If there is one thing that can be learned from 2015’s NRL season, it is that the opening rounds don’t always provide an accurate prediction for the rest of the season.
The Newcastle Knights started 2015 with four straight victories. They looked like absolute world beaters in the opening two rounds, with wins over the highly fancied Warriors and Cowboys.
They then backed up those victories with wins over the Titans and Panthers, and were outright ladder leaders following the fourth round.
Fast forward to this weekend and it’s hard to see where the Knights next win comes from, as they now sit bottom of the table, and are short money favourites to collect a wooden spoon.
I can’t remember the last time a side started the season so brightly, only to see their season degenerate into a battle to avoid finishing last.
Meanwhile up north, the Cowboys are now heavy favourites to finish top of the table, despite dropping their opening three fixtures.
The Thurston-led Cowboys entered 2015 as one of the premiership favourites, along with the Roosters and 2014 premiers the Bunnies.
Fans and pundits alike were scratching their heads and re-evaluating their predictions after losses to the Roosters, Knights and a big loss to the Broncos, had them sitting alone at the bottom of the table.
The 44-22 loss to rivals the Broncos seems a long time ago now though, as the Cowboys have only dropped one game since, a six-point loss to the Sharks, in a game where they were missing their captain and best player. It’s worth remembering that they led that game 18-0 at one stage also.
Early-round form suggested that the Sea Eagles would be more likely to finish with the wooden spoon rather than a top eight spot, however following their dominant display over Souths last night, they’re right in the hunt.
In the Shire, fans were calling for the head of their coach, marquee signing, and everyone in between, following their horror start to the season.
They now have a chance to join South Sydney on 28 competition points, with only points-differential between them and a top four spot with four rounds remaining.
Although I still believe the opening rounds to be important, as every game, and every competition point, is obviously important, but there’s certainly an art to playing your best footy at the right end of the season.
South Sydney had a down period last season in the middle rounds, before peaking in form a few weeks out from the finals. By the time Grand Final day came around, they were firing on all cylinders and were a class above the Bulldogs in the decider.
Who could ever forget the momentum the Jarryd Hayne led Eels had in 2009? Their season, for the most part, was a disappointment.
They scraped into the eight by a single point, and only won 12 of their 24 fixtures, with one draw. They finished the season with a +3 points differential … hardly a rip-roaring season.
Without using google, would anyone have remembered any of those stats? I certainly didn’t.
All I remember was Jarryd Hayne playing some of the best footy I had ever seen (or have seen since for that matter). I remember them ripping through the finals and falling just short against a Storm side that seemed, and was proven to be, too good to be true.
Every game is of course important. Every competition point counts the exact same.
That being said, I’d rather my side win the last seven rounds of the competition other than the opening seven fixtures.
The goings on in 2015 go to show though, if your side is struggling in the opening rounds of 2016, it’s probably worth waiting until you cut up that membership card.
The shoulder charge is gone, stop the debate
Moves to ensure that all shoulder charges would lead to suspensions, rather than just those that connect with the head, have officially seen any chance of the tackle reappearing any time soon are gone.
Simply put, the risk vs reward is just too big.
At best, a shoulder charge can fire a crowd up and lift the intensity in a game. That’s exactly what it did last Friday Night when Kane Evans connected with Sam Kasiano’s chest.
At worst, the tackle can have horrible consequences.
Of course accidents happen, and even the most innocent of tackles can end very badly, but the shoulder charge was a dangerous technique.
For mine, the best tackles are the traditional tackles anyways.
Scott Sattler didn’t drop Todd Byrne with a shoulder charge in the 2003 Grand Final, which is arguably the best tackle of all time.
I’m all for keeping the toughness in rugby league, but I’m happy to see the end of the shoulder charge.
Steve Matai’s hit on David Tyrrell was a brutal, game-changing tackle, and was perfectly legal. You don’t need to shoulder someone to provide a highlight tackle.
Now, if they can just ban lifting of a player’s leg whilst he is being tackled, league will have gone a long way to protecting its players against serious injury.
Eels future not so blue
The Eels have had a horror 2015 both on and off the field. I won’t waste your time going through their trials and tribulations, they’re well known.
Watching last night as Kieran Foran tore South Sydney to shreds, Eels fans will have done well to hide their delight.
Foran is the kind of player who can lift an entire side. His performances since sorting out his future have seen Manly become an entirely different, and far more dangerous side.
If the Eels can provide him the supporting cast he needs, who knows?
Suddenly though it’s not all doom and gloom for the Parra club.
