National Rugby League: Week One

[Ken Gargett]

FOH – Sports

 

 

Week One – NRL

That wasteland of time between the final whistle of the Grand Final (or whatever the season-defining game in your code is called) and the thrill that is kick-off in a bright new year, can be nearly as much fun as season itself. Especially if you follow a team like the Redskins or the Gunners.

In the NRL, there will be the inevitable scandal and/or controversy, usually involving Jarrod Hayne, Mitchell Pearce or anyone from the Sharks. This year, it was the Broncos turn. The NRL have registered Matt Lodge to play for the Broncs this year. Now, this was known months ago but you’d swear that the Sydney press only discovered it in the week before kick-off. Matt, for those unaware (mind you, if you are unaware then it is highly unlikely you are reading this), got off his gourd in New York a few years ago, attacked passers-by, broke into a house, told the inhabitants they were dead, put one in a headlock, threw bottles at the cops and generally behaved like any young footballer on an end-of-season tour.

Well, what goes on, on tour, didn’t stay on tour in this case. Young Matt was sued by the homeowners for $1.6 mill, put into anger management, etc etc. All sorts of nonsense about this has allegedly suddenly appeared. Victims suddenly decided to give interviews. Lodge kept his head down, but many are saying he should not be allowed to play the game.

Personally, I thought he should have been jailed at the time (of course, you might say well you’d say that as he was not playing for the Broncs, but he really should have). To his credit, he has apparently put his head down since then. Off the grog, a year working in a soup kitchen, time playing for lower grades. Done all he could (well, short of finding $1.6 mill in the back yard to hand over). All sorts of conflicting reports. The NRL had knocked him back a number of times, as they should have, but eventually, he has been allowed back in. Fingers crossed he does not blow this opportunity.

This off-season also saw more player movement, especially big names, than ever before. Newcastle appears to have bought an entirely new team.

All teams start the year with high hopes, fans have expectations, players make statements. But we know a lot more than we did three days ago. And there have been some surprises. Of course, one game, especially the first one, will not define the season. Teams will improve, others regress. Injuries are yet to play their inevitable telling role. But what can we ascertain from the first round?

There is a post on the pre-season and my early pick for top 8 was – in no particular order – Storm, Roosters, Broncos, Cowboys, Sharks, Titans, Saints and Souths.

Has the first round thrown that out of whack at this early stage?

Storm – business as usual. They are the Pats of the comp. A few years ago, most pundits would pick the coming year to be the year that the Storm influence began to wane. And then they’d be back in the Grand Final. This year, no one bothered. Death, taxes and the Storm to feature at the pointy end.

Roosters – big surprise to see them go down to the Tigers. Harbinger of things to come or simply early days and working out the kinks? The latter for me. The unlimited salary cap they enjoy means too much quality. Big fan of Tedesco and he is joining stars like Cordner, Napa and many others. Then there is Cronk. Not sure I see them lifting the trophy, but they’ll be very close.

Broncos – very disappointing. I have seen them play worse and lose by bigger margins, but I have never seen so many dumb, bone-headed plays. They lack organisation, a good kicking game and forward go-forward. But a lots of quality players and they are always tough at home. I was hopeful of top four. Now I'm hopeful of the top eight, but they’ll need to lift and lift quickly. They are also probably without the depth of the top teams. Some cracking youngsters but that won’t get them there this year.

Cowboys – looking good. JT back is a massive boost. Also Scott. They still have Morgan to return. At the moment, it is almost impossible to beat them up north. So if they win enough away from home, all finals but the Grand Final will be home games. The fairy tale? All that said, I was surprised they let the Sharks hang around like they did the other night.

Sharks – some serious talent but I wonder if the forward strength to go all the way. Some good ones, but forward depth?

Titans – Better than most think. Recruited well, a respected coach. Usual problems will emerge to stop them winning the thing, but they’ll win enough for the 8. And if Ash Taylor reaches his potential, they’ll give it a good shake.

Saints – for me, the smoky. Highly underrated. I think they have a seriously good forward pack. A good coach. Some excellent backs, and now they have pinched Ben Hunt from the Broncos, an organiser. He will be missed by the Broncs and help the Saints. Sure, $6 mill for five years might be overpaying but if he gets them a flag, they won’t care. Top four for me.

Souths – I was reluctant to include them in my 8. They got in because I really wasn’t sure who else – Bulldogs, I think, or Warriors if it comes together. This week, they did nothing that looks like getting them far, but they can often go on a good run. First up coach, so not this year.

Others?

Bulldogs – always tough. I'd elevate them ahead of the Rabbitohs.

Warriors – perhaps the over-achievers of the first round? Given the talent, if someone can harness that, they could be anything. Problem is, no one ever can. Not for the full season.

Canberra – hard to beat at home but losing to the Titans like that? Not sure they’ll win enough away to make the top 8. And discipline?

Tigers – great start but hard to see it lasting.

Eels – chaotic. I think Hayne will cause more problems for his team than for the opposition. A hot and cold team. And they won’t be hot often enough.

Knights – who knows? Massive recruiting. Perhaps this change is what Pearce needs. Ponga will show why he is our next Inglis, albeit smaller and more elusive. Talent is probably good enough to get them in the 8, but first year together might cause issues. Look out for these guys in the next few years.

Panthers – good effort but can they keep it up all year? Lost some good talent and clearly others are not happy. Can’t see Cleary carrying them all the way. Yet.

Manly – too many internal problems. The Treb brothers and DCE are first class players but I think the distractions will hurt in the long run.

And if this season runs along the same lines as most, all this will be shown to be nonsense.

KBG

 

[El Presidente]

Great opening round. The quality of football was excellent by all teams.......except for one glaring exception...the Brisbane Broncos. 

Gutless, leaderless, imagination free football.  Toweled, owned and beaten like mongrel dogs. 

They have this week to atone against one of the premiership favourites.   This is far more than 2 points. This is a character assessment.   A win or tight loss is acceptable. A toweling and they will finish bottom 4 in 2018 with Wayne unlikely to see out the year. 

 

 

[MoeFOH]

A cracker of an opening round, I thought (despite Souths poor showing in the west). Knights/Manly, Roosters/Tigers/ Panthers/Eels Titans/Raiders... Great games. The only saving grace for clubs that didn't perform well is that R1 results can be, and often are, Jekyll & Hydish. Souths need to fix their defence, attack is fine. I actually felt a sigh of relief that Adam Reynolds got injured. I think Cody Walker needs to take charge. Reynolds always looks so clunky in attack, and he's no great threat as a runner. Great kicking game when he's on song, but that's not enough to be a top-flight halfback. And, I have to say, the Warriors looked as fit as I have ever seen a Warriors team look. They're always a flakey, wild card team, but if they put it all together they can be serious contenders. 

Three standouts from R1: 1. I thought the Panthers 2nd half was incredible; young Kikau amazing. 2. Titans comeback win; Ash Taylor simply sublime. 3. Cowboys beating the Sharks while seemingly stuck in 2nd gear; scary to think they may have oodles of improvement in them.

For me, too early to put any concrete evidence forward on most teams, except, of course (as per Ken's line above), the Storm are going to be ridiculously hard to beat again. But we all knew that in November. 

Looking forward to R2 kick-off, tonight!

[MoeFOH]

Souths lose a tough one in R2, when they really should have won... Oh well, there are some promising signs, I guess, but it already feels like we might be behind an eight ball the size of ANZ stadium! 

I am, however, mildly compensated by the universe in seeing the dear old Balmain Tigers/Western Suburbs Magpies spoil the party in Melbourne. That was sweet. And they deserved that victory 100%. Cleary has them very well organised. And the old Field Marshall Marshall--game management par excellence! Warms the heart a little...