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Michael Blomley has never been to Europe, but he’s got a list of places to tick off when he gets there – Croatia, Spain and maybe even a Scandinavian adventure.
It’s one of the first things the 22-year-old from Kiama plans to splash cash on after picking up the $20,000 top prize in SportsPick’s NRL tipping competition this year.
After entering his local competition at Kiama Golf Club, Blomley was automatically into the national pool, and after 27 rounds, 204 games and a score of 152, the University of Wollongong student walked away with the prize. He also picked up $600 for the local win.
University student Michael Blomley is a long-time Broncos fan. Credit: Janie Barrett
The secret to his success? His beloved Brisbane Broncos.
“The first game I ever watched when I was very young was a Brisbane Broncos game. I was a big fan of Darren Lockyer, and I’ll always remember the Broncos winning the 2006 grand final,” Blomley said.
“At the start of the season they won a lot of games that most people would have tipped against, so I believe that was a big factor in getting me the first spot.”
Blomley beat almost 15,000 people from more than 500 venues. The competition came down to the wire, but when all was done, there was a two-point gap between himself and second place.
Broncos players Herbie Farnworth and Billy Walters celebrate after a shock win over the Broncos in round one this year.Credit: Getty
The SportsPick competition doesn’t use bonus points, which means Blomley had a 75 per cent success rate.
Popular tipping platform ESPN Footytips was used by 436,243 people, and the overall leader for that competition goes by the name of Jimmybundaburger, who finished on 154 points after round 27.
Blomley said his success came later in the season, and he was still ranked about 4000 at the mid-point. It wasn’t until the pointy end that he emerged as a contender.
“It was only really the last week or two that I was like, oh, there’s actually a good chance I could win this if things go my way,” he said.
After hanging on to first place for the final couple of weeks it was an anxious last round as Blomley waited for results.
By the end, the whole family was behind him, especially the grandparents who he said were his biggest cheerleaders, and they all gathered to watch the Knights v Dragons clash last week – the game that determined his victory.
Although there’s no money on the line, Blomley still had an expert tip for how he saw the season ending.
“I believe what will happen is a Broncos v Panthers grand final, Broncos to win 20-12,” he said.
If you or someone you know has had this much success or more in a tipping competition, tell us in the comments.
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