Five HUGE questions to be answered in 2016

As we head toward the end of 2015 there seem to be more questions than answers when it comes to the game of rugby league.

There are plenty of stars yet to find a home for next season, while even more questions arise over the future of players looking toward 2017 and beyond.

Below are five burning questions I’m looking forward to being answered in 2016.

5. Will Clubs Risk Stars Chasing Nines Glory?

There are huge rewards on offer when the third Auckland nines kick off early next year. There are equally huge risks too.

The Sharks famously sent a side to the first edition of the competition with every intent to win and cash in.

Todd Carney’s injury suffered in the nines put the Sharks behind the eight ball and had a big part in the Sharks finishing with the wooden spoon.

The Warriors want to win the nines in front of their home fans after falling short in the first two opportunities.

Will they risk Shaun Johnson for a third year in a row? The smart money is on no, as Johnson is coming off a serious injury, although the Warriors, and Johnson, want to lift the trophy at home.

There are going to be injuries in any version of the game. It’s a contact sport and injuries are unavoidable.

That being said, the fast nature of the nines puts players at an increased risk.

Will the Sharks risk the likes of Barba, Bird and Holmes this year? Will the Storm send Billy Slater to fast track his return to the game? Will the Eels send their most dangerous weapon on Radradra knowing he could set the competition alight?

4. Jekyll Or Hyde For The Warriors?

Looking at the makeup of the Warriors roster, they simply cannot fail in 2016. Or can they?

This is a side that has been historically capable of tearing the best of sides apart on any given day, while also being just as likely to turn up and produce performances akin to a lower rung NSW cup side.

Johnson, RTS, Luke, Lolohea, Hurell, Kata, Matulino, Vatuvei, the list of supreme talent goes on. They’re all excitement machines too.

Andrew McFadden enters 2016 under ridiculous pressure. Nothing less than a top four finish will do for this amazing side.

On paper, the Warriors have every chance of winning the competition next week, IF they can find consistency.

Given the history of the Warriors, that is a big if.

3. Will Manly’s Big Recruitment Drive Pay Off?

The Manly Sea Eagles proved that they will not accept failure. After missing the finals for the first time in seemingly forever, they undertook an aggressive recruitment drive that saw them completely overhaul their forward back, and coaching staff.

Will their decision to move club legend Geoff Toovey on for the inexperienced Trent Barrett?

Will their new signings fire off the bat, or will they take time to gel and see a rough start to the season?

Lewis Brown, Api Koroisau, Darcy Lussick, Nate Myles, Matt Parcell, and Martin Taupau are all likely to be named in the early rounds. That is almost half a run on side worth of turnover. Not to mention the likely signing of Dylan Walker.

Young Tommy Turbo is also likely to come into the first grade line up, while Lyon or Walker are likely to shift into the halves to cover the loss of Kieran Foran.

That’s a huge amount of turnover on-field, and an equally big turnover off-field.

Given the amount of money they’ve spend on bringing in stars, the pressure is going to be on Barrett from the start.

2. Will positional changes pay off?

2015 saw plenty of position changes, some of which left fans shaking their heads, others that almost took teams to premiership glory.

Anthony Milford’s move from fullback to five-eighth was a masterstroke by Wayne Bennett. Ben Barba’s similar move had Sharks fans pulling their hair out and wishing their coach would end the failed experiment.

Jack Bird is set for a shift of position, to either centre or fullback. Given the year he had in the halves a switch could be seen as a risk, but his running game suits a switch into the outside backs. James Maloney’s arrival also necessitated a move by Bird.

Moses Mbye will move into the halves permanently at the Bulldogs, and will be tasked of filling the number seven jumper filled by current NSW halfback Trent Hodkinson.

Josh Dugan has been reported to want to switch to the centres. Given his career to date at fullback, it could be a make or break move. After all he is the current NSW representative in his previously favoured role. He has played centre at times in the past, but a fulltime move is a different kettle of fish altogether.

James Roberts, the current Dally M centre of the year, wants to move to fullback. He will see more ball in open field, but may not be given the chances in space out wide which made him so dangerous in 2015.

It will be interesting to see if the moves follow a similar track to the likes of Lockyer and Inglis, or if they fall into the “at least we tried” basket.

1. Can Jason Taylor and Robbie Farah Work Together?

This is the biggest burning question as we head toward the end of 2015. Can Wests Tigers coach Jason Taylor and Captain Robbie Farah work together after everything that has happened in the past few months?

I don’t see how the relationship can be mended after Taylor and the Tigers came out and publicly stated that Farah was being moved on to another club.

The club has since backtracked and will honour Farah’s contract, but only because no other club could accommodate his expected wage.

Farah returns to pre-season training knowing that his coach and management don’t have confidence in him, nor want him at the club.

Taylor, despite making a move he, and plenty of Tigers fans, saw as a necessary step in moving the club forward, has been crucified in the media and by plenty of Tigers fans and ex-players.

Both face huge amounts of pressure, while Taylor also has to work out how to accommodate new signing Matt Ballin as well as the man tipped to take over from Farah long-term in Manaia Cherrington.

There are big rumours that the young Tigers halves didn’t accept their options to extend their contracts due to the fact that Farah over rides their calls on field.

I have no idea whether or not this is true, but the fact neither chose to sign on, despite the money on offer and the time spent being developed by the club, while this Farah saga dragged on, is a pretty big coincidence.

This feud has the potential to ruin the Tigers 2016 season before we even reach 2016.

If the Tigers don’t start well next season, one, or both, will shoulder plenty of blame.