEIR 2019

NRL SEASON PREDICTIONS

COVER GIRLMEET

BEAUTIFUL BUSINESSWOMAN,

INFLUENCER, LIFESTYLE

BLOGGER AND INTERNATIONAL

MODEL KARINA VÉLEZ

HEALTHWHY IMPROVING

YOUR PERFORMANCE AND

WELLBEING IS AS SIMPLE AS

CATCHING A FEW EXTRA Z’S

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ON HOW TO PULL — CHEST-

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BARRÉMY MARTIN’S CELLAR

MASTER, BAPTISTE LOISEAU,

AND ONE OF THE MOST

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SPORTTHE RISE AND RISE

OF PROFESSIONAL BULL

RIDING IN AUSTRALIA

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WORLD OF ASTON MARTIN

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24 HOURS TO LIVE

AUSTRALIANCOMEDIAN

AKMAL DISCUSSES HIS

FINAL DAY ON EARTH

Art Director Luke Shaddock (lshaddock@nuclear.com.au)

National Advertising Manager Abdul Khan

(akhan@nuclear.com.au)

Marketing Director Natalie Downs

Managing Director Michael Downs

Fashion Editor Adriana Dib

Grooming Editor Shonagh Walker

Motoring Editor Bill Varetimidis

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Chairman and CEO, Biglari Holdings Inc.Mr Sardar Biglari

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COVER

KARINA VÉLEZ

P H O T O G R A P H E D B Y

A R T H U R S T J O H N

Roxy

S P O T L I G H T

P H O T O G R A P H E D B Y N E I L D I X O N I N T E R V I E W B Y S A N T I P I N T A D O

STYLING: BELINDA ROELOFS

HAIR AND MAKE-UP: MIA CONNOR (INSTAGRAM @MIACONNOR)

LOCATION: INSTAGRAM @SHOOT_LOCATION_BURLEIGH

Lady

ongrats on your first

Australia, Roxy.

Thanks for having me!

I’m so excited to befeatured We shot this

in the Gold Coast at

a stunning house and I treated myself to

a nice hotel nearby the night before When

I’m in Australia I just really love being by

a pool or the beach as we don’t get that

too much where I’m from So, shooting

in the sun by a pool made my day!

Well, yes, you are from the UK What

else can you tell us about yourself?

I grew up in a town called Essex and

started modelling at 13 In my half-term

breaks I would always go to London

to work and I loved it I never knew this

could be, or would be, my job but I’ve

always been confident and silly in front

of the camera — this is ironic since I can

be shy in person I studied film at 16 and

then went full-time from there Then pretty

much my whole family moved to Australia

and I decided to stay back in the UK to

continue my work

Is acting a part-time thing now?

I started performing arts when I was

around three and dabbled in acting for

a while now, but yes I recently did my

first short film called Art of Expression,

so I’ve been pretty busy with that in

my spare time

Is it true that you also write and

perform music?

Well, my dad is a musician so I grew

up around music and my sisters and

I would go into his studio and mess

around when we were kids It’s not

something I take seriously — I just

enjoy writing here and there

How did you get into modelling?

I was scouted It was never something

I would have thought to do but when

the opportunity arose I just went with it

Well, you look amazing! When do

you feel sexy?

I feel at my sexiest when I’ve been on the

beach and then had a shower because

I feel glowing and clean with wet hair

What’s your best asset?

Is it weird if I say that I like my eyebrows?

They’re big and bushy! Second to that,

my bum because before it was fashionable

to have a big bum I had a hard time trying

to fit into the modelling industry Everyonewanted a small bum and no hips when

I started Thank goodness that’s nowchanged and I can embrace being me

If you weren’t modelling what would you be doing?

I enjoyed making movies at school and

I wanted to be a film producer So, maybe

I would have been doing something behind the camera

What’s the first thing you think about when you hear the word “Australia”?

Kangaroos! I love your animals here,they’re the best Oh, and the word

“Bogan” That’s a word no-one knows inthe UK I think our equivalent is a “chav”

If you could spend a day with anyone

in the world, who would it be?

Rami Malek or his movement coach– I want to learn some of those dance moves from Bohemian Rhapsody!

Describe your ideal man.

Someone who makes eye contact, smilesand shows me a sensitive side I also dig

a man who is chivalrous – I’m a hopelessromantic and I love spontaneity I’m notwith this current generation about hiding your feelings

What do you find sexy in a man?

This is tricky I don’t have a type when itcomes to looks because I have a type ofperson I’m attracted to – an ambitiousman with confidence but not arrogant

or boastful How sexy is it when a mandoesn’t need to show off or talk aboutthings they’ve done because they’re just amazing being themselves

You’ve been romantically linked to

a few famous men – including actor Leonardo DiCaprio and British rapper Taio Cruz What did you learn about these relationships?

Well, we shouldn’t believe everything wehear or read I think it’s important to keepsome things to ourselves but, hey, whenyou’re mixing in the circles and goingplaces you bump into people who are well-known and then everyone makes a fuss.We’re all just people at the end of the day

we go and what would it entail?

ForMAXIM I would take you for a lit dinner by the sea – I told you I’m ahopeless romantic! Potentially, therewould be a few puppies there, too

candle-C

“IT WAS NEVER

“BEFORE IT WAS FASHIONABLE TO HAVE A BIG BUM,

I HAD A HARD TIME TRYING TO FIT INTO THE MODELLING

INDUSTRY.”

Would you kiss on the first date?

A kiss – maybe But only a kiss – and it

would have to be right at the end of the

date, too Oh, and obviously only if I really

fancied him and wanted to see him again

What should men always remember

about women?

If we say five minutes we mean 10

Tell us something nobody really

knows about you?

I still have a teddy that I’ve had since

I was born Is that sad?

Not at all What do you do to chill?

Netflix is too cliché, isn’t it? Well, a baggie

T-shirt with a chamomile tea or red wine

— depending on my mood – laying on

the sofa Boom!

If you ruled the world for a day what

would you do?

Give everyone a day off and call it Chill Day

Where will you be in five years?

Married, with a baby, but still being a boss

Finally, what’s next in your career?

It’s a surprise – stay tuned!

me grow as a person.”

INSTAGRAM/ SNAPCHAT:

@roxyhorner

TWITTER:

@RoxyHorner

Status Update

“I’M NOT WITH THIS CURRENT GENERATION

ABOUT HIDING YOUR FEELINGS.”

“IS IT WEIRD IF I SAY I LIKE

MY EYEBROWS? THEY’RE

BIG AND BUSHY!”

D O N ’ T B E A N T I - S O C I A L

F O L L O W M A X I M A U S T R A L I A

E V E R Y W H E R E

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hottest content that doesn’t involve the words

“feeder fetish webcam” We know you’ll totally

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WAITING AN ENTIRE MONTH FOR OUR MAGICAL PUBLICATION TO

ARRIVE IN SHOPS CAN BE EXHAUSTING THAT’S WHY WE OFFER YOU

A LOT MORE THAN JUST THE INK AND PAPER IN YOUR HANDS RIGHT NOW

BELL & ROSS

The Bell & Ross BR-X1

Tourbillon Rose Gold

a case of 18K rose gold and

has 35 jewels in its movement

The rubber-and-alligator

leather strap offers functionality

and style, while the flying

tourbillon, found at 6 o’clock

on the face, ensures precise

timing and mechanics At a

price of US$188,000, it’s just as

much an investment as a luxury

item, but unlike your 401(k) or

a piece of artwork, the BR-X1

Tourbillon offers as much style

as substance

B Y K E I T H G O R D O N

The Hublot Big Bang Meca-10 Full Magic Gold is attention-grabbing from a distance and mesmerising up close, with its face allowing a look

at the internal mechanisms that operate this wrist-bound stunner Enveloped in a case of polished Magic Gold, with an inner casing of sapphire

crystal, and black-plated titanium screws for the accents, the Meca-10 is refined enough for the office and bold enough for a night on the town

With a 10-day power reserve, one needn’t worry about constantly winding the mechanical mechanisms, and a black structured rubber strap

ensures comfort and durability without sacrificing any sense of luxury With only 200 units being produced, it’s not only beautiful and functional,

it’s a collectors’ item — a comparatively affordable one at US$34,600

Even in the highly

competitive world of

watchmakers, Ateliers

deMonaco stands out

for its eye-catching yet

refined designs This holdstrue for the Tourbillon

Répétition Minute, seen

here in the Carré d’Or

Squellete model in 18k

rose gold The movement

on the watch is entirely

hand-engraved, while

18k gold weights act as

regulators for the Grand

Tourbillon, a proprietary

technical achievement

that was made inhouse

As with all deMonaco

watches, the back gets

the threedimensional

engraving the company

has made a signature

aspect of its timepieces

Seeing one will be a rare

occasion, as the Carré d’OrSquellete is limited to just

eight pieces globally.■

FLOWER POWER

For those unaware (i.e everyone), a Dendrobium

is a genus of orchid native to Singapore Like

that flower, the Dendrobium machine is native

to Singapore and unsurprisingly, it's their first

attempt at such a project

Back in the mid-1990’s this two-seater

was a mere design, but now the Dendrobium

D-1 has officially been given a date with the

production line; with the company getting some

much needed tech-head wisdom from the guys

at Williams Advanced Engineering (the team

behind some decent Formula One campaigns)

Run down the specs of the D-1 and youwill realise it is hypercar badge worthy —not too shabby for a startup We’re told theD-1 will feature an all-electric drivetrain with

a total power output of 1340kW and torqueset at 2000Nm Set on a 1975 kg carbonfibre body heavy on the composite andalloy materials — this thing should move

Built around a Protocell carbon tub to

be used for future models, it’s likely existinglithium-ion battery technology will be usedinitially Another cool piece of current tech are

the rear-hinged Bio-Aerial Locomotiondoors — used to enter/exit the carbon-fibre swelled interior

While all seems peachy, an obstacle

in the form of the Rimac C Two andConcept One hypercars - which claim

to hit 100 km/h in around two secondsand 2.5 seconds — may block theirview of outright electric dominance

Time will tell And sales…

and track testing…

and followers

B Y B I L L V A R E T I M I D I S

THE FTR1200

This is the hooligan bike you know you

need The long-awaited production

version of Indian's FTR1200 concept

bike is finally here, and it brought with

it real performance credentials — and real parts

No doubt the Indian brand of bike makes

some beauties, but certain critics were afraid they

would diminish the production version by making

it too far gone from the concept Well, thankfully

they didn’t; as the FTR looks ready to destroy

At the heart of the 2019 FTR pumps a newliquid-cooled 1203cc V-twin that produces anun-Indian-like 120 horsepower (89kW) ButIndian had their bag of tricks like a low-inertiacrankshaft for quicker revs and magnesiumengine covers to help keep weight down

For the transmission, Indian chose a finaldrive chain over a typical American V-twin

belt; which helps with gear changes,but hurts with owner maintenance

While the base model has a snooze-festsingle speedometer with small LCDreadout, the FTR1200 gets a pay-per-viewworthy full-colour display with electronicrider aids like traction control, stabilitycontrol and wheelie-control What they’ve done is outta control

B Y B I L L V A R E T I M I D I S

TORQUE 85ft-lbs@6000rpm

SEAT 840mm

PRICE from $19,995

DYNAMIC DRAGSTER

The FXDR 114 is the tenth

Harley-Davidson based on the 2018

Softail platform, and is on two

missions; to fill the canyon left by

the now-adiosed V-Rod range, and to rustle up

potential cowboys to saddle up to the Harley

motorcycle experience

The sell point won’t be an issue here Every

facet of performance is amped skyward; from

the emphatic torque of the phat

Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine, to the weight-savingaluminium and composite components —it’s a take-no-prisoners power dragster with

a technical edge The tech focus is on weightdistribution — but it is a Harley — so it'sstill gonna stay chunky and stick to the roadbecause…gravity Either way, the swing armUN` ORR[ xNYbZV[bZV`RQy S\_ N !# XT dRVTUa

`NcV[T aUR dURRY` N_R xYVTUadRVTUay QR`VT[`

and you’ll have to squint to see the fenders

as they have been trimmed until the rearone is almost invisible

The low riding position is a clear nod

to the drag-bikes, with forward foot controlsand drag bars that'll have you leaning further forward than you did on your eye exam

So despite the monster 240 section reartyre and 119 lb-ft V-Twin engine, Harleywants to market this thing as a corner carver What would they know?

CURB WEIGHT: 303 kg

FUEL CAPACITY: 16.6 litres

SEAT: 723 mm PRICE: $35,495

B Y J A R E D P A U L S T E R N

What today’s billionaires want in an ultra-luxury estate

$100 MILLION ADDRESSES

Not so long ago, US$100

million was the benchmark

in ultra-luxury real estate, an

extravagant figure reserved

for a few massive properties beyond the

reach of mere mortals: modern-day white

elephants that nobody wanted even if they

could afford them Now, as the number

of billionaires worldwide has ballooned

— according toForbes, there were 2,208

of them in 2018, up from 2,043 in 2017,

representing an increase in total wealth

of about US$1.4 trillion—that number has

come to be much more common

The focus these days isn’t so much on thepurchase price as what the money gets you

As ever-evolving technology putseven the most fantastical features withinthe realm of possibility, we can all aspire

to live like Tony Stark, or at least MarkZuckerberg This goes way beyond theoncevaunted “smart home” amenities thatare now available to anyone with an iPhone

It’s not so much keeping up with theJoneses as keeping up with the Jetsons

“It was only a few years ago that

a US$100 million listing was in thestratosphere and almost unheard of,”

Zackary Wright, an executive director atChristie’s International Real Estate whoassists lots of high-networth clients, tellsMAXIM “Now, [some] homes are sellingnear or at this price point.” His firm’s mostexpensive property (as of this writing) is

a house on Middle Gap Road in HongKong, known as one of the world’s mostexclusive neighbourhoods The askingprice is just under US$447 million It’slisted in the Greatest Estates section of

the Christie’s website, where billionaires

do their browsing However, having

been built in 1991, the house may be, for

some, a teardown, presenting the perfect

opportunity to construct something truly

cutting-edge

The result could resemble 924 Bel-Air

Road, another Christie’s listing, in the

legendary Los Angeles enclave of the same

name, with an asking price of US$188

million Described as famed luxury

developer Bruce Makowsky’s “greatest

masterpiece,” its 38,000 square feet of

living space and over 17,000 square feet

of exterior entertaining areas are designed

to appeal to the world’s richest men,

starting with 270-degree unobstructed

views encompassing both the mountains

and the ocean, with the iconic L.A skyline

in between

The highlights: two enormous master

suites, 10 oversize VIP guest suites, 21

luxuriously appointed bathrooms, three

full gourmet kitchens, five bars, a massage studio and wellness spa, a state-of-the-art fitness centre, an 85-foot glass-tileinfinity pool with a 12-seat swim-up bar,what Makowsky calls the largest swim-around Jacuzzi in California, a 40-seat 4KDolby Atmos theater, a four-lane bowlingalley and lounge, an automotive gallerycomplete with a car collection worth morethan US$30 million, over 100 curated artinstallations,an outdoor pop-up theatre,two fully stocked Champagne and winecellars, a massive US$200,000-pluscandy wall, a helipad and the original Bellchopper, a seven-person full-time staffincluding a chef and masseuse with salariespaid for two years, and, of course, the

“most advanced home tech system in theworld,” allowing it all to be controlled viatouchpads and voice commands

Would you expect anything else at thatprice? “Today, our high-end clients wantone-of-a-kind homes that feature a design

others can’t simply buy or duplicate,” saysGregory Malin, CEO and founder of SanFrancisco–based luxury developer TroonPacific Want a retractable swimming poolthat appears with just a “Hey, Siri”? Wouldyou like that with or without an underwatersound system, sir? It will go perfectly withyour “acoustically controlled nightclub thatcan also convert to a boardroom,” or with

“your very own hidden car vault,” Malinnotes Or how about a specially constructedventilated smoking room for sampling exoticstrains of marijuana?

Nothing to worry about with the- art security systems in place, of thesort rarely seen outside CIA headquarters

state-of-in Langley, Virgstate-of-inia, and just as discreet

“Security is essential, and it is getting moresophisticated all the time,” Wright tells us

“The fine line is that homeowners want theirfamilies to be safe without feeling as if theyare imprisoned” — i.e security shouldn’t beseen or heard until the bad guys show up

FROM LEFT:Movie theatre, bowling alley and front entrance at 924 Bel-Air Road, Los Angeles, California

It’s not all about electronics and

gadgetry, however, as racing driver Pablo

Pérez Companc, son of one of Argentina’s

wealthiest men, showed when he decided

he wanted a limited-edition Pagani Zonda

supercar — hanging on his wall Companc,

who already had two Paganis rumoured

to cost about US$2 million each, originally

approached automotive genius Horacio

Pagani about buying an engine to display

in his posh Miami condo Pagani suggested

that the billionaire’s son shell out for an

entire car chassis instead, one constructed

completely of carbon fibre and without

an engine, that could be used as a room

divider in this opulent pad

The result, weighing 800 pounds,

supported on a custom aluminum and

carbon fibre stand, and estimated to have

cost around US$1.5 million, is extremely

badass — way cooler than any piece

of art and completely one-of-a-kind

Bruce Makowsky and even Bruce

Wayne must be envious.■

FROM LEFT:Dining table view, car gallery and candy wall

As the National Rugby League kicked off this month,

we enlisted the expertise of the FOX LEAGUE TEAM ,

including some former NRL greats, to give us their

season forecast for all things footy this year…

Gorden Tallis

TOP THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH

Kayln Ponga: This kid is an absolute

excitement machine I can’t wait to see

how he goes in the halves — the more

he gets his hands on the ball the better;

AJ Brimson: He was outstanding for the

Titans in his debut against the Storm

in Round 10 last year He’s got an old

head on young shoulders and plenty

of X factor; Jordan McLean: Injury robbed

him of putting his best foot forward last

year, but he’s back fit and firing in 2019

and will no doubt become the Cowboys

forward leader

MOST IMPROVED TEAM Newcastle

Knights were the most improved side last

year and I expect them to go one step

further in 2019 and make the finals

THE WOODEN SPOON At this time of

year the only safe prediction is to say that

the wooden spoon is in the kitchen! Last

year I tipped the Eels to make the top four

and we all know how that one ended

BIGGEST CHANGE IN THE GAME

Over the last three years we’ve seen a shift

towards more structured football, but I’m

tipping that will change in 2019 as teams

try and break up the Roosters defence

DALLY M MEDAL WINNER

Kalyn Ponga I thought he was the best player last season and I’m tipping he’ll be the best player again in 2019

FOX LEAGUE STAFFER TO STUFF UP THE MOST I’m going to throw myself under the bus here and say that Gorden Tallis will stuff up the most in 2019

Season Predictions

Yvonne Sampson

TOP THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH

James Tedesco: A Premiership winner,

a Blues State of Origin champion and

dual Brad Fittler and Jack Gibson medal

winner 2019 could be the one of the

best on record for him; David Fafita: A

modern prototype of what it is to be an

NRL Hitman Has a handy off-load, great

footwork and speed to burn; Kalyn Ponga:

At the start of last year every rugby league

fan was asking if the hype around Kalyn

Ponga was real and by the end of the

year we knew it was

MOST IMPROVED TEAM Newcastle’s

David Klemmer is looking dangerously

good, giving plenty of play-room to Mitchell

Pearce and Ponga will spell danger to

the other side’s defence The Knights are

determined to play finals football and I feel

this will be the year that they do

BIGGEST OFF-FIELD DRAMA The

Roosters move into the hallowed ground

at the SCG Prepare for complaints about

being too far away from the action as

Sydney’s stadium bun fight continues

TOP FOUR TEAMS Roosters: They have proven class across the paddock and a thirst for silverware; Broncos: They will be hugely competitive courtesy of their powerhouse young pack of forwards;

Storm: Will always feature when finals football is on the horizon; Panthers:

They have the Cleary Connection to mastermind a top four finish

THE WOODEN SPOON I hate to see any team with the spoon, but it could be points stripped for salary cap breaches rather than performance based challenges we see this season

BIGGEST CHANGE IN THE GAME

The off-season chasm of horrible headlines is forcing the game to look

at the ethical and economic values and redefine what rugby league will and will not stand for Challenging and confronting conversations are necessary for change I think the game will have a clearer policy

on who and what set of values are welcome in the NRL

DALLY M MEDAL WINNER

James Tedesco or Nathan Cleary

Eye-catching, clever firebrands who consistently deliver first-class footy

GRAND FINALISTS Broncos vs Roosters and 22-12 in favour of the Broncos The Broncos are one of the most professional clubs in the NRL Anthony Seibold won Coach of the Year by being meticulous and thorough

in his approach He’ll give Brisbane every tool and intelligence

they need

to win the competition

The rest

is luck

WATCH YOUR TEAM, EVERY ROUND, LIVE, AD-BREAK FREE DURING PLAY AND IN HD ON FOX LEAUGE

Will it be a Broncos vs Roosters Grand Final this year?

TOP THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH

Kayln Ponga: All eyes will be on him this

season to help steer the Knights to a top

eight finish; Jahrome Hughes: The man

to slip into the shoes of rugby league

icon Billy Slater for the Melbourne Storm

I heard very good things about him ahead

of this season; Jake Clifford: The Cowboys

five-eight to play alongside Michael

Morgan Clifford enjoyed some special

games with Johnathan Thurston at the

end of last season, spending time with

a future immortal can only help his game

for the upcoming season

MOST IMPROVED TEAMThe North

Queensland Cowboys They were plagued

by injury last season and couldn’t quite

find the right gear to click into This year

will be the season the Cowboys rise from

the ashes to remind the competition why

they were Premiers just three years ago

BIGGEST OFF-FIELD DRAMA After

the off-season the game has had, I’m

hoping the biggest off-field drama will be

the lack of drama! But you can guarantee

that after 10 rounds the drums will be

beating for several coaches in the NRL

TOP FOUR TEAMS Penrith Panthers,

Sydney Roosters, Melbourne Storm and

South Sydney Rabbitohs These four

teams have ultra-talented rosters and

haven’t seen too much change since last season They’re led by exceptional coaches and will be hard to beat That said, an injury to a key position or lack

of team cohesion could threaten their season Who can withstand the pressure?

THE WOODEN SPOONManly Sea Eagles I see Manly improving from last year, but I can’t see them keeping up with the other sides in 2019

BIGGEST CHANGE IN THE GAME

Without a dramatic rule change — like

a bench reduction — I’m not expecting major changes in the game What we can expect is higher fitness and more endurance as sports science and technology continues to evolve and everyone is looking for the edge

DALLY M MEDAL WINNER After a career best year in 2018, Cameron Munster is in the box seat

to win this year’s Dally M Medal

GRAND FINALISTS

The Roosters will play Penrith

in a poetic narrative involving father-son duo Ivan and Nathan Cleary But the poise and execution of Cooper Cronk will see the Roosters get the win – Easts by four

James Tedesco: He took his game to anew level last year and the confidence

he gained during the Origin series plus last year’s Grand Final win, will have him pumped for a massive 2019; Nathan Cleary: It’s hard to believe that Nathan is still only 21 He enters his fourth year in the NRL and does so off a stellar 2018 which saw him make his State of Origin

debut Cleary’s combination with Maloney is crucial

to the Panther’s premiership hopes;

mien: He burst onto the scene with the Sharks last year and quickly established himself as one of the most exciting young outside backs in the competition Ramien will be called upon to

be a strike weapon at the Knights and he has the talent to back up the expectation

MOST IMPROVED TEAM The Newcastle Knights are fast becoming every NRL fans second team They’ve again recruited strongly in 2019 with the additions of David Klemmer, Tim Glasby, Ederick Lee, Kurt Mann and Jesse Ramien All eyes will be on Kalyn Ponga and how

Hannah Hollis

ATCH WA TOP THREE PLAYERS TO W Jesse Ram

Greg Alexander

Will Melbourne Storm playmaker Cameron Munster win the

2019 Dally M Medal?

I N T E R V I E W S B Y S A N T I P I N T A D O M A X I M C O M A U 3 7

Bryan Fletcher

TOP THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH

David Fafita: This kid can play He’s got

a massive motor, speed to burn and will

be given plenty of minutes in the young

Broncos pack He can also find his way

to the try line; Kalyn Ponga: He had a

breakout year with the Knights in 2018

and if it wasn’t for a late season injury

he would have won the Dally M Medal;

Angus Crichton: Came of age last year

and made his State of Origin debut Will

have plenty of pressure on him moving

from the Rabbitohs to the Roosters,

but will handle it with ease

MOST IMPROVED TEAMThe

Bulldogs blooded a lot of young players

last year and they’ll be better for it this

season Lachlan Lewis and Rhys Martin

both had breakout years last year and

will be better for the experience

BIGGEST OFF-FIELD DRAMA

I’m tipping the biggest off-field drama

will happen in the green room at Fox

League Gorden Tallis and Nathan

Hindmarsh will come to blows over

the last chicken leg in the box

TOP FOUR TEAMS Brisbane Broncos:

I don’t know what they put in the water

in Brisbane, but gee they can produce a

young forward I can’t wait to watch the

he handles the shift into the halves, but

he’ll be well and truly be up to the task

BIGGEST OFF-FIELD DRAMAAfter

an off-season of controversy, I’m tipping

the biggest off-field drama in 2019 to be

a positive one — it will be fans trying to

secure a ticket to Parramatta games at

Bankwest Stadium

TOP FOUR TEAMSSydney Roosters:

They’ve kept the same squad as last year

and have added Blues forward Angus

Crichton to their roster; Penrith Panthers:

After the coaching controversy last year,

the Panthers will be looking to let the

football do the talking in 2019 If James

Maloney and Nathan Cleary can find

their mojo again in 2019 the Panthers

will be tough to beat; South Sydney:

likes of David Fafita, Payne Haas and Joe Ofahengaue this year; Sydney Roosters:

They are last year’s defending premiers and look just as good, if not better, in

2019 Penrith Panthers: We’ve heard about Phil Gould’s five-year plan for the last 10 years, but I’m thinking this could

be the year where Gus’ plan comes

to fruition South Sydney: Any side with the Burgess brothers, Greg Inglis, Damian Cooke and with Wayne Bennett as coach can’t

be taken lightly

THE WOODEN SPOON

Hindy will hate me for this, but I’m going to tip Parramatta

BIGGEST CHANGE IN THE GAME Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but I’m hoping we’ll see

less reliance on the Bunker with calls to blow the thing up!

DALLY M MEDAL WINNER

Anthony Milford looks

Wayne Bennett will be looking to make

an immediate impact at this new club and will have the Bunnies breathing fire in

2019 If the Burgess brother’s stay fit the Bunnies will be a force to be reckoned with; Brisbane Broncos: The Broncos have one of the best young rosters in the NRL and if Kodi Nikorema and Anthony Milford click in the halves the Broncos have the ability to go all the way

THE WOODEN SPOON It’s always tough to pick at this time of the year but

if you’re judging on last year then the Eels would have to be favourites

BIGGEST CHANGE IN THE GAME

I think we’ll see more tries in 2019 as teams shy away from playing structured footy and start giving the ball some air

fit, has a new coach and a new lease of life at the Broncos I’m tipping a massive year from him in 2019

GRAND FINALISTS Broncos vs Roosters — Roosters 26-10 The Broncos may have the best young list in the

NRL, but it will be the experience of

the Roosters that will reign supreme in October

FOX LEAGUE STAFFER

TO STUFF UP THE MOST Gorden Tallis will struggle in 2019 He’ll

be sleep deprived with

a new baby due during the season and will have baby brain deluxe

DALLY M MEDAL WINNER James Tedesco had an unbelievable season last year and I’m tipping him

to take his game to another level

in 2019 He can light the game up from anywhere and is playing in one

of the hottest sides in the NRL

GRAND FINALISTS Panthers vs Roosters I’m tipping the Panthers to repeat their feats in 2003 and beat the Roosters in the Grand Final 26-16

FOX LEAGUE STAFFER TO STUFF UP THE MOST Take your pick! I’m sure my name will get thrown

up a few times with this one, but if

I had to choose one person it would

be Nathan Hindmarsh Hindy is as random as they come ■

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