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Johnathan Thurston is out, the Dragons are weirdly good, and some of the game’s biggest stars remain undecided over where they’ll end up next season. Jarret Filmer digests all the week’s talking points from the great game.
Is this the most entertaining NRL season in ages?
Concerns the NRL’s off-field sideshow would take centre stage and overshadow the on-field product were proven resoundingly wrong last week. First, the Panthers and Rabbitohs slugged out a one point arm wrestle on Friday night. Then the Raiders put on a freewheeling extravaganza of attacking football, blowing away an injury-ravaged Titans side with a Jordan Rapana masterclass. Super Saturday provided perhaps the most awkward sight of the weekend with former Wests Tigers coach Jason Taylor joining the live panel to comment on his replacement Ivan Cleary completing an unlikely victory over competition heavyweight North Queensland at their Townsville fortress. The Kieran Foran comeback tour continued in another solid performance by the Warriors, a side better known for flashy inconsistency than
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Super Saturday provided perhaps the most awkward sight of the weekend with former Wests Tigers coach Jason Taylor joining the live panel to comment on his replacement Ivan Cleary, who completed an unlikely victory over competition heavyweights North Queensland at their Townsville fortress. The Kieran Foran comeback tour continued in another solid performance by the Warriors, a side better known for flashy inconsistency than
The Kieran Foran comeback tour continued in another solid performance by the Warriors, a side better known for flashy inconsistency than dour competence. And Melbourne and Cronulla slugged out a soggy Grand Final rematch that saw the boys from the Shire record a scrappy victory.
The NRL might the king of off-the-field controversy but the game on the field isn’t too shabby either.
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When will the free agency carousel stop spinning?
A veritable constellation of stars – Cronk, Foran, Tedesco, Woods, Johnson, Widdop et al. – remain unsigned for next year. This leaves nearly half the teams in the league uncertain about their long-term future, trying to assemble a premiership contender for next season while still trying to win this season. It’s a nearly impossible task trying to serve two masters and it seems certain that once the carousel stops spinning some club is going to find its 2017 derailed by impending player movements for 2018.
Will the Warriors keep improving if both Foran and Johnson are leaving? Can the Tigers continue to surprise if the Big Four find themselves replaced by an even Bigger Four? Modern NRL players are professionals who should be able to keep their standards high regardless of their playing future, but once a player announces they are leaving it is difficult for fans not to question whether they putting in 100%.
Can the Cowboys win without JT?
The sight of North Queensland lynchpin and rugby league messiah Johnathan Thurston going down with an injury will have sent a shiver down the spine of every league fan from Charters Towers to Mt Isa. Thurston is the most influential player since Andrew Johns and the Cowboys have a shocking record when he is out of the lineup. The Cowboys have already racked up a hefty injury toll with Matt Scott out for the season and Jake Granville out for another month. If Thurston is on the sideline longer than anticipated then the Cowboys could find themselves in a deep hole. The side does boast a cadre of impressive young talents including Coen Hess, Gideon Gela-Mosby and Kalyn Ponga. In Thurston’s absence they will need this young X-factor to convert potential to performance if they are to stay afloat.
Are the Dragons for real?
The table-topping Dragons are definitely the surprise of 2017. More prognosticators would have tipped them for the wooden spoon than the minor premiership prior to the start of the season. Instead, they have got off to a flying start by coupling their previously stout defense with a surprisingly inventive attack. n 2017 the Dragons have scored the second most number of tries in the comp (behind only the prolific Raiders) while conceding the second least amount of points. Often teams sporting a surprising record at this point in the season is usually a result of a soft schedule and a fluky explosion of
So far the Dragons have scored the second most tries in the comp (behind only the prolific Raiders) while conceding the second lowest points. Often a team sporting such a surprisingly good record at this point in the season is the result of a soft schedule and a fluky explosion of offense, but the Dragons have already beaten both the Sharks and the Panthers with a repeatable formula based on stout defense.
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Widdop is on ?#NRLManlyDragons #NRL pic.twitter.com/sB40oOLGTD
— NRL (@NRL) April 8, 2017
Standoff Gareth Widdop could have become disheartened by a lack of a new contract, especially given the big contract handed out to Ben Hunt. But he has played out of his skin with a never-say-die attitude epitomized by his diving on a grubber to score a try when the result of the match was already beyond doubt.
Former Raider Paul Vaughan has been immense and is short odds to receive an Origin call-up while Jack De Belin seems to have pulled a reverse Samson act and only grown in stature once his ridiculous man bun was shorn. Centre Euan Aitken is probably one of the more underrated backs in the NRL, possessing a wicked step and the ability to make defenders miss.
Coach Paul McGregor was on the short list to be first coach fired but now he’s probably going to win Coach of the Year. Things change quickly in the NRL and for the Dragons that change is all positive.
Can the Knights turn improved performances into better results?
While the Dragons are the most improved team in the NRL the Knights are most certainly the unluckiest. While Newcastle were historically inept last season the only thing lacking for the boys from the Hunter this year is a bit of luck. The Knights were on the receiving end of a couple of refereeing howlers against the Dogs, and have recorded three other single-score losses this season (including a one-pointer to the Sharks). With a bit more luck they could be in thick of the playoff hunt right now.
Newcastle have made hard work of recovering from the Bennett-Tinkler era but they have done it the right way, putting their faith in talented juniors and trying to rebuild the club from the ground up rather than opting for a quick fix. Even if the Knights don’t make the eight this season their strategy should bear fruit in the years to come. Combined with canny acquisitions like North Queensland’s boom rookie Kalyn Ponga, the Knights prospects should improve considerably. This Friday they draw a stumbling Roosters side that has lost momentum after a fast start, giving the rejuvenated Knights ample opportunity to turn their positive play into competition points.
Game of the Week: Raiders vs Warriors
Super Saturday sees a showdown between two clubs who both have reputations as the ‘entertainers’ of the NRL. Interestingly, both clubs also come into the match with wins over both the Titans and the Eels. The Warriors have looked like a different team since Kieran Foran took the field, recording back to back wins for the first time since August last season. The Raiders, meanwhile, have shaken off a disappointing start to the season to record convincing wins in the past fortnight, fueled by an expansive attacking game keyed by the scintillating play of wing Jordan Rapana.
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The Warriors need to prove they can win on the road against good opposition, while the Raiders simply need to maintain their momentum. If Canberra provides a dry track these two offensive juggernauts could put up a cricket score. Look for the Raiders to take on a crucial Warriors error late in the second half.
Picks (Last Week 5-3, Season Record 29-19): Rabbitohs over Bulldogs / Knights over Roosters / Broncos over Titans / Storm over Sea Eagles / Raiders over Warriors / Dragons over Cowboys.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Jake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
11 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
1 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
11 Go to commentsThe Springboks tried going down the road of only picking home-based players and it was an unmitigated disaster in 2016 and 2017. Picking overseas-based players has been one of the main reason the Boks have done so well since 2018, not only because of the quality Rassie could call on, but because of the knowledge and experience those players brought into camp from England, France and Japan. With some of the big names playing abroad it also gave younger players in SA the chance to break through at franchise level. Would we have seen the emergence of a Ruan Nortje if RG and Lood were still at the Bulls? Not so sure. I understand why Jake would want to block players leaving since his job depends on good results but it’s an approach that would take Bok rugby back to the bad old days and no South African wants to see that.
11 Go to commentsExeter were thumped by 38 points. And they only had to hop on a train.
39 Go to commentsI am De Groot.
1 Go to commentsHad hoped you might write an article on this game, Nick. It’s a good one. Things have not gone as smoothly for ROG since beating Leinster last year at the Aviva in the CC final. LAR had the Top 14 Final won till Raymond Rhule missed a simple tackle on the excellent Ntamack, and Toulouse reaped the rewards of just staying in the fight till the death. Then the disruption of the RWC this season. LAR have not handled that well, but they were not alone, and we saw Pau heading the Top 14 table at one stage early season. I would think one of the reasons for the poor showing would have to be that the younger players coming through, and the more mature amongst the group outside the top 25/30, are not as strong as would be hoped for. I note that Romain Sazy retired at the end of last season. He had been with LAR since 2010, and was thus one of their foundation players when they were promoted to Top 14. Records show he ended up with 336 games played with LAR. That is some experience, some rock in the team. He has been replaced for the most part by Ultan Dillane. At 30, Dillane is not young, but given the chances, he may be a fair enough replacement for Sazy. But that won’be for more than a few years. I honestly know little of the pathways into the LAR setup from within France. I did read somewhere a couple of years ago that on the way up to Top 14, the club very successfully picked up players from the academies of other French teams who were not offered places by those teams. These guys were often great signings…can’t find the article right now, so can’t name any….but the Tadgh Beirne type players. So all in all, it will be interesting to see where the replacements for all the older players come from. Only Lleyd’s and Rhule from SA currently, both backs. So maybe a few SA forwards ?? By contrast, Leinster have a pretty clear line of good players coming through in the majority of positions. Props maybe a weak spot ? And they are very fleet footed and shrewd in appointing very good coaches. Or maybe it is also true that very good coaches do very well in the Leinster setup. So, Nick, I would fully concurr that “On the evidence of Saturday’s semi-final between the two clubs, the rebuild in the Bay of Biscay is going to take longer than it is on the east coast of Ireland”
11 Go to commentsWhat was the excuse for the other knockout blowouts then? Does the result not prove the Saints were just so much better? Wise call to put your eggs in one basket when you’ve got 2 comps simultaneously finishing.
39 Go to commentsReally hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to commentsI wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
86 Go to comments