Set of Six: Is the biff coming back to the NRL?

Round 1 of the NRL season brought a generous handful of unexpected results and a higher-than-usual level of fisticuffs, writes Jarret Filmer.

1. Round 1, where assumptions come to die!
The opening weekend of the NRL season is renowned as a punter’s nightmare. This season proved no different, with the opening round serving up a slew of surprises. Reigning premiers Cronulla went down at home; trendy premiership pick Penrith got shellacked by the Dragons, a team at short odds to pick up the wooden spoon; the Tigers obliterated Souths in the Robbie Farah bowl; the Eels christened Lottoland by tipping up the Sea Eagles, and perennial strugglers the Knights nearly embarrassed the Warriors at home. If anyone tipped eight from eight in round one they are a certifiable footy genius.

2. The biff was back – but is it back for good?
For years, old-school league fans have called for a return to the days when men were men, Tommy Raudonikis choked down half a pack of Rothmans at half time and players resolved disputes by punching lumps off each other. They might have got their wish. Melbourne’s Will Chambers and Canberra’s BJ Leilua were both charged with contrary conduct for throwing punches at the weekend. Due to the changes made to the judiciary system both escaped with a fine, rather than a suspension, leading some to speculate that the door is open for a return to the good old days. It seems likely that the NRL will clamp down on any such antics sooner rather than later so if you are the sort of fan who enjoys a bit of pugilism mixed in with their rugby league you should probably make the most of it while you can.

3. Has the NRL finally reached the point where no scandal is too ridiculous ?
Its only week one but already the NRL scandal machine has hit mid-season form. A rising superstar from a prominent league family has been accused of paying a woman $50,000 to have an abortion while an already suspended player was arrested for running a wildlife smuggling ring. Now that Martin Kennedy has been nicked for taking the phrase ‘budgie smugglers’ entirely literally it’s difficult to think of a crime that an NRL player hasn’t been implicated in. Piracy? Organ theft? At this point it’s almost impossible to dream up a headline too bizarre to see print. It would take a brave man to bet against anything happening at this point.

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4. Is the Hayne Plane already cleared for take off?
Jarryd Hayne might have only played seven games for the Titans but it seems like he is already on his way to wearing out his welcome on the Glitter Strip. Hayne initially denied reports that he had been fined by his club for a poor attitude to training over the off season only for it to be later revealed that he had been dropped from the team’s leadership group over clashes with his teammates. While it’s true that all this will seem like a storm in the proverbial if Hayne can regain the sort of form that dragged an average Parramatta team to the 2009 decider, its hardly the sort of behaviour a club wants to see from someone they are paying $1.2 million a year. From his aborted NFL career to his failed attempt to qualify for the Rugby Sevens at the Rio Olympics to his subsequent return to the NRL there is one constant in Hayne’s career – Jarryd does whatever is best for Jarryd. Whether he ends up in French rugby, sparring in the MMA octagon or quarterbacking the expansion Albuquerque Aztecs it seems likely that his time on the Gold Coast is growing short.

5. Can South Sydney find a spark to replace Greg Inglis?
The season-ending knee injury to South Sydney’s Greg Inglis is almost certainly a season-ending blow for the Rabbitohs. On the back of underwhelming season the 2014 premiers were hoping for a reversal of fortunes after recruiting Tigers cast off Robbie Farah, only to see key playmaker Adam Reynolds invalided with an appendicitis. Now Maroons and Kangaroos legend Inglis will spend the rest of the season on the sidelines leaving the Rabbitohs thin on creativity. Alex Johnston has played well at fullback before but South Sydney will need to manufacture opportunities elsewhere on the park as well if they are to replace Inglis’ impact. Perhaps livewire bench hooker Damien Cook finds his way onto the field in an unconventional role as coach Michael Maguire tries to make the most of his match-breaking pace. Whatever the solution, Bunnies fans better hope that Maguire has something in his bag of tricks or it could become another lost season very quickly.

6. Match of the Round: Panthers vs Tigers
The Panthers will be smarting after the seven-try hiding they received from the Dragons, while the Tigers will be riding high after unexpectedly dispatching Souths. This match features a showdown between the two best young halves pairings in the league in the Panthers Te Maire Martin and Nathan Cleary and the Tigers’ Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses and might ultimately be decided by which pair can take the game by the scruff of the neck. Elsewhere the most compelling match-up is the battle of the custodians – James Tedesco versus Matt Moylan. Injuries aside, one of these two will be wearing the number one jersey for New South Wales in Origin I and a good showing in this head-to-head contest is a great start to confirming their credentials. This game will be close and probably lower scoring than many might predict given the offensive weapons on display – expect a late try from Tyrone Peachey to give the Panthers the victory.

Picks: (season record 4-4) SYD over CBY, WAR over MEL, NQL over BRI, NEW over GLD, MAN over STH, CAN over CRO, PEN over WST, PAR over STG